cruise terminal design and equipment

Guidelines for Cruise Terminals

This report has been drafted by an international working group (WG 152) set up by PIANC in 2012. The objective of the work was to provide a guideline for the functional design of cruise terminals, by reviewing the current state of the art of the needs of modern cruise ships and evaluating the ship/port interface and the port facilities involved in cruise traffic. This document embodies a flexible design approach so that terminals can be adapted to the various current and future needs of cruise companies.

rnrnPIANC Working Group 152 has prepared this document to provide technical guidelines for assisting the development of cruise port facilities. Based on the newest trends in cruise ships and the industry in general, the document covers all areas involved in the operation of a cruise ship: waterside drivers, apron area, terminal building and ground transportation area. In view of the importance to the cruise industry of port security and operational and financial aspects, special emphasis has been laid these two topics.

rnrnThe Terms of Reference for WG 152 were laid down by the Maritime Commission of PIANC and can be summarised as follows:rn

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Guidelines for Cruise Terminal Design and Operations

• March 19, 2016

Guidelines for cruise terminals and related infrastructure have been published by the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC).

Set up in 2012, a working group has developed what the PIANC calls a set of guidelines for the functional design of cruise terminals based on a study of the needs of modern cruise ships and port facilities involved in this traffic sector.

According to David Pino, chairman of the working group and head of the planning and technical management of concessions at the Port of Barcelona, the guidelines cover all areas of cruise ship port operations, including the wharf side services areas, the terminal building and land transport areas, in addition to security, operational and financial aspects.

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Port Economics, Management and Policy

A comprehensive analysis of the port industry

Port Economics, Management, and Policy (PEMP) analyses the contemporary port industry and how ports are organized to serve the global economy and regional and local development needs. It uses a conceptual background supported by extensive fieldwork and empirical observations, such as analyzing flows, ports, and the strategies and policies articulating their dynamics. The port industry is comprehensively investigated in this unique compilation:

• Multidisciplinary perspective on the port industry relying on economics, geography, management science, and engineering.
• Abundance of graphic elements such as maps, figures, photos, and tables.
• Focus on the latest trends impacting the industry, such as supply chain management, automation, digitalization, and sustainability.
• Multisector analysis , including containers, bulk, break-bulk, and the cruise industry.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction: a multifaceted approach to seaports.

• i.1 Defining Seaports
• i.2 Seaports and the Blue Economy
• i.3 Seaports: Social and Environmental Value
• i.4 Emerging Issues in Ports and Maritime Shipping

I. PORTS & MARITIME SHIPPING

• Chapter 1.1 Maritime Shipping and International Trade
• Chapter 1.2 Ports and Maritime Supply Chains
• Chapter 1.3 Ports and Container Shipping
• Chapter 1.4 Ports and Distribution Networks
• Chapter 1.5 Ports and Cruise Shipping
• Chapter 1.6 Interoceanic Passages

II. CONTEMPORARY PORTS

• Chapter 2.1 The Changing Geography of Seaports
• Chapter 2.2 Port Hinterlands, Regionalization and Corridors
• Chapter 2.3 Inland Ports / Dry Ports
• Chapter 2.4 The Digital Transformation of Ports
• Chapter 2.5 Green Shipping and Supply Chain Management
• Chapter 2.6 Ports and Energy Transition (under construction)
• Chapter 2.7 Ports and the Circular Economy [ NEW CHAPTER! ]

III. PORT TERMINALS

• Chapter 3.1 Terminals and Terminal Operators
• Chapter 3.2 Terminal Concessions and Land Leases
• Chapter 3.3 Financialization and Terminal Funding
• Chapter 3.4 Container Terminal Design and Equipment
• Chapter 3.5 Bulk and Breakbulk Terminal Design and Equipment
• Chapter 3.6 Cruise Terminal Design and Equipment
• Chapter 3.7 Dock Labor
• Chapter 3.8 Terminal Automation
• Chapter 3.9 Port Terminal Construction

IV. PORT GOVERNANCE

• Chapter 4.1 Port Governance and Reform
• Chapter 4.2 Port Authorities
• Chapter 4.3 Port Coordination and Cooperation
• Chapter 4.4 Port Clusters
• Chapter 4.5 Green Port Governance
• Chapter 4.6 Port Management, Governance and Leadership

