Dole Terminal Development

Dole Terminal Development Project - Port of Wilmington, DE

The Dole Corporation, located in the Port of Wilmington, Delaware, recently constructed a refrigerated container storage to increase their fresh fruit handling volume while operating in a limited amount of space. Dole’s property was previously used for wheeled-chasis parking only. Although the ability to provide these parking spaces is important, Dole’s valuable property was not maximized. Dole also acquired an adjacent parcel from the Port to accommodate the expansion.

The proposed storage facility consists of an 1100 foot long by 80 foot wide, concrete runway that provides a platform for stacked containers and intermediate scaffolding. The facility is conveniently located near the dock area of the Port, providing a short path for container movement from the ships to the storage area.

The soils underlying the Dole property are primarily unconsolidated organic silts and clays. Soils in the adjacent parcel are composed of gypsum that had been exposed to the constant loading of gypsum stockpiles placed by the previous owners. Since the proposed facility would span the two different soil conditions, and a high degree of differential settlement was anticipated, a temporary surcharge embankment was placed on the unconsolidated region to accelerate the settlement. Wick drains were driven through the embankment to further accelerate the settlement. Due to the equipment tolerances, discontinuities in the finished pavement surfaces are not acceptable. These settlement conditions and operational considerations were incorporated into the pavement and concrete designs.

The Dole facility remained in operation throughout the duration of the project. Considerations were taken to phase the project so the impact to normal operations was minimized while maintaining the construction schedule required by the Port and Dole.

Dole purchased a Rubber Tyred Gantry (RTG) crane to move the containers within the facility. The containers will also be moved by top-pick loaders. In order to accommodate the immense wheel loads of the RTG and the loading of the containers, the runway was designed as a double-reinforced, 16“ thick, concrete mat foundation. Raised pedestals were provided for the three-tier scaffolds that hold the refrigerated outlet plugs and allow workers to move throughout the facility. Twenty scaffolds were located in the facility with forty-foot spaces separating them.

An employee parking lot and access road were provided for Dole near the administration building. Additional paving was constructed on the site to provide areas for truck circulation and container movement. Four different paving sections were designed for the site in accordance with the varying loads and soil conditions.

Grading of the site was designed in accordance within the tolerances of the RTG and top pick loaders while providing adequate drainage. New inlets were located throughout the site and runoff is conveyed through a closed system to the stormwater management facility. Large diameter, heavy-duty concrete pipe was designed for the site due to the limited cover over the pipes and high loads. Approximately 1000 feet of water main was relocated under this project.

The stormwater management facility was designed as an 850-foot long underground stone reservoir located in an existing drainage swale. The drainage swale was heavily littered with trash and construction debris and existed as unused space in the Port. The facility includes a network of perforated PVC pipes and sumped catch basins to treat runoff from the new construction and additional areas of the Port. The facility is covered with a layer of compacted stone enabling the Port to use the space for future storage.