CP&A Oversees Commissioning of New Ship-to-Shore Cranes at GCT Deltaport
CP&A oversees commissioning of new ZPMC ship-to-shore cranes at GCT Deltaport in Canada, boosting capacity and readiness for larger vessels.
Casper, Phillips & Associates Inc. (CP&A) has overseen the commissioning of two new ship-to-shore container cranes at GCT Deltaport in Delta, British Columbia. The units, manufactured by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. (ZPMC), are the first of six identical cranes ordered for the Canadian terminal.
CP&A’s initial role was advising on the largest cranes that could be installed at the dock to accommodate the biggest container ships. The firm also performed a structural and mechanical design review of ZPMC’s engineering for compliance with specifications, while GCT engineers managed electrical and control systems.
Each crane features a rated load of 65 tons, a 70-meter (229.7-foot) outreach, a 52-meter (170.6-foot) lift height and a 30.48-meter (100-foot) rail gauge. The remote-operation-ready cranes include a ship profiling system to prevent collisions with containers and a chassis alignment program that scans trailer positions to help truck drivers with accurate placement.
“Once the design complied with the specifications, construction began, where we managed the on-site fabrication inspections. When the cranes arrived, we witnessed the final commissioning [acceptance testing] and the cranes are now ready to be put into operation,” said Richard Phillips, mechanical engineer at CP&A. “Acceptance testing is required by federal regulations to ensure the equipment is working correctly. These tests include everything from load testing to checking that every e-stop button works.”
Phillips added: “GCT has been a repeat client for over a decade; we are constantly in contact with them, which makes working on long-term, multi-crane contracts like this much easier.”
Demolition of older cranes is still underway, but the first two new units could begin lifting containers before the end of September. GCT Deltaport, Canada’s flagship container terminal, operates on 210 acres with a 3,609-foot berth and more than 27,000 feet of dock rail. The terminal typically has over 18,000 containers stacked on site at a given time.
CP&A also recently contributed to the development of a Site Wind Analysis and Monitor (SWAM) program for GCT, which uses anemometers and forecasting technology to monitor wind conditions.
