Riprap — also known as rip rap, rubble, shot rock or rock armour — is rock or other material used to armor shorelines and streambeds against water and sometimes ice erosion.
It is normally made from hard rock, commonly granite or concrete rubble recycled from construction sites, and is used to protect coastlines from erosion and other coastal processes caused by the sea. It is also used inland on lakes, rivers, and other waterways to protect the banks from erosion.
Workings
It normally works by absorbing the impact of a wave before the wave reaches the cliff or sea defence, and so minimises the erosion caused by the wave.
It is frequently used to protect the base of old Edwardian/Victorian sea walls, which due to the vertical wall, are often undermined. The riprap absorbs the impact of the waves if they shoot up the wall, and then fall back down.
References
- Ciria-CUR (2007) - Rock Manual - The use of rock in hydraulic engineering
- N.W.H. Allsop (2002) - Breakwaters, coastal structures and coastlines
See also
- Erosion control
- Riparian zone
- Revetment
- Accropode
- Baer's law
- Construction aggregate
- Dimension stone
- Limestone
External links
- Design example, USACE
- Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources riprap guide
- US Bureau of Reclamation publication on riprap for dam overtopping
- Minnesota DNR
- USGS Minerals Yearbook: Stone, Crushed
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Last updated on Friday September 19, 2008 at 04:28:15 PDT (GMT -0700)
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