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Engineers tell Belvedere committee levee sections are undermined and sit on weak soils
Summary
City and consultant engineers told the oversight committee that three reaches of the Beach Road levee/seawall show measurable movement and undermining; geotechnical work identified weak, liquefied soils and a need for toe protection and deeper sheet piling to prevent rotational failure.
Staff and consultants described measurable movement and undermining at three priority reaches along Beach Road that make the existing seawall susceptible to rotational failure and seismic deformation. Robert said early studies and follow‑up assessments by Miller Pacific found weak soils under the wall and that the project focuses on strengthening the toe and the wall’s foundation rather than raising the wall to meet FEMA credit requirements.
"They were sitting on weak, liquefied soils and bain muds," Robert said, explaining that those materials can lead to significant deformation during seismic shaking. Staff and consultants said the stabilization scope includes toe protection, foundation strengthening and installing sheet piling deep enough to prevent rotation and long‑term deformation. They emphasized that the project is designed to be compatible with earlier 2019 repairs and future phases should the full shoreline plan move forward.