V. PORT COMPETITION

• Chapter 5.1 Inter-Port Competition
• Chapter 5.2 Intra-Port Competition
• Chapter 5.3 Port Marketing
• Chapter 5.4 Port Pricing
• Chapter 5.5 Entry Barriers

VI. PORT PERFORMANCE

• Chapter 6.1 Performance
• Chapter 6.2 Efficiency
• Chapter 6.3 Effectiveness
• Chapter 6.4 Resilience

VII. PORT POLICIES & DEVELOPMENT

• Chapter 7.1 Ports, Policies and Politics
• Chapter 7.2 Ports and Economic Development
• Chapter 7.3 Port Planning and Development
• Chapter 7.4 Port-City Relationships
• Chapter 7.5 Representing Port Interests

VIII. PORT MARKETS

• Chapter 8.1 Cruise Ports
• Chapter 8.2 Break-Bulk
• Chapter 8.3 Energy
• Chapter 8.4 Containers: The Box and Chassis Markets
• Chapter 8.5 Containers: The Containerization of Commodities [ NEW CHAPTER! ]
• Chapter 8.6 Port Cold Chains

IX. CASE STUDIES

• Optimal Ship Size: Container Ships and Cruise Vessels
• Competition between the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach
• Ports and the COVID-19 Pandemic
• The Port of Savannah Logistics Cluster
• Nike European Logistics Campus in Belgium
• The Nicar agua Canal Project
• Tools for Managing Port Risk and Resilience

Endorsements

The new book by Theo Notteboom, Thanos Pallis and Jean-Paul Rodrigue, provides the most comprehensive analysis of the current functioning of seaports for academics and port professionals. This publication is particularly relevant from a pedagogic perspective for anybody giving the first steps in the port and maritime world, but also for experienced scholars. For AIVP, the work from these authors is very valuable, since it addresses all port key topics, from terminal design, to the governance models and the port-city relationship. A key reference for future researchers. Bruno Delsalle, General Manager, Association Internationale Villes Ports (AIVP)

One of the daily tasks of any Port Authority is to promote the port activity of all its stakeholders and to make known all the actors of the port-logistic chain and their great contribution to international foreign trade and job creation. This handbook touches on practically all aspects of our sector and is of great help to all of us involved in port promotion: a comprehensive and easy-to-use reference manual for any occasion. Francesca Antonelli Ibáñez, Marketing & Cruises Manager, Commercial & Business Development, Port Authority of Valencia

Ports are very diverse, they are complex entities combining different tasks and have different responsibilities. At the centre of the economy and society and as engines of growth they are constantly changing and aim at responding to today’s challenges of energy transition and digitalisation. Understanding this complexity is not easy. Explaining this complexity and considering all facets of this complex but fascinating port ecosystem in a comprehensive but clear way is even more difficult. This book sets the bar high but succeeds in its purpose and is a must read for anyone who wants to discover the fascinating world of ports! Isabelle Ryckbost, Secretary General, European Sea Ports Organisation.

The Port Economics, Management and Policy is such an excellent source of knowledge about our cruise industry. We clearly see in a concise manner how we grew up and develop over the years but also the maps and graphs put the light from new perspectives. Figen Ayan, MedCruise President, Galataport Istanbul Chief Port Officer

With the ongoing global supply chain crisis, accelerated digitalization, and the historical challenge of decarbonizing maritime transport, seaports have come to the forefront of the public debate. “Port Economics, Management and Policy” could not be more timely. The three authors – leading scholars in their field – have produced a magnificent book on the organization of seaports, and how port operation and governance can – and must – contribute to regional, national, and global trade-driven development. Jan Hoffmann, Head, Trade Logistics Branch, UNCTAD

Port Economics, Management and Policy is a very insightful and valuable analysis of the different models of ports and how they are organized to serve the global economy, regional and local development needs. The book also provides an exhaustive overview of how port ecosystems are becoming logistic and industrial nodes in global supply chains and currently undergoing major transformations. A book to be read by all persons interested in ports and their future role Lamia Kerdjoudj-Belkaid, Secretary General, Federation of European Private Port Companies and Terminals

