Marine Construction Structures: Seawalls and Revetments

February 28, 2018 by gibson Leave a Comment

More Marine Construction Structures: Seawalls and Revetments

The previous post focused on the differences between retaining walls and bulkheads. To refresh your memory on the topic, please click here.

In this post, we will expand the discussion to include two more types of marine construction structures and learn what differences set them apart.

Seawalls

A seawall is the most common type of marine construction structure, and people often refer to all marine construction structures as seawalls. However, like each structure type, it is slightly different.

To the naked eye, a seawall and a bulkhead can look almost identical. And, just like a bulkhead, a seawall retains earth on one side of the wall and has water on the other side. But what sets the seawall apart from a bulkhead is it’s functional capabilities. In addition to holding soil in place, a seawall also performs the function of protecting the property from wave action. Seawalls are designed to withstand the constant impact of waves crashing into them and periodic occasions of significant pressure caused by larger storm surges often attributed to hurricanes.

Revetments

The general appearance of a revetment differs from that of retaining walls, bulkheads, and seawalls. A revetment typically has a sloped appearance instead of the more common perpendicular appearance of the other structures. But the biggest difference is the primary function it serves, to slow or help prevent erosion.

Protect Your Property with a Seawall or Revetment

The type of protection your property needs will be the determining factor when deciding between a seawall and a revetment. The marine construction experts at Gibson Marine Construction can guide you to ensure you get the right type of structure in place to properly protect your property. Call today to learn more.

Marine Construction Structures: Retaining Walls and Bulkheads

February 28, 2018 by gibson Leave a Comment

Protect Your Waterfront Property by Building a Marine Construction Structure

Most marine construction structures are built to protect or prevent damage to shoreline or waterfront property. The four most common marine construction structures are:

Retaining Walls
Bulkheads
Seawalls
Revetments

Although the names of the most common types of marine construction structures are often used interchangeably, they are all actually a little different. Knowing these differences can help you determine which type of marine construction structure would best protect your property.

What is the Difference? Retaining Walls vs. Bulkheads

This post will focus on the primary difference between retaining walls and bulkheads. To learn more about the difference between seawalls and revetments, please continue on to the next post.

Retaining Walls

Retaining walls are often considered the most basic out of these four common types of marine construction structures. Wikipedia defines a retaining wall as a relatively rigid wall used to support soil mass laterally so that the soil can be retained at different levels on the two sides. The primary function of a retaining wall is to prevent land movement, such as sliding.

Bulkheads

A bulkhead is very similar to a retaining wall as they have the same functionality. The primary difference between the two comes down to what element is being retained on each side of the wall. A retaining wall has soil (earth) on both sides of the wall, whereas a bulkhead retains earth on one side of the wall and has water on the other side.

Why Build a Retaining Wall or a Bulkhead?

Both retaining walls and bulkheads are a common form of engineered stabilization that prevent land movement, and are often used in areas that have undesirable sloped terrain. Building one or both allows sloped land to be shaped in a way that better suits it for specific uses.

Stabilize Your Property with a Retaining Wall, Bulkhead, or Both

Since every property is unique, the specific factors of your property will determine if you should build a retaining wall, a bulkhead, or a combination of both to provide the best form of stabilization for your needs.

Call Gibson Marine Construction. Their experts can design a beautiful solution to best stabilize your land.

Marine Construction Structures

January 30, 2018 by gibson Leave a Comment

What is a Marine Construction Structure?

A marine construction structure is something that is built or constructed in a marine environment, most commonly along the shoreline. Most marine construction structures are built to protect or prevent damage to shoreline or waterfront property.

What are the Most Common Marine Construction Structures?

The four most common marine construction structures are:

Bulkheads
Retaining Walls
Seawalls
Revetments

Why Hire a Marine Contractor to Build Your Marine Construction Structure?

Building a marine construction structure, such as a seawall, requires a unique skill set and additional resources beyond those required of a general contractor. A few of these additional requirements include:

Specialized Marine Construction Knowledge
Specialized Ocean Marine Insurance Coverage
Specialized Equipment
Marine Construction Experience

Gibson Marine Construction: Tampa Bay’s Marine Construction Specialists

The specialists at Gibson Marine Construction understand the unique challenges associated with building a marine construction structure and do more than just meet the special requirements listed above. They have the specialized knowledge, coverage, and equipment to meet the needs of any marine construction project – large or small. And with over 30 years in the industry, you know they have the experience too.

Call Gibson Marine Construction today to discuss your marine construction structure needs.