Category: Uncategorized

THE CHALLENGE  

Hurricane Harvey is one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States. The Category 4 storm pummeled Houston, Texas with winds exceeding 130 mph, dumped more than 50 inches of rain, produced 57 tornadoes, and flooded over 300,000 structures, causing $120 billion in damage.  

The City of Houston’s post-storm inspections discovered a three-pipe culvert system beneath a stretch of Clay Road – a highly traveled, multi-lane commuter artery – had begun to fail. Large sections of the CMP (corrugated metal pipes) inverts exhibited corrosion, extreme degradation, and wide pipe joint separations, while some sections were missing entirely. The extremely compromised pipes put Clay Road at risk of collapse.  

No matter where you live, sooner or later there will be storms and, potentially, some unpleasant issues with flooding and damage.  Hurricane season started in June and will be running through November. Forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service, have predicted above average hurricane activity for the coming months. This means that infrastructure assets will likely be put to the test against severe weather conditions. Now is the time to prepare for storms that may head your way. And, fortunately there are specialty products and rehabilitation solutions to quickly and cost-effectively address potential problems before the storm.

Coastal living environments are constantly subject to soil erosion. This can threaten the structural integrity of seawalls as well as the viability of the dwellings behind it. 

An engineering firm, who specializes in geotechnical solutions, was contacted about several oceanfront condominium seawalls that exhibited erosion and multiple depressions due to age and environment. 

The Challenge 

Several Florida waterfront townhomes and condominiums are protected by a seawall that was nearing the end of its useful life. In place for more than 30 years, the seawall demonstrated evidence that it was succumbing to the long-term effects of soil erosion. Maintenance crews backfilled multiple depressions outside of the seawall cap for years, but the soil erosion continued. 

With the cost of constructing a new seawall averaging $45,000 per property, condo owners were seeking a more cost-effective and reliable alternative.