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INSTRUCTORS:
Carlos E. Ospina, P.E., Ph.D, F.ACI
Jordan Lagnado
Jacob Shaw, P.E.
Rebecca Maloney, P.E.
Purpose and Background
These presentations were recorded at the ASCE Ports Conference 2025
State-of-the-Art Design Solution for Multipurpose Wharf in Seismic and Hurricane Activity Zone (23 minutes)
This presentation explores the integrated design of a new multipurpose wharf located in a high-risk seismic and hurricane-prone region. It highlights the challenges of combining mooring, fender, and seismic demands in a constrained site with high vessel loads. The design incorporates a two-level pile-supported structure with energy-dissipating elements and redundant load paths to improve resilience. Attendees will gain insights into balancing performance-based design, code requirements, and site-specific hazard mitigation.
Seismic and Mooring Retrofit of Existing Mooring Wharf (12 minutes)
This session presents the seismic and mooring retrofit of a legacy mooring wharf that faced deteriorated structural conditions and evolving vessel demands. The presentation details the use of nonlinear time history analysis, energy dissipation systems, and mooring bollard upgrades to enhance capacity without full reconstruction. Phased construction and underwater pile interventions are also discussed, with emphasis on minimizing operational impacts. Attendees will learn how modern retrofit strategies extend service life while addressing new performance expectations.
Navigating Existing Building Codes for Seismic Upgrade of Marine Structures Supporting Buildings (20 minutes)
This presentation provides guidance on how to apply current seismic building codes to marine structures that support occupied buildings. It addresses common challenges in interpreting structural classifications, load paths, and risk categories when applying codes like ASCE 7 and local building ordinances. Practical case studies illustrate how to assess and retrofit piers, platforms, and pile-supported structures to meet life-safety and collapse-prevention criteria. Attendees will leave with a clearer understanding of how to align marine retrofits with jurisdictional seismic requirements.
Benefits and Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Describe how structural systems can be configured to withstand combined seismic, hurricane, and mooring demands in coastal environments.
- Explain the use of performance-based design approaches and energy-dissipating elements in the development of resilient multipurpose wharf structures.
- Analyze retrofit strategies used to enhance the seismic and mooring capacity of aging waterfront infrastructure without full replacement.
- Explain how nonlinear time history analysis and phased construction can be applied to retrofit wharf structures while maintaining operations.
- Describe how building codes such as ASCE 7 apply to marine structures that support occupied buildings.
- Evaluate the process for determining risk categories, load paths, and compliance strategies for seismic retrofits of pile-supported marine platforms.
Assessment of Learning Outcomes
Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-test assessment (true-false, multiple choice, and/or fill in the blank questions).
Who Should Attend?
- Port engineers
- Port authority staff
- Project managers
- General contractors
- Early career professionals
How to Earn Your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion
To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 1 year of purchasing the course.
How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?
1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]