Troy Seawall Stabilization Garners National Recognition

Engineering News-Record (ENR) has selected CHA’s Troy Seawall Stabilization project as one of the 20 winners of its Best of the Best Projects competition, chosen from more than 800 projects throughout the nation. Originally selected as a 2021 ENR New York Best Regional Project, this new honor recognizes the project on the national stage for Specialty Construction. This already award-winning CHA project sets the standard for industry peers with this type of complex work.

Due to damage from Hurricane Irene, the 95-year old seawall along the Hudson River was in urgent need of rehabilitation. The recommended solution was a hardened seawall to protect an adjacent wastewater interceptor sewer and increase the business corridor’s resiliency against rising flood levels. However, rehabilitation presented many challenges, including performing construction from barges in a tidal river environment, working within a narrow footprint due to concerns of encroachment into the river, and limitations imposed for construction activities due to extensive permitting requirements. The rehabilitation included concrete repairs to the wall’s face, constructing a new precast concrete panel system supported by steel piles and tiebacks to strengthen the wall, and increasing the wall’s height.

Completing the project has been lauded as a triumph for its long-term economic value and abatement of the increasing threat of flooding to waterfront businesses due to climate changes. The solution provides the public an aesthetically pleasing view with enhanced access to the river while providing essential flood protection to the thriving downtown commercial district.

In addition to the ENR awards, the Troy Seawall Stabilization project received a Gold Award in the 2021 ACEC New York Engineering Excellence Awards, 2020 APWA New York State Project of the Year Award, and 2020 APWA Capital New York Project of the Year Award.

An in-depth feature on the project will be published in the March 21st issue of ENR magazine, which also will reveal the overall Project of the Year. The project team will accept the award during ENR’s Annual Award of Excellence Black-Tie Gala held on March 31 in New York City. For more information about the event, visit https://www.enr.com/enr-award-of-excellence.