Suitability evaluation of port construction site in Three Gorges Reservoir based on hybrid units

Yangtze River is the largest inland shipping traffic artery in China. After the construction of the Three Gorges Reservoir, about 300 km of river water level in Three Gorges Reservoir rose sharply and the ports and wharves on both sides of the original channel were submerged. Therefore, it is of great practical significance to develop the suitable construction areas for the new ports and wharves under current coastline environment and dynamic water level regulation and storage conditions. Fourteen factors from five categories including topography and geomorphology, regional stability, engineering geological conditions, traffic location conditions and ecological sensitivity were chosen in this paper to evaluate port constructive site suitability on main coastlines from Yichang to Wanzhou section in Three Gorges Reservoir, based on the improved comprehensive index evaluation model. The evaluation results are as follows. (1) The suitable construction area accounts for 13.81% and the less suitable construction area accounts for 25.80%, while the less unsuitable construction area accounts for 31.38% and the unsuitable construction area accounts for 29.01%. (2) The suitable area of northern bank is mainly distributed in the Letianxi town and Taipingxi town of Yiling district, Shuangjiang town of Yunyang county and Wanzhou city district. And the suitable area of southern bank is mainly distributed in Maoping town of Zigui county, the southern bank of Fengjie county, and upstream and downstream in the southern bank of Wanzhou city district. The evaluation results have certain guiding significance for future site selection of port resources development along the main coastlines from Yichang to Wanzhou section.