BULKHEAD & SEAWALL SERVICES

The most important improvement that can be made to a waterfront property is erosion and shoreline protection. In order to limit the amount of upland erosion or protect a property from storm events, a barrier between the land and water is often created. This barrier is known as a bulkhead or seawall. Coastline Consulting, LLC has the experience and knowledge to assist you with all phases of your bulkhead or seawall project. Our turn-key approach will guide you through the site evaluation, structure design, materials evaluation, regulatory permitting, and the subsequent bulkhead and seawall construction. The following sections detail our full scope of services for the bulkhead and seawall process.

Bulkhead and Seawall Evaluation
Coastline Consulting, LLC provides a no charge/no obligation site evaluation for all waterfront property owners, associations, marinas, and commercial facilities. This task is important to determine the best direction for your specific site. A bulkhead or seawall may be just one element of an overall stabilization plan. While bulkheads and seawalls may protect the uplands, they may actually be detrimental to the shoreline by speeding up the rate of erosion in front of the structures. As a result, bulkhead and seawall construction should only be considered when all other shoreline protection methods are not feasible. Coastline Consulting, LLC takes a big picture approach to the protection of your shoreline by evaluating all forms of stabilization including drainage improvements, re-vegetation, rip-rap stone, and vertical bulkhead and seawall designs. Our evaluation will determine the best stabilization solution and the most cost effective approach for your specific site. Please feel free to Contact Us if you would like to schedule a no obligation site evaluation.

Bulkhead and Seawall Design
Bulkheads and seawalls must withstand some of the most brutal conditions of any structure built today –— from heavy loads and extremely corrosive saltwater, to attacks by marine borers and winter ice. As a result, the bulkhead and seawall design is very important to the longevity of the structure and the protection of your property. Our in-house bulkhead and seawall design team, along with our on-call Coastal Engineer (P.E.) with more than 15 years experience, will evaluate all of the necessary criteria for your bulkhead and seawall design including the site topography, grading, soil properties, embedment stability, water table, wall material properties, wave forces, toe scour, wave overtopping, and storm surge. The end result will be a bulkhead and seawall design that will provide the best and most cost effective solution for your site. The bulkhead and seawall plans completed under this phase will be essential to the subsequent permitting and construction phases.

Bulkhead and Seawall Materials Evaluation
What are the best materials for bulkhead and seawall construction –— timber, steel, vinyl/plastic, or concrete/cement?  Material selection is site specific and dependent upon various design considerations. Additionally, each material has various benefits and detriments. For example, timber bulkheads and seawalls may be the most cost effective, but could be susceptible to marine borers and rot. Steel bulkheads and seawalls could have the most upfront costs, but are also the strongest. Vinyl/Plastic bulkheads could have the greatest service life, but may not be drivable in certain substrates.  Concrete/cement could be the most practical, but could require periodic maintenance. As on overall component of our bulkhead and seawall design phase, Coastline Consulting, LLC will evaluate your site conditions, design criteria, and personal cosmetic preferences to provide a materials recommendation for your specific site.

Bulkhead and Seawall Permits
Bulkheads and seawalls on the coast of Connecticut (CT) and New York (NY) come under the jurisdiction of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the New England Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and the New York Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE).  Coastline Consulting, LLC has extensive experience with preparation of bulkhead and seawall permits.  We work in concert with the regulatory agencies to obtain permit approvals.  Our years of consulting experience allows us to not just fill out the forms, but to speak the regulatory language, anticipate concerns, and provide the necessary application information based upon our past successes.  The end result is a solid regulatory relationship, a proven track record, and quicker permit approvals.

Bulkhead and Seawall Construction Management
Following the completion of the bulkhead and seawall design phase and the completion of the bulkhead and seawall permitting process, many clients choose to have Coastline Consulting, LLC further assist them with their bulkhead and seawall construction.  Construction Services offered by Coastline Consulting, LLC include bulkhead and seawall plan preparation, construction bid documents, assistance with marine contractor selection, as well as overall construction management and general contracting services.  When there is so much at stake with your shoreline stabilization, you want to make sure it is done right!  With this service, our clients can have a comfort level that the marine contractor is conducting the bulkhead or seawall construction as designed by your consultant and as required by the regulatory permits.