Mattresses and Gabions / Wire-Enclosed Rock

Revetments
 Wire-enclosed rock revetments consist of rectangular wire mesh baskets filled with rock.
 They are formed by filling
pre-assembled wire baskets with
rock, and anchoring to the
channel bottom or bank.
 Wire enclosed revetments
are applicable for conditions
that are similar to those of other revetments.
 However, their economic use is limited to
locations where the only
rock available economically is too small for
use as rock riprap slope protection.

Additional
 Advantages:
 Their ability to span minor pockets of bank subsidence without
failure.
 The ability to use smaller, lower quality, and less dense, rock in
the baskets.
 Flexibility
The Double Twisted Hexagonal Mesh construction of the units
permits it to tolerate differential settlement without failure.
 Durability
Gabions & Reno Mattresses built from high strength double twisted
hexagonal mesh filled with natural hard durable stone and connected
together to create a monolithic mass structure capable of
undergoing structural movement without any loss of structural
integrity creating a highly durable structure.
 Environment-friendly
Void between gabion stones is filled with soil and silt which promotes
vegetation growth. Vegetation strengthens the gabion mattress
structure and maintains the ecological balance.
Special outlook blends well with surroundings.
Disadvantages:
 Susceptibility of the wire baskets to corrosion and
abrasion damage.
 High labour costs associated with fabricating and
filling the wire baskets.
 More difficult and expensive repair than standard rock
protection.
 Types – based on geometry or shape
1. Mattresses
2. Block gabions
 Mattresses: Consist of flat wire baskets having a depth dimension which is much
smaller than their width or length.

 The individual mattress sections are laid end to end and side to side on a
prepared channel bed or bank to form a continuous mattress layer.
 The individual basket units are attached to each other and anchored to the
base material.
 Block gabions: Consist of rectangular wire baskets having depths that are
approximately the same as their widths and of the same order of magnitude
as their lengths.
 The baskets are stacked in a stepped-back fashion to form the revetment
surface.
 They are typically rectangular or trapezoidal in shape.
 Mattresses: can be constructed from commercially available wire units or from
available wire fencing material.
a) Application:
 Mattress revetments can be used to protect
either the channel bank or the entire channel perimeter.
b) Bank and Foundation Preparation:
 Channel banks should be graded to a uniform slope.
 All blunt or sharp objects (such as rocks or tree roots)
protruding from the graded surface should be removed.
 Large boulders near the outer edge of the toe and
apron area should be removed.
c) Mattress Unit Size and Configuration:
 Individual mattress units should be of a size
that is easily handled on site.
 Commercially available gabion units
come in standard sizes
d) Thickness: is determined by three factors:
1) The erodibility of the bank soil
2) The maximum velocity of the water, and
3) The bank slope. Minimum
Maximum Mattress
The mattress thickness should be Bank Soil Type Velocity (m/s) Bank Slope Thickness(mm)

at least as thick as two overlapping Clays, heavy 3.0 < 3V:1H 230
cohesive soils
4.0-4.9 < 2V:1H 300
layers of stone.
Any < 2V:1H >500
The thickness of mattresses used
Silts, fine sands 3.0 < 2V:1H 300

as bank toe aprons should always

exceed 300 mm. Shingle with 4.9 < 3V:1H 230
gravel
6.1 <2V:1H 300
The typical range is 300 to 510
Any <2V:1H >500
mm.
f) Stone Size: maximum size should not exceed the thickness of individual
mattress units.
 The stone should be well graded within the sizes available, and

 70% of the stone, by weight, should be slightly larger than the wire-mesh opening.

 Common median stone sizes used in mattress designs range from 76 to 152 mm for
mattresses less than 0.3 m thick.

