Design of Earthquake Damage Repairs to Wharves Before the Earthquake Occurs

by Gerald Serventi, Michael Jordan, George Fotinos, and Erik Soderberg
Presented by Gerald Serventi at the Ports 2004 Conference in Houston, Texas

Wharves on the West Coast are designed according to criteria that establish acceptable damage levels for design earthquakes based on probabilities, e.g., 10% chance of exceedance in 50 years. In some cases a vulnerability analysis is performed. This vulnerability analysis follows the methods described in the ASCE Seismic Guidelines for Ports and includes estimates of repair costs. The vulnerability analysis does not, however, include the development of detailed designs of the repairs. This presentation presents an anticipatory approach to the design of repairs. The presentation proposes both the development of design criteria for typical repairs and the preparation of detailed designs for select repairs that would be expected after an earthquake.