INSIDE/OUT ISSUE 63
AUTUMN
NEWSLETTER
OCTOBER 2016
Arnie Rusten Lauded for Outstanding Career Contributions and Achievements A respected leader and mentor, the former BergerABAM president and chief executive officer has led many successful harbor and coastal projects. to the advancement of the marine engineering profession, evidence of technical competence, high character and integrity, leadership in the development of younger marine professionals, and evidence of merit in advancing the Committee’s objectives.
From left to right: Andrew Cairns, COPRI chairman; Elmer Ozolin, BergerABAM; Arnie Rusten; and Norma Jean Mattei, ASCE president.
On 14 June 2016, Arnie Rusten was presented with the Kenneth M. Childs, Jr. Ports and Harbors Practitioner’s Award at the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Ports 2016 conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. The award was established in 2005 in honor of Kenny Childs, a prominent ASCE Coasts, Oceans, Ports, and Rivers Institute (COPRI) Ports and Harbors Committee leader, and recognizes ASCE marine engineering professionals who have demonstrated exemplary leadership, mentorship, and achievement in harbor and coastal projects. The Ports and Harbors Committee established the Practitioner’s Award to distinguish engineers for their service
Elmer Ozolin, vice president of BergerABAM and Arnie’s longtime friend and colleague, presented the award and shared a brief summary of Arnie’s contributions to BergerABAM and the marine engineering field. Hailing from a farm near Honefuss, Norway, Arnie came to the United States on a skiing scholarship to the University of Idaho, where he earned his master’s in civil engineering. Arnie’s engineering career at BergerABAM started in 1977 with a wharf project at the Port of Grays Harbor, Washington. Among his many notable projects was a new carrier homeport facility at Everett, Washington, a project that he worked on for 13 years as project engineer and project manager. This project included several major waterfront structures, including the south marginal wharf, a carrier pier, a breakwater pier, and finally, a modification to the breakwater pier to convert it to a berthing pier. Arnie also led the design on several U.S. Coast Guard projects, including Piers 36 and 37 in Seattle and the Neah Bay pier. Arnie was also instrumental in BergerABAM being selected for supporting Washington State Ferries, a continuous (continued on page 2)
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client since the mid-1990s. Among the projects for this entity included a high-capacity dolphin that became the standard throughout the system. Arnie advanced within BergerABAM to the position of president and chief executive officer (CEO), a position he held for nine years into 2014. He continues to support BergerABAM as a member of the board of directors.
The Carrier Homeport Facility in Everett, Washington - a longtime project of Arnie’s.
Arnie has spent his career emphasizing engineering excellence and client service. He is a long-term member of the ASCE/ COPRI Ports and Harbors Committee, as well as a member of the American Association of Port Authorities, the Washington Public Ports Association, and the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). In 2013, ACEC recognized Arnie as engineer of the year for ACEC Washington, an award that has similar criteria to the Practitioner’s Award.
Lee Marsh Presents: Basic Soil Foundation Structure Interaction Concepts Via webinar, soil-foundation-bridge structure interaction is discussed. Though complex soil foundation structure interaction (SFSI) analysis has been used to determine the response of structures in very large signature projects, it has not been as cost-effective to apply this analysis to smaller projects. However, with the advances in computing and software, SFSI can be incorporated cost-effectively into the analysis and design of even small, conventional bridges.
Lee Marsh
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At the request of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Standing Committee on Seismic Design and Performance of Bridges, Lee Marsh, PhD, PE, president and chief executive officer of BergerABAM, presented a TRB webinar on 29 August 2016 on this topic. In the webinar, he discussed basic SFSI concepts so that they may be included in a simplified way in seismic bridge design. The webinar examines the following.
Types of SFSI and the impact on analysis and design An example with shallow foundations An example with deep foundations Techniques for including SFSI with equivalent linear analysis
As a result of the webinar, attendees were able to gain the following skills. • List the steps necessary to develop foundation spring values • Describe the effects of foundation flexibility on the push-over displacement check • List several methods of approximating deep foundation stiffness For more information and to view the presentation slides, please visit the TRB web page at the following web address. http://www.trb.org/ElectronicSessions/Blurbs/174622.aspx
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Inside/Out Newsletter
Preserving the Historic Portal Way/Dakota Creek Bridge for Decades to Come Also known as Bridge No. 500, its restoration and preservation are critical due to its significance to the Washington State highway system. In addition to its historical significance, the Dakota Creek Bridge, just south of Blaine in Whatcom County, Washington, could potentially serve as a critical route for the mobility of freight into Canada in case of an emergency shutdown of Interstate 5 (I-5)—an irrefutable reason to improve it structurally and seismically. When Whatcom County identified deficiencies and sought funding to preserve this landmark bridge, BergerABAM was selected as the civil/structural and seismic consultant. The goal of the project was to design retrofits that would bring the bridge up to date on current standards and extend its service life. BergerABAM did just that by providing engineering services to identify and design the seismic retrofits and to also provide support during construction. The 335-foot-long, two-lane bridge was originally constructed in 1928 and was part of the old Pacific Highway, which was regarded as the most important north-south highway in Washington at the time, connecting from the Oregon border up to Canada. (It was later renamed Portal Way because it was used by travelers to reach the Peace Portal Arch at the Canadian border.) However, in 1963, the Ferndale-toDakota Creek segment of I-5 officially opened; as a result, the older highway became an auxiliary route that was used less frequently. As part of one of the key routes in Washington State’s original highway system, Dakota Creek Bridge is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. When Whatcom County identified structural and seismic deficiencies at the bridge, the County sought funding to preserve this historically significant structure. The analysis and design was completed following methods outlined in the Federal Highway Administration’s Seismic Retrofit Manual for Highway Structures, and supplemented with the AASHTO Guide Specifications for LRFD Seismic Bridge Design.
