Design of Port Infrastructure For Extreme Events, by Alan Betts

By Alan Betts
IE Aust NSW Maritime Panel / PIANC

Half Day Seminar
15/08/2011
passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable
www.urs-scottwilson.com
Introduction
Extreme Events
Seismic
Tsunami
Waves
Storms - (Cyclones /
Typhoons / Hurricanes)
Sea Level Rise
Flooding
Risk-based approach
Presentation covers descriptions

of how some extreme events
have affected port infrastructure.
It is not exhaustive.
Describes the response
provided to some events, both
prior to & post event.
Does not provide general design
guidance for extreme events as
each circumstance is different.
The presentation is intended to
provide a basis for further
discussion.
A vessel aground at Port of Busan, 2003
Australian and NZ Standards

and guidelines (AS/NZS1170,
AS4997)
British and European Standards
(BS6349)/Eurocode
DIN 4149 (German)
Hong Kong Port Manual
Japanese Standards
American Standards
PIANC - Seismic design
guidelines for port structures
MarCom report of WG 34
2001
Design Considerations:
Structural Ductility
Soil Conditions
Response of Adjacent Structures
Structural Importance Factors
Stability of reclamation and
revetments
Services integrity
Australia - Newcastle earthquake,
1989, magnitude 5.6
Port Botany Container Terminal
Expansion
Tsunamis - major seismic extreme
events - covered later in presentation
Seawall rotation preserved!

Major caisson quay wall rotation at
RoRo berth
Aerial photo of port with reclamation works

Reclamation works
Cashin Quay earthquake repair works

Magnitude and effect directly

related to earthquake activity.
Need specialist investigation
to consider effects
Design for tsunami may
adopt a risk-based approach
Tsunami early warning
systems minimise adverse
effects
Devastating effects of the
Indian Ocean Tsunami 2004.
Sri Lanka
Magnitude 9 earthquake
off coast of Sumatra
Death toll 22,000
Top image 1 hour after the
wave hit showing water
flowing back into the sea,
turbulence off-shore
Bottom image 1 January
2004 showing normal
conditions
Australian and NZ Standards

and Guidelines (AS/NZS1170,
AS4997)
British and European Standards
(BS6349)/Eurocode
Hong Kong Port Manual
Japanese Standards
American Standards
Design Considerations:
Wave characteristics: height,
period, length
Recurrence interval
Lateral & uplift loads
Physical dimensions and nature
of structure (quay walls,
revetments, breakwaters)
Overtopping, run up of sloping
revetments
Combination with storm surge
and tidal elevations
Seiche effects
AS4997
One Example - Hong

Kong Port Manual
1 in 100 year wave with a 1

in 10 year water level
1 in 10 year wave with a 1 in
100 year water level
1 in 50 year wave with a 1 in
50 year water level
1 in 100 year wave and
mean lower low water level
Coffs Harbour 1999
Detailed Design and Site Support to Marine EPC

650m of Caisson Breakwater
70m x 40m x 25m Caissons Design of the Year Award
A typical inverted T-Shape was considered at tender stage, but replaced with an
L-Shape during detailed design.
Some ports and harbours are susceptible to seiche effects

depending on their: shape, size and depth (resonance effects)
These are non-tidal fluctuations in sea level are often caused
during low depressions when the ocean interacts with coastal
geomorphology and port infrastructure
Some observed seiche effects have caused sea water
variations up to 3 metres above predicted levels
Needs particular investigation by specialist coastal engineers
Exposed ocean ports particularly susceptible (Napier, Taranaki)
May require breakwater reconfiguration and/or vessel
departure and/or mooring systems
Global average sea level rise projections range

from 180mm to 600mm by 2099
Source: IPCC 4th
Assessment Report,
2007
(Does not include
subsidence)
AS4997 Guidelines for the Design of Maritime Structures prediction for

sea level rise
25 years 0.1m
50 years 0.2m
100 years 0.4m
Sea level rise provided for by 2100 in various state coastal plans :
NSW 0.9m
QLD 0.8m
NT 0.6m
WA 1.0m
SA 0.9m
Height of port and harbour structures needs to be carefully determined
considering combination of adverse natural environmental effects: sea level
rise, wind and wave effects
Waves overtopping quay wall, Pakistan
Mean sea-level rise

accelerating
Tidal patterns could
be influenced
Increased storminess
o Storm surges may
increase in height
(photo: National Institute of Oceanography)
Waves overtopping Frankston Pier, Melbourne

