A waterfront bulkhead helps prevent coastal erosion by marking the edge of your property and reducing the amount of erosion carried by waves. Bulkheads can be constructed from various materials, including pressure-treated wood, vinyl, or concrete. Contact Bulkhead Erosion Control now!
Over time, several problems may occur that lead to the failure of a bulkhead, such as:
A retaining wall is an engineered structure used to retain earth or other material at or close to the vertical position. It could be constructed of various materials, including concrete blocks, precast concrete, mortar masonry, or treated timbers. It is typically designed to resist lateral earth pressure caused by surcharge or soil movement and must be designed according to good engineering practice.
There are many types of retaining walls, some more complex than others. For example, concrete retaining walls use an internal stem of steel-reinforced, cast-in-place concrete or mortared masonry to transfer loads through the wall to the ground below. These walls are often built with buttresses, which are short wing walls at right angles to the main stem, or counterforts on the back side of the wall to improve their strength.
Another type of retaining wall is the sheet pile wall, which uses steel sheets to resist lateral earth pressure and is usually constructed in soft soils or tight spaces where traditional retaining walls are impractical. These walls can be driven into the ground to a depth of up to 25 meters, depending on the application.
Bulkheads are structures that are used to prevent erosion and sedimentation of shorelines and to protect abutments, pilings and other infrastructure. They are most commonly found in areas with limestone bedrock and can help to protect against sinkhole formation.
When selecting a contractor to build or repair your bulkhead, make sure that they have experience and a solid reputation for quality work. Ask for references and check their Better Business Bureau record. You can also look for contractors who are licensed, insured and offer warranties on their work.
Regular maintenance and inspections of your bulkhead or seawall is important, particularly for ensuring that vegetation is not growing into the structure. In addition, it is important to ensure that weep holes are not blocked, preventing the build-up of water pressure within the wall that can cause structural failure.
If your bulkhead is damaged or showing signs of deterioration, contact Hale Bulkheading for professional and reliable repairs. We can repair and replace your seawall to prevent further erosion and protect your home from the threatening effects of flood damage.
Stormwater Management
Stormwater Management is an important part of Bulkhead Erosion Control. It involves managing the amount of rainwater that enters a waterway, reducing contaminants and pollutants, and restoring natural hydrological processes to surface waters. Best Management Practices, or BMPs, refer to devices and practices that are installed for the purpose of removing, reducing, retarding, or preventing pollutants from reaching surface water bodies.
The soil behind a bulkhead can erode for a number of reasons, including drainage problems, poor construction and maintenance, and over time due to the pressure of the water side of the barrier pulling on the land side and pushing out again as the water levels rise and fall. Over time this can cause the toe of a bulkhead to disappear and expose the beach to further erosion, and can also lead to the structural failure of the bulkhead itself.
To prevent this, we can install a rolled erosion control blanket that reduces the impact of erosion on soil. These blankets are placed on top of the soil and anchored with steel rods or cables. The blankets help to retain soils, increase water infiltration, and support vegetation growth. They are often used along dune systems, shorelines, river banks and slopes. They are available in short- and long-term versions depending on the need.
Other erosion control options include rip rap revetments, which are large rocks stacked on the bluff to prevent erosion by absorbing energy and maintaining the natural slope. We can use these in conjunction with the rolled erosion control blankets to enhance their effectiveness.
Native grasses can be planted around a bulkhead to reduce its harshness, soften the edges of the shoreline and support plant growth. We can also plant a variety of different sized tubes or sleeves made of net and filled with wood chips, seeds and other materials to promote reforestation. These are known commercially as SOXX. Adding these plants and grasses to the area behind your bulkhead will significantly reduce soil erosion, provide food and shelter for wildlife and slow the flow of stormwater into Spa Creek, which will in turn reduce pollution levels.
Soil Retention
Bulkheads are designed to protect property from erosion caused by waves, tides, and other natural water elements. When left untreated, your coastal property can lose inches or even feet of land in a short amount of time. Erosion of this kind can be very costly, but there are ways you can protect your bulkhead that don’t require a major construction project.
Soil retention is the process of stabilizing soil, helping to prevent its movement, and improving its ability to support heavy loads or structures. A variety of methods can be used to help stabilize soil, including retaining walls and other structures, constructing terraces, silt fencing and incorporating rip rap or geotextile fabrics.
When a bulkhead seawall is damaged or becomes unstable, it can create voids that can lead to more erosion and structural damage. These voids are often filled with water infiltration or washed out sediment, which is why it’s important to address any issues with your bulkhead as soon as they become apparent.
One effective way to prevent erosion around your waterfront property is to plant fascines behind your bulkhead seawall. A fascine is a tightly bound bundle of live but dormant branches and stems cut from trees and shrubs like arrowwood, viburnum, red twig dogwood and alder. They are then tied together with hemp or other degradable fabric and planted in the shoreline, where they eventually root and form functional shrubs that will help to hold the soil in place.
For more protection against erosion on your bank, you can also add biologs, which are pieces of natural or man-made rock that are placed in the bottom of a channel or beach to encourage marine vegetation growth and prevent the influx of sediment. Biologs are a great addition to any waterfront property, especially those that have experienced erosion. They can also be used as a low-cost alternative to more expensive types of shoreline armor, such as rip rap or concrete or steel seawalls. In addition to providing ecological benefits, biologs can be aesthetically pleasing for a more natural shoreline.
French Drains
In a perfect world, water would flow effortlessly away from your house through a network of sloped earthen channels, leaving you free of flooded basements and foundation issues. However, that’s not a realistic possibility for most properties, so some homeowners turn to french drains as an alternative drainage solution.
A french drain is a trench in your landscape that’s inset with a perforated pipe and covered with gravel. From the top, it looks like a rock drainage ditch and, when installed well, can add a nice visual element to your landscape.
It is designed to help even out the pressure differential that can develop between the land and water sides of a bulkhead seawall due to settling soil, faulty seams or panels and other causes of erosion. By directing excess water to the french drain, the pressure difference is reduced, helping to extend the life of the bulkhead and reduce risk of structural failure.
To install a french drain, first mark out the area where you’ll dig using a spray paint or stakes. Then, contact the local utility company to have any underground lines marked before you begin digging. Once you’ve dug your drain trench, fill it with a layer of gravel to keep fines out and cover it with a piece of water-permeable fabric to discourage weed growth.
When you are ready to start laying pipe, choose a corrugated or PVC pipe that is slotted or perforated at regular intervals to ensure that water flows through it. You’ll also need a large quantity of crushed stone or gravel to line the trench. Fill the trench to within about a foot of the ground level, then cover it with the stone or gravel.
Make sure to regularly clean your french drain to remove any clogs, as they can easily form. In addition, check and replenish the filter media in the weep holes on the French drain as needed. Maintaining this preventive measure will extend the life of your bulkhead and prevent future drainage problems, including costly repairs or replacements.