What is a Seawall? A seawall or bulkhead is a structure which separates a body of water from the adjacent land. While the appropriate term for most of the structures in South Florida is “bulkhead” (a straight wall) residents and visitors commonly use the term “seawall” instead. Seawalls perform...
Sink Holes Symptoms: Sinkholes upland of the wall, visible back-fill mounds in the water near seawall joints (most visible at low tide) Cause: Age, settling, structural failure, insufficient berm at the slab toe of the wall. Slab separation allowing backfill to migrate...
Symptoms: A deteriorating cap, wavy or sagging panels, cracks / spalling and backfill settlement. Cause: This is the result of salt water corrosion and oxidation in the cap reinforcing or tie-back rods. It could also stem from movement of the structure. The results are upper rotation, cracking or crumbling...
SLAB JOINT (SEAM) SEPARATION Symptoms: Sinkholes, separation in seams, accumulation of rock and sediment at base of affected joint. Cause: Age, uneven exertion of hydrostatic pressure particularly during low tide. Tieback failures. Remedies: Seal seams and cracks, install filter fabric, install supplemental tiebacks (traditional or helical) for additional support...
Toe and Berm Failure Symptoms: Cap rotation, movement or cracking, a gap opening between seawall and dock (if present), and support pilings (if present) tight against the seawall indicating pressure on the structure from the failure. Cause: Loss of supporting berm at the bottom of the slabs in the...
Waterline Failure Symptoms: The principal symptom is cracking with rust marks on the panels facing the water. Cause: Aging, corrosion of concrete and reinforcing rod and uneven hydrostatic pressure. Slabs or panels develop horizontal cracks usually along the water line, and the panels eventually break along these lines. Remedies:...
Seawall Cap Failure Symptoms: The principal symptom is rust, spalling, exposed rebar, fractures. Cause: Aging, corrosion of concrete and reinforcing rod and uneven hydrostatic pressure. Slabs or panels develop horizontal cracks usually along the water line, and the panels eventually break along these lines. Remedies: Partial or full...
