Photo courtesy of Berger/ABAM Berger/ABAM used a first-of-its-kind design to seismically upgrade the Broadway Pier in San Diego, reducing the cost enough to allow construction of a new cruise ship terminal.

The San Diego Unified Port District wanted to improve its waterfront facilities to accommodate its expanding cruise line services.

The Broadway Pier, built in 1913, was the site for a new cruise ship terminal but required a seismic upgrade to accommodate a new facility. Preliminary concepts that involved driving new piles were costly and threatened to delay or cancel the project.

Berger/ABAM’s more cost-effective design, believed to be the first of its kind in the United States, used seismic isolation bearings on new pile caps under the existing deck surface. The new caps integrated the existing batter piles and allowed the removal of the original pile-to-deck connection.

The isolation bearings are integral elements for both lateral and gravity load paths between the deck and piles. Detailed construction procedures were developed that allowed the seismic work to proceed at the same time as the terminal building construction.

The concept minimized the client’s risk of delays and change orders, enhanced sustainability by reusing existing piles, and kept the project on time and under budget.