Streambank Protection

Planning and Design

Approaches
Instructor:
David T. Williams, Ph.D., P.E.
David T. Williams and Associates, Engineers
david@dtwassoc.com

Overview

Project Planning

Project Design

Revetment Design Materials

Design Criteria and Procedures

Design Software

Planning Steps

Determine cause of streambank failure

Decide if bank is worth protecting

Inventory available resources

Select a bank protection measure

Develop a project plan

Obtain permits

Construct the project

Inspect and maintain the project

Project Considerations

Planning-Stakeholders / Funding / Regulations

Conduct Geomorphic Assessment

Perform Hydrologic Design

Calculate Hydraulic Design Parameters

Select Bank Protection Approach

Perform Design Calculations

Prepare Plans and Specifications

Obtain Permits

Construction, Inspection, and Maintenance

General Design Considerations

Great variation in site conditions

Numerous materials and design details

Handbook type analyses lead to poor solutions

Cookbook approach impractical

Good design practice involves judgement and

experience

Checklist of Major Design Factors

Geomorphology

Hydrology and Hydraulics

Geotechnical

Environmental

Toe Protection

Surface Drainage

Safety Factor

Manufacturers Recommendations

Design Geomorphology

Location of Work

Helps answer three basic questions:

Where do we begin work?

Where do we end the work?
What alignment do we follow from beginning
to end?

Beginning and Ending Points

Length of Protection

Time sequence analysis of channel migration

(Planform or horizontal stability)
Channel surveys (hydrographic or topographic)
Aerial photography

Plan form interpretation

Talk to locals
Numerical or physical modeling

Beginning and Ending Points

Spot Protection

Transition to existing bank

Downstream is more critical than upstream.

Extend protection downstream at least 1.5
(prefer 2) times approach channel width.

Upstream: shallow key-in may be sufficient.

Downstream: deeper key is recommended.

Braided Streams

Stabilize a considerable distance upstream

and downstream from the active erosion.

Channel Alignment
Considerations

Use existing alignment where possible.

Relocation may be appropriate for:

Principle: Existing alignment has resulted from an integration of all

pertinent variables.
Relocation is undesirable (environmental, engineering and cost
factors)

Irregular alignment or smoothing sharp bends

Check envelope of stable values for:

Sinuosity
Pool and bar spacing
Ratio of bend radius to channel width

Design Discharge

Design discharge is not necessarily an

extreme event.

Is it the flow that stresses the protection most

severely?

Is it the flow that governs the geomorphology

of a stream?

Theoretical channel-forming discharge or

dominant discharge or bank full discharge.

Design Hydraulics

How deep? How high? How strong?

Hydraulic design factors:

Design discharge
Variations in discharge and stage
Tractive force
Secondary currents
Prediction of toe scour
Top elevation of protection

Top Elevation of Protection

Extend protection up to design flowline +

freeboard (most conservative).

Consider placing the top elevation at a more

frequently occurring flowline based on:

Stage duration
Erodibility of upper bank material
Type of protection
Bank slope
Consequences of failure

Geotechnical Design Considerations

Presence of groundwater can have a significant impact

on the stability of a bank.

Two methods of groundwater control:

Surface drainage to prevent surface water infiltration.

Subsurface drainage to remove water from the soil.
Horizontal drains (slotted pipe)
Vertical drains (for areas with high ground water tables)
Drainage trench

Slope stabilization

Flattening
Benching

Prediction of Toe Scour

Matter of judgement and experience

Scour prediction tools

Analytical Methods
Empirical Methods
Numerical Modeling

Will talk about it in later lectures

Revetment Design Materials

Numerous product options

Consult manufacturers design manuals

Most common revetments:

Stone or Rock Riprap

Gabions
Cellular Blocks
Articulated Concrete Blocks (ACB)
Soil Bioengineering or Vegetated Revetments

Selection Criteria

Selection of material is very project specific

Hydraulic conditions

Scour and sediment transport conditions

Slope stability

Visual impact

Environmental compatibility

Selection Criteria

Material installation and maintenance costs

Effectiveness in reducing bank erosion

Availability

Vegetation compatibility

Feasibility of installation

Durability and longevity

Time to establish effectiveness

Riprap Design Methods

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (EM 1110-2-1601)

Federal Highway Administration, Design of Riprap

Revetment (HEC-11)

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (EM-25)

California Department of Transportation Bank and

Shore Protection Manual.

U.S. Geological Survey (Blodgett & McConaughy,

1986)

USACOE Riprap Design Criteria

Based on experimental data

Coefficients account for safety factor, side-slope,

stability, velocity distribution in bends.

Generally not for highly turbulent areas (e.g.,

stilling basins)

Channel slopes of 2 percent or less

Representative stone size is D30

Gabions

Gabions are stone filled wire mesh baskets tied

together to form a flexible, continuous protection.

Gabion baskets are made of heavily galvanized or

PVC-coated steel wire. Baskets are manufactured in
three different shapes: box, mattress, and sack.

Capable of withstanding high velocity flows.

Follow design procedures by manufacturer or use

gabion design software.

Gabion Terms

Gabions Woven (double

twisted) Wire

Reno Mattress

Welded Wire
Gabions

Gabion Design Procedure

Determine the hydraulic shear stress acting on

the lining.

Determine rock size and critical shear stress.

Determine lining thickness.

