Seaports as an Important Part of the Economy - Term Paper Example

 WEST COAST INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT & TECHNOLOGY List of contents Page no. 1. Introduction 1 2. Procedure of works 3 3. Strategy 7 4. Conclusion 8 5. Bibliography 10 6. Appendix 11 PORT AND AIRPORT ENGINEERING – PLANNING AND DESIGN OF SEAPORTS AND HARBOR 1. Introduction Just like most engineering problems, the planning and design of seaports and harbors tends to be an exercise in the achievement of a compromise among conflicting aims. Although collision with land is not a hazard due to the fact that ships have virtually unlimited maneuvering space, the ships may be buffeted by swells and waves or even blown off course by the wind. Access and transportation are important for the efficient operation of a harbor or seaport. From a navigational perspective, the utilization of safe and proper shipping channels and terminal berths are vital to the success of the port. Seaports are very important for the efficient working of an economy, as a great number of passengers and goods are transported by sea. Most international trade (import and export), and even large amounts of domestic trade, are done through maritime transportation. There are no other cost-effective modes of transportation to ships used for long-haul shipments, except in the case of small volume, high value cargoes, for which air transport offers the advantage of faster delivery. “Seaports are an important part of the economy, and proper planning must be put into the design and construction of seaports, in order to cover the environmental and security related aspects. As such, seaport and harbor planning processes must take into account the roles of the seaport industry and the manner in which how and personnel are supposed to move into and out of the port.” (Sorum, Alan J. 2003) For a good seaport design, transportation and access must be well planned. “Access and transportation are basic to the effective and efficient operation of a port. From a navigational standpoint, it can be said that the need for safe and adequate shipping channels is critical to a good design, as well as for terminal berths.” (Bechtol 2006) It is of utmost importance the Port Authority work with these agencies in the preparation of dredging plans, which involves identifying and the acquisition disposal areas, and identifying new projects that will ensure the continues growth the Port. In the planning and design of Seaport and harbor areas, it is of necessity to have roadway systems that will be able to support heavy truck traffic with viable access to interstate highways, including rail system that is capable of catering both to regional and national needs. 2. Procedure of works a. Planning priorities During the design and planning of seaport, funding allowance should be made for surveying the available space, in order to determine the amount of useable space there is after accounting for any setbacks. Land should also be set aside for future port development. A successful seaport and harbor master plan should be aware of the multiple uses of the port. The primary uses that should be considered during the planning and design of seaports include: the natural waterfront, the working waterfront and the public waterfront. It is also important to carry out a review of any potential land sales along the waterfront in order to determine if land is needed for seaport or harbor growth, commercial or industrial growth, or expanded facilities for the enhancement of the standard of living and also recreational opportunities. Plans should also be made for effective land transportation to and from the port, as it is imperative to sustain an efficient landside transportation system. Thus, roadway systems must be designed which will support heavy truck traffic, with access to major roads and highways and also to a rail system feeding into national systems and regional systems. During design and planning of a seaport and harbor, it must be kept in mind that development and maintenance of surface transportation systems will become increasingly important as the harbor/seaport grows to meet the challenges of the maritime industry over the years. Arrangements must be made for exclusivity, wherein there should be efficient provision of services to future users of the port. “For those services in which the presence of a competitor to the concessionaire could be positive, access should be allowed to any interested party. Meanwhile, those activities for which competition can result in a deterioration of services for users, exclusivity can be desirable. As an example, consider the case of a container terminal that is occasioned as units to a private operator, but other operators are allowed to enter to handle general cargo by using their own cranes. Even though competition in the general cargo segment could improve, it may be better to minimize any interference with the container operations. This can be effected by ensuring that single operators are used exclusively for all loading cargo in the port” (Bechtol 2006) For services involving public service obligation and the provision of desirable non-profit services, it is usually more preferable to have theses services provided by single firms, in order to insure exclusivity. “If various operators are allowed to offer these services, then it becomes necessary to pay subsidies to all of them, and this will probably lead to an increase in the administrative costs of controlling the system. This can be simplified by having just one operator. In small ports, concessionaires must be offered some guarantees that they can recover their investment costs when the concession involves the building or rehabilitation of facilities.” (Sorum, Alan J. 2003) Adequate attention must also be given to designing the seaport entrance, in order to ensure that the channel dimensions are large enough to accommodate the largest vessels that will be using the port. It is possible though, that those dimensions may require a large opening between breakwaters, and might thus admit more wave energy that is necessary for the smaller vessels, and despite sedimentation which may occur at a faster rate in the deeper channels constructed for the larger vessels. For purposes of planning and designing, the seaport area encompasses the area in which seaport activities takes place, including the infrastructure within the seaport (docks, berths, quays, storage yards, etc) and the superstructure on site. “Among the elements forming the superstructure, it is possible to distinguish between fixed assets built on the infrastructure (sheds, fuel tanks, office buildings, etc) and fixed and mobile equipment (cranes, and van carriers). When discussing port infrastructure, it is convenient to define precisely those elements that are included and excluded. As it can be observed, there are infrastructures outside the port area, but these are essential for the use of a port (maritime and land accesses).” (Tryck