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The Marine Oil Terminal Engineering and Maintenance Standards (MOTEMS)

WELCOME TO MOTEMS

The Marine Oil Terminal Engineering and Maintenance Standards (MOTEMS) were approved by the California Building Standards Commission on January 19, 2005, and are codified as Chapter 31F (Marine Oil Terminals), Title 24, California Code of Regulations, Part 2, California Building Code. These standards apply to all existing and new marine oil terminals in California, and include criteria for inspection, structural analysis and design, mooring and berthing, geotechnical considerations, fire, piping, mechanical and electrical systems. Chapter 31F was published by the Building Standards Commission on August 10, 2005 and will become effective on February 6, 2006.

Specific questions regarding the substantive or technical aspects of the MOTEMS should be addressed to: Martin L. Eskijian, P.E., Engineering Branch Supervisor at (562) 499-6312.

For the complete MOTEMS text, Division 1 through 11 of Chapter 31F (Marine Oil Terminals), Title 24, California Code of Regulations, Part 2, California Building Code, click on the individual divisions below:

Division 1 - Introduction
Division 2 - Audit and Inspection
Division 3 - Structural Loading Criteria
Division 4 - Seismic Analysis and Structural Performance
Division 5 - Mooring and Berthing Analysis and Design
Division 6 - Geotechnical Hazards and Foundations
Division 7 - Structural Analysis and Design of Components
Division 8 - Fire Prevention, Detection and Suppression
Division 9 - Piping and Pipelines
Division 10 - Mechanical and Electrical Equipment
Division 11 - Electrical Systems

Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Marine Oil Terminal Engineering and Maintenance Standards.

Initial Statement of Reasons for Marine Oil Terminal Engineering and Maintenance Standards.

Final Statement of Reasons for Marine Oil Terminal Engineering and Maintenance Standards.

This new study provides maximum deterministic wave heights and current velocities at the marine oil terminals in the San Francisco Bay.

Twenty-three scenarios were modeled, including a magnitude 6.6 earthquake in San Pablo Bay to a 9+ earthquake on the subduction zones around the Pacific Rim. The values in this new study are significantly less than prior estimates provided by Garcia and Houston (1975).

"Numerical Modeling of Tsunami Effects at Marine Oil Terminals in San Francisco Bay", by Jose Borrero, Lori Dengler, Burak Uslu and Costas Synolakis, June 8, 2006.
Appendix 1 Model Results
Appendix 2 Maximum Water Heights and Current Velocities
Appendix 3 Historic San Francisco Bay Tsunami Events
Appendix 4 Historic California Tsunami Events
Appendix 5 The 1964 Tsunami in San Francisco Bay
Appendix 6 Tide Gage Records for May 22, 1960 and March 28, 1964

This new study performed by Professor David Kriebel at the US Naval Academy

Provides updated equations to determine the forces on moored ships, subject to passing vessels. Laboratory scale model tests were conducted to measure the loads on a moored ship resulting from a passing ship moving parallel to the moored vessel. Variations in the model tests include changes in the passing vessel speed, vessel displacement, water depth and the separation distance between the two ships. Empirical correction factors have been applied to the equations and procedure developed by William Seelig (2001).

"Mooring Loads Due to Parallel Passing Ships", by David Kriebel, P.E., PhD., Ocean Engineering Program, US Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD 21402, September 30, 2005, TR-6056-OCN

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