PORTS & HARBORS

This project involves constructing a new offshore guide pile-anchored floating loading platform, accessed via a structural steel ramp connected to a pile-supported concrete pier. Underground utilities will enter through the pier abutment. Located just bayward of an existing timber-supported seawall and rock dike, the site presents seismic challenges due to potential bayward displacement during strong earthquakes. As a critical facility, the fireboat station must remain accessible post-event, making seismic resilience a key design factor.

Group Delta, an NV5 Company, is conducting onshore and offshore investigations, advanced cyclic lab testing, and geotechnical analyses to inform pile design and assess ground deformation. Their work addresses data gaps in bay mud strength and liquefaction susceptibility, enhancing the reliability of the structure’s earthquake performance.

Added Value

• Advanced Geotechnical & Seismic Engineering: Our team is conducting onshore and offshore investigations, cyclic laboratory testing, and detailed geotechnical and earthquake engineering analyses to support the design of critical infrastructure in a seismically sensitive waterfront zone.
• Resilience-Focused Design Support: Our team is performing seismic site resonance, shoreline deformation, and vertical/lateral pile analyses to ensure the floating platform and access structures remain operational following major earthquakes, addressing the risk of seawall and dike displacement.
• Data-Driven Risk Mitigation: Our team is filling key geotechnical data gaps—such as bay mud strength and liquefaction potential of reclaimed fill—through state-of-the-art testing and analysis to enhance the reliability and safety of the earthquake-resistant design.