Waterford City Public Infrastructure Project, Ireland, 2025.

Waterford, Ireland’s oldest city, is located along the tidal River Suir and has suffered repeated flooding over the past 15 years due to its low-lying position and exposure to tidal surges and sea level rise. Critical infrastructure, including Plunkett Station and adjacent railway lines, was identified as being particularly vulnerable. As part of the North Quays Strategic Development Zone and Ireland’s National Planning Framework, a major public infrastructure programme was launched to protect the riverfront and enable long-term urban regeneration. 

The Waterford City Public Infrastructure Project includes permanent flood defences forming part of a wider €207 million scheme. Existing quay walls were found to be below the required design flood level and therefore inadequate. A continuous cantilever steel sheet pile wall was selected and designed for a 1:200‑year flood event, including climate change allowances, with a crest level of +4.30 m AOD. ArcelorMittal supplied approximately 2 km of hot‑rolled steel sheet piles, using heavy-duty AZ‑series piles for the deeper Western Defences and PU 32 piles for the Eastern Defences.

Installation was carried out under challenging and highly variable ground conditions, particularly along the Western Defences where pile lengths exceeded 24 m and toe levels reached –20.5 m AOD. A combination of vibratory and impact hammers, supported by toe reinforcement and pre-drilling where required, ensured safe and accurate installation. Strict vibration, noise, and railway protection measures were applied, and the scheme incorporates eco‑seawall cladding and provision for temporary flood barriers. The project demonstrates the effectiveness of steel sheet pile solutions for resilient flood protection in constrained urban environments.