Protecting the Texas Coast

Building to Restore History

Construction on the Galveston Seawall began in 1902 following the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900 that claimed the lives of an estimated 8,000 people. The storm is estimated to have had wind speeds of 145 miles per hour at landfall making it a Category 4 storm and caused an estimated $104.3 billion in damages. In comparison, Hurricane Katrina is responsible for approximately 1,500 deaths and $113.4 billion in damages when costs are adjusted for time.

The Galveston Seawall is 10 miles long, approximately 17 feet high, and 16 feet thick at its base. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and designated a National Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2001.

Project Details

After sustaining damage by Hurricane Ike, we repaired and reconstructed portions of the historic seawall, associated groins, and vehicle ramps. On the seawall we removed and rebuilt 203 linear feet of the massive concrete reinforced seawall on new timber piles, restored seawall toe protection by placing 25,000 tons of 3-5 ton stones and 322 six ton stones in active surf conditions, and rebuilt the damaged west end parking lot with over 40,900 square feet of concrete paving. Additionally, we rebuilt four groins that extend into the Gulf of Mexico an average of 450 feet utilizing 40,105 tons of various size rock with new conventionally-reinforced concrete caps.