Supersizing for Post-Panamax

Heralded as the “Cargo Gateway of the Americas,” PortMiami (Port) generates an economic impact of 207,000 jobs and more than $27 billion annually. The Port serves approximately 20 shipping lines that call on more than 100 countries and 250 ports across the world, making it vital to the global marketplace.

The Port wanted to remain competitive in world trade and position its facilities for the opening of the enlarged Panama Canal, but not without first establishing a well-defined plan and analyzing the best course of action. Serving as the Engineer of Record, we designed a $65 million solution to strengthen Cargo Wharves I through VII to accommodate the harbor deepening and larger vessel load demands.

Collaborative Value Engineering Approach Leads to the Best-Value Solution

Determined to obtain the most cost-effective and efficient solutions possible, the Port enlisted us to evaluate and document conditions of the existing structures, and then employ our collaborative value engineering process to identify the best-value solution.

As part of the design development phase, we worked closely with the Port to define key assumptions, operating requirements and other potential design and cost drivers. This phase culminated in a comprehensive value engineering conference that provided the Port the ability to make an informed decision for moving the design forward.

Minimizing capital expenditure through careful design was one goal. However, the selection of a strategy to maintain port operations during construction and to ensure timely completion was equally important for maintaining revenue streams and for completing work in advance of the Canal opening. Working together during the design process, our maritime infrastructure and construction specialists evaluated construction techniques, impacts and risks and developed construction phasing that balanced existing operations with construction requirements. Our practical design approach combined with our value engineering process saved the Port millions of dollars in construction costs and avoided costs during project delivery.

PortMiami will be Ready

Today, the Port is another step closer to providing the navigational clearances, cargo throughput capacity and multimodal links that higher container volumes will demand. The Port will now be ready for the new opportunities these Post-Panamax vessels bring.