Banner - Modern Solutions to Combat Seawall Failure

Seawall Failure Series – 3. Modern Solutions to Combat Seawall Failure

Body - Modern Solutions to Combat Seawall FailureInnovative solutions are needed more than ever to preserve the integrity of our seawalls as storms continue to intensify and batter our shorelines. These protective barriers demand advanced construction technologies and materials to combat the multifaceted threats they face. Modern solutions such as polymers, hydrostatic pressure control systems, seawall anchoring, and advanced shoreline preservation methods are revolutionizing the field of seawall maintenance and repair.

Polymers: The Future of Seawall Reinforcement

Among the most innovative materials finding their way into seawall reinforcement are polymers. These have several distinct advantages:

Sealing Cracks and Voids: Polymers can be injected into cracks and voids, where they expand to form a robust seal. This action not only closes gaps but also strengthens the structure by acting as an adhesive between fractured components.
Flexibility: Unlike more rigid materials, polymers offer a degree of flexibility, absorbing and dispersing wave energy efficiently, reducing the erosive impact.
Corrosion Resistance: These materials are inherently resistant to the corrosive properties of saltwater, thereby enhancing the seawall’s longevity.
Quick Curing: The quick-setting nature of polymers facilitates rapid repairs, a crucial attribute.

Hydrostatic Pressure Control Systems: Balancing the Pressures

One of the silent threats to seawalls is the hydrostatic pressure that builds up behind the wall. Modern solutions target this pressure imbalance:

Relief Weep Holes: Strategically placed holes along the seawall allow trapped water to escape, ensuring a balanced pressure differential across the wall.

Pressure Sensors: Advanced systems now integrate sensors that monitor hydrostatic pressures in real time, alerting to anomalies and potential threats.

Seawall Anchoring: Holding Firm Against Nature
Anchoring solutions offer an added layer of security to seawalls, ensuring they remain firmly rooted against wave and tidal forces:

Tieback Systems: These are rod-like structures that extend from the seawall into the stable ground layers behind it. Acting as tension-resisting elements, they prevent the seawall from tilting or collapsing outward.

Helical Anchors: Spiral-shaped rods that are screwed into the ground, helical anchors provide both tension and compression support to seawalls, accommodating the dynamic loads they face.

Gravity Anchors: These massive, weighty structures are buried behind seawalls, leveraging their sheer weight to counteract any forces trying to displace the wall.

Advanced Concrete Preservation Materials: Enhancing Durability

Concrete, a fundamental material in many seawalls, benefits immensely from modern preservation technologies:

Corrosion Inhibitors: These chemicals, when applied to seawalls, form a protective layer that shields the embedded steel reinforcements from saltwater-induced corrosion.

Crystalline Waterproofing: A revolutionary product that, when mixed with concrete, promotes the growth of insoluble crystals within the concrete’s pores. This seals the concrete, making it virtually impermeable to water.

Elastomeric Coatings: These flexible coatings, applied to the seawall’s surface, offer a dual benefit – they prevent water infiltration and accommodate the wall’s minor expansions and contractions without cracking.

As the challenges intensify, so does the need to innovate. This fusion of advanced materials, technological systems, and refined construction techniques offers a promising future for our seawalls – one where they stand resilient, durable, and adaptive to the ever-changing dynamics of coastal environments.

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The SRN Seawall Anchoring System

Body - Seawall Anchoring SystemThe seawall anchoring system installed by Seawall Repair Network® contractors features helical tiebacks that lock the wall into solid load-bearing soil on the landward side. Helical tiebacks are a type of deep foundation system that uses helical-shaped plates welded to a steel shaft to anchor a seawall in place. They are installed using rotary drilling equipment that generates torque to rotate the lead helical pile and its attached piles deep into the ground.

When is a Seawall Anchoring System Required?

When a seawall experiences significant overturning or kick-out, or panel separation from the original flush panel installation, we recommend retrofitting the seawall with this anchoring system. These anchors provide a cost-effective and safe solution for stabilizing seawalls and preventing further damage.

How is a Seawall Anchoring System Installed?

The preferred method for installing helical tiebacks is to load an excavator and hydraulic drive-head onto a marine barge, which transports the heavy equipment to the job site. This allows for quick and efficient installation of the anchors from the waterward side of the seawall, minimizing the destruction of property and safety risks associated with operating heavy equipment from behind the seawall.

Do All Seawalls Require an Anchoring System?

While helical tieback anchors are an effective solution for stabilizing seawalls, it is important to note that most seawalls do not require them. Proper maintenance and regular inspections can help identify potential issues early on and prevent the need for more extensive repairs. Seawall Repair Network®’s team of professionals is trained to assess conditions and provide recommendations for the most appropriate repair solutions.

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Seawall Repair Network’s Patent-Pending Process

Body - Seawall Repair Process Seawall Stabilization What Causes Seawall Failure

Mother Nature’s oceans, lakes, and rivers can be so beautiful and calm. But over time, her natural forces will cause damage and eventual failure of your seawall. Seawalls are complicated structures made up of a variety of essential components. If one component fails, the entire seawall is at risk. In traditionally constructed seawalls, weep holes with a geotextile fabric filter allow water to flow from the landward side back into the ocean to prevent pressure build-up.

What Causes Seawall Failure?

What causes your seawall to fail? Over time, as the filter fabric fails, soil migration creates voids behind the wall, which causes structural instability. As the voids behind the wall fill up with water, hydrostatic pressure behind the seawall causes the wall panels to shift over time. The shifting panels damage the seawall cap, which holds the entire structure together. When this happens, failure of the seawall is imminent. If ignored, these problems only get worse.

Seawall Stabilization Repair Process

Water is RELENTLESS. But YOU can be too! Professionally trained contractors, armed with Seawall Repair Network’s patent-pending repair process, are ready to guide you to victory in this battle!

Watch the video below for a complete explanation of Seawall Repair Networks seawall stabilization process.

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Seawall Repair Network Advantages

Body - Seawall Repair Network: Your source for finding a seawall contractor offering advanced seawall maintenance and repair.Seawall / Bulkhead Repair & Seawall / Bulkhead Replacement

When you find yourself engaged in a search for seawall repair or replacement options, it’s fueled by the understanding that your seawall is key to preventing serious damage to (or even destruction of) your house, building, or property in general.

Unfortunately, most waterfront property owners have not been educated regarding replacement and repair with subpar methods:

  • Seawall replacement can be very expensive, disruptive, and sometimes even destructive to surrounding property.
  • Subpar, ineffective solutions such as hydraulic cement, slurry, crushed seashells, and sodium silicate do not address the underlying soil instability that puts unsustainable pressure on the seawall.  These methods are similar to putting a band-aid on an infection. The problem will simply continue to get worse until the seawall fails completely.

Experienced Seawall / Bulkhead Repair Contractors

Seawall Repair Network (a division of Alchemy-Spetec) has developed a comprehensive solution, consisting of:

  • Proprietary SW-RP1 Repair Material
  • Hydrostatic Pressure Control Technology
  • Seawall Cap and Panel Structural Repair
  • Advanced Permanent Anchoring System (When Needed)

Seawall Repair Network member contractors are equipped with state of the art:

  • Seawall Repair Network System Training
  • Seawall Repair Materials
  • Seawall Repair Equipment
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