 For mattresses of larger thickness, rock having a median size up to 0.31 m is used.

g) Edge Treatment:
 The edges of rock and wire mattress revetment installations (the toe, head, and
flanks) require special treatment to prevent damage from undermining.
 Toe Treatment: possible toe configurations.
A) mattress with a toe apron,
B) mattress with a toe wall - little toe scour is expected,
C) mattress with toe wall and an apron–excessive toe scour expected.
D) mattress of variable thickness
h) Filter Design:
 Individual mattress units will act as a crude filter as well as a pavement
unit when filled with overlapping layers of hand-size stones.

 However, it is recommended that the need for a filter be investigated, and if

necessary,

 a 100-mm to 150-mm layer of gravel be placed between the silty bank

and the rock and wire mattress revetment to further inhibit washout
of fines.

 Block Gabions:

a) can be constructed from commercially available wire units or from available

wire fencing material
b) Application:
 Stacked gabion revetments are typically used instead of mattress designs when
 the slope to be protected is greater than 1H:1V or
 the purpose of the revetment is for flow training.
 They can also be used as retaining structures when space limitations prohibit
bank grading to a slope suitable for other revetments.
 Typical design schemes include
 flow training walls, and
 low or high retaining walls.

C). Bank and Foundation Preparation:

 They must be based on a firm foundation, and
 The foundation or base elevation of the structure should be well below any
anticipated scour depth.
 In alluvial streams where channel bed fluctuations are common, an apron
should be used as illustrated.
 Aprons are also recommended for situations where the estimated scour
depth is uncertain.
d) Gabion Size and Configuration:
 Commercially available gabions used
in stacked configurations include
those listed in the Table.
 Typical design configurations include
 Flow training walls, and
 Structural retaining walls.
 Flow training walls: are used to establish
normal channel boundaries in rivers
where erosion has created wide channel,
or to realign the river when it is encroaching
on an existing or proposed structure.
 Retaining walls can be designed in either
a stepped-back configuration or a batter configuration.
e) Gabion Walls Design
 Gabion walls are gravity structures and their design follows standard
engineering practice for retaining structures.
f) Edge Treatment
 The flanks and toe of stacked block gabion revetments require special
attention.
 The upstream and downstream flanks of these revetments should include
counterforts.
 Counterforts are installed to tie the walls to the channel bank at regular
intervals as illustrated.
 The toe of the revetment should be protected by placing the base of the
gabion wall at a depth below anticipated scour depths
g) Backfill/Filter Requirements:
 Standard retaining wall design requires the use of selected backfill behind
the retaining structure to provide for drainage of the soil mass behind the
wall.

 The permeable nature of gabion structures permits natural drainage of the

supported embankment.

 However, since material leaching through the gabion wall can become
trapped and cause plugging, it is recommended that a granular backfill
material be used.

 The backfill should consist of a 51 to 305 mm layer of graded crushed stone

backed by a layer of fine granular backfill.
Vegetation
 Vegetation can function as either revetment or indirect protection, and in some
applications, can function as both simultaneously.
 Grassy vegetation and the roots of brushy and woody vegetation function as
revetments,
 Brushy and woody vegetation function as indirect protection.
 The roots of vegetation may also add a degree of geotechnical stability to a
bank slope through reinforcing the soil.
 Vegetation is most often used in conjunction with structural protection.
 It can have a particularly important role in the stabilization of upper bank slopes.
 Vegetation is especially appropriate for environmentally sensitive projects,
whether benefits to recreation, aesthetics, or wildlife are the object.
 Advantages:
 Environmental attractions
 relatively low cost.
 Disadvantages:
 Cannot be planned and installed with the same degree of confidence, or with as
high a safety factor, as structural protection since vegetation is especially
vulnerable to extremes of weather and inundation before it becomes well
established.
 Often require significant maintenance and management to prevent the following
problems:
 Growth of vegetation causing a reduction in flood conveyance or
causing erosive increases in velocity in adjacent unvegetated areas;
 Large trees threatening the integrity of structural protection by root
invasion or by toppling and damaging the protection works, or by
toppling and directing flow into an adjacent unprotected bank; and
 Roots infiltrating and interfering with internal bank drainage
systems, or causing excess infiltration of water into the bank.
 Many of these problems may be avoided through selection of the appropriate
type, and species of vegetation for the purpose.
 Vegetations used for protection works
 Several vegetation types are available for protection works.

