Eiffel 101: How to Tell if Your Seawall is Damaged

Tips & Advice

Keeping a seawall in good condition helps prevent erosion and damage from waves and storm surge that may be costly to properties. If a seawall collapses or fails, replacing it can be quite costly, and damage to property or land due to insufficient protection from the seawall can be even costlier. That’s why regular inspections, repairs, and replacement when necessary is essential. Below are some indicators that your seawall may be damaged and in need of attention.

Damaged Seawall Warning Signs

Look for the following indicators that your seawall may be damaged and be in need of repair or replacement:

  • Rust stains

  • Cracks in seawall’s cap or any areas broken off of its cap

  • Gaps between seawall slabs that seem to be growing

  • Soil settling in areas surrounding the seawall or any holes in ground areas surrounding the seawall

  • Damaged slabs, which may be bowing, cracked, improperly aligned, or leaning

  • Damaged sheet pile

Rust Stains

Rust stains on any areas of steel or on steel sheet pile can be a red flag that indicates corrosion. Rust stains are a particularly bad sign if they are leaching through cracks in the surface of the seawall. Minor rust stains on areas like metal railing may not be too much cause for concern but shouldn’t be completely overlooked either. Make sure they’re adequately assessed as well.

Damage to the Seawall’s Cap

A seawall’s cap is often made of reinforced concrete and steel and is situated on top of the seawall. When checking for damage to the cap, make sure you look at the sides of the cap in addition to its top. Inspecting the cap’s side that faces the water is especially important. If a seawall’s cap has cracks or broken areas, this may be an indication of exposed rebar, which can wreak havoc on the structural integrity of the seawall. Repairing a damaged cap before rebar becomes significantly damaged can help you extend the life of the seawall significantly and ultimately save money in repair costs down the line.

Growing Gaps Where Seawall Slabs Connect

If gaps are widening between a seawall’s slabs, it often means that joints are either broken or damaged. This can be caused by a number of factors, including issues with anchors. Joints and anchors should be promptly repaired to address this issue. Otherwise, gaps may lead to substantial harm to the seawall’s slabs or lead to damage to its cap.

Settling Soil

Settling soil and/or pitted soil in the ground surrounding a seawall often indicate erosion. Erosion ultimately leads to pressure imbalances, which can damage slabs and cause the seawall to collapse if necessary steps aren’t taken to address the problem and correct the erosion.

Damaged Slabs

A seawall’s slabs have to bear the brunt of quite a bit of pressure. Any imbalance of pressure can ultimately cause slabs to lean, bow, crack, or lose alignment. Slabs must be repaired or replaced at the first sign of damage in order to prevent serious compromises to a seawall’s structure. Slabs should be regularly inspected, repaired, and replaced as necessary.

Damaged Sheet Pile

If steel sheet pile is used in the construction of a seawall in a way that leaves it exposed to the elements, you should regularly inspect the sheet pile for signs of corrosion, rust, cracks, bowing, or loss of alignment. Individual sheet piles or sections of sheet pile walls are pretty easy to swap out once they become damaged, so just make sure you keep an eye on them to prevent bigger issues that may compromise the structure of the whole seawall.

Taking proper care of a seawall with scheduled inspections, maintenance, and repair when needed can do a lot of good in terms of extending the life of a seawall and ensuring it does its job and provides adequate protection.

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