When Seattle looked to rebuild its 100-year-old Elliott Bay seawall in the downtown, planners knew it had to be stronger and better, but it didn’t necessarily have to be taller. Originally built between 1916 and 1934 with 20,000 old-growth timber piles, the aging 16.1-ft seawall has outlived its ability to protect Seattle from creeping seawater and seismic threats.
“The general condition of the seawall was not in great shape, and we knew we needed to do something,” says Lorelei Williams, capital projects and roadway structures manager for the Seattle Dept. of Transportation.