The American Society of Mechanical Engineers

Dedicates an International Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark

The PACECO Container CraneThe World’s First High Speed, Dockside, Container Handling Crane

Encinal Terminals — Alameda, CaliforniaMay 5th, 1983

INTRODUCTIONSurprising as it may seem, the method of handling ship cargo in the early nineteen-fifties was

not so different from that used during the time of the Phoenicians. The time and labor requiredto load and unload ships increased substantially with the size of the ship causing them to spendmore time in port than at sea.

BEGINNINGS PAST

In 1959, a significant event occurred. A ship’s turnaround time (the time required to load anddischarge cargo) was cut from as much as 3 weeks to as little as 18 hours. Admittedly, manyfactors contributed to this accomplishment. One element, however, stands out as a majorcontributor. The development of the PACECO Container Crane, the world’s first high-speed,dockside, container handling crane.

PURPOSEThe purpose of this occasion is to honor those who contributed to the development of this

crane, which has aided in the improvement of the standard of living worldwide. It played amajor roll in moving large quantities of products more efficiently and at lower costs due to lesshandling, less damage and less pilferage.

PRESENT

DEDICATION PROGRAMPACECO CONTAINER CRANE

Thursday May 5, 1983

Encinal Terminals — Alameda, California

Reception Following

Introduction of Honored Guests

The ASME Historical Landmark Program

The Birth of the ContainerRevolution & the Development

of Worldwide Container Systems

Design & Construction of theWorld’s First Container Crane

Presentation of Commemorative Plaque

Acceptance of Plaque

In Conclusion

Opening Remarks Dr. Richard G. Folsom, P.E.Past President ASME

Welcome to the Dedication Ceremony Don Roth, P.E.Chm. San Francisco Sect. ASME

Welcome to Alameda Chuck Corica, Mayor Alameda

Welcome to Encinal Terminals Chengben (Peter) WangPresident Encinal Terminals

James D. Woodburn, P.E.V.P. Region IX ASME

Dr. R. Carson Dalzell, P.E.Chm. National History & Heritage Committee

Les Harlander, presidentL.A. Harlander & Associates

C.H. Zweifel, P.E.Assistant to the President EngineeringPACECO, Inc.

Dr. Serge Gratch, P.E.National president ASME

Mr. John Martin, PresidentPACECO, Inc.,Gulfport, Mississippi

Dr. Richard G. Folsom, P.E.

INTERNATIONAL HISTORICMECHANICAL ENGINEERING LANDMARK

PACECO CONTAINER CRANEALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA

1 9 5 9

THE WORLD’S FIRST HIGH-SPEED DOCKSIDE CONTAINER HANDLING CRANE,CAPABLE OF REDUCING SHIP TURNAROUND FROM THREE WEEKS TO 18 HOURS.IT BECAME A MODEL AND SET THE STANDARD FOR FUTURE DESIGNS WORLDWIDE.IN SERVICE JANUARY 7, 1959. DESIGNED AND CONSTRUCTED BY PACECO, INO.UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF C. DEAN RAMSDEN, P.E.

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS–1983

CONCEPT

The idea of shipping goods in intermodal con-tainers (truck vans that detach from their carriageor chassis for stacking on ships or rail cars) wasfirst developed in 1956 by Sea-Land Services Inc. ofNew Jersey, then known as Pan-Atlantic SteamshipCompany, followed by Matson Navigation Com-pany in 1958.

The new containerization concept drasticallyreduced the labor costs as well as the time requiredto unload and reload the trucks at either end of theroute; additionally, the number of ship-to-shorelifts for each truck load was reduced from as manyas 20 small lifts to only two heavy lifts. Con-tainerizing also reduced pilferage and cargo dam-age, resulting in the additional benefit of lowerinsurance rates.

Containerization, as acargo handling concept,would soon prove to be agiant leap forward forthose who had vision. Atthe time, however, theconcept was a long wayfrom being perfected orbeing accepted by the ship-ping community.

One of the major prob-lems facing the containeri-zation concept was thatduring the mid-fifties mostports were not equippedto handle the heavy con-tainers except by mobile-

a number of ships serving only a few ports. Becauseone crane could serve many ships, dockside craneswere more cost effective for Matson’s operation.

