APRIL 2013ISSUE 49 SPRING

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Completion of the New Cai Lan Port Complex in Vietnam

Rapid growth in the Northern Economic Development Triangle region of Vietnam (the Hanoi – Hai Phong and Quang Ninh – areas) has led to the development of Cai Lan Port complex. This area of development is attractive for several reasons: a network of highways and rail lines makes the Port complex well-connected to all of Vietnam’s major cities, the geography is well suited to handle the ever-flowing commerce of goods that are exported and imported to and from central China, and the local sea navigation channel at the complex has a depth of 10 meters connecting directly to the primary navigation channel in the South China Sea.

As a result, in 2008, Cai Lan International Container Limited Liability Company contracted BergerABAM to conduct a feasibility study for a new container terminal in northern Vietnam along the southwest shores of Bai Chay Bay in Quang Ninh Province, approximately 120 kilometers east of the capital city of Hanoi. The state-owned Vietnam National Shipping Lines (Vinalines), SSA Holdings International-Vietnam, and the Quang Ninh Port Investment Consortium would own and operate this container terminal that will ultimately consist of a 594-meter-long, pile-supported wharf; 20 hectares of container-handling yard; and various

support buildings to support the terminals expected annual throughput of nearly 500,000 twenty-foot equivalent units.

Cai Lan International Container Terminal (CICT) is located between two existing operating terminals: Berth 1 on the west, which is a wood chip berth and Berths 5, 6, and 7 on the east, which typically handle break-bulk cargo. This position between the existing berth positions limits the berth length to 594 meters and largely constrains the container-handling yard to just 20 hectares.

BergerABAM’s focused feasibility study and due diligence analyzed various wharf options that could be employed at CICT. The master planning of the terminal looked at various

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Cai Lan International Container Terminal will offer shipping lines significant cost savings by enabling the deployment of larger container ships.

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container-stacking patterns and at how the support buildings would function with the traffic impacts created by the densely packed container yard. The study looked at the employment potential the construction of the terminal would create, as well as the employment created during the operation of the terminal. It recommended mitigation measures that would be conducted during dredging and reclamation activities, and analyzed cost impacts that would occur from both the construction of the terminal, as well as supplying equipment the lifeblood of the terminal.

In early 2010, the Vietnamese Ministry of Transport gave the final acceptance of the focused feasibility study. Shortly thereafter, prospective financial lenders for the terminal were gathered together, and the terminal was ready for the final step of construction. Cai Lan International Container Limited Liability again contracted BergerABAM to produce plans,

specifications, and cost estimates (PS&E) for the terminal, as well as to conduct construction management. The project team looked at various aspects of the terminal and decided the best course of action in moving forward was to break the construction of the project into multiple contracts. This course of action limited the contracts to a manageable size, and thereby gave the ability of local contractors to potentially bid and win some of the work in their home country.

During the due diligence of the project, a geotechnical program was performed; it concluded that a weak layer of soft soil overlaid much of the concession area nearest the berth position and that some sort of soil improvement program would need to be performed prior to container-handling operations. In order to mitigate this soft soil area, the soil would either need to be improved using wick drains and surcharge, or removed and replaced with a soil that could handle the stress loads imposed during operations.

BergerABAM concluded in the early stages of the development of the PS&E packages that the most time-sensitive and cost-effective means was to remove the poorly consolidated soil and replace it with suitable soil for the package. This decision was the key element in the forming of the contract package that resulted at CICT. This decision allowed the dredging and soft soil removal to occur during one work element with reclamation work following immediately after. Once the slopes and slope protection were placed, piling could be immediately started.

Virtually all of the staff that participated in the project had some dealings with the construction management of the project, and all of the engineers were able to travel to Vietnam to see first hand the local construction practices and influence western-style procedures. The BergerABAM project team consisted of the following people.

V.K. Kumar, PE, SE | Project Executive Evan Sheesley, PE, LEED GA, ENV PE | EngineerChris Cornell, PE, SE | Project Manager Richard Platt | Construction SpecialistAjaya Malla, PE | Project Engineer Anna Hamilton-Kroon | Senior CAD SpecialistBrett Ozolin, PE | Engineer Matt Bollinger | Senior CAD Specialist

In October 2012, the terminal’s first vessel arrived for container loading/unloading for a short opening. February 2013 was deemed as the final completion of the majority of civil works with one small building remaining, to be completed July 2013. The overall project was under the original construction cost estimate by approximately $25 million (U.S.) and was approximately two months ahead of schedule.

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The terminal consists of a 594-meter-long, pile-supported wharf; 20 hectares of container-handling yard; and various support buildings.

allowed construction near the stream, while outside of the in-water fish work time frame. This cost-effective design minimized costs and met current Federal Emergency Management Act flood-level requirements. Because of similar foundation concerns as the vehicular bridge, the North Trail Bridge (next to the vehicular bridge) that connects the regional North Creek Trail was replaced with a 74-foot-long, prefabricated bridge with a longer span to minimize hydraulic and environmental impacts.

During the heavy rains in November and December 2012, the bridge performed as expected with significant improvements. Though the BergerABAM team did not expect all flooding issues would be eliminated, the City inspector reported that approximately 1 inch of clearance under the bridge was nevertheless achieved with minimal bridge closure time, during one of the heaviest rainfalls of the season.

The American Council of Engineering Companies awarded the 240th Street SE over North Creek Bridge replacement project the Best in State Silver Award for Meeting and/or Exceeding Owner’s Expectations to the City of Bothell, Washington. BergerABAM led the multidisciplinary team for this significant bridge replacement project.