Determine filter requirement (fabric or gravel

filter)

Determine toe scour depth and specify toe

protection method (e.g., toe scour apron)

Major Gabion Manufacturers

Maccaferri Gabions, Inc.

www.maccaferri-usa.com
West Coast Division Office
Maccaferri, Inc., 3650 Seaport Blvd.
West Sacramento, CA 95691, Tel: (916) 371-5805

Terra Aqua Gabions

gabions@terraaqua.com
P. O. Box 7546, Reno, NV 89510, Tel: (775) 828-1390

Other Revetment Systems

Cellular Confinement Systems 3 dimensional cells

confine and reinforce fill material

Articulating Block (AB) Fabric form - a series of

compartments linked by an interwoven perimeter with
grout ducts that interconnect the compartments. High
strength cables are installed between and through the
compartments and grout ducts. Grout is injected.

Articulating Concrete Blocks (ACBs) - A matrix of

individual concrete blocks placed together by
interlocking or cables

Cellular Confinement Systems

Cellular Confinement Systems

Articulating Block (AB) Mat

Fabric Form Concrete (Fabriform)

Articulating Concrete Blocks (ACBs)

ACBs consist of concrete blocks that may

be interlocked or cabled to form a flexible
revetment.

No standard design procedure.

Consult manufacturers for design

procedures and software.

Trilock ACB

Trilock ACB

Armorflex ACB

Failure of ACB Mat Systems

Definition of Failure: Loss of intimate contact between the

revetment and the subgrade.

Progressive failure mechanisms:

Flow beneath the armor layer causing increased uplift

pressure and separation of blocks from the subgrade.
Loss of subgrade soil through piping or washout.
Rapid saturation and liquefaction of the subgrade soils
in fine sands and silts.
Loss of block or blocks from the revement matrix.

Failure of ACB Mat Systems

Failure of ACB Mat Systems

ACB Mat Design Procedure

Factor of Safety (FOS) method.

Compute hydraulic conditions.

Assume a block class.

Calculate FOS.

If FOS is greater than or equal to 1.5 (okay).

If FOS is less than 1.5 (Not okay). Select a larger

block class and compute FOS again.

Major Manufacturers of Cellular

Systems and ACB Mats

Armortec, 3260 Pointe Parkway, Suite 200, Norcross, GA 30092,

Website:www.armortec.com

Western Region, 17113 Minnetonka Blvd., Suite 223

Minnetonka, MN 55375, Phone: (952) 476-5979

Presto Products Company - Geosystems

670 N. Perkins St., P.O. Box 2399, Appleton, WI 54912-2399,
Website: www.prestogeo.com, Tel: 1-800-548-3424 or 920-738-1118

International Erosion Control Systems L.L.C., Cable Concrete,

P.O. Box 119, 30630 Forest Boulevard, Stacy, MN 55079, Website:
www.IECS.com, Tel: 1-800- 433 9143 or (612) 462 4466.

PETRATEC, Inc., 4444 West 78th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55435,

Tel: 1-800-787-2359 or (612) 897 1617

Filter Design

Why is a filter required?

To prevent migration of fine soil through revetment

(retention). If filter openings are too large, excessive
piping of subgrade soil will cause failure.
To relieve hydrostatic pressure within soils under the
revetment (permeability). If filter openings are too small,
hydrostatic pressure will build up behind the filter and
cause a slip-plane to form and result in a massive slide
failure.
To distribute the weight of the armor and provide uniform
settlement.

Filter Design

Types of filters

Granular filters
Geotextile filter fabric
(quick installation, less expensive, difficult to install
underwater)

Granular Filter ratio requirement (applies between soil

and filter and also filter and revetment cover):

D15 (coarser layer)/D85 (finer layer) 5

D15 (coarser layer)/D15 (finer layer) > 5 but < 40

Multiple layers may be used to satisfy the filter ratio.

Granular filter blanket thickness ranges from 6 to 15

inches.

Geotextile Filter Design Criteria

Apparent Opening Size or AOS (soil retention)

For soil with 50% particles by weight passing U.S. #200

sieve (0.074 mm), use filter with AOS less than 0.6 mm.
For soil with > 50% particles by weight passing U.S. #
200 sieve, use filter with AOS less than 0.3 mm.

Permeability (K)

Kfabric > Ksoil

Selected Design Software

RIPRAP Design System Program, WEST

Consultants, Inc., 11848 Bernardo Plaza Court.,
#140-B, San Diego, CA 92128, Tel: (858) 487
9378

AFLEXOCF Computer Program and Armorflex

Design Manual for ACB Revetments, by Armortec,
Tel: (952) 476 5979

GABION DESIGN SYSTEM Users Manual, Terra

Aqua Gabions, P.O. Box 18158, Reno, NV 89511,
Tel: (775) 828 1390

GEOWEB Cellular Confinement System Program

by Presto Products Company

Selected Design Software

GEOFLTR, Geotextile Filter Design Program by TC

Mirafi, 365 South Holland Drive, Pendergrass, GA
30567, Tel: (706) 693 2226

EROSIONWORKS Computer Program by American

Excelsior Company, 850 Avenue H East, Arlington,
TX 76005, Tel: (817) 640 1555

ECMDS Erosion Control Blanket Design Computer

Program by North American Green Inc., 14649 Hwy
41 North, Evansville, IN 47711, Tel: 1-800 772-2040

EROSIONDRAW and BIODRAW by John McCullah,

Salix Applied Earthcare, 491 South Street, Redding,
CA 96001, Tel: 1-800 403 0474