In July of 1957, Matson’s Engineering Staff, underthe leadership of Mr. Les Harlander, commissioneda study of existing crane types, to determine thestate of the art and identify the type which couldbest meet the following requirements:In General:

Specifically:1.

short tons.

Load vans (containers) between ship and shoreas rapidly as possible, to keep the turnaroundtime of a containership to a minimum.

Handle 24-foot vans weighing a maximum of 25

2. Load one van andunload one van in anaverage time cycle offive minutes or less.Be able to servicedeck loads on existingships, convertedcontainer-ships,and future container-ships of specialdesign.Serve either truckand/or rail traffic onshore, and provideoptimum conditionsfor coordination offreight movement onthe dock.

3.

4.

type revolving cranes and even then many of thecranes did not have the capacity to lift the con-tainer.

These cranes, at best, were extremely inefficientin that at least two to three minutes of loading cyclewas lost to poor control at the points of pickup anddischarge.

Since the cycle would be repeated thousands oftimes each year; cutting the length of the cyclewould have a direct and easily measured impact onproductivity. For example, if the cycle could beaccomplished in two minutes rather than five mi-nutes, the productivity would more than double.The economic implications were astounding.

Knowing the economic potential, both Matsonand Sea-Land proceeded to develop ship-to-shoresystems independently of each other and unique totheir own needs. For Sea-Land, because its shipsserved many ports, shipboard cranes were morecost effective. On the other hand, Matson operated

5. Crane components to be designed for trouble-free, continuous use.

6. Hoist and control equipment so designed as tominimize operator responsiblity and fatigue.

7. Overall scheme of crane and related equipment(lifting beams, etc.) to require a minimum ofoperating personnel.During the course of the study, which was con-

ducted by Don Harlander and Murray Montgom-ery, then employed by Vietsch Engineering, theproblem was discussed with engineering staffs ofseveral leading crane manufacturers. Pacific CoastEngineering Company (PACECO), a previous em-ployer of Don Harlander, Montgomery and Vietsch,was among those consulted.

The study concluded that no crane then on themarket satisfactorily filled all of Matson’s require-ments, and that an ore-unloading type crane with ahorizontal boom and through-leg trolley cameclosest to meeting these requirements.

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

Early in 1958, performance specifications werefinalized and put out for bid. PACECO, one of elevenbidders, was awarded the contract to do the detailedengineering and final design work.

Following its philosophy that the best design hasthe fewest number of pieces, PACECO, under theleadership of then-President Dean Ramsden, ChiefEngineer, Chuck Zweifel, and Assistant Chief En-gineer, Murray Montgomery (now back withPACECO), began developing conceptual drawingspaying particular attention to aesthetics. Trusses,which were used by most manufacturers at that time,were replaced with all-welded box girders whereverpossible. This resulted in a unique and extremely

clean-looking A-frameconfiguration, for whichPACECO later becamefamous. Each functionwas carefully analyzedand simplified topromote ease of access,operation and main-tenance.

The operator’s cabwas mounted in full

Erection — Fall 1958

Tip of PACECO A-frame design.

view of the operation with all controls at the operators’fingertips. Every consideration was given to enhancedoperator control and safety. Limit switches wereplaced throughout the crane’s power system to pre-vent overloading or unsafe operation.

After months of intense work and countless confer-ences with Matson’s Engineering Manager, the finalconfiguration wasagreed upon and theorder to begin construc-tion was issued.

On August 31,1958,Matson NavigationCompany commencedits containership opera-tions in the West Coast—Hawaii Trade. OnJanuary 7, 1959, the

crane was put intoworlds first container

service at the Encinal Terminals in Alameda, California.Previously in Matson’s operation, one longshore gang

handled approximately nine tons of cargo per hour usingship’s burtoning gear. In comparision, this new containercrane operating on a three-minute cycle, with an averagecontainer weight of twenty tons, resulted in a productiv-ity of 400 tons per hour. At this rate, the amount of timea ship spent in port could be cut from as much as threeweeks to as little as eighteen hours. The crane performedwell from the outset and as a result, Matson contracted

for two more cranes. PACECO, because of its experi-ence and competitive pricing, received the contractfor both cranes which were installed in 1960 at LosAngeles and Honolulu.

