Berth 503, Port of Portland
Berth 503 has been in service since 1997 and has been used for potash handling ever since. It is subjected to year-round chloride exposure, which can have a dramatic effect on the service life of the structure. The port authority wanted to extend the service life of Berth 503 by 30 years.
SIMCO Technologies was hired to perform a condition assessment, evaluate the actual state of degradation and contamination of the structure as well as run numerical simulations of residual service life for different repair options. The information generated by SIMCO Technologies revealed useful information for the owner as to how to proceed for the service life extension of Berth 503.
Kilo Wharf Extension
The US Navy specified the use of SIMCO Technologies’ software solution to determine the concrete service life for the Kilo Wharf Extension project in Guam. This performance-based specification called for a 75-year service life of the various reinforced concrete elements before major restoration with minimal maintenance.
SIMCO Technologies’ scope of work was to carry out the durability modeling of concrete elements (e.g. caissons, piles, deck) using the company’s methodology and to provide durability analysis predicting the time before chloride ion contamination would result initiate steel corrosion. Service life predictions were verified to meet specifications set at 75 years for the structure and 65 years for the initiation of corrosion.
SUMMA Software Development
SIMCO Technologies developed a comprehensive service life modeling software that is applicable to both existing Naval waterfront structures and new construction. The contract awarded through an SBIR Grant. The SUMMA software research program was based on SIMCO Technologies’ software solution. The model is useful to predict future conditions of concrete structures based on ionic contaminant ingress for durable designs of new concrete structures and to cost effectively maintain existing concrete structures.
This engineering tool has been used on several projects for the US Navy and many commercial marine structures. It has also been used by many engineering firms, including Moffatt & Nichol. Several organizations have participated in the software’s development with supplemental funds or in-kind contributions. They are: Federal Highway Administration, Holcim, Lafarge, Grace, Degussa, Sika, Euclid, and MMFX. Other development phases are ongoing with the US Bureau of Reclamation and the US Army Corp of Engineers to add freeze/thaw and cracking modules.
Berth 8, Port of Wilmington
The installation of a new crane system was planned on Berth 8, but visual observations had shown the presence of vertical cracking of prestressed piles, attributed to corrosion, and also possibly to delayed ettringite formation and alkali-silica reac-tion. Actions had to be taken to ensure the structure was capable of withstanding the loads of the new crane for a sufficiently long period of time. SIMCO Technologies was hired to evaluate the state of degradation of the piles and perform numerical simulations to predict their future service life considering certain restoration options. The owner used the results to help decide whether the structure needed to be rebuilt or restored.
Using detailed petrographic analyses and numerical simulations, SIMCO Technologies was able to compare service life expectations for various remediation methods. Thanks to these comprehensive results, the port’s managers were able to make an informed decision between simulated repair options and the complete reconstruction of the structure.
Port of San Diego – National City Marine Terminal
SIMCO Technologies was engaged to perform a predictive durability analysis to establish the influence of concrete cover variations on the service life of precast crane rail sections at the Port of San Diego, California. More specifically, the first objective of this project was to assess the long-term durability of the concrete mixture designed by Oldcastle Precast, Inc. to produce the concrete elements recently installed at the Port of San Diego. The influence of a non-organic surface coating on the concrete element’s service life was also investigated during the course of this project. Finally, the long-term durability of the concrete mixture originally specified by the Port Authority of San Diego was investigated.
Numerical simulations enabled SIMCO Technologies to evaluate the beams’ service life expectation based on chloride exposure conditions. While various remediation methods were proposed, the solutions recommended by SIMCO Technologies were the most efficient and durable.
Port of Los Angeles
The inspection of a berth located in the WorldPort facility in Los Angeles, California revealed the presence of cracks in some of the piles. This berth, constructed in 1969, consists of 1318 octagonal prestressed concrete piles. SIMCO Technologies’ input in this project was to determine the causes of degradation in the cracked prestressed concrete piles and provide a predictive analysis of the residual service life of these piles. SIMCO Technologies identified the degradation mechanisms using petrographic analysis and characterized the concrete’s related physical properties.
Not only did SIMCO Technologies’ expertise reveal that the degradation was well-developed in the visually cracked piles, but also that uncracked piles showed moderate levels of microcracking. Numerical simulations enabled SIMCO Technologies to evaluate the service life expectation based on the chloride exposure conditions and a concrete transport properties. Petrographic analyses helped determine the cause of deterioration.
Pearl Harbor Dry Docks
SIMCO Technologies was hired to evaluate the depth of sulfate and chloride contamination within the concrete along with identifying the degradation mechanisms occurring in 4 dry docks located in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Using detailed petrographic analyses, laboratory testing, and numerical simulations, the company was able to evaluate the service life of the structure under current conditions based on the sulphate and chloride exposure conditions as well as on the concrete transport properties. SIMCO Technologies provided remediation strategies to extend the docks’ service life for an additional 50 years.
Durability of Lightweight Aggregate Modular Hybrid Pier (MHP) Exposed to Seawater
Representing a breakthrough in naval vessel berthing infra-structure, the Modular Hybrid Pier (MHP), a double-deck floating pier for the U.S. Navy, was conceived as a replacement for obsolete and deteriorating naval berthing facilities. Designed for 100 years of repair-free service, the pier was to provide a high level of military readiness with the advances of fleet support system technology.
SIMCO Technologies was hired to perform predictive durability analyses to establish the long-term behaviour of a high-performance low-weight concrete exposed to seawater, establish the possibility of using lightweight aggregate concrete mixtures to achieve the required 100 years design life under severe marine conditions, and investigate the long-term durability of three candidate concrete mixtures.