![]() Compared to conventional break-bulk cargo ships, most containerships did not have onboard cranes, and container terminal facilities had to provide capital-intensive cranes and ample storage space to stack containers dockside. Containerized transportation substantially changed port dynamics to favor the emergence of specialized container ports. Ports increasingly became impacted by global processes, such as sourcing resources, parts, and goods to other parts of the world. In the 1960s, the gradual shift from conventional break-bulk terminals to container terminals brought about a fundamental change in the layout of terminals as well as site selection. The growth of the oil industry in the 1920s and 1930s and the fast rise of the chemical industry in the 1950s and 1960s, such as producing petrochemicals such as plastics, led many ports to expand to locations with ample space for the development of vast Maritime Industrial Development Areas (MIDA). ![]() Ships staying at berth for several days allowed for a continuous, albeit slow, loading or unloading of the cargo. It was common, due to the lengthy loading or unloading process, to have goods move directly from the land mode (trucks or rail) to the ship or vice-versa. Transshipment was very labor-intensive, with operations managed on an ad-hoc basis. This required only a small temporary storage area on the terminal. Direct transshipment is associated with short dwell times, the average time the cargo remains stacked on the terminal and waits for some activity to occur. The Main Dimensions of Port Geography Port Sites Harbor Types Number of Large and Medium Ports by Channel Depth Port Elizabeth Intermodal Complex, Port of New York / New JerseyĬonventional break-bulk terminals were mainly focused on direct transshipment from the deepsea vessel to inland transport modes. This frequently led to the construction of piers and jetties, often called finger piers, to increase the number of berths per given length of shoreline. Because ship transfers were slow and vessels typically spent weeks in ports, many berths were required. This implied that protected areas such as bays were particularly suitable port sites.īy the 18th century, the technology of enclosed docks with lock gates was developed to mitigate several nautical constraints related to tidal variations. Sites on tidal waterways created a particular challenge for shipping because of the twice-daily rise and fall of water levels at the berths. Ship drafts were small, so many sites were suitable to be used as ports. Lawrence River, or Guangzhou on the Pearl River. Thus port sites were frequently chosen at the head of water navigation, the most upstream site, such as London on the Thames, Montreal on the St. Before the industrial revolution, ships were the most efficient means of transporting goods across all modes. Since ports are bound by the need to serve ships, access to navigable waterways has been historically the most important site consideration. The port is a multidimensional entity anchored within geography by its site and situation and depending on its operations, governance structure, and the supply chains it is embedded in.ĭue to the operational characteristics of maritime transportation, port location is constrained to a limited array of sites, primarily defined by geography. Today, many of the most important cities in the world owe their origin to their port location. As such, they became the nexus of urbanization, with several becoming the first port cities playing an important role in the economic welfare of their regions. Historically, ports emerged as safe harbors for fishing, and those with convenient locations became trade hubs, many of which of free access and designed to protect trade. The term port comes from the Latin portus, which means gate or gateway. While the maritime domain can involve substantial geographic coverage related to global trade, the land domain is related to the region and locality of ports. Ports are points of convergence between the land and maritime domains of passengers and freight circulation. Ports are harbor areas in which marine terminal facilities are transferring cargo and passengers between ships and land transportation.
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