When planning or restructuring port terminals, we draw on our extensive experience to optimize the layout so that every square meter of land is best used. Our proprietary in- house tool – PRIME: the Port Rail Intermodal Modeling Environment – allows for quick and easy manipulation of port terminal layouts linked directly to operating and financial models, so the user can instantly quantify outcomes.

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Container terminals

In the world of container transportation, it is crucial to remain competitive and you are well served by periodically upgrading your port terminals in order to maximize storage capacity and minimize container handling costs. Our team works with you to find the best market position, avoiding both costly over-investment as well as the potential revenue loss from under-investment, all while taking potential market volatility and key international developments into consideration.

We are fully conversant in the latest developments in quayside and gantry crane technology, including partially and fully automated systems. We will ensure that your port terminals and their associated wharves, berth depths, container handling equipment, and gate systems are optimized for the larger modern ships and the associated increased container traffic in a cost effective and efficient manner.

Intermodal terminals

Intermodal container transportation moves containerized freight across multiple steps in its journey – by rail, ship, and truck – without unpacking the containers themselves at any point. By reducing container handling, we in turn reduce the potential for damage and loss, all while improving security and accelerating freight delivery. It’s easy to see why more and more shippers are embracing this model of good’s transportation.

Nevertheless, there are growing pains: port facility developers need efficient and expandable terminal layouts, whereas intermodal transportation developers need cutting edge logistics and operational improvements to accommodate the seamless and rapid transfer of containers between modes of transit. At WSP, we have the experience and expertise to incorporate the needs of all parties, as well as the proven track record in upgrading intermodal terminals in all corners of the world.

Our planning and design expertise covers all transportation modes involved in an intermodal terminal, and we can rely upon the experience of our colleagues in rail and roads and highways to assess, plan, and develop your 360˚ solutions, while providing rapid access to warehousing and logistic providers. Our services also extend to the infrastructure and activities that interface with ports, including landside transport and distribution of goods, logistics, supply chains, and automated information services.

Dry bulk ports and terminals

Whilst our experts appreciate that the productivity and efficiency of bulk terminals is determined by the infrastructure, handling equipment and operational processes; we understand the intricate details relating to cargo characteristics and supply chain challenges that each of our client’s face.

Combining our ports and maritime expertise with our diverse in-house experience in market forecasting, mine resourcing and mineral processing, industrial developments, and energy generation, we are facing the challenges across the dry bulk sector head on.

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Liquid bulk terminals

Liquid bulk materials present specific handling demands that predetermine the range of potential solutions for the transfer and storage of cargo. These types of shipment continue to be of high importance as fuels, petrochemicals, and other commodities require on-terminal piping into or out of ships.

At the same time, landside transport and storage equipment for vessel loading and unloading varies widely and might even need a highly customized solution for specific cargo.

Auto and Ro-Ro terminals

Autos and wheeled equipment are typically staged on an aggregate, gravel, or paved surface similar to a parking area, and the more tightly they are stored, the higher the occurrence of damage. Ro-Ro cargo is also hard to pack densely without building expensive elevating parking structures, which puts these facilities in competition with other types of cargo terminals when vying for highest and best land use.

As a result, these cargo terminals are typically built in niche ports where the competition is minimal or all together absent, otherwise they are continuously competing to cohabitate with container and other terminal operations.

Heavy-lift facilities can also take the form of Ro-Ro ramps, piers or quays, or heavy load pads behind a new or existing berth, to enable the use of heavy-lift cranes, skid, and SPMT systems, or even a reinforced seabed to support load out of jack-up vessels.

Inland ports and waterways

WSP has done research and development on implementing new technologies to integrate ports and inland ports in order to improve asset utilization for both commercial and military use. The combination of our port, rail, logistics and inland waterway experts enable our talents to serve our customer’s full supply chain network needs.

Professional services in support of inland port development and improvement requires a wide range of talent across several modes of transport. WSP combines our talent across global geographies to best prove these services to our clients.

Port entrance facilities

At WSP, our teams have been involved in the design and construction of a number of gate systems. We also work closely with leading international Terminal Operating System (TOS), Gate Operating System (GOS) and gate equipment suppliers and installers, offering fully integrated, state-of-the-art technical solutions to clients.

In parallel with our maritime team’s expertise in port entrance planning and design, WSP offers security specialist services. With this in-house capability, we can provide our clients with comprehensive port facility security assessments (including threat and risk assessments and the design of mitigation strategies) and develop a highly functional, productive, secure and future ready solution for our client’s truck gate needs.