(photo: Friend of the Earth Melbourne Website)
Increase in wind
speeds
Wave heights may
change
Where breakwaters enclose and protect port infrastructure, overtopping

of breakwaters would cause:
Increased wave agitation in port basin (downtime for vessels)

Increased storminess would cause increased vessel movement
Increased vessel downtime can have severe impacts when
operating to fixed schedules
Vessel elevation relative to

wharf
Significant overtopping causing
flooding
Likely to exceed land-based
storm water drainage capacity
Disruption to operations
o Impacts at container terminals
where area behind wharf used for
container storage
o Costs of damage to goods, plus
future insurance costs
Regular flooding could affect

viability of port operation
Hong Kong Ports Manual provides the following guidance:

Normal Wind-Loading: 1.2kPa compared with extreme
loading of 3.0kPa during cyclones
For wind gusts more than 44m/s the cyclone warning
system is activated.
Highest expected wind gust is 70m/s. This is the maximum
gust expected to occur with a return period of 50 years in
Hong Kong.
Most maritime and building

codes provide average (30 s)
and gust (3 s) wind speeds
Often based on historical data
NSW coast frequently
experiences east coast low
depressions e.g. Pasha Bulker
storm and Sydney to Hobart
Northern half of Australia
particularly susceptible to
cyclones
Panamax Coal Vessel (Pasha

Bulker)
Aground on Nobbys Beach,
Newcastle, after failing to hold
anchorage in June 2007
Cyclone Jacob off Port Hedland

10 March 2007 (wind speed 140kph)
(photo: NASA)
Maximum Category: 5
Maximum sustained wind
speed: 205 km/hr
Maximum wind gust:
285 km/hr
Port Hinchinbrook Marina at Cardwell
Port of Townsville
Need to investigate and understand the effect of naturally

occurring extreme events - as provided for in current
design standards and guidelines.
Also need to consider provision for extreme events.
Consider an Asset Management approach e.g. Lyttleton
Can damage be mitigated, or if sustained can the
infrastructure be economically reconstructed or replaced?
Should a risk based approach be adopted (frequency,
magnitude and probability of occurrence) related to
consequences of property and infrastructure damage or
loss of life?
Neil McLennan Engineering Manager Lyttleton Port of

Christchurch
Dick Carter Former engineering manager at Port of
Wellington and Nelson
Ian Muir URS/ Scott Wilson Asia Pacific Maritime
Manager Hong Kong
Martin Mannion URS/ Scott Wilson global head of Ports
Randy Mason Maritime manager URS/Scott Wilson
USA
Sydney colleagues : Heli Lahteela, Kenan Aldemir and
Andrian Juric, who helped compile this presentation

Design of Port Infrastructure For Extreme Events, by Alan Betts

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Design of Port Infrastructure For Extreme Events, by Alan Betts

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

By Alan Betts

IE Aust NSW Maritime Panel / PIANC

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

Presentation covers descriptions

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

A vessel aground at Port of Busan, 2003

Australian and NZ Standards

Seawall rotation preserved!

Aerial photo of port with reclamation works

Cashin Quay earthquake repair works

Magnitude and effect directly

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

Australian and NZ Standards

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

One Example - Hong

1 in 100 year wave with a 1

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

Coffs Harbour 1999

Detailed Design and Site Support to Marine EPC

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

Some ports and harbours are susceptible to seiche effects

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

Global average sea level rise projections range

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

AS4997 Guidelines for the Design of Maritime Structures prediction for

Waves overtopping quay wall, Pakistan

Mean sea-level rise

(photo: National Institute of Oceanography)

Waves overtopping Frankston Pier, Melbourne

Where breakwaters enclose and protect port infrastructure, overtopping

Increased wave agitation in port basin (downtime for vessels)

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

Vessel elevation relative to

Regular flooding could affect

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

Hong Kong Ports Manual provides the following guidance:

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

Most maritime and building

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

Panamax Coal Vessel (Pasha

Cyclone Jacob off Port Hedland

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

Port Hinchinbrook Marina at Cardwell

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

passionate | ambitious | collaborative | knowledgeable

Need to investigate and understand the effect of naturally

Neil McLennan Engineering Manager Lyttleton Port of

You might also like