1,720,964 research outputs found
Selecting the most appropriate container handling infrastructure for Durban Container Terminal
No full textSubmitted in fulfilment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering: Civil Engineering and Surveying, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2018.Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) is investing 33 billion rand to improve the infrastructure at terminals over the next seven years and the bulk of this expenditure will be invested in Durban Container Terminal (DCT). A plan to boost productivity to 3.3 million Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) per year at Pier 2 in DCT is targeted (Transnet Port Terminals, 2012). To achieve this target, advanced container handling infrastructure will need to be introduced. Seven new Zhenhua Port Machinery Company (ZPMC) ship-to-shore cranes have already been purchased for Pier 2 at DCT. Greve (2013), states that these cranes are expected to improve gross crane moves per hour (GCH) from 26 GCH to 33 GCH.
An in-depth literature review was conducted to examine various ports around the world and the type of technology that is currently being used before investigating the most appropriate container handling infrastructure for the Port of Durban (POD). Future plans for the POD were also taken into consideration.
This study established that the two most common pieces of equipment used for container handling in ports around the world are Straddle Carriers (SC) and Rubber Tyred Gantries (RTG). This is largely due to their flexibility and efficiency. Rail Mounted Gantries (RMG) were discussed very briefly, however were not considered as an option for DCT due to their exorbitant costs to construct, operate and maintain as well as the type of layout of the Port. The production outputs for Pier 1 and Pier 2 were obtained and reviewed to assist in selecting the most efficient piece of equipment from ship to shore. The world is currently leaning towards an environmentally friendly era therefore other options such as Electric-Rubber Tyred Gantries (E-RTG) and Automated Straddle Carriers (ASC) were considered in this study. The government’s National Development Plan (NDP) was then reviewed to determine if automation would be a viable option, considering the vision that South Africa (SA) has in reducing the rate of unemployment by 2030.
A visual assessment was carried out and the results were analyzed based on an evaluation of the current pavement to determine whether or not it would be sufficient to carry the loading of the proposed container handling options. An investigation was carried out to determine the possible causes of damaged panels that were discovered during the assessment and alternative solutions were proposed for repair.
To stimulate this study the author has presented papers in various renowned journals and conference proceedings.
In conclusion, this study deduced that the most appropriate container handling infrastructure would be manual handling RTGs due to their flexibility, reliability, cost effectiveness and efficiency.
Examining container handling equipment to reduce port congestion at Durban Container Terminal.
No full textMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Port congestion has become a major problem around the Durban Container Terminal (DCT) precinct and investors and key stakeholders have raised concerns and expressed their frustration over the poor productivity and capacity limitations. The aim of this study was to examine container handling equipment that should reduce port congestion at the DCT. The objectives are: 1) to examine the productivity of the DCT in comparison to other ports nationally and internationally; 2) to examine the performance of current container handling equipment used at the DCT and 3) to examine and compare the costs and productivity of using a Rubber Tyre Gantry (RTG) system versus Straddle Carrier (SC) system at the DCT. This desktop study collected and analysed secondary data on container handling productivity and costs of the container handling equipment used at the DCT. Cost effective analysis was applied to the available equipment data and associated costs were retrieved and studied. A compound interest formulae and inflation calculator were used to convert all costs to their 2021 approximate values. The performance results between 2015 to 2020 showed that the DCT was performing poorly. The DCT, Pier 1 and Pier 2 use RTG and SC respectively. RTGs performed exceptionally well compared to SCs. Examining the advantages and disadvantages of the RTG and SC showed that the RTG was the preferred option. Although RTGs were more expensive to purchase and operate, the SCs were costlier to maintain. Analysis of the equipment used by leading container ports shows that top ports have adopted the RTG system and that 2018 and 2019, more RTGs were purchased than Rail Mounted Gantrys (RMGs) and SCs combined by major ports globally. The results indicate the most viable option would be for the DCT to adopt a RTG system of operation due to its high efficiency levels and cost effectiveness
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Investigation into the reasons behind panel failure in the Durban Container Terminal - Pier 2
No full textThe Durban Container Terminal (DCT) is currently the biggest and busiest container terminal in Africa and handles about 2.7-million TEUs a year. DCT handles approx. 70% of South Africa’s containers and generates 60% of South Africa’s revenue (Port of Durban, 2014). Concrete panel failure in the vicinity of the stack area can pose serious safety risks for Straddle Carrier (SC) drivers. An investigation into the reasons behind panel failure in Pier 2 at DCT was carried out during a pavement rehabilitation project and is presented in this paper. The results were analyzed and conclusions, as well as recommendations were made
Improving performance at the Durban Container Terminal through automation
No full textOVERVIEW
The Durban Container Terminal (DCT) is currently the biggest and busiest container terminal in Africa and handles about 2.7 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent unit) a year. The DCT handles approximately 70% of South Africa's containers and generates 60% of South Africa's revenue (Port of Durban 2014). Increasing the automation level of a terminal with products that automate a single part of the operation or the whole process is recognised as the next step towards improving performance at today's container terminals. The benefits of automation include lower operational costs and improved terminal productivity, capacity, safety and security. Automating an existing straddle carrier terminal is a complex project that requires expertise, careful planning, a capacity for wide-ranging systems integration and the ability to consider numerous factors beyond technical implementation. Besides the actual automated system, there is also extensive change management within the entire organisation of the terminal, as operating an automated terminal requires a thorough change of business processes, as well as different skill sets for the people operating the terminal
Lighting up the future of ports with LED
No full textPorts and terminals compete fiercely for container traffic. Those with the most efficient operations stand to win the most business and generate the highest profits. Driving down costs is crucial to remaining competitive. Upgrading to the latest light emitting diode (LED) lighting technology contributes to terminal cost control. Light fixtures installed on port container cranes endure constant vibration, moisture and corrosion - elements always present in marine environments. These extreme conditions result in premature lighting fixture failure, demanding constant maintenance and increasing material and labour costs. Installing properly designed LED fixtures on port container cranes can immediately reduce energy usage, reduce crane maintenance costs and increase operator safety, while moving terminal operators closer to the universal goals of safety, sustainability and profitability (Hertel 2009: 70)
Reducing straddle carrier accidents at the Port
No full textAbstract: The Straddle Carrier (SC) is a very popular piece of equipment. These carriers can undertake a variety of handling operations such as loading, unloading, stacking and transport of containers between the landside and waterside. Its popularity is due to its space efficiency and flexibility.
Traffic incidents are a serious problem at marine terminals, where heavy equipment is used to load and unload ships and move freight from place to place in the terminal. The work is fast-paced, conducted at any time of the day or year, and often performed in inclement weather. Vehicular traffic endangers any worker walking in a marine terminal
In a typical straddle carrier operation, what procedures/methods can be put in place to move towards a zero accident policy? It goes without saying that the operator should be properly trained. But how do you make sure that it is the trained operator that is driving, and what mechanisms can you put in place to monitor and review the safe operation of the equipment. Waiting for the next accident is not an option (Lambert 2009:1)
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