The Port of Long Beach’s Middle Harbour Redevelopment Program has won the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE’s) California Regional Award for outstanding construction project of 2015.
The aim of the redevelopment program is to modernise two shipping terminals and combine them into an advanced container terminal, with the first phase to be designed by Moffatt & Nichol.
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Phase one of the wharf constructions finished in 2015 and consisted of building a larger and stronger wharf with utilities to accommodate quay cranes and automated equipment handling.
The program’s continuing phases intend to expand on-dock rail infrastructure and develop automated container yards, as well as modern gate technology to allow up to 3.3 million TEU per year of cargo throughput.
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Moffatt & Nichol has been providing overall program management and master planning, as well as specific project design for the 325-acre site under contract to the Port of Long Beach.
Services have included concept through final planning, a series of simulation studies, wharf and container yard design and construction services.
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Dan Allen, Project Manager at Moffatt and Nichol, said: “Wharf design, which was a critical part of the redevelopment program, went through several iterations to address the ever changing design criteria of larger ships and cranes with automation technology.
“Construction challenges of unanticipated pile driving problems and working within a multi-phased contracting program also made this project challenging.
Dan Allen concluded: “Moffatt & Nichol was able to develop a phasing and contracting plan that met the Port and its operator’s requirements while successfully delivering the first semi-automated terminal of this kind on the West Coast.”
