Quay and crane productivity Quay productivity Containers handled over the quay
Yard productivity
Gate productivity Voyage productivity
Ship productivity
Crane productivity
Container dwell time Storage capacity Truck turnaround time Ship turnaround time Waiting time for pilot
Table 1 : Port Productivity Measures
Gross Moves Per Hour : containers moved to / from a ship per hour
Gross crane rate : containers moved over the quay per crane per hour
These productivity tools are used to measure the performance of the various components of port operation and may be indicative of the port ’ s attractiveness to any shipping lines . The same tools may also be used by the port operator to assess the port ’ s productivity and whether targets are met . Furthermore , port performance indicators , coupled with the cost of using the port , may indicate the competitiveness of the port as well as evaluate the returns on the financial investments made in providing cargo handling equipment .
Port Maintenance and Repair
Port operations involve the heavy utilisation of structural facilities and cargo handling equipment that requires a proper maintenance regime to minimise breakdowns in the service . There are two main areas of focus for port maintenance and repair that are commonly practised by many ports and they are discussed below .
Port Terminal Facility ( mainly civil infrastructure ) Port terminal facilities include the wharves and jetties where ships berth and form the main bulk of any port terminal facility . This may include the breakwater that protects the berth area from waves and the terminal yard area for cargo operation .
Since a port is a long-term business and a costly investment , the terminal facilities are built for purpose with a long life cycle . Most terminal facilities are designed for at least 50 years and it is in the interest of the port that a proper maintenance regime is put in place to ensure this is actually met or extended . Thus , good engineering practices adopted in the design and construction of port facilities must be complemented by an equally good maintenance philosophy . Many ports have a system in place to track the annual maintenance requirements in order to keep the structures in service or even to prolong their service life .
The Rotterdam Port for example , developed KMS ( Dutch abbreviation for ‘ quay wall modelling system ’) that provides the Port with a means to optimise the preservation of their inventory of marine structures and reliably predict the future performance of concrete and steel elements exposed to a wide range of aggressive environments . KMS enables the Port to improve at predicting , simulating , analysing , prioritising , budgeting and planning the required maintenance to quay walls and towards keeping the structures safe and in service 15 .
Cargo Handling Equipment Depending on the size of the terminal , cargo handling equipment may total in the hundreds if not in the thousands . The same maintenance principle is adopted to ensure that they work at the optimum level and not impair overall port productivity . Cargo handling equipment is deployed in a robust working environment and is needed to be in prime condition at all times . This has to be done throughout the life cycle of the equipment , usually 15 to 20 years , in order to maximise the economic benefit of the investment and also port operation productivity .
Modern techniques for effective equipment maintenance involves acquiring as much data
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