While the role of ports hasn’t changed significantly since the dawn of ocean-going trade, their impact and complexity parallel the expansion of globalization and technology. Port Economics, Management and Policy charts this evolution through a thorough, multidisciplinary and multisector review and analysis that deftly explains how supply chain management, automation, digitalization, and sustainability will shape ports of the future. Mark Szakonyi, Executive Editor of The Journal of Commerce

Comprehensive in its coverage and thorough in its approach, this multi-disciplinary book has something for every reader. It will be easily understood by those new to the industry or citizens of the local port community, and yet contains nuggets of insight for the most seasoned port professionals. This book will assist those in local government make sense of what ports can do beyond their role as facilitators of trade, exploring their contribution as critical economic, social and environmental tools of development. The authors have not shied away from tackling the emerging trends in this global industry and provide six case studies to enhance our understanding of ports in the 2020s. Mary R. Brooks, Professor Emerita, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada

I warmly recommend ‘Port Economics, Management and Policy” by Theo Notteboom, Thanos Pallis and Jean-Paul Rodrigue. Having personally worked with the authors over many years, I have come to know them as anything but ‘ivory tower’ academics. They combine solid theoretical knowledge with a thorough understanding of how the port and maritime industry works. That is what makes this textbook so unique and a must-have for every port executive. Patrick Verhoeven, Managing Director, International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH)

Working with Theo Notteboom, Thanos Pallis and Jean-Paul Rodrigue is a very enriching and valuable collaboration. Taking advantage of opportunities on both sides, a full and accessible chapter on the topic of circular economy and port ecosystems was swiftly integrated into the online version of the book. We welcome this approach as it provides both an international reference and continuous updates for the benefit of port professionals, researchers and students. I look forward to the ongoing process of deepening the complex topic of circular economy and port ecosystems. Walter Tempst, Facilitator Circular Economy, Circular Flanders / Circular Ports

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Interactive automated planning system for actions of aviation of different tactical designation against naval objects

• Systems Analysis and Operations Research
• Published: 17 August 2011
• Volume 50 , pages 593–608, ( 2011 )

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• A. K. D’yachuk 1 ,
• B. D. Orkin 1 &
• S. D. Orkin 1  

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Interactive automated system designated for formation of rational scenarios of attacking naval groups, including aircraft carrier multipurpose groups, by means of various tactical aviation and air weapons is considered. This system is a program component of the complex of simulation mathematical models for attacking naval groups. This model makes it possible to reduce the influence of the human factor on the results of planning.

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Utilization of Modeling and Simulation in the Design of Air Defense

Autonomous Air Defense Effectors Deployment Algorithms for Modeling and Simulation Purposes

Approach for Intelligent Rival-Air-Plane Threats Evading

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Original Russian Text © A.K. D’yachuk, B.D. Orkin, S.D. Orkin, 2011, published in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Teoriya i Sistemy Upravleniya, 2011, No. 4, pp. 86–101.

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D’yachuk, A.K., Orkin, B.D. & Orkin, S.D. Interactive automated planning system for actions of aviation of different tactical designation against naval objects. J. Comput. Syst. Sci. Int. 50 , 593–608 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1064230711030087

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Received : 23 November 2010

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1134/S1064230711030087

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Baltimore Port: What impact will bridge collapse have on shipping?

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Current status of cargo ships inside port, cruise ships, london metal exchange warehouses, bunker fuel.

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‘A Lot of Chaos’: Bridge Collapse Creates Upheaval at Largest U.S. Port for Car Trade

A bridge collapse closed Baltimore’s port, an important trade hub that ranks first in the nation by the volume of automobiles and light trucks it handles.

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Shipping in the Port of Baltimore

Monthly cargo handled by the Port of Baltimore

By Peter Eavis and Jenny Gross

• March 26, 2024

The Baltimore bridge disaster on Tuesday upended operations at one of the nation’s busiest ports, with disruptions likely to be felt for weeks by companies shipping goods in and out of the country — and possibly by consumers as well.

The upheaval will be especially notable for auto makers and coal producers for whom Baltimore has become one of the most vital shipping destinations in the United States.

