

Seattle, Washington is home to the new Elliot Bay Seawall, an innovative infrastructure system that utilized precast concrete as a major part of its construction. The wall simultaneously protects the waterfront from earthquakes and encourages the growth of marine life.
Construction began in 2013, with the replacement of 3,500 feet of the original deteriorating structure. Precast concrete materials were used to minimize environmental concerns over pumping fresh concrete close to the waterfront and for its structural elements, which would exceed the city's 75 year design-life requirement. The mix design proved to be complicated since the city had to be careful about chloride content, shrinkage, and permeability. The design called for 385, 20-ton precast Z-shaped segments that are 8 feet wide and 9 feet tall and reinforced with 4,000 lbs of rebar.
Read More