In 2011, the City had planned to replace the original, structurally deficient bridge—originally built in 1962—spanning the North Creek. However, an inspection during the design process revealed that advanced deterioration of the timber piles and several flooding events had compromised the structure’s integrity. As a result, vehicles could not safely drive over the bridge. The City was forced to immediately close the bridge to the thousands of daily commuters who traveled across North Creek Bridge, months sooner than planned.

Immediate action to design, build, and open a new bridge was needed after this emergency closure. BergerABAM’s design team worked with the City to develop a new design strategy to fast track the design, permitting, and construction to be completed a year ahead of the original schedule. In addition, the project had to be worked on a schedule to maximize work during the limited summer 2011 fish window. Leading a team of engineers, scientists, and technicians, BergerABAM provided planning, engineering, environmental permitting, geotechnical engineering, hydraulic analysis, surveying, right-of-way acquisition, construction engineering, public involvement, and utility coordination.

By 2012, BergerABAM had completed the bridge—not only on time, but the team also designed the bridge with enough clearance for debris to flow underneath the bridge during a 100-year flood without having to significantly increase the elevation of the approach grades. The sheet pile wall system with dead-man anchor tiebacks employed in this design

Engineering ExcellenceInside/Out Newsletter

240th Street SE/North Creek Bridge Replacement

Editors / Writers

Jana Roy

Dee Young

Karen Harbaugh

Chris Cornell

Diann Scherer

Design and Production

Jana Roy

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The new vehicle and trail bridges that replaced deteriorating and unsafe structures were fast-tracked and completed one year ahead of schedule.

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San Diego Central Library“Best in Show”

On 14 March 2013, the San Diego Central Library was awarded the 2013 WOW! Award “Best in Show” by the Decorative Concrete Council, a specialty council of the American Society of Concrete Contractors. Judged by an independent panel of industry professionals on the basis of aesthetics, craftsmanship, functionality, and creativity, it recognizes and gives awards for decorative concrete projects worldwide.

The library—funded by both private donations and designated funding from the State Library, Centre City Development, and the San Diego Unified School District for a total of $185 million—is a 504,000-square-foot building that has two levels of underground parking and nine above-ground floors. It contains 1.25 million books, 400 public computers,

meeting rooms, study areas, gallery space, central offices to serve the San Diego Library system’s 35 branch libraries, a reading room, and a 400-student charter school on two floors.

Designed by San Diego architect Rob Quigley, BergerABAM’s San Diego office was subcontracted to provide the civil and site engineering for on-site and off-site improvements. Located on an extremely complex and congested site that covers two city blocks, the project involved coordination with major underground utility infrastructure; site demolition; site grading; storm drainage, including on-site stormwater detention structures; National Pollution Discharge Elimination System stormwater documentation; water supply systems; sanitary sewer systems; off-site streetscape improvements; and street vacations and right-of-way dedications. In addition, BergerABAM provided design services for a courtyard retaining wall.

Unique elements of the building include roof cantilevers exceeding 11 feet, hybrid structural systems, 6-foot-square and larger concrete columns, and a 46-foot-tall and 70-foot-wide concrete gravity arch; this arch required no mechanical connections to support the load of the five stories above it. Custom cast-in-place concrete design elements included moment frame columns up to 7 feet thick and over 60 feet tall, and floors constructed of 23-inch-thick waffle slabs with waffle voids spaced 4 feet on center. Voided slabs allow for the bays of 32 feet on center, which contributed to the streamlined design. Once constructed, the facility will apply for a LEED Silver rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The library is planned to officially open in July 2013, but already the building’s unique domed structure with views of San Diego Bay has attracted attention, especially for its unique use of decorative concrete.

Additional information about the library’s design can be seen by visiting http://www.supportmylibrary.org/centrallibrary/aboutproject and at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADOnNDAafRo.

The grand opening of the new Central Library will take place in July 2013.

United Way of King County, Washington, a well-known organization working to support charities that help the poor and disadvantaged, held their annual Spirit of Caring Celebration at the Sheraton Hotel in Seattle on 19 March. Among those honored by United Way for its yearly contributions was BergerABAM, receiving a 2013 The Boeing Company Sustaining Supporter Award.

United Way gives this award to companies “for a demonstrated pattern of giving at a consistent level for the past five years.” Throughout the company’s existence, employees have enthusiastically supportedUnited Way’s efforts, both through financial contributions and through volunteer work in United Way’s associated charitable groups. BergerABAM is honored to have received this notice for its contributions.

BergerABAM will have a presence at the upcoming Seventh National Seismic Conference from 19 to 22 May 2013. The conference, co-hosted by the California Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration and sponsored by engineering and bridge companies and organizations around the country, will be in Oakland, California. The conference theme is “Bridge Resilience for Earthquakes and Other Natural Hazards,” and the focus is on “innovation in earthquake engineering and the advancement of technology that can provide increased seismic safety of highway bridges and other highway structures.”

Two BergerABAM engineers—Stuart Stringer, PE and Lee Marsh, PhD, PE—will be attending and presenting a paper and a workshop. Stuart will present their

paper on “Current State of Performance-Based Seismic Design of Bridges.” The presentation is based on the recent National Cooperative Highway Research Program’s synthesis of “Performance-Based Seismic Design” that strives formally to link seismic hazard to structural response, expected levels of damage, and then to decisions that include economic loss, likelihood of injury, or downtime. These factors should help bridge design more accurately reflect real-world environments and needs of the community using the bridge. Lee will present at Technical Workshop A: Advances in Seismic Design on Sunday 19 May, and his topic will be “Displacement-Based Seismic Design of Bridges – AASHTO Experience,” which covers the evolution from force-based design to displacement-based design.

on Bridges and Highways

The Seventh National Seismic Conference

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United WaySpirit of Caring Award

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Lee Marsh

Stuart Stringer

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