Veracruz, Mexico
Puertos Logísticos de México Multipurpose Wharf
Scope/Solutions
In early 2023, Puertos Logísticos de México (PLM) was awarded the concession of a multipurpose marine terminal at the new Port of Veracruz in Mexico. Located between an existing container terminal and a liquid bulk handling facility, the terminal development includes construction of a 550 m long marginal wharf. Working for Cimentaciones Mexicanas (CIMESA) as part of the design-build team, SGH designed the structure for the wharf and provided engineering support during construction.
SGH designed the structure for the 550 m long and 38 m wide marginal wharf under an engineering, procurement, and construction contract following early contractor involvement delivery protocols. The wharf’s deck structure comprises a system of precast concrete plugs, subcaps, crane beams, transverse beams, and pretensioned deck panels supported on piles. Key considerations include:
- Selecting a structural system conducive to top-down construction, which allowed for an accelerated construction schedule
- Designing for seismic loads using nonlinear pushover analysis techniques
- Detailing of pile-beam joints using deck capacity protection principles per ASCE 61 and AASHTO
- Supporting heavy cranes: 300 m will be used jointly by ship-to-shore cranes and mobile harbor cranes (MHCs) and the remaining 250 meters by MHCs
- Driving open-ended 0.9 and 1 m dia. steel pipe piles up to 45 m into silty sands
Project Summary
2025
Key team members