The new Dakota Creek Bridge retains many of its historic characteristics.
The project endured challenges during construction. For instance, the bridge is located at the mouth of Dakota Creek near Birch Bay, home to many fish species, including three on the federal endangered species list. This limited the construction schedule to a short in-water work window between July and October. Also, the site is heavily influenced by tidal action. During construction, the water level would fluctuate between a few feet to over 12 feet, creating less than favorable conditions to work on the lower sections of the piers. Despite the difficult work schedules and conditions, including in-water work, work over water, restricted work space underdeck, and night shifts, construction was completed in approximately six months, and the final construction cost was under budget. The project was recently honored as the recipient of the American Public Works Association, Washington Chapter, Project of the Year in the category of historical restoration/preservation.
Editors/Contributors Nora Bretaña Lynn Enebrad Karen Harbaugh Lauren Hurst Jana Roy Diann Scherer Dee Young Design and Production Renée Stiehl To update your contact information, please e-mail newsletter@abam.com
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Reconnecting to the Great River of the West Construction of the Waterfront Park project in Vancouver, Washington, is now underway. On 20 July, the City of Vancouver and project design team had a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction of the Vancouver Waterfront Park. The 7.3-acre site will provide public open spaces along the waterfront, including a new event space for concerts and outdoor performances, as well as the Grant Street pier and plaza as a primary civic hub. Recreational and educational amenities will include a sand beach on an elevated terrace, a half-mile of new waterfront trail, and numerous displays of public art along the site. Ultimately, the project will create a new urban waterfront for the city and will reconnect its residents and visitors to the Columbia River. In 2008, BergerABAM began working with the City and developers to craft the overall master plan for 20 new city blocks of urban development and associated roadway networks comprising over 32 acres of the city. When complete, the new development will offer space for approximately 3,500 new residents and over 1 million square feet of new commercial and office space. The final design and permitting tasks started in 2012, and the first phases of the project are now under construction. BergerABAM is prime consultant on this project and is providing structural engineering, landscape architecture, urban design, and environmental services. A key feature of the waterfront development, and arguably the flagship of the project, is the Grant Street pier. When constructed, the pier will be a uniquely shaped cable-stayed structure. The superstructure was designed by Martin/Martin, an engineering firm out of Denver, Colorado, who partnered with Larry Kirkland, a renowned artist who specializes in structural public art. The superstructure consists of post-tensioned, cast-in-place concrete and will have a 3-foot-thick deck topped with heavy timber surfacing. The BergerABAM team was responsible for urban design, environmental permitting, and the substructure design of the pier. It will extend 100 feet out over the water and will be supported by cables and backstays. Because the pier cantilever will be suspended this distance over the water, the design consists of a very robust abutment and substructure.
The official groundbreaking at Vancouver Waterfront Park.
During construction, the substructure will be built inside a cofferdam that will allow the contractor to work at any river stage. Inside the cofferdam, the contractor will drill twentyseven, 5-foot-diameter drilled shafts. The cofferdam serves two purposes: it will act as a work isolation cell, and the back wall of the cofferdam will provide resistance against lateral spreading as a result of liquefaction. The rear wall of the bulkhead will be anchored back to Rendering of the Grant Street Pier courtesy of the studio the upland area with about 30 ground anchors, of Larry Kirkland. and one of the backstays will be supported by 12 micropiles. Also, with its thin-body profile and long cantilever, the superstructure will feature one or more tuned-mass dampers to control vibration. Currently, the team is providing bidding and construction support for the pier and the park. With construction now underway, the Vancouver Waterfront Park is expected to be completed in early 2018.
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Inside/Out Newsletter
Railroad Grade Separations Receive Project of the Year Award The project offered innovative solutions that were borne from a truly remarkable team of engineers and contractors. The American Public Works Association (APWA) presented BergerABAM and the City of Yakima with a national Public Works Project of the Year Award for completing two complex railroad grade separations in downtown Yakima—one of the oldest, original railroad towns in Washington State. The awards ceremony took place on 29 August in conjunction with the PWX Convention in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The railroad grade separation projects received first place in the $25 million to $75 million transportation category nationwide. Constructing the grade separations as underpasses encountered exceptional challenges that the design and construction team met with a revolutionary solution that will have lasting impacts for owners and the engineering profession. “This project was the biggest public works project undertaken by the City. All in all, this 15-year endeavor culminating in two Vehicles travel underneath railroad crossings with ease while protected exceptional transportation facilities will serve emergency needs sidewalks provide pedestrian safety. of the community, freight needs of the valley, high levels of service to cross-town travelling public, and will long be jewels to the City,” said Brett H. Sheffield, PE, chief engineer for the City of Yakima. The APWA Public Works Project of the Year Award was established to promote excellence in the management and administration of public works projects by recognizing the alliance between the managing agency, the consultant/architect/ engineer, and the contractor, who, “working together,” complete public works projects. The railroad grade separation projects received top scores in criteria, such as the team’s use of good construction management techniques, community relations, demonstration of awareness for the need to protect the environment during the project, and unusual accomplishments.
A “before” view of MLK Way.
A view of the MLK underpass after project completion.
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