Validating Wharf Damage at the Port of Oakland from the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake: A Study of Lateral Spreading Using Earthquake Simulations

Liquefaction-induced lateral spreading during earthquakes presents a major risk to coastal infrastructure, as exemplified by the damage sustained at the wharf in the Port of Oakland during the 1989 Mw 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake. This study develops a comprehensive soil–structure interaction (SSI) model using OpenSees to model and replicate the observed damage and validate the effectiveness of synthetic ground motions generated from 1D and 3D simulations. The 1D simulation was conducted using the Statewide California Earthquake Center’s Broadband Platform, while the 3D simulation was performed using the SW4 (Seismic Waves, 4th order) code. Our principal findings indicate that 1D simulated earthquakes fail to replicate the Park-Ang damage index and corresponding damage level obtained from the two-dimensional SSI numerical model of the wharf using recorded ground motions. In contrast, 3D simulated earthquakes successfully reproduce the observed damage level, although the resulting damage index is slightly lower than that from the recorded motions. Future work will explore to quantify uncertainties associated with variability in soil properties, structural materials, and modeling assumptions. Ultimately, the goal of this research is to enable accurate damage predictions using synthetic ground motions, thereby supporting forward modeling for seismic resilience assessment and improving infrastructure design under extreme earthquake conditions.