Rip Rap

 

Winter storm waves, boat wakes, fluctuating lake levels, and wind all contribute to the erosion of lakefront property. Not only does erosion reduce the size of you land, but the deposits of eroded material into the lake create shallow water conditions in front of your home. These deposits promote the growth of awatic weekds which can eventually interfere with your recreational access to the lake. The most serious impact to you as a lakefront home owner, is the loss of your property. Restoration is virtually impossible, so it is best to stop the problem before it starts.

Rip rap is a heavy stone facing, or armor, on a shore bank used to protect it and the adjacent upland against wave scour. Rip rap depends on the soil beneath it for support and should be built on stable shores or bank slopes. Rip rap is composed of three selections: the armor or stone layer, the filter layer, and the toe protection. Typical armor is composed of rough, angular rock. The second component is the underlying filter layer. This special filter cloth, also called geo-textile, supports the stone against settlement. By doing this, it allows groundwater seepage. In certain cases, such as a very steep bank, layering over the top of the rip rap slope may be an option. This kind of layering provides a buffer from rainwater that could seep under the rip rap.

To assure that a rip rap shoreline will remain stable, a certain stone size will be specified for your shoreline. Stone size is commonly expressed in terms of a D50 at a road mix is 12 inches, 50% of the stones will pass through a sieve with 12 inch openings. The remaining rocks will be larger. The largest stone in the mix will not be 1.5 x the D50 (18 inches). The thickness of the rip rap layer should be 2.25 times the D50 (27 inches). For conditions around the lakes and ponds of Georgia, a D50 of 10-12 inches will be adequate under most circumstances. Smaller stone sizes will also be included in your rock mix to any voids it may have.

The transportation of the rip rap begins at the rock quarry, from which it is trucked to a location deemed permissible for loading and unloading by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. At the point, the rip rap is loaded by tractor to a barge and transported to the job site via push boat.

Prior to rip rap construction the existing ground should be graded, with the assistance of a back hoe. Next, a slope no steeper than 2 feet horizontal, to 1 foot vertical is created. Once complete, the fill is free of debris and firmly compacted before construction proceeds.

Boat Dock Works only uses the most up to date technology and equipment. In doing this, Boat Dock Works is able to implement the necessary techniques to correct and prevent lakefront erosion in the most cost efficient manner possible.

Because of the vital role that Lake Lanier plays in the economic welfare of Georgia, it is imperative that the lake and its shoreline are maintained to the highest possible standards. For this reason I have chosen to invest my interest in the market of shoreline preservation.