Handling over 7.4 million tons per year, distinguishes the Port of Miami as the largest container port in the state of Florida and the ninth largest in the United States. To keep pace with ever increasing demand for cargo capacity, the Port invested in a massive infrastructure redevelopment program which included the purchase and installation of two of the worlds largest gantry cranes. Manufactured by ZPMC in Shanghai, China, the cranes are state-of the-art super post-panamax gantry cranes which are able to load and unload the latest generation of mega container ships.

Serving as a subcontractor to Centex Rooney, Shoreline Foundation constructed the infrastructure system necessary to electrify these gigantic machines. The contract required the construction of a 3,000 lineal foot, 2 foot x 2 foot concrete cable trench which allows the new crane’s electrification wiring to move safely as the crane travels on rails along the container ship dock. Along with the cable trench, SFI constructed two electrical underground duct banks measuring 20 feet x 20 feet x 8 feet. To secure the cranes in the event of a major storm, eight crane tie-down pile caps, measuring 15 feet x 5 feet x 5 feet with 1.5 inch diameter x 3 feet long, anchor bolts were cast into the concrete pour of tie-down anchor plates. The contract also provided for the installation of new large ship fenders on the container ship bulkhead.

The gantry crane area at the Port is an extremely busy area with ships being loaded and unloaded 24 hours a day. Working in this often congested area was a challenge that Shoreline Foundation was able to manage through close coordination of construction activities with Port staff. Timing was also crucial to the success of this project as the ZPMC cranes were scheduled to arrive and dovetail with the completion date of the work.

Dwarfing the ship that carried them around the world, the monstrous gantry cranes arrived at the Port on January 4, 2005 and Shoreline Foundation was there to witness and be a part of this historic event.