Bryant was commissioned to conduct a cause and origin analysis of a sheet pile bulkhead failure in Port Arthur, Texas. Our comprehensive analysis determined the initial stability of the bulkhead and identified the cause of the failure. To accomplish this, we employed a two-step methodology.

During Step 1, we utilized SLOPE/W and PLAXIS for the analyses, which consistently demonstrated the overall stability of the bulkhead following the addition of the new sheet-pile wall. This finding was further corroborated through a separate 2-D FEA analysis using PLAXIS.

Moving to Step 2, we conducted FEA analyses using PLAXIS to examine the impact of pile extraction on the bulkhead’s stability. Our results indicate that, as the soil resistance mobilization process transitioned from short- to long-term behavior over time, the bulkhead gradually became unstable and eventually failed.

With our expert analysis and rigorous methodology, we successfully determined the cause and origin of the sheet pile bulkhead failure, providing valuable insights for future improvements and preventive measures.