Rociaw Coastal Applications A-Jacks Concrete ArmourRochas! 1.0 A-JACKS DESCRIPTION 1.4 Overview ‘A-Jacks are high stability concrete armour units that are used in river, lake, and coastal applications to control erosion, stabilize shorelines, and provide habitat. In coastal applications A-Jacks are typically used for reefs, revetments, breakwaters, and jetties and may also be used to provide habitat. Figure 1.1 shows a single A-Jacks armour unit and Figures 1.2a — 1.2f show a variety of coastal applications using A-Jacks. The size of units in coastal applications ranges from less than 1 meter to over 4 meters in length. The units may be wet cast at a precast yard or produced on site. A-Jacks may be fabricated using flat forms and grouting two halves together or using 3D single pour forms. Figure 2.1b is an example of single form fabrication. Using flat forms may result in a significant decrease in fabrication costs and production time. ‘A-Jacks are placed in a layer that is one armour unit thick. They may be installed in random, bundle, or uniform placement patterns. Uniform corresponds to a special placement in which the units weave together into an extremely stable geometry. Bundle placement is a uniform group of 4 to 20 A-Jacks units that are assembled onshore and placed as a group using a lifting frame. This is an efficient placement method that also provides near uniform installation. Figure 1.1. A-Jacks armour unit Rocla AvJacks Concrete Armour Units page 1 of 10 May 20091.2 Geometry ‘AdJacks have six arms radiating from a central hub as shown in Figure 1.3. The hub provides strength at the base of the arms and also defines the maximum packing among adjacent units. Figure 1.4 shows the length C, arm thickness 7, and fillet length F. The ratio of the length to the arm thickness is the waist ratio, r = T/C. The ratio of the fillet length to the arm thickness is the fillet ratio, s = F / T. Standard A-Jacks have s = Figure 1.24 Breakwater (2.5 m A-Jacks). Figure 1.2b Breakwater (2.5 m A-Jacks). 1/2. The waist ratio can vary depending upon the application. Thicker units are used in applications in which the structural loads are higher. In river applications the structural loads are rather small, so a slender unit with r= 1 / 6.5 are used. In coastal applications the structural loads are larger and thicker units are used with r= 1/4 to 1/5.2. A waist ratio of 1/4 is a very thick unit that has been used as an underlayer material. A waist ratio of 1 / 5.2 is the thickest waist ratio that can be easily assembled using bundle placement. J L c Figure 1.3 A-Jacks armour unit. Figure 1.5 shows 100 mm A-Jacks models for river (r= 1 / 6.5) and coastal applications (r= 1 / 5.0). The coastal units are much more robust and a have a weight 69% greater than the river units of Figure 1.2¢ Jetty (2.5 m A-Jacks). Figure 1.2 Offshore breakwater (3 m A-Jacks) the same length and the bending moment capacity of the arms is approximately 60% greater. The more robust units are used in coastal — applications because the structural loads are Figure1.4 A-Jacks geometry definitions. higher and because larger units are weaker than ‘small units for loads scaled by the self weight of the unit. In river applications the structural loads are smaller and the more slender units with a lower waist ratio are appropriate. These use less concrete, may be hand placed, and slender units have a higher hydraulic stability than fatter units. 1.3 Volume \ The volume of an A-Jacks is related to the fillet ratio, waist ratio, and length. For standard A- Figure 1.2e Habitat reef (2.5 m A-Jacks). Figure 1.2f Ship channel (0.6 m A-Jacks). Jacks with a fillet ratio of s = 1/2, the relationship between volume and length is v=37PC=act in which a is the volume coefficient. This relationship is for square end A-Jacks. In some coastal applications and in many river applications, round end A-Jacks are used. This is an architectural choice made by the specifying engineer to give the structure a "softer" look. For larger coastal applications, square end A-Jacks are recommended. Rocla AvJacks Concrete Armour Units page 2 of 10 May 2008 Rocla A-Jacks Concrete Armour Units page 3 of 10 May 2008Small A-Jacks are typically defined by their length, while larger A-Jacks are defined by their weight. Table 1.1 summarizes A-Jacks lengths, volumes, and weights for a range of sizes for a concrete density of Yeo = 2,400 kg/m’. This table is for a waist ratio of r= 1/ 5.2 which gives a volume coefficient a = 0.1109. V=0.1109 0? (forr=1/5.2) Figure 1.5 Comparison of river (r= 1 / 6.5) and coastal (r= 1/5.) A-Jacks. When A-Jacks are placed with 3 legs on the underlayer (bundle and uniform placement), the height of the A-Jacks layer normal to the slope ish = _ and length ( 0.80C for r= 1/5.2. In random placement, the layer _kg/m*). 