Why Use Polyurethane for Seawall Repair?

There is a lot more to learn than meets the eye regarding seawalls. A sea- wall is like a living, breathing thing: especially in how they are designed to function. But like all living breathing things, they have a finite lifespan. For many of them, it’s a mere 20 – 30 years. Depending on where you live, replacing a seawall can cost anywhere from $150 to $500 per foot. That’s enough for some homeowners to move instead of rebuilding their seawalls. Today, however, signs of seawall distress can be solved before they get too bad by applying polyurethane grouts to seal leaks, fill voids, and stabilize the surrounding soils.

As tidal flows rise and fall, water pushes through cracks, joints, and defects in seawalls. The water moves in on incoming tides and flows out on outgoing tides. As the water flows out, it carries sand and soil with it, which causes undermining of the structure, causes voids to form, and deteriorates the structural integrity of the seawall. This cycle is exacerbated during periods of heavy rain, which continue the outflow of soil. Polyurethane foams react with moisture in the soil and expand to fill voids while they permeate sandy soil to form a solid, robust, and watertight mass. They have been used extensively in seawall applications to seal cracks, voids, and defects (as well as for filling voids and stabilizing soil).