Seawall using screw piles

Abstract

A seawall is supported on a seabed along a coastline using a plurality of screw piles, each having a shaft and a helical flight about the shaft adjacent a bottom end of the shaft. The screw piles are penetrated into the seabed at spaced apart positions along the coastline such that each screw pile defines a lower portion embedded into the seabed and an upper portion protruding upwardly from the seabed. A plurality of modular wall panels, each formed of concrete material and having post apertures at opposing ends thereof, are each mounted onto two adjacent ones of the screw piles by inserting the upper portions of the screw piles into the post apertures at the opposing ends of the wall panel such that the wall panels are connected in series with one another along the coastline.

1 . A seawall system for being supported on a seabed along a coastline, the system comprising:
 a plurality of screw piles having a lower portion including a helical flight so as to be arranged to be penetrated into the seabed and an upper portion above the lower portion arranged to protrude upwardly from the lower portion penetrated into the seabed; and   a plurality of modular wall panels formed of concrete material and arranged for connection in series with one another to form a wall, each wall panel being arranged for mating connection with one or more of the screw piles for anchoring the wall to the seabed.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein each wall panel includes an end portion locating a post aperture therein arranged to receive the upper portion of one of the screw piles vertically slidable therein. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2  wherein each end portion locating the post aperture therein is formed of concrete. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 2  wherein each post aperture receives the upper portion of the respective screw pile therein such that a top end of the screw pile is substantially flush with a top end of the wall panel. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1  wherein two adjacent wall panels are arranged to be coupled to define a common post aperture receiving the upper portion of a single screw pile therein. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 5  wherein each wall panel includes two end portions at opposing ends thereof which are stepped in profile so as to enable the end portion of a first one of the wall panels to be overlapped by the end portion of a second one of the wall panels to receive the shaft of the single screw pile therein. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 6  further comprising a top plate associated with each post aperture and arranged to be fastened to a top side of the wall panel locating the post aperture therein. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to  claim 1  further comprising a connecting plate associated with each adjacent pair of the wall panels which is arranged for fastened connection to each of the wall panels of the adjacent pair. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 1  further comprising a plurality of secondary piles, each secondary pile having a shaft portion and a helical flight so as to be arranged to be penetrated into the seabed, and a plurality of tethering assemblies arranged to tether each secondary pile to a respective one of the screw piles. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 9  wherein each tethering assembly includes a mounting member having an aperture arranged to receive the upper portion of the respective screw pile. 
     
     
         11 . The system according to  claim 9  wherein two adjacent wall panels are arranged to be coupled to define a common post aperture receiving the upper portion of a single screw pile therein, and wherein the mounting member of the tethering assembly is arranged to receive said single screw pile therethrough at a junction of the two adjacent wall panels. 
     
     
         12 . The system according to  claim 10  each wall panel includes two end portions with respective post apertures therein at opposing ends thereof which are stepped in profile so as to enable the end portion of a first one of the wall panels to be overlapped by the end portion of a second one of the wall panels to receive the upper portion of a single screw pile through both post apertures of the overlapping end portions, and wherein the mounting member of the tethering assembly is arranged to be received between the overlapping end portions for receiving said single screw pile therethrough. 
     
     
         13 . A method of forming a seawall for being supported on a seabed along a coastline, the method comprising:
 providing a plurality of screw piles, each having a shaft and a helical flight about the shaft adjacent a bottom end of the shaft;   penetrating the screw piles into the seabed at spaced apart positions along the coastline such that each screw pile defines a lower portion embedded into the seabed and an upper portion protruding upwardly from the seabed;   providing a plurality of modular wall panels formed of concrete material and having post apertures at opposing ends thereof;   mounting each wall panel onto two adjacent ones of the screw piles by inserting the upper portions of the screw piles into the post apertures at the opposing ends of the wall panel such that the wall panels are connected in series with one another along the coastline.