does anybody know about the working of harbours?

Question

i want to have information especially about the carriage,stowing and storage of containers.i'd be glad if you can give me references.

Answer 1

I'm going to have to assume a few things, since your question is a little on the vague side. For instance, I suspect you mean the "containers" often seen on modern rail cars and truck platforms, that are also transported by sea-going vessels ... rather than just any old container, like a suitcase or a jug.

At sea, the vessels hauling containers are usually a fairly good size. They are basically long, with more-or-less rectangular holds for optiizing the fit of the cargo (the containers). A lot of the vessels even have contianer units fastened to the deck, to make more for a given "run" from A to B.

Coming into a port (or harbor), the vessel approaches a pier where there are a number of fixed-position dockside overhead cranes. These cranes are used to lift the containers off the vessel - usually clearing the load on deck before proceeding to those in the hold(s). Once off the vessel, the containers are typically deposited in a holding area (like a big yard), located near the original dockside crane. Occasionally, a rail car or truck is waiting for a particular shipment, and the container is dropped right on the land transportation bed.

If the container is stored outside for a while, it eventually ends up on a flatbed trailer of some sort (road or rail). The crane used to move it is a moving-gantry type, which kind of looks more like a big spider than anything else.

Containers are not usually weather-protected; the contents rely on the containers themselves and any manufacturer's packaging to be the protection. This is important ... the containers sit outside in all kinds of weather!

On the vessel, the containers are typically chained or otherwise held to stanchions or braces built into the ship's hull to prevent movement during transit. The restraints can be broken or loosened (intentionally or by a severe enough storm), to allow / cause the container to go over (or through) the side.

The same kind of restraint method is used when fastening the containers to their land-side transports as well, for much the saem reason. Ultimately, the goal is to deliver the goods to their destination ... not drop them off inadvertently at some unnamed spot en route.