Promontory Point, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Situated on Chicago's South Side, Promontory Point is a man-made 40-acre peninsula that extends into Lake Michigan and serves as a recreational urban green space for the surrounding community. The distinctive shoreline perimeter, which was constructed in 1938, is comprised of large locally sourced limestone blocks that are stacked and interlocked to form a revetment. The revetment was designed with a gentle slope to stabilize the shoreline, prevent erosion, and dissipate the force of the wave action. In addition, steps and promenades were integrated into the revetment to provide convenient access to the water and promote recreation along the shoreline. Influenced by its size and location within the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan’s climate contributes to the strong and sustained winds that often generate large and powerful waves that impact the shoreline of Promontory Point. As a result, the limestone revetment has experienced deterioration and erosion that has worsened the structure’s condition over time. There has been a major effort to repair, protect and preserve the historic limestone revetment, as its unique design was a significant component that helped deem Promontory Point an official Chicago Landmark in April 2023 ( https://www.promontorypoint.org/). A major restoration project began in the early 2000’s to address the deteriorating conditions of the limestone revetment at Promontory Point and the greater Burnham Park. The rehabilitation work included demolishing the limestone blocks and installing vertical steel sheet piles and textured concrete. Although this rehabilitation is effective in preserving and protecting the shoreline, it removes the historical, aesthetic, and recreational value of limestone revetment. This image showcases the stark aesthetic contrast between the natural, historic character of the revetment and the new sheet pile and concrete rehabilitation. (Photograph taken by Taylor Zimmerman, McLaren Engineering Group, New Jersey, USA).
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