 These are shown below (Table) and include Weeping lovegrass, Bermuda
grass, Alfalfa, etc.

 The vegetation are grouped into five classes in their degree of retardance.

Banks are designed so that

= permissible / critical tractive

stress
 Design Considerations
 Similar to the other direct protection methods, the basic criterion in the
design of vegetation protection measure is that the flow induced tractive
force should not exceed the permissible unit tractive force.

 Flow induced tractive force is given by

 The grass vegetal covers are grouped into five classes (A, B, C, D, and E)
regarding the degree of retardance, as shown in the Table.

 The permissible unit tractive force, , depends on the retardance class.

Indirect Bank Protection Works

 Groynes
 Are employed as an indirect way for protection of banks

 They are in general cheaper than direct protection measures.

 Groynes are low dikes/embankments that are constructed more or less

perpendicular to the channel banks with a view to stabilizing the alignment
of the channel.
 They can be viewed as stream training works.
 Their main purpose is to reduce the net width of the channel so that the
depth of the net cross-sectional area is increased.
Groyne Structure
 Groynes are generally
closed structures, i.e., do not
allow water to pass through
them.
They are often built from
soil/rock or materials of
the stream bed.
A plan and sections of a
typical groyne is shown
 Some Design Aspects
 Length of groynes:
 It is dictated by the intended channel alignment
 Crest levels of groynes:
 For alluvial channels the crest levels of the groynes are kept above the
water level corresponding to the design discharge / dominant
discharge,

 The crest levels are either horizontal or inclined upward to meet the
banks.

 This helps to reduce the risk of scouring at higher floods especially at

the bank-groyne meet
 Angle of groynes:
o No definite recommendation as to the angle between the groynes and the
channel bank exist.

o In fact, experimental studies show some conflicting results

 Some studies show that groynes pointing upstream experience less

scouring,

 Other studies show that groynes at 900 rather have less scouring,

 Other studies show that groynes pointing downstream experience less

scouring.

o Recent practice tends to favour an upstream inclination making 15-30 degree

with a line normal to the flow
additional
 Distance between groynes:
o So far no theoretical way to determine the distance between groynes. Too
short a distance is expensive
o Empirical rule of thumb:
 Twice the channel width
 1-5 times the length of the groynes
 The distance is such that one strong vortex/eddy is formed
 Embnakment materials:
o Embankment materials for the construction of the groynes is best taken from
the stream bed material,
o If this proves unsatisfactory, rockfill may be used. Gabions can also be used
 Scour Protection:
o The heads of groynes may be subjected to scouring and thus require
protection.
o Mattress revetment can be used.
2.2 River Bed Protection Works
 In upper reaches of some streams, longitudinal slope is often excessively
steep causing strong erosion.
 In the lower reaches, the slope flattens and large quantities of eroded
material, often coarse gravel or even boulders, are deposited.
 This may lead to the clogging of the channel causing flooding and damages.
 The erosion-deposition cycle may be improved by reducing the slope of the
streams by structural measure including
 Drop structures,
 Check dams, and
 Bottom sills
Drop Structures
 Drop structures are commonly used for flow control and energy dissipation.
 The slope of a stream is changed from steep to mild by introducing vertical
drops at regular intervals.
 Changing the channel slope from steep to mild between the drops preclude
the development of high erosive velocities.
 The kinetic energy or velocity gained by the water as it drops over the crest
of each structure is dissipated by a specially designed apron or stilling
basin.
 The hydraulic behaviour of a drop structure is similar to that of a free overfall
weir.
 The water passes through critical depth as it flows over the drop structure
crest / brink.

