Gulf Seawall Palacios, Texas

Unique Features:

This 1.5 mile 8′ high wall was constructed in the spring when there are typically no hurricanes or major storms.  Although unfortunately that was not the case the wall components were placed quickly and reaches filled between high wave events.

The other bid option was a panel MSE wall system.  Due to the fact that the counterfort wall can be designed to use a wide range of wall fill including the “clayey” site material the low bidder selected Stresswall partially due to the fill savings compared to the  spec. fill for the MSE wall option

The 8′ high ‘seawall counterforts” were cast at Manco in San Antonio and delivered to the site.  The shots show the counterfort elements  stored on the beach in front of the wall.  By working off of the existing embankment excavators placed the counterforts into slots cut into the existing slope.  The excavation costs were therefore substanially less for Stresswall than would have been the case for the MSE option.

The “elevated base seawall” counterfort has a unique configuration which results in the minimum excavation volume as well as providing the counterfort support base at a higher elevation than the bottom of the wall elevation.  This element geometry facilitates an efficient component erection even in high tide conditions.  Also, since the counterfort base is elevated compared to the bottom of the counterfort face, the resultant earth and surcharge loads passes through the counterfort base so the overturning moment is at a minimum.  Due to the elevated base the wall foundation loading approaches the minimum value of gamma times h where h is the wall height.