Casanova+Hernandez architects | U024_Container Port Urban Study

The current storage of containers is done by stacking containers up to a maximum of 9 levels, though stacking only 6 levels is much more reasonable. Changing the storage system of containers can reduce the used surface significantly. By storing containers in towers of 150m, containers can be stored up to 45 levels high, reducing the total yard surface and its physical footprint or increasing its capacity.

Storing containers in a superstructure has one other big advantage. Each container is always accessible. In the traditional way of stacking containers, reshuffling is unavoidable. Reshuffling containers is necessary when the bottom container of a stack needs to be accessed first. Reshuffling consumes time, energy and therefore money. Besides that, reshuffling demands an over capacity of the storage yard, since containers temporarily need to be placed elsewhere.

Container Forest therefore provides a bigger capacity, able to serve a higher throughput with the same amount of storage places.

Circular automated container distribution (C.A.C.D)

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) are used to transport containers from the quay cranes to the storage towers. Using electrically driven AGVs reduces the pollution significantly. Because AGVs are centrally controlled by a computer system, each task is assigned to the nearest AGV reducing the amount of driven meters and used energy compared to man-driven vehicles.

The compact storage system of Container Forest reduces the distances between the quay cranes and the final storage place for each container. Instead of the traditional stacking system where vehicles are moving everywhere throughout the storage yard, Container Forest creates a circular distribution system that increases the efficiency of movements of vehicles. This new distribution system can be seen as the ring of a city, where the traditional system should be seen like moving through the small streets of a city centre. This doesn’t only reduce the amount of meters driven by the AGVs and therefore the time needed and the energy consumed, but also reduces the investment in the guidance system and roads.

Green container port

An environmental, social and economical sustainable container port that creates a substantial benefit for the city of Singapore.

Singapore is worldwide known as a green city famous for its innovation in green tecnology. In a dense urban area as Singapore it is important that the new generation container port innovates in green technology becoming a green container port.

“Container Forest” proposes a green container port based on three main principles: Minimum port footprint and maximum green areas + Silent and non-polluting + Carbon neutral container port.

This goals are achieved by combining a series of innovative environmental principles:

1. Reducing the footprint of the container port more than 50% compared to the footprint of a conventional port by storaging containers vertically in container towers, the proposal minimizes the ecological damage and saves land for recreational or urban use.

2. Planting 200.000 trees in the 140 Ha. of land unused thanks to the container towers, can absorb 4 million kg. of carbon emissions per year, contributing enormously not only to create a green container port, but also to create a carbon neutral container port.

3. Using vertical gardens in the container towers and green roofs to extend a park on top of part of the circular automated containers distribution system, protects the biodiversity and contribute to absorb carbon emissions.

The random arrangement of the vertical green strips plays with the chromatic variety created by the random positioning of the containers. All together generates the iconic green image of the new generation of container ports based on the mix of technological innovation and environmental sustainability.

4. Silent and non-polluting automated container distribution is achieved by implementing an electrical automated guided vehicles system.

5. A green acoustic barrier is created thanks to the alignment of container towers in front of the noise emission produced at the quay and reinforced by the vertical strips of vegetation located in the vertical gardens of the container towers. This acoustic barrier together with the silent and clean container distribution system allow the integration of green container ports in urban areas.

6. Production of renewable energy by installing solar panels in the container towers and brake energy recuperation systems in the lifts of the quay crane and in the container towers contribute as well to balance the carbon emissions and to achieve the goal of creating a zero emissions new generation container port.