MSC Miami Cruise Terminal

Langan provided geotechnical, environmental, and surveying services for the new MSC Cruises Terminal AA at PortMiami—recognized as the world’s largest cruise terminal. The four-story, 490,000-SF terminal accommodates up to 36,000 passengers per day and supports three MSC ships simultaneously. Leveraging prior experience at PortMiami, including work on adjacent terminals and the nearby PortMiami Tunnel, we conducted extensive subsurface investigations and provided foundation recommendations for the complex site, which is located on an artificial island with variable ground conditions. The foundation system included over 1,500 augered cast-in-place piles supporting the terminal and parking garage. We also performed environmental testing of approximately 850,000 cubic yards of dredged soil and rock, securing a “clean fill” designation that enabled beneficial reuse of the material on site—advancing the project’s environmental and cost-efficiency goals. In addition, the terminal was designed with resilience measures to remain operational with up to three feet of projected sea level rise, ensuring long-term functionality in Miami’s hurricane-prone environment.

ASCE Miami Dade Branch, 2025 Project of the Year