In 1961, the International Standards Organization(ISO) formed a container section to develop a familyof uniform container sizes, dimensional tolerances,basic strength requirements and corner fittings.

By 1964, shipping companies the world over hadbecome aware of the many advantages of containeri-zation. Investors and lending institutions were com-mitting funds for the development of new ships andport facilities. By 1966, Pan-Atlantic, now Sea-LandServices Inc., had commissioned sixteen PACECOContainer Cranes. The cranes were capable of trans-ferring containers weighing 27.5 short tons (55,000lbs.) at the unheard of rate of one every minute and ahalf. What followed was a virtual containerization ex-plosion.

The original container crane which PACECO builtfor Matson at Encinal Terminals in 1959 not only be-came a model, but set the standards for containercrane design for dozens of manufacturers around theworld. Although there have been many significantimprovements, all modern container cranes are directdescendants of this first crane, and the design of latercranes has remained relatively unchanged.

The original crane, which is still in operation, wasmodified in 1963-64 and again in 1974-75. The extendedoutreach, height and width enabled it to serve new,larger container ships. The modifications and theupgrading of lifting capacity from 25 to 30 short tonswere accomplished with a mimimum of re-engineer-ing. The crane, now capable of handling 20 foot and40 foot containers, is presently owned and operatedby Encinal Terminals of Alameda, California.

By the end of 1980, there were at least 737 ship-to-shore container-handling cranes of the PACECO typeoperating in over 200 ports around the world. Of the737 cranes listed, 283 (38%) were PACECO Portainer

®

cranes. (Containerisation International, September 1981)

The Hawaiian Citizen, the world’s first dedicated containership beingserviced at Encinal Terminals during the early 60s.

PRESENT AND FUTURE

The success of containerization and the PACECOContainer Crane not only accelerated the shipment ofgoods but created a demand for a different breed ofship and container terminals. To keep pace with this

1959 and 1981 vintage PACECO container cranes as they appeartoday at Encinal Terminals.

demand Encinal Terminals, now owned by Chengben(Peter) Wang, embarked on an ambitious moderniza-tion program in 1977 that has drawn the attention ofshipping companies throughout the world.

It began with the installation of a new generationPACECO Portainer ® Crane, the big brother of theoriginal (see photo left). The plan calls for the step-by-step modular expansion to a high performance MACHTranstainer ® yard system with the potential ofbecoming a fully automated container terminal in thefuture.

Today, Encinal has a highly competitive operationproviding a complete range of shipping services fullycomputerized for handling containers, general cargo,non-petroleum liquids with warehouse and distribu-tion facilities.

PACECO MACH Transtainer systems for handling containers inthe yard.

CONTRIBUTORS

Conceptual Design and Preparationof Contract Plans & Specifications

Les Harlander, Manager,Engineering Development,Matson Navigation Co.

Murray M. Montgomery,Chief Engineer, VietschEngineering, Inc.

Don Harlander, ProjectEngineer, Vietsch Engineer-ing, Inc.

C. Dean Ramsden

Detailed Design and Construction

C. Dean Ramsden, P.E.,Fellow, ASME (deceased),President of PACECO, Inc.

Charles H. Zweifel, P.E.,Fellow, ASCE, Chief En-gineer, PACECO, Inc.

Murray M. Montgomery,Assistant Chief Engineer,PACECO, Inc.

Norman Bell, ProjectEngineer, PACECO, Inc.

Hugh M. O’Neil and MichaelJordan, Structural Designer,Hugh M. O’Neil & Company,Oakland, California.

Richard Corey, ChiefEngineer, Rundel Electric Co.

of practicing and student engineers.

• To aid members of the engineering profession in main-taining a high level of ethical conduct.

