Port of Oakland Wharf and Embankment Strengthening Program Phase 3 Final Design and Construction of Wharf Modifications for Deepening of Berths 23-26 & 30

The Wharf and Embankment Strengthening Program (WESP) is a three-phase program to evaluate the seismic vulnerability, berthing capacity, and waterside crane beam capacity of selected, older container wharves within the Port of Oakland, located on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay in a highly seismic region. This project is in conjunction with channel deepening at the Port to –50 feet MLLW which will enable the Port to handle larger ships, provided the wharves can withstand loading demands from the larger vessels and the larger cranes required to service them. This paper describes the details of the implementation of WESP Phase 3, Final Design and Construction of Wharf Modifications for Deepening of Berths 23–26 & 30. The design team was tasked with mitigating the following deficiencies identified in previous phases: 1) Berths 23–26 & 30: Stabilize the embankment to maintain the current seismic integrity of the wharves and embankments for post-dredge conditions, 2) Berths 23–25: Replace outdated fendering with modern energy-absorbing units to handle vessels 20 years into the future; provide new mooring bollards with a total capacity of 330 kips (unfactored) associated with larger, future vessels; and upgrade the waterside (WS) crane beam to handle a larger maximum operating load of 51.0 klf (factored) associated with larger cranes. Landside crane beams did not require strengthening, and 3) Berths 26 & 30: Adjust the breasting line to coincide with the new fender systems on Berths 23-25, utilizing the existing fenders. This paper details challenges that the design team encountered to achieve the design goals while minimizing the Port's investment in these older facilities. 1) Embankment stabilization was achieved by installing an underwater, cantilevered sheet pile wall at the toe of the existing slope, 2) The WS crane beam was strengthened by support from new transverse girders added below the existing deck, 3) New fendering systems added met the increased energy requirements of the larger design vessels and provided adequate clearance between the vessel hull and the underwater sheet pile wall, 4) Structural steel spacers were added at Berths 26 & 30 to align the existing fenders with the new fenders at Berths 23-25 and provide offset for clearance between the vessel hull and the underwater sheet pile wall, and 5) Attachment of higher capacity bollards met the strength requirements.