Three Things That Good Seawall Design Takes Into Account
Seawalls are one of the only ways people across the world are able to protect their property from erosion by the ocean. There are a few different types of seawall design, and each one should be tailored to the situation as it arises. A house on the east coast of America will have very different requirements than a house on the coast of the Mediterranean. There are several different factors that are taken into consideration when it comes to designing a seawall design for your particular house, and here are three of the most important ones to consider.
Longevity
Seawall design engineers are pragmatic, they know that, due to the high intensity of the natural phenomenon they are trying to prevent, their constructions will not last forever. So, they plan for how long the seawall needs to survive before it will require either a replacement or at the very least a refurbishment. This also takes into account how the tides are likely to change in the future and any other environmental factors, such as the likelihood of flooding or hurricanes. This way you can be much more confident in your seawall as it ages and reaches certain targets.
Level Of Protection
Not all seawall designs prevent water from spraying onto the property. Some just prevent the crash of waves that can be quite dangerous to even well-built structures. You probably enjoy having the ocean right on your front doorstep, and you do not want that completely neutered. Seawall design rarely aims to completely blunt all waves and tidal patterns, as not only would that be very expensive but also quite ugly. You can work with your seawall engineer to determine just how much of a dulling effect you expect from your seawall.
Aesthetics
Seafront properties are hard to come by, and the last thing most owners want is a big, ugly concrete structure in front of them, blocking the ocean. Seawalls have come a long way from that, and now they are quite easy to integrate into the surrounding design so that they are less noticeable. They can also be disguised with other elements and clever engineers can sometimes make them so hidden you would never even notice a difference between the seawall and natural coastline. From clever color coordination, added natural features, and smart angles that obstruct your view, seawall designs can and should be part of most coastal homeowners future plans.