Precast, Prestressed Concrete Floating Berth at the Haines Ferry Terminal

A precast, prestressed concrete float was designed to serve as the end berth for the new Alaska Class Ferry (ACF) day boats at the Haines Ferry Terminal, Alaska. The ACF day boats are expected to enhance the loading/unloading operations through the use of bow and stern doors. The concrete float will enable loading/unloading of the ACF without the need for complex operations during significant tidal fluctuations up to 30 feet (10 meters). The concrete float designed is 150 feet long (46 meters), 120 feet wide (36.5 meters), and 17.5 feet deep (5.3 meters). The float will be held in position by a guide-pile dolphin system. Access to and from land will be provided by two 140-foot-long (43 meters) transfer bridges. The float will be fabricated at an off-site plant, towed to site, and installed at its designated location. This paper is focused on discussing the design of an entirely precast concrete floating berth.