Diamond State Port Corporation

Rehabilitation of Berths 5 & 6 | Wilmington, Delaware
Project Overview
Project Goals
Data Points
Group 34 Created with Sketch.
Our Team
Project Details
Community Impact
diamond-state-port-corporation-inspection

Expanding Capabilities

As the busiest terminal on the Delaware River, the Port of Wilmington must be equipped to handle the volume. To keep up with the influx of cargo ships, the Diamond State Port Corporation enlisted S. T. Hudson to work on the rehabilitation of Berths 5 and 6. The project includes an assessment with an underwater inspection, design plans, and construction management, all of which would help move ships in and out of the port quickly and efficiently.

Diamond-State-Port-Rehabilitation-Goals

Project Goals

For the Port of Wilmington, speed means increased profits, so moving ships quickly in and out of the port is essential. The goals for upgrading Berths 5 and 6 were to:

Improve Efficiency & Speed

Extending the rail cranes and expanding capacity for neo-Panamax cranes would increase efficiency in loading and unloading ships, allowing them to get in and out of the port faster.

Increase Versatility

Having fully-equipped berths that can handle loading and unloading any vessel —  including 14,000 TEU vessels, the largest ships currently calling at East Coast ports —  leads to more versatile and profitable operations.

Key Data Points

6
Million Tons

Annual Import/Export Cargo

400
Vessels Annually
1
U.S. Importer

Of Bananas & Fresh Fruit

10
Million Dollars

Total Project Value

Our Team

Want to learn more about our individual expertise? Get to know our team!

Robert Hudson, P.E.

President and Chief Executive Officer
Robert Hudson, P.E. Robert Hudson, P.E.

Robert Hudson, P.E.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Hudson is a Senior Civil/Structural Engineer with over 40 years of experience in the design and construction of marine facilities. He has special expertise in construction methods and estimating. Over the course of his career, Mr. Hudson has been involved in a wide range of construction activities, with emphasis on marine structures, bridges and pile foundations.

In 2002, Mr. Hudson became President and Chief Operating officer of S. T. Hudson Engineers, Inc and continues to serve in that capacity today. Mr. Hudson is a Registered Professional Engineer in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware. His professional affiliations include The Ports of Philadelphia Maritime Society; The Deep Foundation Institute; The American Society of Civil Engineers and The National Society of Professional Engineers.

James Thomas

Chief Operating Officer & Vice President
James Thomas James Thomas

James Thomas

Chief Operating Officer & Vice President

Mr. Thomas is Hudson’s Chief Operating Officer and has over 35 years of broad experience in the planning, design, management and execution of marine construction and dredging projects.

Mr. Thomas has worked on projects throughout the United States, the Caribbean, South America and the Middle East. His marine construction and dredging experience includes participation in small to large scale capital works, maintenance and superfund projects. He has managed the construction of offshore ocean ship berthing facilities as well as the construction of harbor berth facilities and terminals.

Leslie (Hudson) Gerhard

Vice President
Leslie (Hudson) Gerhard Leslie (Hudson) Gerhard

Leslie (Hudson) Gerhard

Vice President

Ms. Gerhard is Vice President at S. T. Hudson Engineers, Inc. with over 15 years of experience in marketing, company operations, contract administration, and client relationships. She is responsible for day-to-day office operations, generating and overseeing proposal submissions, marketing efforts, contract administration, team recruitment, and coordination and administration of the summer internship program. In addition, she is involved in developing business among existing clients and new clients which contribute significantly to corporate revenues.

Ms. Gerhard is part of the fourth generation of Hudson family members working in the business, working side by side with her father, Robert S. Hudson, P.E., to lead S. T. Hudson Engineers, Inc.

Anthony DePasquale, P.E.

Vice President & Director of Marine Engineering and Environmental Services
Anthony DePasquale, P.E. Anthony DePasquale, P.E.

Anthony DePasquale, P.E.

Vice President & Director of Marine Engineering and Environmental Services

Mr. DePasquale is a Civil & Geo-technical Engineer with 37 years of experience as a designer, construction manager, negotiator, and permitting consultant with the US Army Corps of Engineers. He specializes in the design, management, and construction of flood protection systems, bulkhead rehabilitation, and waste and dredge disposal containment facilities.

In addition, he has reviewed and negotiated numerous construction contract claims, permitting issues, and engineering disputes. Mr. DePasquale's experience has given S.T. Hudson valuable insight into the permitting process and environmental impact assessments from the viewpoint of the USACE and other regulatory agencies.

William Jenkins

Vice President & Director of Marine Services
William Jenkins William Jenkins

William Jenkins

Vice President & Director of Marine Services

Mr. Jenkins has 17 years of experience and a comprehensive knowledge of various hydrographic technologies and methods.

Recently, Mr. Jenkins has applied his talents to implementing various multibeam hydrographic surveys for ship navigation safety, object detection, clearance surveys, sediment transfer surveys, pre- and post-dredge surveys, and bridge inspection scour monitoring.

Project Details

Using their expertise in underwater inspections, marine engineering and design, and construction management, S. T. Hudson completed a comprehensive rehabilitation of Berths 5 and 6 in the Port of Wilmington, which included extending the crane rail and more.

The Port of Wilmington began operations in 1923 as the first major port on the Delaware River. Today, it is the busiest terminal on the river and the top importer of fresh fruits and fruit juice concentrate in the U.S. It also has the largest U.S. dockside cold storage facility. The full-service deep water port and marine terminals handles about 400 vessels a year, amounting to an annual import/export cargo amount of over 6 million tons. The original construction dates back to the roots of our country in the 17th century. The current facilities were built at the turn of the century and have been maintained with rehabilitations along the way. Originally operated by the Diamond State Port Corporation, it is now run by Gulftainer, a large, independently-owned global port operator. 

S.T. Hudson won the contract for Berths 5 and 6 due to their impeccable reputation in the maritime community. In addition, because of S. T. Hudson’s construction history, they had intimate knowledge of the area as well as resources such as old drawings. One of the biggest portions of the project involved extending the crane rails so ships would have an easier and more efficient means of loading and unloading. Previously, the port had to resort to vessel or mobile cranes, which hindered the speed of operations. The new project necessitated upgrading piling and fendering systems for the ships and providing support and infrastructure to hold giant shipping cranes that offload the ships. The results were better than expected: in 2018, there was 38 percent year-over-year growth in the number of containers that moved through the Port of Wilmington, and year-over-year cargo grew by 18 percent. Pleased with the work, Gulftainer is now in talks with S. T. Hudson for future projects, including extending the design of the crane rail for Berth 7.

Project Highlights

  • Performed underwater inspections to assess area conditions
  • Created design for new decking, piling, sea walls, and fender systems
  • Oversaw construction for new supports and foundations for the crane rails
  • Extended crane rail to Berths 5 and 6

Want to See How S. T. Hudson Can Help You?