SAN FRANCISCO CRUISE TERMINAL COASTAL ENGINEERING ANALYSIS AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN
San Francisco, California

Coast & Harbor Engineering (CHE) performed coastal engineering and mooring/berthing analysis for proposed improvements to the Pier 27 Cruise Terminal, San Francisco, California. Mooring and berthing analysis was required to develop recommendations for new bollards and fenders. Maneuvering analysis was required to develop recommendations for widening the berth to enhance maneuvering safety.

Real-life berthing of Sapphire Princess (left) &
Reproduction of berthing during ship simulations (right)

CHE quantified the wind climate near the terminal for development of extreme wind events, and simulated wave growth and transformation to generate wave parameters at the terminal. CHE also evaluated tidal currents using hydrodynamic modeling on a Bay-wide scale, and evaluated passing vessel forces on the berthed Queen Mary 2 during passage of Emma Maersk. Mooring and berthing analysis resulted in recommendations for new bollards and addition of similar fenders.

Ship maneuvering simulations were performed at CHE's simulator facility with members of the San Francisco Bar Pilots Association. Two design vessels, the Queen Mary 2 and Sapphire Princess, were used for the analysis. Results validated concerns that strong tidal currents cause a high frequency of arrival and departure time adjustments. Testing of multiple berth widening schemes resulted in the conclusion that additional berth widening is an effective measure for significantly reducing or eliminating these arrival and departure time adjustments.