Framework for Earthquake Risk Assessment for Container Ports

As critical transportation infrastructure, ports are vulnerable to a variety of natural disasters. On the West Coast of the United States, earthquakes are a concern. Currently, risk management practices for seismic design in ports consider only the seismic performance of individual wharf and crane structures. The practices do not consider how damage to and downtime of these structures might disrupt the overall port system’s ship-handling operations or what regional, national, and even international economic impacts could result from extended earthquake-induced disruption of a major container port. Managing risks from systemwide disruptions caused by earthquake damage is the focus of a Grand Challenge project sponsored by the National Science Foundation Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation program. This paper provides an overview of the concepts and methods developed for the seismic risk assessment of a portwide system of berths (with their particular wharf and crane structures). The paper also presents examples of how such an analysis might be used by port decision makers to make more informed decisions of design, retrofit, operational, and other seismic risk–management options.

Language

  • English

Media Info

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01155443
  • Record Type: Publication
  • ISBN: 9780309142991
  • Report/Paper Numbers: 10-2305
  • Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
  • Created Date: Apr 26 2010 7:14AM