Bulkhead Barrier Wall Design and Construction Considerations: The Gowanus Canal

A bulkhead barrier wall system was constructed in a mixed use, densely populated urban environment along the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, New York. This paper presents the design considerations, stakeholder constraints, methodology, and construction lessons learned. The bulkhead barrier, consisting of an anchored wall of steel sheet piling, was designed to meet the remedial objectives of minimizing potential source migration into the Gowanus Canal, provide support of the upland sensitive receptors and buildings, while taking into consideration the EPA remedy for the Gowanus Canal, which includes dredging of up to 20 ft of canal soft sediments and construction of an eight-million-gallon CSO retention tank to be constructed adjacent to the barrier wall system. Key design elements of the barrier wall system were considered as they relate to environmental/geo-structural conditions, constructability, influence of adjacent sensitive structures and businesses, regulatory permitting constraints, and performance.