As officials began to investigate why a nearly 1,000-foot cargo ship ran into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the middle of the night, companies that transport goods to suppliers and stores scrambled to get trucks to the other East Coast ports receiving goods diverted from Baltimore. Ships sat idle elsewhere, unsure where and when to dock.

“It’s going to cause a lot of chaos,” said Paul Brashier, vice president for drayage and intermodal at ITS Logistics.

The closure of the Port of Baltimore is the latest hit to global supply chains, which have been strained by monthslong crises at the Panama Canal, which has had to slash traffic because of low water levels; and the Suez Canal, which shipping companies are avoiding because of attacks by the Houthis on vessels in the Red Sea.

The auto industry now faces new supply headaches.

Last year, 570,000 vehicles were imported through Baltimore, according to Sina Golara, an assistant professor of supply chain management at Georgia State University. “That’s a huge amount,” he said, equivalent to nearly a quarter of the current inventory of new cars in the United States.

The Baltimore port handled a record amount of foreign cargo last year, and it was the 17th biggest port in the nation overall in 2021, ranked by total tons, according to Bureau of Transportation Statistics.

Baltimore Ranks in the Top 20 U.S. Ports

Total trade in 2021 in millions of tons

Baltimore ranks first in the United States for the volume of automobiles and light trucks it handles, and for vessels that carry wheeled cargo, including farm and construction machinery, according to a statement by Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland last month.

The incident is another stark reminder of the vulnerability of the supply chains that transport consumer products and commodities around the world.

The extent of the disruption depends on how long it takes to reopen shipping channels into the port of Baltimore. Experts estimate it could take several weeks.

Baltimore is not a leading port for container ships, and other ports can likely absorb traffic that was headed to Baltimore, industry officials said.

Stephen Edwards, the chief executive of the Port of Virginia, said it was expecting a vessel on Tuesday that was previously bound for Baltimore, and that others would soon follow. “Between New York and Virginia, we have sufficient capacity to handle all this cargo,” Mr. Edwards said, referring to container ships.

“Shipping companies are very agile,” said Jean-Paul Rodrigue, a professor in the department of maritime business administration at Texas A&M University-Galveston. “In two to three days, it will be rerouted.”

But other types of cargo could remain snarled.

Alexis Ellender, a global analyst at Kpler, a commodities analytics firm, said he expected the port closure to cause significant disruption of U.S. exports of coal. Last year, about 23 million metric tons of coal exports were shipped from the port of Baltimore, about a quarter of all seaborne U.S. coal shipments. About 12 vessel had been expected to leave the port of Baltimore in the next week or so carrying coal, according to Kpler.

He noted that it would not make a huge dent on the global market, but he added that “the impact is significant for the U.S. in terms of loss of export capacity.”

“You may see coal cargoes coming from the mines being rerouted to other ports instead,” he said, with a port in Norfolk, Va., the most likely.

If auto imports are reduced by Baltimore’s closure, inventories could run low, particularly for models that are in high demand.

“We are initiating discussions with our various transportation providers on contingency plans to ensure an uninterrupted flow of vehicles to our customers and will continue to carefully monitor this situation,” Stellantis, which owns Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram, said in a statement.

Other ports have the capacity to import cars, but there may not be enough car transporters at those ports to handle the new traffic.

“You have to make sure the capacity exists all the way in the supply chain — all the way to the dealership,” said Mr. Golara, the Georgia State professor.

A looming battle is insurance payouts, once legal liability is determined. The size of the payout from the insurer is likely to be significant and will depend on factors including the value of the bridge, the scale of loss of life compensation owed to families of people who died, the damage to the vessel and disruption to the port.

The ship’s insurer, Britannia P&I Club, part of a global group of insurers, said in a statement that it was “working closely with the ship manager and relevant authorities to establish the facts and to help ensure that this situation is dealt with quickly and professionally.”

The port has also increasingly catered to large container ships like the Dali, the 948-foot-long cargo vessel carrying goods for the shipping giant Maersk that hit a pillar of the bridge around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday. The Dali had spent two days in Baltimore’s port before setting off toward the 1.6-mile Francis Scott Key Bridge.

