5 February 2021
 Categories: Construction & Contractors, Blog

The ocean is both beautiful and destructive. Just the everyday action of the waves lapping against the shore can cause beaches to erode and disappear. When you add in astronomically high tides, storm surges, and coastal flooding, you can end up with a lot of damage and some drastic, overnight changes. One way to help head off those changes and the erosion that happens is to have a seawall. Having a seawall can also help keep back flooding, to an extent. 

Seawall

The seawall itself is usually made up of concrete and is vertical or nearly vertical. It may also involve other elements, like boulders. The wall's height depends on how high the highest tides tend to be, how big historical storm surges have been, and similar historical data. The seawall can be placed in a number of places, depending on what is being protected. It can be situated at the inland edge of a beach, but it can also be placed right up against a road. A seawall does not have to be large. For example, if you have a waterfront property, you can place a seawall at your property's edge where it meets the water. There are benefits to having a seawall, other than control erosion. 

Easily Adjustable

One benefit of seawalls is that the way they are built makes them relatively easily adjustable, meaning you can make them higher or wider as necessary. That feature also makes it easier to repair any damage to the seawall itself. There will be damage to it over the years, especially after large storms, since water is very powerful and waves have a lot of energy. Even though the seawall is designed to reflect those waves' energy out to the water, the wall will still take a beating. 

Wildlife Habitat

A seawall can help provide a protected habitat to wildlife in your area, which can be a good thing since beach erosion can destroy that same habitat. When you have your seawall built, make sure to talk to the engineer who is building it about how it can help sustain wildlife habitat. 

There are many benefits to having a seawall, either a large municipal or private one, on your waterfront property. The walls can help protect the coast from erosion, flooding, and storm surges.  Contact a company that handles seawall designs and talk to an engineer about designing one for you.