The Society consists of more than 105,000 members, ofwhom between 15,000 and 20,000 are engineering students.ASME members are active in private engineering firms, corpo-rations, academic and government service. A ten-memberboard governs the Society. Its headquarters are in New YorkCity and it has five field offices; Chicago, Dallas, San Francisco,Danbury, Conn., and Burke, Virginia, plus a governmentrelations office in Washington, D.C.

nates our technological heritage. It also serves to encouragethe preservation of the physical remains of historically impor-tant works; provides an annotated roster of landmarks forengineers, students, educators, historians and travelers; andcalls attention to our industrial past. By dedicating mechanicalengineering landmarks, we are establishing persistent remin-ders of where we have been, where we are and where we aregoing along the divergent paths of discovery.

Of a total of 83 ASME Regional, National and InternationalHistoric Mechanical Engineering Landmarks, the PACECOContainer® Crane is the 12th International Historic MechanicalEngineering Landmark to be designated since the programbegan in 1973.

For a complete list of the Society’s Landmarks and informa-tion about the ASME History and Heritage Program, please con-tact :The Public Information Department, ASME,345 East 47th Street, New York, NY 10017(212/705-7740).

SPECIAL THANKS TO:Harold J. Leeds, ASME, Container crane consultant,for initiating this event. If it were not for his efforts,this achievement surely would have gone unrecog-n ized .

Les A. Harlander, President, L.A. Harlander &Associates, for providing much of the documentationnecesssary to make this occasion a reality.

THE AMERICAN SOCIETYOF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) wasfounded in 1880 as an educational and technical society. ASMEhas consistently sought to provide an impetus for the continu-ing professional development of its individual members andadvancement of the state-of-the-art of mechanical engineering.

The principal goals and objectives of ASME are:

•

• To develop mechanical standards, codes, safety proceduresand operating principles for industry.

• To encourage the personal and professional development

To provide a forum for the development, exchange anddissemination of technical information, particularly onmechanical engineering.

THE HISTORY AND HERITAGE PROGRAMThe History and Heritage Landmark Program of the ASME

began in September 1971. To implement and achieve the goalsof the landmark program, ASME formed a History and HeritageCommittee, composed of mechanical engineers, historians oftechnology, and a curator of mechanical engineering from theSmithsonian Institution who serves in an ex-officio capacity.The committee provides a public service by examining, noting,recording, and acknowledging mechanical-engineeringachievements that were significant in their time.

The program, as with any study or record of history, illumi-

LANDMARK DESIGNATIONMechanical engineering accomplishments that are pro-

claimed landmarks fall into three categories: regional, national,and international. International landmarks have been giventhis status because they represent a technology that has had abroad influence geographically. Such artifacts are designatedin the United States as well as in other countries, recognizingeither American contributions that have influenced foreigntechnology or vice versa.

Mechanical engineering landmarks are characterized bybeing unique, first ever, oldest extant, last surviving examplesof once widely-used types of works, or possessing some otherimportant distinction.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:The San Francisco Section of the ASME gratefully

acknowledges the efforts of all who participated onthe landmark dedication of the world’s first high-speed dockside container-handling crane, particularlythe officers and staff of PACECO, Inc. and EncinalTerminals.

The San Francisco section further acknowledgesthe support of the Materials Handling EngineeringDivision of ASME in designating this Landmark.

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF THE ASME SAN FRANCISCO THE ASME HISTORY & PACECO, INC. A Subsidiary ofMECHANICAL ENGINEERS SECTION HERITAGE COMMITTE Freuhauf Corporation

Serge Gratch, P.E., Donald F. Roth, P.E., R. Carson Dalzell, P.E., John F. Martin,

President Chairman Chairman President

Paul F. Allmendinger, Pius C.H. Chao, P.E., Richard S. Hartenberg, P.E. Charles H. Zweifel, P.E.,

Executive Director Vice Chairman J. Paul Hartman, P.E. Assistant to the President,

Charles L. Proctor, P.E., Donald R. Mullen, P.E. Edwin T. Layton, Jr.Engineering

Chairman Material Handling Secretary Merritt Roe Smith Donald D. Johnson, P.E.,

Division Manager Container SystemsAlan J. Horn Robert M. Vogel Division

James D. Woodburn, P.E., Treasurer Robert B. GaitherVice President, Region IX R. Darryl Breckenridge,

F.W. Beichley, P.E., Advertising/Public RelationsJ.P. Van Overveen, P.E., History & Heritage Committee ManagerChairman, Region IX History &Heritage

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