 The free-falling nappe forms a supercritical flow on the apron at the distance
L1 from the drop wall with depth y2.

 A hydraulic jump forms immediately downstream with a sequent depth of y3

 Types
 Different types of drop structures are used in practice for flow control and
energy dissipation.
 One of the most commonly used type is the Straight drop structure
 Design consideration for straight drop structure
 A straight drop structure is characterized by flow through a rectangular weir
followed by a drop into a stilling basin.
 The stilling basin may be a flat apron or an apron with various baffles and
sills depending on the site conditions.
 The design premise of drop structures for grade control is based on the
requirement that the slopes between the drops is fixed in such a manner
that the average bed shear stress (flow induced tractive force) at the design
discharge remains below its permissible / critical value for the given soil
condition.
 In a given reach, mean height of the drop dictates the number of drops.
 The same effect can be achieved by small number of high drops (a), or a
large number of low drops (b) – see figure.
 The mean height of the drops should be decided upon only after careful
study of all the hydraulic and economic aspect of the alternatives.
 In a typical drop structure used for grade control measure, three main parts
can be distinguished
 The drop and the hydraulic jump immediately d/s
 The reach between the drops where there is uniform flow
 Drawdown section immediately upstream of the drop
 In the hydraulic design of drop structures, the drop number gives a
quantitative measure for drop
q2
Nd  3
gho
Nd = drop number
q = specific discharge, m3/s/m
g = acceleration due to gravity, 9.81 m/s2
ho = drop height, m
 The dimensions of a drop structure is estimated with the help of the drop number:
L1 = 4.3 ho Nd 0.27
y1 = 1.0 ho Nd 0.22
y2 = 0.54 ho Nd 0.425
y3 = 1.66 ho Nd 0.27
L1 = drop length, m
y1 = pool depth under the nappe, m
y2 = depth of flow at the beginning of the hydraulic jump, m
y3 = sequent to y2, m
 The length of jump L2 can be estimated using the standard hydraulic jump
equations. Several empirical equations exist that relate L2 to y2 or y3. A typical
relationship is L2 = 5 to 6 y3.
 Recall that the type and location of the jump is dictated by the downstream
tailwater depth
 If y3 = tailwater depth, perfect jump forms
 If y3 < tailwater depth, submerged jump forms
 If y3 > tailwater depth, jump migrates downstream,
 Scour Protection
 Immediately upstream of the drop structure where the drawdown curve
forms, the flow velocities increase due to the falling depth.

 This may cause erosion.

 (about 50-60% of the entire water level drop in about 10-15% of the
overall length).

 Bed protection is required.

 Channel protection for a short length downstream of the stilling basin is
also essential if back erosion is to be avoided at flow rates higher than
the design discharge.
 Checkdams
 These are weir like structures / low dams that are built across a stream bed
to facilitate the bed-slope reduction to be done essentially by the river itself.

 Low dams are built across the stream bed at a relatively short distance
between them.

 A backwater curve forms behind the dams which leads to the reduction
in the hydraulic grade line,

 Sediment depostion occurs in the backwater region since the sediment

transport capacity is reduced,

 Overtime, a milder longitudinal slope is established

 Local scour, upstream and downstream the dams, is a common occurrence,

 The foundation of the dams should be deeper,

 If the river banks are protected, checkdams should extend about 1 m beyond
the meeting line between the bed and the bank.
 Bottom Sills
 Sills are subsurface low dams that are built across a stream bed to facilitate
the bed-slope reduction to be done essentially by the river itself.
 They are used when small checkdams are not acceptable.
 Before the erosion of the original stream bed between the sills takes effect,
there is no influence of the sills on the flow.

 Eventually such erosion will go on until a new equilibrium slope is

established, milder than the original one.

 At that stage, the system will form a cascade of small drops.

 Bottom sills should always be built strong enough to act as low retaining
walls after the erosion has taken place.
 Reading Assignment
On application of Geosynthetic materials on bank stability.