This article presents the key geotechnical challenges related to gravity caisson quay walls and soil improvement works on reclaimed land for container port development in Singapore. The caisson foundation issues encountered in Jurong Formation are limestone cavities, presence of sandwich soft soils and potential soil softening beneath sandkey trench. Ground improvement using surcharge preloading and PVD is often implemented to accelerate the primary settlement, reduce the residual settlement and enhance the ground stability for the reclaimed land using various sources of filling materials.