Storm surge, winds, waves, and tides all affect marine structures and contribute to rapidly eroding beaches, an issue at the forefront for many property owners today as it affects their beach fronts, boathouses, ramps, and seawalls. The Marine Contractor provides Coastal Engineering Professional Services for both coastal structures and waterfront infrastructure projects located in the marine environment.  Our coastal engineering services address engineering concerns posed by constructing at or near the coast including projects such as design, construction and assessment of:

  • Marinas

  • Boat ramps

  • Docks / piers

  • Seawalls, revetments, and bulkheads

  • Beaches – erosion control and shore protection, as well as restoration

  • Breakwaters, groins, jetties

  • Bluffs, dunes and ravines – including retaining walls

  • Permitting

  • Sand source and borrow area investigations

We utilize a team comprised of engineers, landscape architects, surveyors, contractors, and environmental permit specialists who provide expertise in all the areas that impact the marine environment. Information on water depths is particularly important for planning projects including dredging, harbor improvements, docks, piers and beaches. Our team utilizes single beam sonar technology and GPS systems to collect hydrographic survey data (soundings).  

Equipment and analyses utilized by our team includes:

  • Various underwater cameras for still images and video

  • Kongsberg sonar imaging systems

  • Side scan sonar imaging systems

  • CP Bathycorrometers

  • Cygnus underwater thickness gauges

  • Inclinometers

  • Piezometers

  • GPR (ground penetrating radar)

  • Slope stability analysis

  • Geotechnical investigations using both truck mount, rig mount and barge supported drill rigs

Our Experience

Our underwater diving and overall inspection services are supervised by a licensed Professional Engineer with experience in the marine environment. We have managed and performed inspections of thousands of feet of seawalls including properties in Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin. We are currently working on more than 20 projects along the shore of Lake Michigan involving various types of failures and repairs including revetments, seawalls, bluff failures, and related issues associated with the shoreline.

Our Dive Teams

Where underwater diving for inspection and repair is required, we utilize a dive team consisting of a three-person team of Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI) certified professional divers and highly qualified management and support personnel with experience in underwater repair, construction, installations and inspections.  The divers are certified by ADCI for surface-supplied air diving and are a frequent diving resource for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Illinois Department of Transportation, and numerous private docks and terminals in the area.

Prior to sending our our divers, we develop a comprehensive dive plan and procedure to address operational safety. The dive team members have current dive physicals and are also certified as Emergency Oxygen Providers and are trained in both CPR and First Aid.

Steel sheet piling corrosion issues have been observed at several Great Lakes harbors and marinas. In several instances, the sheet piling is corroding at a highly accelerated rate. This rate of corrosion is similar to that commonly observed in saltwater ports but not seen in freshwater environments.  Accordingly, while performing the underwater visual inspection our divers often utilize a Polatrak CP Corrosion Measurement Gun to gather additional data on the wall for evaluation during the reporting phase of the project.

To learn more about our coastal services, or to see a sample report, call us at 224-619-4307.

Examples of our work:

 Other resources you can consult include:

  • United Facilities Criteria (UFC ) #4-150-07 Maintenance and Operation: Maintenance of WaterfrontFacilities

  • New York City Economic Development Corporation Waterfront Facilities Maintenance Management System Inspection Guidelines Manual

  • The Repair, Evaluation, Maintenance and Rehabilitation (REMR) Notebook, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

  • American Institute of Marine Underwriters (AIMU) Docks, Bulkheads, and Wharfs Paper

Service areas

Our engineers are licensed to perform seawall inspections in the following states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin. If your project is located in an area not on this list, contact us and we may be able to help you with your project through our alliance team of experienced coastal professionals.