Berths 145-147 Container Terminal Wharf Upgrade Design and Construction at the Port of Los Angeles

The Berths 136-147 Container Terminal is located in the north and eastern portions of the West Basin of the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) and was built in the 1980's. The proposed project is to expand and modernize the container terminal at Berths 145-147 and upgrade the existing wharf facilities in order to increase capacity from the current (2003) level of approximately 0.9 million 20-foot (6.1 meter) equivalent units (TEUs) of containerized cargo. Major construction elements include dredging, wharf upgrades, installation of an underwater bulkhead, and development of a landside buffer with the surrounding community. A significant feature of design was testing of a representative pile to deck connection simulating existing conditions, in order to evaluate performance under the design seismic event. Upon completion of construction, new 100-foot (30.5 meter) gauge container cranes will be installed at the terminal. At full operation, expected by 2025, the upgraded terminal will handle approximately 2.4 million TEUs per year. This paper addresses the design and construction challenges of the Berths 145-147 wharf upgrade project.