The Pier 4 project in the Port of Tacoma was developed to meet the needs of the highly competitive shipping industry and their requests to accommodate the increasingly larger container vessels.
The Port reconfigured Pier 4 to allow two 18,000 TEU vessels to berth simultaneously. The concept was to re-align Pier 4 with adjacent Pier 3 providing one contiguous structure, and to upgrade the new alignment with 100 gauge cranes.
The 110’ x 1,720’ pier structure is supported by 24” octagonal concrete piles with a length up to 171’. The deck consists of 27” deep, prestressed concrete panels bearing on CIP pile caps. The crane rail is supported by precast crane beams. The pier was completed over two construction seasons.
Low Maintenance: The precast concrete pile and deck system is used extensively in the Puget Sound region, due to its lower initial cost of construction and proven long-term durability which lowers long-term maintenance.
Self-Consolidating Concrete (SCC): Deck panels utilized SCC which improved concrete placement and product finishes.
Headed Rebar: Headed rebar replaced traditional rebar hooks which lowered congestion in connections
24” Octagonal Concrete Piles – 1,251 pieces
27” Deep x 6’ Wide, Haunched and Prismatic Concrete Panels – 1,415 pieces
33” Deep Crane Beams – 272 pieces
