Protecting the Kauai Shoreline at Pono Kai

When Hurricane Iniki struck the island of Kauai in 1992, it brought wind gusts topping 230 mph and wave heights of over 20 feet. As a result, the rock seawall fronting Pono Kai Resort was extensively damaged and rebuilt the following year. At the time of this project, over 20 years later, the 600-foot-long seawall was once again damaged and collapsing.

Years of exposure to high tides, heavy rains, and pounding surf caused substantial damage to the north and south ends of the wall. Scouring at the north end of the wall and sand loss through the rocks constructing the seawall created sink holes that threatened the stability of the wall. In addition, the erosion created hazardous conditions to the nearby county-paved 12-foot-wide multi-use path.

Oceanit completed the design repairs for the disjointed seawall, including structural fill work, repairs to the damaged north and south ends, regrouting along the top of the north end of the seawall, and beach nourishment using sand dredged from the channel. A blessing was held in early September to mark the start of the seawall repair project, which was completed in July of 2016. Access to the beach areas was be maintained while the repair was completed. Oceanit also provides construction management services on the project to mantain the integrity of the completed work.

See this Hawaii News Now article for details on the project completion.

For more information about this project, contact Oceanit by telephone at (808) 531-3017 or via e‑mail at [email protected].

Oceanit represented at the Pono Kai blessing

Pono Kai construction in progress