State-owned terminals, managed by the Maryland Port Administration, and privately owned terminals in Baltimore transported a record 52.3 million tons of foreign cargo in 2023, worth $80 billion.

Materials transported in large volumes through the city’s port include coal, coffee and sugar. It was the ninth-busiest port in the nation last year for receiving foreign cargo, in terms of volume and value.

The bridge’s collapse will also disrupt cruises traveling in and out of Baltimore. Norwegian Cruise Line last year began a new fall and winter schedule calling at the Port of Baltimore.

An earlier version of this article misstated the Port of Baltimore’s rank among U.S. ports. It was the nation’s 17th biggest port by total tons in 2021, not the 20th largest.

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Peter Eavis reports on business, financial markets, the economy and companies across different sectors. More about Peter Eavis

Jenny Gross is a reporter for The Times in London covering breaking news and other topics. More about Jenny Gross

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From longshoremen to charter boats, Baltimore's port closure means lost work

Laurel Wamsley

Ship-to-shore cranes sit unused after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, blocking access to the Port of Baltimore. Timothy Wolfer for NPR hide caption

Ship-to-shore cranes sit unused after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed, blocking access to the Port of Baltimore.

When the container ship Dali struck the base of the Francis Scott Key Bridge early Tuesday morning, it set off a rapid chain of events. The bridge crumpled into the Patapsco River, its twisted metal draped over the ship and its thousands of containers. Eight construction workers and their cars tumbled into the water. Two of the workers are dead; four are still missing and presumed dead. And the whole disaster is now blocking one of the country's busiest ports, the Port of Baltimore.

For many workers at the port, that chain of events means that work has either slowed or stopped completely.

"Quite a few are out of work right now," says Scott Cowan, president of International Longshoremen's Association Local 333 in Baltimore. He represents 2,400 dockworkers and ILA members in the Port of Baltimore.

Scott Cowan, president of Local 333, International Longshoremen's Association, at his office on Thursday. Matt Rourke/AP hide caption

Scott Cowan, president of Local 333, International Longshoremen's Association, at his office on Thursday.

These are the workers who load and unload ships at the port. They operate cranes. They receive and deliver cargo. They do maintenance and repair work on equipment and containers. They perform clerical work like timekeeping and recording the movement of cargo.

"Some of our maintenance guys and mechanics are still going to work to maintain the equipment in the facility," says Cowan. "But the bulk of our work is the unloading and loading. That's where the labor-intensive jobs are, where we use a lot of people. ... And that's not happening right now."

'A generous man': Baltimore bridge worker helped family, community in Honduras

How long it takes to get the shipping channel cleared will determine how deeply port workers are affected — and the size of the impact to Maryland's economy . Cowan says the closure of the shipping channel is costing $191 million a day in lost economic activity.

The state has set up a dedicated unemployment line for workers affected by the port closure. Through Wednesday, the day after the collapse, fewer than 200 affected workers had made unemployment claims, according to a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Labor.

And the Maryland Senate president, Sen. Bill Ferguson, said earlier this week that he will sponsor emergency legislation to provide income replacement for workers impacted by the port's closure.

Still, Cowan doesn't think the impact will be a lasting one for Baltimore's longshoremen: "I believe the cargo will rebound here quite strongly and we'll be going into the Christmas season here shortly, bringing goods into this country. So we should be fine."

Smaller waterfront businesses are also affected

Bobby LaPin — "Captain Bobby" — owns and operates Boat Baltimore, offering sailing tours of Baltimore Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay. He docks the 45-foot-long sailboat Saeda at a marina in South Baltimore.

Bobby LaPin says he won't start cruises for his charter boat business for another month, due to collapse of the Key Bridge. His sailboat is seen docked at the Port Covington Marina on Thursday in Baltimore. Tim Wolfer for NPR hide caption

Bobby LaPin says he won't start cruises for his charter boat business for another month, due to collapse of the Key Bridge. His sailboat is seen docked at the Port Covington Marina on Thursday in Baltimore.

It's a seasonal business, and he'd been gearing up to start cruises on April 1. Now he won't open until May. So the sailboat remains anchored, a blue tarp pulled taut over its deck.

