Texas Tuff Rock Bag(tm) Product Description
A flexible alternative to gabions and rip rap with many benefits
Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) are a flexible and sustainable rock filled net bag that are suitable alternatives to concrete, gabions, blockstone and rip rap revetments.
They come in 2 ton and 4 ton sizes of polyester nets to be filled with rock. The have been developed as a result of several decades years of soil bioengineering experience using high performance nets filled with graded rocks as flexible, but ecologically advantageous, revetments. Almost a million rock bags have been deployed in a wide variety of applications around the globe.
Polymer net bags have been proven to be the most robust nets in fresh and saline water environments and have the highest UV resilience and anti-abrasion properties of any net product.
The smaller graded rock within the net bags reduces flow velocities by absorbing water energy into the high interstitial spaces between the rocks. These high interstitial spaces also provide enhanced habitat for invertebrates, accrete fines, gravels and silts which allow vegetation to establish naturally over time.
Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) can be used independently or as part of a bioengineering design with vegetated systems above water level, providing the most effective scour and erosion control solutions available in the market. Working with nature rather than against it to provide habitat biodiversity simultaneously with an engineered approach for asset protection.
Read about the recent Case Study where Rock Bags were substituted for rip rap and gabions while eliminating the need for a coffer dam.
Texas Tuff Rock Bag(tm) Applications
River Bank Revetment
River Bank Revetment at foot with Gabion
River Bank Revetment
Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) can be used on sloping banks or cliffs in such a way as to absorb the energy of incoming water. Can be used in combination with other materials (fill, natural materials, geotextile fiber, sand bags, gabion, protection blocks, etc.)
River Bank Revetment
River Bank Revetment at foot with Gabion
River Bank Revetment
Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) Can be installed in step-piling when a bank is steep. They work well in water. Sometimes they eliminate the need for Coffer Dam to deploy.
River Bank Revetment at foot with Gabion
River Bank Revetment at foot with Gabion
Scour Protection Around Bridges Piers and other Structures
Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) can be used in combination with other bank and erosion control such as gabions. Is effective in providing in-water foot protection.
Scour Protection Around Bridges Piers and other Structures
Scour Protection Around Bridges Piers and other Structures
Scour Protection Around Bridges Piers and other Structures
Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) can easily be deployed to protect bridge piers from scour and provide a natual protect which blends into river bottoms.
Shoreline and Intertidal Protection
Scour Protection Around Bridges Piers and other Structures
Protection of Bank Structures & River Bottoms
Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) have been proven to be the most robust nets in fresh and saline water environments and have one of the highest UV resilience and anti-abrasion properties of any net product.
Protection of Bank Structures & River Bottoms
Scour Protection Around Bridges Piers and other Structures
Protection of Bank Structures & River Bottoms
Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) provide an easy to deploy robust structure to prevent undesired erosion & scour to river banks and bottom.
Scour Protection for coastal structures and ports
Scour Protection for coastal structures and ports
Scour Protection for coastal structures and ports
Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) can provide an effective solution to protect from scour for ports and ship berths. They are easy to deploy and can be combined with other measures.
Artificial reefs
Scour Protection for coastal structures and ports
Scour Protection for coastal structures and ports
Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) can be deployed directly in the water from shore or barges in simple or complex formations to create artificial reef like environment.
Temporary Work Solutions
Erosion protection and habitat biodiversity
Erosion protection and habitat biodiversity
The Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) can be deployed and stacked to provide a stable surface which can be stabilized and support temporary or emergency work surfaces for equipment to complete necessary work.
Erosion protection and habitat biodiversity
Erosion protection and habitat biodiversity
Erosion protection and habitat biodiversity
Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) can be used independently or as part of a bioengineering design with vegetated systems above water level, providing the most effective scour and erosion control solutions available in the market. Working with nature rather than against it to provide habitat biodiversity simultaneously with an engineered approach for asset protection.
Texas Tuff Rock Bag(tm) Benefits
* Effective in reducing water flow velocities by absorbing water energy. Replaces rock armor, riprap
* Fresh and saline environment - adapts to all soil environments and contours. Reduces site prep.
* UV stabilized nets are abrasion resistant and do not suffer from corrosion.
* Filling process can be centralized and standardized. More efficient and safer (90% labor savings)
* Installation is safer and quicker. Can be installed in flowing water or below water level.
* Resilient protection while providing habitat.
Environmental and Ecological Benefits
- The stone sizing and grading within the Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) has been developed to provide a balance between the structural interlock needed to provide a robust revetment and the optimum grading for ecosystem development and diverse biotic community habitat.
- Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) encourages fine accretion of sediment to enable vegetation establishment providing habitat for insects, molluscs and other invertebrates, which in turn supports fish and water bird populations.
- Unvegetated Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) blend in easily with natural freshwater and marine sediments and provide substratum for numerous faunal and invertebrate species
- Many hard revetments (e.g. concrete blocks, blockstone, rip-rap, gabions) deflect and reflect water energy which can cause erosion and scour issues elsewhere. Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) are absorptive rather than reflective due to the high interstitial spaces between the rocks. As such, water energy is absorbed, resulting in natural processes being retained and minimizing the impacts downstream or around the revetment.
- Rock Bags can be used in conjunction with Soil Bioengineering techniques as a hybrid solution to create genuine ecological enhancements within the revetment design.
Materials
- Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) products use Polyester nets from virgin Polymers because of their lower risk of abrasion and fragmentation.
- The Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) are made from the most abrasion resistant and UV resistant materials available, ensuring the highest performance levels, greatest longevity and lowest risk to the natural environment.
- Independent research has shown that the Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) nets are significantly more stable than nets made from recycled polymers, so last longest and are more abrasion resistant.
- Constant investment is made in net technology to improve engineering performance and to ensure minimal environmental impact
Texas Tuff Rock Bags(tm) Filling & Installing
Filling Process
Installation Process
Installation Process
The filling process is simple and has many advantages over gabions.
- centralized in a production type environment
- quicker to fill than gabions using much less labor
- safer during filling and placing process
Installation Process
Installation Process
Installation Process
The Installation process is easier than many types of technologies.
- Single point of lifting and set down - highly controlled.
- Easy to move to site.
- No site preparation required.
- Can install in flowing water or underwater
- Safer to install.
- Quicker to install.