Investigation into the reasons behind panel failure in the Durban Container Terminal - Pier 2

Abstract

The Durban Container Terminal (DCT) is currently the biggest and busiest container terminal in Africa and handles about 2.7-million TEUs a year. DCT handles approx. 70% of South Africa’s containers and generates 60% of South Africa’s revenue (Port of Durban, 2014). Concrete panel failure in the vicinity of the stack area can pose serious safety risks for Straddle Carrier (SC) drivers. An investigation into the reasons behind panel failure in Pier 2 at DCT was carried out during a pavement rehabilitation project and is presented in this paper. The results were analyzed and conclusions, as well as recommendations were made.