"We decided to push back our opening day ... because we don't want to add to clutter of boats in the harbor while there is a recovery mission still ongoing," he says. "I also don't want to take bookings for people that are simply trying to get on the boat so they can see the devastation of the bridge."

What we know and don't know about Baltimore's Key Bridge collapse

Normally he'd be hiring deckhands and captains to work for the summer, folks who work the winter in Florida and the summer up north. But for now, he's holding off any hiring.

The twisted metal of the Francis Scott Key Bridge hangs over the container ship Dali, which caused the bridge's collapse on Tuesday after striking one of the bridge's piers. The wreckage is blocking the Port of Baltimore's shipping channel. Tim Wolfer for NPR hide caption

He says it's too early to tell exactly what will be the impact on his business, but he expects bookings from tourists and conventioneers to decline for a time. And since the collapsed bridge is blocking access to the Chesapeake, he can't take longer, more lucrative bookings, where he'd sail out to the bay.

"Obviously, the No. 1 concern economically is going to be to clear the channel so shipping can start. And then after that happens, they have to build a bridge," he says. "But when they build a bridge, they need to block the channel to do so. So, you know, are we even going to have a bridge again?"

Officials say the first step is to remove the debris, then open the shipping channel, and later build a new bridge. President Biden has pledged that the federal government will pay for the bridge's rebuilding, which could take years .

It won't be necessary to close the channel while the bridge is under construction, says Benjamin Schafer, a professor of civil and systems engineering at Johns Hopkins University. "This has been a common challenge for bridge builders going back to at least the late 19th century," and there are a number of construction techniques that will allow the channel to stay open, he says.

A weird few years ahead

Along the waterfront at the Port Covington Marina on Thursday, all the boats were anchored. Next door, the terminal at Cruise Maryland sits empty, the giant ships now directed to other moorings. Just inland from the marina are the sleek new buildings of Baltimore Peninsula , with apartments, office space and restaurants.

Alex Snider is the waterfront operations manager for MAG Partners, the company that's redeveloping the peninsula. He says this time of year is generally quiet at the marina, before the season for recreational boaters picks up in late April or early May.

Alex Snider manages waterfront operations for MAG Partners, the company that's redeveloping Baltimore Peninsula. He wore his Orioles cap at the Port Covington Marina on Thursday, baseball's opening day. Tim Wolfer for NPR hide caption

Alex Snider manages waterfront operations for MAG Partners, the company that's redeveloping Baltimore Peninsula. He wore his Orioles cap at the Port Covington Marina on Thursday, baseball's opening day.

Even with the bridge collapse and the port closure, Snider talks about everything that's planned at the marina in the months ahead: "There's a sailing club that's going to be here, we've got a kayak launch. We've got the Baltimore Dragon Boat Club's going to be rowing out of here this year. So it's very busy."

Like many in Baltimore, the Key Bridge stirs up feelings of nostalgia for Snider, who used to run boats in the harbor.

"It was a beautiful bridge," he says. "I've piloted driven boats, captained boats under that bridge hundreds and hundreds of times. ... It's going to be a weird few years, not having that there visually."

• Francis Scott Key Bridge

Baltimore bridge collapse latest: Six missing workers 'presumed dead'; satellite images reveal scale of bridge damage

Officials say they are transitioning from a search and rescue mission to a recovery operation "based on the length of time" and the "temperature of the water".

Wednesday 27 March 2024 00:36, UK

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• Major bridge collapses in Baltimore after being struck by a cargo ship
• Six people still missing as two pulled from water
• Company says six workers are presumed dead
• Ship issued mayday before crash | Vessel appeared to lose power and start smoking
• Video of collapse | Satellite images reveal scale of damage
• Dali vessel involved in separate incident in 2016
• What is this bridge?
• Listen:  Expert view on the Baltimore bridge collapse

Thank you for following along. 

You can scroll down to catch up on the latest updates as happened during the day.

We'll be back with more news tomorrow. 

Officials say they are transitioning from search and rescue operation to a recovery operation.

US Coast Guard and Maryland State Police officials say that based on the frigid temperature of the water and the length of time that had elapsed since the bridge came down there was little if any chance that the six missing could be found alive.

