pier

sea works

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 1, 2026

Quick Summary

A pier is a structure extending into navigable water, serving as a landing place for boats and ships to load or unload cargo and passengers. It can also function as a promenade or help form a harbor. Piers are a critical component of harbors and sea works, which are designed to shelter vessels from wind, waves, and currents, ensuring safe anchorage. The construction of such structures presents significant challenges in civil engineering due to the constant interaction with the sea. Piers can also refer to intermediate supports for bridge spans or vertical structural supports in building construction.1234

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

6 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

harbours and sea works
The piled jetty
Reinforced-concrete piled piers and jetties, soundly constructed, exhibit great durability. Attachment to the piles for bracing and similar purposes tends, however, to be more complicated than in the case of timber. This is a disadvantage that applies also to subsequent maintenance and repairs.
Read More
Reinforced-concrete piled piers and jetties, soundly constructed, exhibit great durability. Attachment to the piles for bracing and similar purposes tends, however, to be more complicated than in the case of timber. This is a disadvantage that applies also to subsequent maintenance and repairs.
Read More

dock
…more economical expedient is the pier, which in its simplest form is merely a platform extending over the water, usually at right angles to the shoreline. Vessels can be moored to the pier, which serves as a transfer platform for cargo and passengers. A pier is composed of two main…
Read More
…more economical expedient is the pier, which in its simplest form is merely a platform extending over the water, usually at right angles to the shoreline. Vessels can be moored to the pier, which serves as a transfer platform for cargo and passengers. A pier is composed of two main…
Read More