Rip Rap Revetment in Florida Rip rap is the material used in seawall construction in Florida’s revetment. The rip rap seems like a pile of rocky material being randomly placed on the beach. Installed along the baseline, they add stability and a natural facing appearance whether standalone or in association with a vertical seawall. And, more importantly, they are dedicatedly placed or arranged. In addition to a buried toe to cradle the rock formation, we always place underlayment first. When installing, Florida Fieldstone or lime rock are precisely placed at a 2:1 ratio. Fuctioning These seawalls work by absorbing and deflecting the energy of waves. The riprap material absorbs the impact energy generated by waves, while the gaps between the rocks trap and slow the flow of water. This also prevent soil erosion. Advantages 1. Low cost for installation (compared to other major fashion of wave prevention). 2. More effective than sea wall. 3. The 'broken' nature of revetments (wooden slats and loose material) ensures wave energy is dissipated. Disadvantages 1. They are unattractive and require lots of beach space. This would reduce the beach zone open to the public and tourism. 2. Revetments absorb energy unlike sea walls that reflect it, therefore they are subject to greater erosion and thus constant maintenance is required. This increases the expense.
