Berths 214–220 Redevelopment Construction Lessons Learned at the Port of Los Angeles

The Port of Los Angeles (POLA) is one of the world’s busiest seaports and leading gateway for international trade in the Western Hemisphere. Recently, POLA completed the Berths 214–220 redevelopment project. The project included upgrades to the wharf to accommodate larger ship sizes, upgrades to Berths 218–220 to increase the ship-to-shore crane from a 50-foot gauge to a 100-foot gauge, and improvements to the backland to increase terminal operation efficiency. The construction of the project occurred in multiple phases over a 22-month period (contractual duration). Several challenges were encountered during construction, such as conflicting obstructions during pile driving, unforeseen substructures conflicting with crane girder construction, observing sheet pile tolerances, mitigating disruption to allow for continued operation, and tenant-requested changes after design, among others. Construction of the project started in September 2015 and completed in May 2017, ahead of the 22-month contract duration. This paper discusses the challenges faced during construction, the method of resolution, and the lessons learned.