Oakland, CA
Bay Area Rapid Transit, Earthquake Safety Program
Scope/Solutions
Carrying about 360,000 commuters every day, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is an important part of the region’s transportation infrastructure. Knowing that the transit system could experience a major earthquake, BART initiated the Earthquake Safety Program to upgrade vulnerable and high-volume sections of the system to help them quickly reinstate service following an event. Under a term contract, SGH performed seismic assessments and assisted with upgrading this critical transit system.
Over a four-year period, SGH assessed the seismic vulnerability of station buildings and platforms, repair yard facilities, control towers, administrative offices, and parking garages system-wide. Highlights of our work include the following:
- Performed seismic evaluations and developed preliminary upgrade designs for seven elevated parking structures, maintenance facilities at Hayward and Daly City stations, administrative offices, and system control towers
- Developed seismic criteria for designing new parking structures and retrofitting existing parking structures
- Peer reviewed a seismic evaluation of the McArthur station
- Mentored and provided technical review for BART in-house engineers performing upgrades of some buildings and structures
- Acted as the engineer for record for the seismic upgrades of the Pleasant Hill parking structure, designed new shear walls within the frames adjacent to the speed ramps, and developed a solution resulting in no loss of parking spaces and allowing construction while the structure remained in service
Photo by Nick Fisher
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Project Summary
2008
Completion Date
Solutions
Repair & Rehabilitation
Services
Structures
Markets
Infrastructure & Transportation
Specialized Capabilities
Seismic Engineering
Key team members
Additional Projects
West
MBTA Park Street Station
SGH assisted the contractor by reviewing the proposed shoring requirements and suggesting alternate means and methods that allowed them to successfully accomplish the work.
West
Natgun Water Storage Tanks
SGH developed a seismic design procedure for the domes and peer reviewed the tank designs. We used the procedure to design a number of tanks constructed in high seismic regions.