Flush seawall aluminum-cap splice plates

An aluminum seawall cap splices at every stick. That joint is where salt air, thermal movement, and a loose fastener show up first. A patio poured or paved over the splice hides the only place a marine contractor can open the cap without cutting the field.

What the plate is for

A flush splice plate is a removable paver or hatch panel set in the walking field directly over the cap joint, on its own restrained frame. The rest of the patio stays locked. The plate lifts so the splice screws, the gasket, and the concrete under the cap can be checked without a demo saw.

• Frame the plate so it sits flush with the finished paver, not proud of the field

• Pitch the surrounding patio away from the cap joint so water is not stored on the splice

• Keep the plate small enough for one person to lift, and mark it so it is not buried in furniture

• Do not run polymeric sand into the plate frame; the frame is the joint

Why the splice fails quietly

Aluminum moves more than the concrete cap under it. Screws back out. A missing gasket lets water into the cap kerf, and the concrete spalls from the inside. By the time the patio stains at the waterline, the splice has been wet for a season. An inspection plate does not replace a marine repair. It keeps the repair from becoming a patio replacement.

PaverForge Hardscapes sets the plate and the patio base. A marine contractor owns the cap, the splice hardware, and any structural seawall work. Call 727-490-9798 or see https://www.paverforge.com/services before the field is locked over a cap joint.