by Catherine Morris and Patrick McCarthy
Jumbo cranes, capable of serving 22-wide ships and lifting 65 metric tons under spreader and 100 metric tons under hook, have heavier wheel loads, greater stowage and tie-down forces, and increased collision bumper loads. This creates bigger demands on the wharf and the crane-to-wharf interface. To meet the demands, crane and wharf designers must each consider the effect of their design on the other, and provide the proper loads. More cranes are damaged from failure of the connection in the wharf during high winds than from failure of the crane itself. This paper and presentation present current design issues for jumbo cranes and the wharves that must support them.