Bulkhead
Definition of Bulkhead:
A bulkhead is a structure or partition used to retain or prevent sliding of the land. A secondary purpose is to protect the coast against damage from wave action.
This is the common definition for Bulkhead, other definitions can be discussed in the article
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Bulkheads are normally smaller than seawalls, as their primary function is to retain fill at locations with only limited wave action, and not to resist coastal erosion. A bulkhead must, of course, be designed to resist erosion caused by the mild to moderate wave climate at a specific site.
A bulkhead cannot really be characterised as a coast protection structure; it is rather a structure that is used to retain fills along the water perimeter of reclaimed areas and in port basins. The following article discusses applications of bulkeads.
Method
Bulkheads are normally constructed in the form of a vertical wall built in concrete, stone, steel or timber. The concrete, steel or timber walls can be piled and anchored walls, whereas the concrete and stone walls can also be constructed as gravity walls. Special mesh boxes containing stones, e.g. the Gabion type, are also used.
Functional characteristic
The function of a bulkhead is, in protected environments, to retain or prevent the sliding of land at the transition between the land, filled or natural, and the sea.
Applicability
Bulkheads function well as a separation between land and sea in marina basins, and along protected shorelines. They are used along natural shorelines and along filled areas, where a well-defined separation between land and sea is required.
References
Further reading
- Mangor, Karsten. 2004. “Shoreline Management Guidelines”. DHI Water and Environment, 294pg.
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