Seaspan Outfitting Pier Case Study: Soil Structure Interaction Analysis

A new outfitting pier is being constructed at Vancouver Shipyards in North Vancouver, British Columbia. This pier will support the fabrication and assembly of various vessels, including the Joint Support Ship, which is the largest in the Royal Canadian Navy. As part of the Government of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy, the approximately 1,000-ft-long pier is within the highest seismic zone in Canada and is designed to industry codes and standards. The new pier is a major investment in the Canadian shipbuilding industry as it makes local shipbuilding operations more efficient, improving upon delivery dates of newbuilds. Stantec’s in-house multiple-discipline engineering design team developed a 3D advanced structural analysis model using SAP2000 software to perform soil-structure interaction analysis and assess static conditions, pre-liquefaction conditions, and post-liquefaction conditions. A key challenge was developing a suitable solution to account for significant lateral flow slide conditions in the post-liquefaction condition.