What is Rip Rap?
Rip rap describes a variety of rocky material placed along shore-lines, foundations for bridges, steep inclines, and other shore-line structures to safeguard from erosion and scour. Rocks used vary from four inches to over two feet. The size of the rock required on a project is subject to the steepness of the incline and how quickly water is moving. Rip rap is a very enduring, natural-looking method. One disadvantage is the possibility for the rocky material to not be easily navigable by animals; filling the open areas between the rocks with soil or smaller rocks helps to tackle this issue.
Where is Rip Rap Used?
Rip rap is used where a shoreline or structure is continually exposed to fast-flowing water:
- Close to bridges along causeways and adjoining supports in waterways.
- Along lake shore-lines to restrict erosion related to wave action.
- Along the outer banks of a river bend, depleting the force of the water towards the bank.
Erosion can jeopardize bridges, wash-out adjoining roadways, or cause property loss; impeding erosion helps keep people safe. At first look, rip rap might seem like a simple science for alleviating the force of water, but it requires a lot of assessment by engineers. Expense comes into the discussion early since rock can’t always be located locally, and transporting a large abundance of rock is costly, and neither is the rock itself. Establishing the beneficial size and amount of rock can restrict the expense related with the solution.
Advancements in Rip Rap
Water resources engineer Mr. Pete Lagasse performed research with the NCHRP of the Transportation Research Board that created standards for an erosion control method referred as “partially grouted” or matrix rip rap. Rather than relying on loose stone, and a lot of it, partially grouted rip rap integrates a cement-adhesive mixture, kind of like “gluing” the rocks to one another.
This tactic utilizes smaller-sized rocks, overlaid and “glued” at the worksite, ensuing in a rip rap answer that’s around 1/2 to 2/3’s the thickness of a common loose stone installation. This technique not only saves costs for clients, but it also has demonstrated its effectiveness as the partial grouting enables for higher hydromechanical stability without sacrificing penetrability.
Landscaping Materials Scottsdale, Arizona
A & A Materials, Inc., located in Scottsdale, Arizona, offers, rip rap rock, mulch and wood chips for your landscaping or gardening needs. Contact us or call us at 480-990-0557 for more information.