Event Date
In 2018 the Port of San Francisco embarked on a multi-year program to reduce earthquake and coastal flood risks for a safe, equitable, sustainable, and vibrant waterfront. The “foundation” of this waterfront is the northern Seawall, a three-mile-long dyke-like structure built more than a century ago to reclaim hundreds of acres of tidal mudflat and transform them into a major deep-water port. The soft foundation soils and retained fill are subject to significant strength degradation during strong shaking, which can lead to large displacements that can undermine the structural integrity and function of the Seawall. Fugro performed geotechnical studies since 2018 to characterize the Seawall vulnerability, quantify risk, and propose feasible mitigation solutions. The presentation focuses on the geotechnical approach adopted to address the many project challenges, ultimately resulting in a reliable, rather than conservative, assessment of vulnerability, eliminating overengineering and allowing the Port to confidently prioritize retrofit funds.