When the Port of Alaska opened in 1961, the largest container ships were about 800 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units), which measures the volume of units in 20-foot long containers. In shipping, TEUs are the standard unit of measure. Since then, however, containerships have increased dramatically in size. Today’s vessels stretch out to 25,000 TEUs, which can take up to 24 bays. Since the early 2000s, containerships have expanded from a high of 8,500 TEUs to today’s shipping behemoths, which can weigh up to 165,000 tons. Larger ships also require more depth at port. For ships above 10,000 TEUs, a depth of 50 feet is required. Many ports are inaccessible due to depth limitations. For decades, the Port of Alaska did little to meet the needs of the larger vessels. Now, the Anchorage-based port is in the midst of a five-stage, decade-long modernization plan that will serve as a critical piece of infrastructure for the nation’s 49th state. The project, which could reach $1.8 billion, will accommodate modern shipping operations; improve port operations, safety and efficiency; and improve resilience to earthquakes. The first stage is the construc - tion of the Petroleum and Cement terminal, which is expected to be completed in late 2022. “The dock is more than a half century old, is worn out and needs to be replaced,’’ said Jim Jager, director of Business Continuity and External Affairs at the Port of Alaska. “Climate, tides, and seismic conditions all play a part. Cargo handling was much different when this port was built. We’re working with a facility that was built for shipping in the 1960’s and 70’s. Technologies have changed, cargo ships have gotten bigger, taller, and wider. We’re limiting the number of vessels that can dock here.” Critical Terminal While the modernization project will involve just about every area of the port, the Petroleum and Cement Terminal is a critical piece of the state’s infrastructure. Ninety-five percent of the state’s refined petroleum products enter through the Anchorage-based port. Nearly all the jet fuel required by Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson military facility also enters through the Port of Alaska. It’s not just Alaska residents that rely on the fuel that flows into the terminal. The airport is a global cargo hub, allowing for freighters transporting cargo between North American and Asia to increase Port of Alaska Makes Major Modern Move Decade-long Modernization Plan Could Approach Nearly $2 Billion By Thomas Renner
payload by refueling in Anchorage. About 50 percent of all air cargo transported between Asia and North American flies through Anchor - age. A report from the McDowell group said Boeing projects air cargo between North America and Asia to grow at 4.7 percent through 2037. While significant, the port’s role as a tactical U.S. defense outpost is perhaps even more important. The Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is a combination of Air Force and Navy troops. Elmendorf Air Force base is the largest military installation in Alaska, with more than 800 build - ings and 6,000 military personnel from all branches of the service. All sorts of military aircraft are housed at the base, including helicopters. All the fuel that is used at the base comes through the Port of Alaska. “As soon as the port shuts down, the Department of Homeland Security shuts down,’’ Jager said. “We are only 9.5 hours away from 90 percent of the world’s population. We play an important part in the nation’s The new terminal replaces one that opened in 1965. The climate took a toll on the terminal, but a 2018 earthquake exacerbated an already serious situation. Pilings, which had shown signs of serious corrosion, were damaged in the earthquake. “Engineers say the dock is vulnerable to progressive collapse,’’ Jager told the Anchorage Daily News at the time. Individual pile failures may not cause the overall dock to fail, until they create a failure that moves from one pile to adjacent pilings. national defense system.” A Dock on the Brink The terminal to be replaced was the port’s primary petroleum termi- nal and the state’s only dock equipped with a pneumatic bulk cement unloading and transfer system. The new PCT needed to be completed before the existing dock failed or is demolished. It is essential the port maintains capacity to meet Alaska’s needs for fuel and cement. The PCT is a pile-support dock that is designed to last 75 years, with the ability to survive a 1,000-year seismic event (i.e., an earth - quake of a magnitude that has 0.1 percent chance of happening in any given year).
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October 2022 csengineermag.com
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