HATCH COVERS SUPPORT

FOR STS CRANES

ALWAYS A NEED

Container carrier vessels do not have the possibility to leave

their hatch covers on board .

The hatch cover must be handled with STS cranes and placed

on the quay .

Most ports have their own methods and dispositions to place

the hatch cover while the cargo containers are transferred

from and into the hold of the ship.

Everyone who works in ports knows that these areas are

valuable and expensive, since they are necessary for the

traffic of port trucks, especially in the back reach, which is

usually used for the temporary storage of containers.

AREA USED BY

THE HATCH

COVER

AREAS WHERE HATCH COVERS ARE

USUALLY STACKED ON QUAY.

AREA USED WITH HATCH COVERS

AREAS WHERE HATCH COVERS ARE

USUALLY STACKED ON QUAY.

A SIMPLE SOLUTION.

GB Port Innovation has developed a device to hold theHatch Cover safely on board the STS crane. It is a simplesolution to release quay areas used to stack the hatchcovers of the ships.

The device consists of either a platform steel structure, or aspecial support, attached to the STS crane structure. Thehatch covers are stacked on it, using the crane spreader inthe same way the crane operator currently handles thehatch covers.

The Hatch Cover Support will be designed according to the size of the container ship.

Depending on the terminal configuration, there are

various options where the Hatch Cover Support

device can be located: a) between the legs.

b) at the back reach area.

Also, the hatch cover support device can be located at

different heights, all depends on the operative

considerations in each container terminal and the

possibility given by the crane steel structure.

The hatch cover support device can be designed and

implemented either in new STS projects, or in existing

STS cranes in the full range of worldwide STS crane

manufacturers.

Depending on the operation needs, the Hatch Cover Support can be a platform steel structure (5), or a support device (6).

5 6

The advantage of the small support alternative is that

when no hatch covers are deposited on the supports, a

container can be handled between both opposite supports

when being transferred from or to the ship.

The “Continuous Support”, can be installed in any

position, from the front of the crane to its back part.

So when the operation is planned, it is possible to

select the position that the Hatch Cover will have in

each of the cranes that will participate in the

operation.

With the “Continuous Support”, it is possible to

alternate the position where the hatch cover is placed.

In this case, the cranes keep the space between their

legs, which allows them to pass containers through.

BENEFITS OF ITS USE

If the system is implemented when planning a new containerterminal, construction costs can be reduced.

If it is used in a existing port terminal, the container terminalcan recover an area which can be used for container storage, fortraffic of port trucks or to improve the layout of the yardequipment and stacking blocks.

Storage capacity can be increased to about 5 containers in depth,6 containers in height, and the complete quay length and couldincrease the load mobilized in the same proportion.

In the case of a finger pier, the hatch cover platforms can beplaced in cantilever over the water. Civil works and theconstruction budget for the terminal can therefore be improved.

AREA RECUPERATED FOR THE PORT TRUCK TRAFFIC

AREA RECUPERATED FOR TRUCK TRAFFIC

AREA RECUPERATED FOR CONTAINERS STACKING

OPERATIONAL AND ECONOMICAL BENEFITS

Regarding operational advantages, on a finger pier the

full area of the dock space can be recovered. This area

would by unusable if vessel hatch covers were placed

there.

Regarding investments, on a finger pier or an island pier,

the area needed in the back can be reduced with the

consequent cost reduction.

EXPEDITE TRANSIT

AREA FOR STACKING IS EXPANDED

IN RESUME: OPERATIONAL BENEFITS.

IN RESUME: INFRASTRUTURE REDUCTION

REAL CASES

CORONEL (CHILE)

TPG GUAYAQUIL.

CONCORDE (USA)

PIPAVAV (INDIA)

LIVERPOOL (UK)

PARANAGUÁ (BRASIL)

YILPORT (TURKEY)

IT IS A PATENTED INNOVATION