Join SEAONC for an evening on the waterfront exploring the Port of San Francisco’s ambitious Waterfront Resilience Program (WRP). This program spans 7.5 miles of historic shoreline and is designed to address urgent seismic and sea level rise threats. Experts from the Port will share lessons learned and technical innovations from planning and implementing one of the most complex resilience initiatives in the country—including the seismic and flood protection strategy for the iconic Ferry Building. The evening will include a detailed look at the long-range plan developed in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, showcasing the engineering behind a $15B vision to protect San Francisco’s waterfront for generations to come. Don't miss this opportunity to hear from leaders in waterfront resilience, enjoy networking with peers, and gain insight into the challenges of adapting historic infrastructure for a changing climate.
As a special bonus, our colleagues at Rutherford + Chekene will open the technical program with a brief presentation on their past work on the very building we’ll be sitting in. Located immediately north of the Ferry Building on San Francisco's scenic waterfront, Pier 1 is on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was converted into 120,000 sf of first-class office space in the late 1990s. R+C was the structural and civil engineer of record for the renovation which consisted of the repair and seismic upgrade of the bulkhead, shed building, and supporting pier deck and piles. The project also included the insertion of a mezzanine and the creation of a public walkway around the perimeter of the pier. Pier 1 was one of the first privately developed pier projects, and the seismic retrofit approach developed for Pier 1 was subsequently implemented on pier retrofit projects that followed.
Speakers:
Emma Meehan, SE, Associate Principal, RUTHERFORD + CHEKENE
Steven Reel, PE, WRP Deputy Director, Engineering and Project Delivery, Port of San Francisco
Matt Wickens, PE, WRP Project Manager, Port of San Francisco
Chris Horiuchi, SE, WRP Project Manger, Port of San Francisco
Emma Meehan, SE, Associate Principal, RUTHERFORD + CHEKENE
Emma Meehan, SE, brings 21 years of structural engineering expertise, much of it dedicated to preserving and enhancing San Francisco’s iconic waterfront. She has led multiple projects at the Ferry Building including under deck repairs for corrosion, interior renovations in the Central Pass‑Through, and exterior work on the South Promenade. She also recently completed the 5-year Facility Inspection of Piers 1, 3, and 5 and completed the interior renovation of Pier 5. In addition, she was involved in the retrofit of Exploratorium at Pier 15 and 17.
Steven Reel, PE, WRP Deputy Director, Engineering and Project Delivery, Port of San Francisco
Steven Reel is the Deputy Program Manager for the Port of San Francisco’s Waterfront Resilience Program where he leads Engineering and Project Delivery of the multi-billion-dollar program to improve earthquake and flood resilience along 7-1/2 miles of urban shoreline. Since joining the Port in 2009, Steven has served as a Project Manager and marine structures expert for waterfront infrastructure projects including the Brannan Street Wharf, Pier 43 Bay Trail Link, Quint Street Lead Replacement, Crane Cove Park, Mission Rock and Pier 70 developments, and the initial vulnerability study of the Embarcadero Seawall. Steven is a member of the ASCE COPRI Piers & Wharves Committee and the COPRI Sea Level Change Committee.
Prior to joining the Port, Steven worked as a consulting structural engineer in San Francisco responsible for variety of buildings, bridges and infrastructure projects including the earthquake retrofit of BART’s West Oakland Station, earthquake retrofit of SFO’s Upper Level Viaduct, and the design of the Illinois Street Intermodal Bridge, a non-counterweighted bascule bridge in San Francisco. Steven lives in Marin County and does his best thinking while biking along the waterfront to the office each day.
Matt Wickens, PE, WRP Project Manager, Port of San Francisco
Matt Wickens is a Project Manager and Engineer with the Port of San Francisco, who currently serves as the Technical Lead on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco Waterfront Coastal Flood Study. Since joining the Port in 2018 his responsibilities have included technical review and management of geotechnical exploration, seismic and coastal analyses, economic impact evaluation, multi-hazard risk assessment and coordination with critical systems and/or emergency response asset owners.
Over the course of his career, Matt has contributed to a wide range of new, retrofit and repair projects involving the design and construction of bridges, tunnels, seawalls, piers, ports, and ferry terminals. His experience includes project management, structural analysis, design, constructability evaluation and design services during construction for a variety of transportation and waterfront structure projects. When away from the office, Matt enjoys spending time with his young kids, barbequing, gardening and woodworking.
Chris Horiuchi, SE, LEED
Chris Horiuchi is a Project Manager with the Port of San Francisco’s Waterfront Resilience Program (WRP). Since joining the Port in 2023, he has managed a variety of the WRP’s Seawall Bond-funded Early Projects, including the Wharf J9 Float and Gangway, the Pier 50 Earthquake Improvement Project, and Fisherman’s Wharf Forward. Chris is passionate about reducing the environmental impacts of our built environment, having served as co-chair of the ASCE/SEI Sustainability Committee and representing the Port in updating the San Francisco Climate Action Plan’s Circular Economy goals.
Prior to joining the Port, Chris worked for a decade as a structural engineer, with a focus on large civic projects including the Moscone Center Expansion and the David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.