The Port of Tianjin , stituated at the estuary of the Haihe River in the west of Bohai Gulf, is one of the hub ports and an important international trading port in China. The Port has now 62 public productive berths, among which 47 are berths for vessels of over 10,000 dwt. the total length of quay line is 11,243m and the land area is more than 20km. Vessels of 70,000-80,000 dwt can sail in on tide. The throughput of the Port was 57.87 million tons in 1995.

During the period of the Eighth Five-Year Plan, deep water berths and one work boat berth were built on the north side of the East Pier, 4 deep water general cargo berths, 2 petrochemical product berths and one passenger and cargo berth were modified and completed. The designed annual throughput capacity was increased by 1,202m. At the same time, large scale development works in Nanjiang port area were also under way.

During the construction of the 6 deepwater berths on the north side of the East Pier, the offshore deep cement mixing method (MDM) was employed to improve the soft soil and the berths were built on caissons. Thus, it was the first time that gravity type berths were ever built on the soft soil in Tianjin Port, which was a great breakthrough in the structure of berths in Tianjin Port. Comparing with the open wharf structure of high-level platform and sheet pile quay wall which have long been used in the port, the bearing capacity and durability of the berths with the new gravity type structure are much increased. Much experience of constructing gravity structure on very soft ground has been gained and make it possible to apply this new technology in the future.