Galveston Seawall

Galveston Seawall during construction

Galveston Seawall paintings

The Galveston Seawall is a seawall in Galveston, Texas, USA that was built after the Galveston Hurricane of 1900 for protection from future hurricanes. Construction began in September, 1902, and the initial segment was completed on July 29, 1904. From 1904 to 1963, the seawall was extended from 3.3 miles (5.3 km) to over 10 miles (16 km) long. Reporting in the aftermath of the 1983 Hurricane Alicia, the Corps of Engineers estimated that $100 million in damage was avoided because of the seawall. On September 13, 2008 Hurricane Ike's storm surge and large waves over-topped the seawall. As a result, a commission was established by the Texas Governor following the hurricane to investigate preparing for and mitigating future disasters. A proposal has been put forth to build an "Ike Dike," a massive levee system which would protect the Galveston Bay, and the important industrial facilities which line the coast and the ship channel, from a future, potentially more destructive storm. The proposal has gained widespread support from a variety of business interests. As of 2009 it is currently only at the conceptual stage.

Texas F.M. 3005, otherwise known as Seawall Boulevard along the wall, runs along the seawall.

The seawall is presently 10 miles (16 km) long. It is approximately 17 feet (5.2 m) high, and 16 feet (4.9 m) thick at its base. The seawall was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 and designated a National Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in 2001.

Many miles of the seawall are painted with murals called "wall art". These huge murals are painted by children and depict underwater life. The art is meant to make the seawall more interesting to visitors.

Further reading

• Austin, A. (March 1905). "Galveston, The City Reclaimed: Marvelous Recuperation Of A Town Wiped Out Four Years Ago". Pearson's Magazine XIII (3): 211–219. http://books.google.com/?id=Q_kaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA211. Retrieved 2009-07-15. 
• Gillette, Halbert P.; Charles S. Hill (1908). Concrete Construction: Methods and Cost. New York: The Myron C. Clark Publishing Co.. pp. 269. http://books.google.com/?id=zWA0AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA268. Retrieved 2009-07-15.  Diagrams of the movable concrete mixer plant used for construction of the seawall
• Putnam, Frank (June 1907). "Galveston, An Epitome Of American Pluck". The New England Magazine XXXVI (4): 387–403. http://books.google.com/?id=YbEVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA387. Retrieved 2009-07-15. 
• Slosson, W. B. (June 16 1904). "The New Galveston". The Independent LVI (2898): 1382–1387. http://books.google.com/?id=2icPAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA1382. Retrieved 2009-07-15. 
• Williams, Clement Clarence (1922). The Design Of Masonry Structures And Foundations. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company. p. 248. http://books.google.com/?id=9cgUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA248. Retrieved 2009-07-15.  Diagram and description of the geometry of the seawall to dissipate wave energy
• "Galveston's Great Sea Wall". The American Monthly Review of Reviews XXVIII: 574–576. November 1903. 5. http://books.google.com/?id=MMcGAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA574. Retrieved 2009-07-15. 
• "Raising the Grade of Galveston". Locomotive Firemen's Magazine XXXVI (5): 643–647. May 1904. http://books.google.com/?id=iKeRAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA643. Retrieved 2009-07-15. 

External links

• Galveston seawall images
• One hundred year old photos of the Galveston seawall