Bradley A. Syler, PE, SE

Bradley A. Syler, PE, SE Vice President June 16, 2026 Marine port and terminal owners have spent decades hiring engineering firms to inspect an asset, write a report, and leave. They then hire a different engineering firm to design the repairs. They then bid and award the repair work to a separate construction company. Each engagement starts from scratch. Knowledge walks out the door with every completed contract. There is a better model - a long-term partnership where a single firm provides...

Anchored steel sheet pile bulkheads represent a significant portion of the aging waterfront infrastructure at U.S. ports and marine terminals. Many of these structures were constructed in the latter half of the 20th century using 150 ksi tie-rods - a material choice that offered cost and weight efficiency at the time but carries long-term risks in aggressive buried marine environments. The risks are hydrogen embrittlement (HE) and stress corrosion cracking (SCC), and the inability to easily...

In-water structural piles are commonly repaired and preserved via structural encasements. A deteriorated zone on a steel, timber, or concrete pile gets encased with cast-in-place reinforced concrete or a grouted FRP jacket and the structure returns to service. When properly designed and installed, these systems restore section capacity and extend service life. That part of the story is reasonably well understood. What gets less attention is what happens afterward - specifically, when a...