Nyman Hayes 1998) b. Waterfront considerations There are some waterfront uses that must be considered when planning the seaport. These include considerations involving the public waterfront, the natural waterfront, and the working waterfront. The considerations are important for long-term strategies and may serve as a guide to land use. “Waterfront access is important to community recreational needs, transportation requirements, subsistence access, and facilitation of commercial enterprises. The waterfront is a natural draw for recreational opportunities for people to visit the beach, walk along the harbor, kayak, participate in motorized and non-motorized water vehicle sports, view marine life, or watch a ship land. Others use the Port for a wide variety of recreational uses, including transportation access. Development of the working waterfront should also effectively identify opportunities for infrastructure improvements that promote better inter-modal connections of people and cargo to water, highway, and airport transportation links.” (European Commission 1997) Due to the fact that seaports are not merely fro the provision of a single service, but for multiple activities, it is essential during the planning and design of seaports to examine various tasks in detail, in order to determine the most effective provision of those activities from an economic perspective. “It is important for a seaport development project to work in harmony with community goals outlined in the Coastal Management Plan. Another planning consideration during seaport design is its location and current condition. Most major construction projects will require environmental mitigation to preserve fish and wildlife habitat to secure appropriate permits. The working waterfront describes the industrial facilities that are dependent on access to the Port for their continued success. Shore side development must also consider the needs and demands of current and future commercial operations in and around the seaport.” (European Commission 1997) Furthermore, it is relevant to study the coordination between these activities, since all port activities take place in a limited area. 3. Strategy During the planning of seaports, the shoreline and any associated uplands should be broken into different functional zones containing similar uses. Current land use, zoning and planning priorities must also be identified for different areas. These factors must be considered so as to insure that future planning adequately meets the aims and interests of the port. Natural waterfront, Public waterfront, and the Working waterfront are three primary waterfront uses which should be considered during the design and planning of a seaport/harbor. The unique nature of the seaport must be taken into account, in order to allow for the use of long-term planning strategies. Planning and design of seaports involves the identification of some enforceable policies including the prioritization of waterfront land use, preservation of waterfront land use, preservation of navigational access below mean high water, placement of structure or dredged material in tide lands, filling below mean high water, and citing of floating facilities. The seaport and harbor should be designed according to a reasonable order of prioritization. Floating structures should be used for construction below mean high water, except in cases in which there is compelling evidence to the contrary. Placement of structures or dredged material in tidelands under the mean high water will also help to minimize any obstruction of the water view. Floating facilities should also be designed to use anchoring methods which anchor facilities securely in the possible event of extreme tides or strong winds. During the design and planning of a port, it must be taken into consideration that a port system that is based on concession contracts will probably encourage private firms to become interested in making the required investments for the enhancement of existing port facilities and the building of new infrastructure for the port. This is because concessions may offer private investors some required incentives, as the firms will be in charge of construction of the infrastructure, and would have to pay all costs. After the completion of the project though, they can be granted the right to operate these facilities. During the process of seaport/harbor design it is important to define the boundaries and approve a management plan for the harbor/seaport. This will insure proper handling of any future development of the seaport/harbor. Thus in planning and designing a seaport, boundaries and appropriate land use within the area must be well defined, as unclear boundaries will inhibit any potential future development because then evaluation will become a matter of how close the project comes to various parts of the seaport area. 4. Conclusion Due to the fact that seaports are not merely for the provision of a single service, but for multiple activities, it is essential during the planning and design of seaports to examine various tasks in detail, so as to evaluate the most effective provision of seaport activities, from an economic standpoint. It is necessary to examine role of port authorities and the coordination of all port activities, as these activities will be taking place inside a limited area. During the planning of seaports, the shoreline and any associated uplands should be broken into different functional zones and grouped according to their functionality. Current land uses, zoning and planning priorities must also be identified for each area. In the course of designing or planning a seaport, it is important to consider the kind of vessels that will be using the seaport. This includes planning for the entrance to the harbor. The dimensions of the entrance channel must be adequate for the passage of the biggest vessels that are expected to come to the seaport. Future development within the harbor/seaport also necessitates the consideration of the waterfront factors discussed above in order to ensure that future planning adequately meets community interests and goals. 5. Bibliography European Commission (1997) Green Paper on Sea Ports and Maritime Infrastructure. Official Publications of the EU Communities. Bechtol (2006) Planning and Development of Coastal Management Plan Bermello, Ajamil and Partners (2004) Long Range Waterfront Plan for the City and Borough of Juneau. City and Borough of Juneau Darbyshire and Associates. (2000) Seaport Comprehensive Plan. City of Valdez Peratrovich, Nottingham and Drage (2003) Small Boat Harbor Master Plan Peratrovich, Nottingham and Drage (2004) Old City Dock Master Plan Sorum, Alan J. (2003). A Comprehensive Vision for Harbor Expansion and Marine Related Development Tryck Nyman Hayes (1998) Expedited Reconnaissance Study of Boat Harbor Improvements 6. Appendix Scheme of the proper structure of a seaport Design of a permanent mooring for a super yacht in a marina Read More