Revetments are used to hold the river in desired alignment by stabilizing the river banks. They are placed on the outside banks of the bends in the river where the river's attack is most destructive. The New Orleans District has revetted over 361 miles of the Mississippi River bankline.

New Orleans District uses two methods to construct revetments. One method is placing concrete mats in the river along the bank. The other method is trenchfill revetment.

College Point after the revetment construction and rock placement for stabilization Bank failure due to erosion at Luling, Louisiana. Note the size of the white truck in the background. A caved bank at Arbroth, Louisiana. Failures of this type are caused by the earthen bank shifting underwater.

Contact

CEMVN-ED-LC
New Orleans, LA
504-862-1428

Revetment construction with concrete mats on the Mississippi River is unique. The process starts with the smoothing of the bank to a stable slope from the top to well beneath the water surface. Then the concrete mats are placed in the water along the base of the river. Before the development of the concrete mats the revetments were constructed using wood, typically hand woven willow planks.

The Corps uses trenchfill revetments to stabilize the existing channel and prevent the channel from changing course and developing a new chute channel that is less navigable. Trenchfill revetments are used when the channel is poorly aligned, and the standard articulated concrete mattress revetments can not be used.

Trenchfill revetments achieve the desired channel alignment by using the river as a dredge to remove the silt and sand in front of the trench. Once the the sand and silt has eroded away, the stone launches into the river and paves a new riverbank.

Construction of Trenchfill Revetment at Hogpoint	Revetment construction at Hogpoint near Angola, LA
Trenchfill Revetment at Hogpoint between river miles 294 and 299	Revetment construction at Hogpoint

Contact

CEMVN-ED-LC
504-862-1428