The Toughest Seawalls in Michigan Fleming Marine is known for creating over-engineered walls that are designed to withstand Michigan’s harsh and unpredictable weather conditions and water levels. Decades of experience has taught us a lot about building the strongest seawalls in Michigan. We have learned many different methods to extend the life of our walls beyond what others are capable of. There are several critical elements to a wall’s construction that we take extra time to ensure are built correctly.

The vertical posts that hold the wall into the ground are one of the most important components. We always bury our posts below the frost line to ensure that they can’t be moved by frost. Posts that aren’t buried deep enough will allow Michigan’s sub-freezing temperatures to move the wall or in some cases literally begin to lift it right out of the ground. Deadmen (tie backs) are used to anchor the wall horizontally into the land. Our deadmen are constructed with high quality lumber and fasteners to the highest specifications. They are installed deep into the ground in a way that maximizes leverage while providing an unparalleled level of structural integrity.

The front side of the wall that faces the water is made up of material that is referred to as ‘face sheets’. We sink our face sheet deep underground. In fact, half of the face sheet material is under ground level which offers additional security to the wall. An often-overlooked part of wall construction is drainage. Walls without a proper drainage system will eventually be damaged or destroyed by the freeze/thaw cycle. This is why every one of our walls are designed with drain tile that allows water to naturally flow through the wall, eliminating harmful ice buildup. Finally, after the construction of the wall is complete, we provide proper backfill that facilitates drainage.