5.5.

4 Basic situation 3
Loads as for basic situation 2 with a layer depth exceeding 1.50 m.

5.5.5 Loading assumptions for quay surfaces

When heavy road cranes or similar heavy vehicles and heavy construc-
tion equipment, such as crawler excavators etc., are operating just behind
the front edge of the waterfront structure, the following loads should be
assumed as a minimum for designing the waterfront structure and any
upper anchorage required:
a) imposed load = 60 kN/m2 from rear edge of top of wall landwards
over a width of 2.0 m, or
b) imposed load = 40 kN/m2 from rear edge of top of wall landwards
over a width of 3.50 m.
Both a) and b) include the influences of an outrigger load P = 500 kN
provided the distance between the axis of the waterfront structure and the
axis of the outrigger is at least 2 m. Refer to sections 5.5.2 and 5.14.3
when higher outrigger loads need to be considered.
In accordance with PIANC [154] the following imposed loads are used as
a basis outside traffic zones. The container loads take into account gross
loads of 300 kN for 40 ft containers and 240 kN for 20 ft containers.

• General cargo 20 kN/m2

• Containers:
– empty, stored in 4 tiers 15 kN/m2
– full, stored in 2 tiers 35 kN/m2
– full, stored in 4 tiers 55 kN/m2
• Ro-ro load 30-50 kN/m2
• Multi-purpose installations 50 kN/m2
• Offshore supply bases To be agreed with the operator.
• Paper Characteristic nominal values for unit
weights in accordance with EC 1,
depending on dumping/stacking
height.
• Timber products
• Steel
• Coal
• Ore

Further details of the material parameters of bulk and stacked goods can
be found in the tables of [178]. When it comes to calculating active earth
pressures on retaining structures, the different loads in traffic and

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Port Designer’s Handbook

Table 6.4 Typical live loads

Type of traffic and cargo Loading: kN/m2

General loading
Light traffic or small cars ≥5
Heavy traffic or trucks ≥10
General cargo ≥20
Palletised general cargo 20–30
Multi-purpose facility ≥50
Offshore feeder bases 50–200
Heavy vehicles, heavy crane, crawler crane, etc., that operate from ≥60
the berth front and 3 m inboard
Heavy vehicles, heavy crane, crawler crane, etc., that operate from 40–100
3 m behind the berth front and further inwards
Container loading:
Empty and stacked four high 15
Full and stacked two high 35
Full and stacked four high 55
General ro/ro loads 30–50
Special berths
Oil jetties ≥20
Fish industry ≥15
Timber berths 30

As a general guideline, Table 6.4 lists recommended live loads for the apron and the terminal area.

In the case of a very exposed open berth structure, the possibility of uplifting of the deck structure due
to waves passing under should be considered.

Table 6.4 gives typical values for different types of berth constructions, and may be used as the first
guideline for predesign.

Most public berths (multi-purpose berths), accommodating ocean-going dry-cargo ships, should be
designed for container loads. Twenty-foot containers stacked two high imply a load of 25–35 kN/m2,
depending on the cargo they are loaded with. The sizes of a 20 ft and 40 ft container are, respectively,
6.06 m × 2.44 m × 2.44 m and 12.12 m × 2.44 m × 2.44 m. The empty weight of a 20 ft container is in
the range 19–22 kN, and the maximum total weight permitted by the ISO (the international container
standard) is 240 kN. For a 40 ft container, the empty weight ranges between 28 and 36 kN, with a
maximum total weight of 305 kN. Aprons and ramps for container traffic should be designed for a
live load of 40 kN/m2 or higher.

Useful loads in transit sheds and warehouses depend to a great extent on the height to which palle-
tised cargo can be stacked with fork-lift trucks. Design loads might vary between 20 and 50 kN/m2
(or more) over the whole floor area, depending on the type of cargo. To prevent overloading of the

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