Halifax South End Container Terminal Extension

  • CBCL

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South End Container Terminal Extension Project – Halifax Port Authority

» Scope of Project

CBCL Limited (CBCL) was engaged by the Halifax Port Authority to provide professional engineering services to support the extension of their world class container terminal to accommodate two ultra-class container vessels. The South End Container Terminal, comprised of Piers B & C, spans 76.5 acres, and has 2500 metres of on-dock, double-stack rail. Leased to PSA Halifax under a long-term lease agreement, the Terminal also includes five gantry cranes, including four super post-Panamax cranes, a state-of-the-art truck marshalling yard, and is a security-access-controlled facility.

The Port of Halifax has long term goals to increase capacity and volume at the South End Container Terminal. This project extended the quay by 134 meters to provide a total berth length of 800 meters. With this extension, the deep-water terminal now has capacity to accommodate two Ultra Class Container Vessels.

 

» Execution

CBCL provided professional engineering and support services for the project including options analysis, preliminary design, detailed design, development of tender documents, cost estimating, construction documents, bid evaluation, and oversight during construction. The quay extension was constructed with concrete caissons, and infill behind the caissons. This included dredging works, concrete cope walls, front and rear crane beam and crane rail extensions, fender and bollard installations, armour stone installation, site grading, and lighting.  

CBCL completed an options analysis for multiple structure alternatives at the transition between the existing wharf and the extension, and evaluation of the existing structure to determine if soil loading from infill material would affect the existing wharf piles. It was determined that the piles would be overstressed under this loading condition when combined with dead loads and live loads on the existing wharf. To mitigate this, concrete caissons were placed around the perimeter of the existing piled wharf. A block and span arrangement was used on the back side of the existing wharf to allow for water to flow through the structure.

Maintaining the project schedule was imperative to meet the Port’s commitment to expand their facilities and their service offering to welcome larger class cargo vessels to Halifax. To facilitate this important timeline, the project was tendered in separate phases for dredging, caisson construction, infilling, concrete cope walls and crane beams, asphalt paving, and lighting.

 

» Project Highlights

In May 2021, the South End Container Terminal welcomed Marco Polo. At 16,022 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU), the Marco Polo is the largest cargo vessel to call on Canada to date and was the largest container vessel to call at any terminal on the Eastern Seaboard of North America. The South End Container Terminal is the only port in Eastern Canada that can accommodate this type of post-Panamax ultra-class cargo vessel. During the vessel call, a second container vessel, the MSC Alyssa was also berthed at the South End Container Terminal.