Delft University of Technology
Faculty Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering
Transport Technology / Logistic Engineering



G.J.M. van der Wielen Ontwerp van een 'high performance' containerterminal lay-out.
Masters thesis, Report 97.3.LT.4929, Transport Technology, Logistic Engineering.


This report describes a 'high performance' layout of an automatic container terminal. The transport on the terminal takes place with automatic guided vehicles (AGVs). The stack of the 'high performance' terminal consists of an importstack and an exportstack. The stacking lanes of the import- and exportstack are continuously constructed and are separated by an intermediate path with transferpoints which are destined for AGVS. In the stack overhead travelling cranes are used so that the AGVs can manoeuvre unhampered at the transferpoints.

The design of the terminal comprises the layout of the stack and the AGV traffic network inclusive the handling platforms. The routing of the AGVs at the terminal is based on a logistic analysis of the AGVsystem. The AGV traffic network is designed on the basis of the AGV routing. The layout of the AGV traffic network consists of modules.

The routing of the AGVs and the layout of the traffic network of the AGVs are highly influenced by on the loading process of a deepsea vessel. The loading process is the most critical process because of the rigid loading order of the exportcontainers. For this loading process short routes are designed for loaded AGVs, so that the process can be controlled better. The loaded AGVs drive directly from the seaside transferpoints towards the handling platforms at the backside of the quay-cranes. The handling platform of the quay-crane consists of a turn-table for the parallel rotation of the loaded AGV with the quay. The orientation-order of the container can also be solved by the turn-table. The empty AGVs drive from the handling platforms of the quay-cranes via special roads under the quay-cranes, around the traffic network of the loaded AGVS, to roads at the backside of the sea-side transferpoints of the exportstack. So the routes of the empty and the loaded AGVs are coupled by the sea-side transferpoints of the exportstack and the handling platforms of the quay-cranes. The separation of the empty AGVs and the loaded AGVs during the loading process of a deepsea vessel will benefit the control of the loading process. The parallel parking places for the loaded AGVs near the handling platforms at the backside of the quay-cranes facilitate the realization of the loading order of the exportcontainers in the deepsea vessel. The layout of the traffic network between the exportstack and the quay-cranes is also optimized, because crossing AGV traffic is uncoupled.

During the unloading process of the deepsea vessel, the loaded AGVs drive from the handling platforms at the backside of the quay-cranes, along the exportstack, towards the transferpoints in the intermediate path. The empty AGVs drive from the transferpoints in the intermediate path, along the exportstack. towards the roads under the quay-cranes.

A thorough analysis of the terminal transportsystem has produced a containerterminal layout, which offers good possibilities for intensive terminal transport with AGVS.


Reports on Logistic Engineering (in Dutch)
Modified: 2000.04.05; logistics@3mE.tudelft.nl , TU Delft / 3mE / TT / LT.