Celebrating 25 Years of Brick Arch Repairs and Relining in Charleston, SC

July 25, 2025

Palmetto Gunite Celebrates 25 Years of Historic Charleston Brick Arch Restoration and Repair

Approximate locations (blue) of the brick arches in Charleston, SC

Charleston, SC – Starting in 2000, Palmetto Gunite Construction Co., Inc. began a collaborative effort with the City of Charleston to repair and line with shotcrete the historic brick arches that lie under many of the streets on the peninsula of Charleston, SC. After showing that their method of using shotcrete in several smaller repairs was a viable option for arch repairs and lining, Palmetto Gunite began its lining work in earnest in 2001 by lining the brick arch under Meeting Street from  S. Battery Street to Broad Street. This marked the largest maintenance project of the brick arches at over half a mile undertaken by the City of Charleston since the brick arches were built in the mid to late 1800’s.

What has Palmetto Gunite done in the last 25 years with the brick arches?

In 2020, the City of Charleston shifted its focus from simply repairing damaged sections of the arch when they became a danger to the public, to preemptively cleaning and lining the arches in a systematic approach. In the areas where the brick arches have been lined with shotcrete, this holistic approach to the brick arches has drastically improved the drainage of stormwater, eased future cleaning of the arches through additional access points, and will prevent future damage and collapses of the arches themselves.

Before and after of an arch repair with a utility intrusion.

Since 2020, Palmetto Gunite has lined over two miles of brick arch, including sections on King Street, Tradd Street, Limehouse Street, Society Street, Logan Street, and Coming Street. Accumulated over the past twenty five years, Palmetto Gunite has more knowledge than any company, institution, government agency or other organization regarding the depths of the archways, locations of past repairs and manholes, the hydrology of the stormwater through the arches, and expertise on how to maintain and repair the arches to last for generations of Charlestonians.

Example sketch of previous arch repair.

What does the future hold for the maintenance, repair, and lining of the historic brick arches of Charleston, SC?

                Although Palmetto Gunite, in cooperation with the City of Charleston, has accomplished a lot over the past quarter century in regards to bringing the brick arches back into structural and functional condition, more work is still needed to fully protect the streets from potential collapses and to properly drain the city as the arches were originally intended to do. There is an estimated ten miles of brick arches under the streets of Charleston, so there is more work to be done. Palmetto Gunite is committed to ensuring that this work is done properly and professionally.