IN THE DOCK | PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATION
CP&A ADVISES ON CONTAINER CRANE PROCUREMENT PEER REVIEWS
Review of Container Cranes’, to assist in future procurement processes. CP&A offers a variety of services, including specification, design, manufacturing review, modification, and accident investigation; and it is well positioned to remind terminal operators and fellow stakeholders of the risks involved with container crane procurement. Including transport and offloading in the peer review scope is a good way to manage some of these risks — but that’s just the start. “The procurement process for container cranes is somewhat unique and presents many challenges. “Unfortunately, some procurement decision makers believe buying container cranes is the same as acquiring any other piece of equipment, such as a forklift or a company van,” said Richard Phillips, mechanical engineer, CP&A. As should be unanimously accepted by crane manufacturers, a peer is
C
asper, Phillips & Associates (CP&A) has delivered a presentation to port authorities entitled, ‘Peer
someone with approximately equal qualifications to the design team. While there is no universal set of criteria as to what makes an engineer a peer, a good starting point is professional licensure and relevant design experience in the appropriate disciplines. The team should have an expert in the prevailing hazards such as high wind, seismic, or other location dependent hazards. A peer review is when a neutral third
party checks the design for compliance with the performance specification. A performance specification states what the crane needs to do — rated load, hoist and travel speeds, operating wind speed, etc. — but it does not specify how the crane manufacturer needs to meet the specification. Importantly, a design review is about compliance; it is not about the design reviewer’s preference for how he or she would have designed the crane. There is a level of professionalism expected for design reviews. While there will always be debate, comments that are not backed up by analysis, specification, or code requirements should be avoided.
“It’s a big red flag if a large number
of comments are generated without supporting calculations or citations of specification requirements. It’s not constructive for the designer to have to refute a large volume of comments that may not be contractually required or may be speculation since they are not supported by calculations. The reviewer should be performing enough analysis to back up their comments,” added Phillips. Container cranes are custom designed
to meet the unique requirements of each port. Some of these requirements may include being in a hurricane or earthquake zone; exposure to extreme temperatures; or proximity to other geological hazards. Sometimes a container terminal is located near an airport, or a crane may need to pass under a bridge during delivery, resulting in height restrictions. A naval architect provides the sea
states and predicted voyage motions for the designers to analyze and brace the crane accordingly. The crane manufacturer owns the cranes until handover. Some crane manufacturers
Richard Phillips, mechanical engineer, CP&A. xiv | August 2024 | Dockside Lift & Move Supplement
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