Maryland's senator has praised the work of first responders, saying their heroism is a "ray of light on this dark day". 

Emergency workers managed to stop traffic along the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the Dali container ship put out a mayday call.

Chris Van Hollen said their actions "saved lives" and he was "thankful for them". 

A team of construction workers were repairing potholes along the bridge at the time it collapsed. 

Eight people were initially reported missing, but two people were found, with one suffering serious injuries. 

A short while ago, we heard from the executive vice president of construction company Brawner Builders, who confirmed the six workers still unaccounted for are presumed dead.

Six workers missing after the Baltimore bridge collapsed are presumed dead, the executive vice president of Brawner Builders has confirmed. 

Jeffrey Pritzker told our US partner site NBC News that there was one survivor. 

The company is not releasing names at this time.

Eight people, who were working on the bridge at the time it was struck by the Dali cargo ship, were initially reported missing. 

Two of them were found, with one suffering serious injuries. 

The other six have been missing for more than 12 hours. 

Maryland's emergency management department has raised its state activation level. 

It is now registered as 'full' - meaning an incident has occurred that may require significant resources. 

As a result, the state's emergency operations centre has been "fully staffed". 

The state's activation levels change based on a variety of factors.

The most influential factor is the occurrence of a significant incident, which is a term used to describe a single or multi-jurisdictional incident. 

A construction worker has said he was told his missing colleagues were on a break when the Dali ship crashed into the Baltimore bridge. 

Jesus Campos told the AP news agency some members of staff were sitting in their trucks when the bridge collapsed. 

The Brawner Builders employee said he learned about the disaster from a co-worker and immediately worried about colleagues he knew were working on the bridge. 

"When he told me that, they came to mind and I was praying to God that nothing had happened to them," he added.

"It is so hard for me to describe. I know that a month ago I was there, and I know what it feels like when the trailers pass.

"Imagine knowing that it is falling. It is so hard, one would not know what to do," he said. 

One person involved in the Baltimore bridge collapse has been discharged from hospital, an official at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Centre has told AP. 

Dr David Efron did not comment on the nature of the patient's injuries, and the hospital has not released their name. 

Eight people were initially reported missing after the collapse. 

Two people have been found - one was said to have serious injuries, while the other did not require hospital treatment. 

Search and rescue operations are continuing this evening to find the six construction workers still missing. 

The US transportation secretary has said the path to rebuilding the collapsed Baltimore bridge will not be quick or easy. 

Pete Buttigieg described the bridge as "one of the cathedrals of American infrastructure". 

"It has been part of the skyline for this region for longer than many of us have been alive," he said.

He has also taken the time to thank first responders and offered comfort to those "who woke up today to the news that no one wants to receive". 

"This is an excruciating day for several families," he said. 

Clearer satellite images have emerged of the moment the Dali container ship hit the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The vessel crashed into the structure after issuing a mayday call and losing power.

Earlier, Maryland governor Wes Moore said the ship was travelling at a speed of eight knots at the time it sent out its distress call.

Within minutes of departure on Tuesday, the faltering container ship crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

Here is a timeline of the Singapore-flagged vessel's collision, in local time (four hours behind British time).

1.04am: Loaded with shipping containers, Dali departs from Baltimore's port, heading to Colombo, Sri Lanka.

1.24am: Dali slowly approaches the Key Bridge, according to video captured by StreamTime Live.

1.24am and 33 seconds: The ship appears to suffer a total power failure as all its lights go out.

1.25am and 31 seconds: About a minute later, the ship's lights flicker back on. Black smoke starts rising from somewhere aboard the ship.

1.26am and 37 seconds: The ship's lights go dark again.

1.27am: Dali appears to be colliding with one of the Key Bridge's piers. The US Coast Guard receives the first report of a collision.

1.27am and 10 seconds: The ship's lights come back on.

1.28am and 48 seconds: The roadway of the Key Bridge begins collapsing.

1.29am: Most of the bridge's span has plunged beneath the water.

1.40am: Baltimore City Fire Department has dispatched rescue teams for the Patapsco River, with reports of multiple people in the water.

1.50am: The first fire unit arrives on the scene.

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