Pavement design for terminals

Pavement design for terminals sizes the surfacing and sub-base of a container or bulk yard for the concentrated, slow-moving, repetitive wheel loads of container-handling equipment, which dwarf highway loads. A loaded reach stacker, straddle carrier, or RTG corner can impose static pressures of several hundred kN through a small contact patch, and stacked containers transfer through corner castings, so the design checks bearing, rutting, and edge crushing rather than only fatigue. PIANC WG 165 and the BS 7533 / Interpave methods cover the common surfaces: concrete block paving on a cement-bound base, in-situ reinforced concrete, and heavy-duty asphalt, with block paving favored for ease of local repair and tolerance of point loads. Subgrade CBR and drainage govern layer thicknesses.