Pier 5 Dry Dock Installation

KPFF provided engineering services for connecting a large steel floating dry dock to an existing concrete pier structure. The shipyard was acquiring a new dry dock requiring new gripper style connections that were mounted to an existing pier that allowed the dry dock to rise and fall with the tide while remaining horizontal in position. The work required KPFF to seismically analyze the pier for the loads induced by the pier self-weight as well as the interaction with the floating dry dock, which itself was much more laterally stiff than the pier. KPFF worked with a consultant to find the ideal locations for the grippers based on the existing pier geometry and the bulkhead strong points on the dry dock. In all there are 5 gripper connections between the dry dock and the pier. At the pier side, the connections involve anchoring large steel plates with multiple embedded bolts into the pier structure to withstand the tension and lateral forces induced onto the pier by the dry dock. The connectors are built with “breakaway” pins that act as seismic fuses to prevent damage to the dry dock and pier in the event of a large seismic event.

Additional Services Provided:

• Structural Evaluation
• Seismic Design
• Vibration Analysis and Measurement