Port of Portland T6 Berth 604-605 Seismic Upgrade and Modernization Project

The Port of Portland Terminal 6 Berths 604/605 Seismic Upgrade and Modernization project included an extension of the 100-foot-gage rail, enhancement of stormwater treatment and crane power supply assets, and improvement of the seismic performance of the wharves. A performance-based design study was completed to evaluate the seismic risk and the seismic performance of the wharves under various design earthquake levels for the pre- and post-improved conditions. The study shows that the seismic performance of the wharves is controlled by liquefaction of the undensified soils at depths below 50 feet. Ground improvements were selected as the optimum seismic improvement option after considering cost, operational and constructability constraints. Fragility analyses were also completed to help the Port to select the scope of the improvement that provided the optimum return for this phase of the project. A detailed construction QA/QC program was implemented during construction to verify that required densification and soil strengthening was achieved.