DRAINAGE DESIGN CASE STUDY:

At 55 Passaic Avenue in Kearny, New Jersey, the Town of Kearny completed a bulkhead drainage improvement project along the Passaic River shoreline. The project included installing 70 JET Filter JF6SS maintainable weep hole assemblies through newly constructed reinforced steel sheet pile bulkheads, part of a larger shoreline stabilization and park enhancement initiative.

With the historic NX Bridge in the backdrop—famously featured in the 1982 movie Annie—this project blended urban preservation with modern infrastructure.

Supported by a grant from the Hudson River Foundation, the Passaic River shoreline project aimed to:

• Prevent bulkhead erosion and water entrapment

• Improve public waterfront access and park safety

• Provide long-term protection against tidal flooding and stormwater runoff

• Reinforce shoreline stability with steel sheet piling and maintainable drainage

Due to its proximity to tidal zones, the site experienced constant water infiltration, making it critical to install a pressure-relieving weep hole system that could manage long-term discharge and prevent backfill saturation.

More on the project goals from Hudson River Foundation
About the Historic NX Bridge on Wikipedia

Engineered by Peirce Engineering, Inc. and executed by Linde-Griffith Construction Co., the project included:

✅ 70 JET Filter JF6SS Maintainable Weep Hole Assemblies

• 6” open-end ASTM 316/316L Stainless Steel Housing

• Geotextile Filter Media: Mirafi® Filter-weave FW 300

• Installed per engineer instruction at designated locations along the steel bulkhead

This solution provides long-term drainage performance, corrosion resistance, and maintainability—ideal for coastal flood zone infrastructure.

Steel bulkheads along urban shorelines face:

• Tidal surges and flood backflow

• Hydrostatic pressure buildup behind barriers

• Erosion of fill material behind the wall

• Risk of bulkhead failure without consistent drainage

JET Filter’s maintainable weep holes allow water to escape while retaining soil and minimizing maintenance—extending the structural life of the shoreline infrastructure.