CIVE97131

Ports and Maritime Transport

Module aims

  • To familiarise the students with the history, characteristics and evolution of maritime trade, elements of maritime economics, and the current regulatory and legal framework.  
  • To appreciate the complexity of ship operations and their implications to service network design.  
  • To understand the basics behind the design and operation of container terminals, including inland container depots and terminal automation.  

Learning outcomes

 On successfully completing this course unit, students will be able to: 

  • Obtain a thorough understanding of ports and maritime transport in the context of global supply chains. 
  • Carry out strategic design of intermodal supply chains that involve maritime transport legs. 
  • Prepare design master plans for new port facilities. 

Module syllabus

  • Ports and maritime transport constitute key links in global supply chains and the main characteristics of the seaborne trade.  
  • Container and bulk (dry/liquid) maritime transport.  
  • The life cycle of ships, ship building, ownership, operation and insurance, and finally ship breaking.  
  • Deep sea shipping will then be contrasted with short sea shipping and roro (roll on-roll off) with lolo (load on-load off) operation.  
  • Particular attention is given to the design and operation of container terminals, including inland container depots.  
  • Ports are, however, nodes in competing supply chains serving distinct or overlapping hinterlands. Key aspects of port choice will be reviewed.
  • Finally, the national and international regulation of ports and maritime transport, security and environmental impact will be covered,

No.  

Topic 

Staff 

01 

Introduction, world seaborne trade 

PA 

02 

Types of maritime transport (Container, LNG, Bulk) 

PA 

03 

Principles of maritime economics 

PA 

04 

Ship building, ownership, operation and scrapping 

PA 

05 

Port Planning I 

DP 

06 

Port Planning II 

DP 

07 

Shipping & the Environment 

TZ 

08 

Port performance and efficiency 

KB 

09 

Port logistics and supply chains 

KB 

10 

Port safety and security 

KB 

Teaching methods

 The module will be delivered over the course of 10 weeks, through a combination of lectures, tutorials and invited lectures by industrial experts.  

Assessments

Assignment Title 

Date Set 

Date Due 

Return Date 

Coursework Weighting 

Set by 

CW1 – Group Project on Maritime Industry 

Lecture 1 

Late February 

Early March  

50% 

PA 

CW2 – Design Assignment  

Lecture 6 

Late March 

Early April 

50% 

KB 

Reading list

Core

Module leaders

Dr Panagiotis Angeloudis