1.4 Layer Thickness Table 1.1. A-Jacks weight, volume, 18.2, Yeo = 2,400 thickness is variable, but is approximately h=0.85C. [weight ] volume ] Lenath (tonnes) (m*) (m) 4.0 0.42 1.55 2.0 AJACKS PLACEMENT TF mea a ‘The geometry of the A-Jacks armour unit allows it to | _29 0.83 7.96 be applied on the slope in several configurations; uniform, bundle, and random. In all cases, AJacks | __3.0 1.25 2.24 are applied as a single layer armour system. a a A 5.0 2.08 2.66 2.1 Uniform Placement 10.0 47 3.35 In uniform placement, the units are placed in a pattern that forms an interlocking matrix with high |‘. ee ee porosity. Stability coefficients are very high because | 20.0 8.33 4.22 uniform placement forms a matrix in which each individual armour unit is interlocked with its neighbors. Placement rates are higher because the units are tightly arranged on the slope. It may not be possible to use uniform placement of A-Jacks underwater when visibility or placement precision is restricted. Uniform placement of A-Jacks requires that: 1) Three legs are in contact with the underlayer, 2) One of the three legs points approximately downslope, and 3) The star leg of the A-Jacks points up and to the left if the build direction is to the left and to the right if the build direction is to the left. Each row of units along the face of the slope is 50% offset from the row below it. When placing units, this, results in a staggered pattem for the A-Jacks. The downslope leg of the unit is positioned into the gap between the two units in the row below it. The leading edge of the installation is at a 45 degree angle across the face of the slope. Figure 2.1 shows a uniform placement installation. The offset and 45 degree angle can be seen in the installation Rocla AvJacks Concrete Armour Units page 4 of 10 May 2009, Installation starts at the toe and proceeds by adding one or more units to each row up the slope along the 45 degree angle. This is then repeated starting back at the toe. Special care is required in placing the toe units to establish the proper alignment for the upslope placement. Once the toe rows are placed, the upslope units are simply a repetition of the spacing of the row below. 2.2 Bundle Placement Bundle Placement is when four or more A- Jacks are assembled in a uniform pattern on the shore, banded together, and placed on the slope using a lifting frame. This is an efficient means of placing units on the slope. When the bundles are laid closely together, the stability approaches Figure 2.1. Uniform placement of A-Jacks. that of uniform placement. Bundles can be placed underwater and provide a means of addressing toe stability. The maximum bundle size depends upon the capacity of equipment used on the project. There is the option to release the binding on bundles which allows the units in the bundle to relax and slightly spread on the slope. Relaxed bundles have the benefits of bundies; assembly onshore, four or more units place per lif, and’ dense unit placement on the slope; but the stability is not dependant upon the integrity of the binding, Figure 2.2 shows A-Jacks being placed Figure 2.2 Bundle placement of A-Jacks. as a bundle. In shallow water, the placement of bundles may be defined by painted lines on the shore and the operator feeling the adjacent bundles in the cross shore. In deeper applications, a grid specifying the placement location of each bundle is defined. The crane position, boom angle, and swing angle are then defined for each pick. Altematively, a RTK-GPS may be used with an antenna installed on the end of the boom and the coordinates of each pick defined. Rocla AvJacks Concrete Armour Units page 5 of 10 May 20092.3 Random Placement ‘AdJacks may be installed one unit at a time in a random placement configuration. This is the common installation approach for most other armour units. Figure 2.3 shows a random placement A-Jacks installation. Maintaining the appropriate placement density and slope coverage requires special attention. Gaps in the coverage are not allowed. For large units, deep water, or poor visibility, a grid specifying the location of each unit may be defined. Crane position or RTK-GPS coordinates are Figure 2.3 Random placement of A-Jacks defined for each 2.4 Coverage ‘The area covered by one A-Jacks when nested on a slope is A=K,C where K, is the packing coefficient or area coverage Table 2.1. AJacks coefficient. Table 2.1 summarizes coverage for A-Jacks with ‘a waist ratio of 5.2. Another common definition for packing CONeTAGE coefficients (r= 1 / density is the number of in-place units required to cover an p= area equal to C’. ‘simply the reciprocal of K,, so in Placement Ky random placement, the value is 2.17. Some armour units define the characteristic length of the unit C, by the width Random 0.46 rather than length, so the number of units per C? value is not Bundle 0.38 directly comparable among different units. = Uniform 0.34 Table 2.2 summarizes coverage rates for a range of A-Jacks sizes and placement methods. Comparing bundle versus random placement there is a trade- off between the increased cost of the additional units on the slope (because the units are more densely packed in bundle placement than random) and the reduced cost of placing them as four or more units at one time. Also, since bundle placement is more stable than random placement, smaller units may be used. The most economical alternative depends upon the relative costs of labor, materials, and equipment. Rocla Avacks Concrete Armour Units page 6 of 10 May 2008 Roclaw’ Table 2.2 A-Jacks coverage rates (r= 1/5.2, Yo = 2,400 kg/m*). Random Placement Bundle Placement Uniform Placement Weight | Number, | otc me | Number, | rome | Number (tonnes) | per 100m? | PaCTOT | per 100m? | PaLAMOS” | per 100m? | Petes 1.0 90.0 90.0 108.9 108.9 1217 1207 1.5 68.7 103.0 83.1 124.7 92.9 139.3, 20 56.7 1134 68.6 1372 767 1534 3.0 43.3 129.8 52.4 157.1 58.5 175.6 40 35.7 1428 43.2 1729 48.3 193.2 5.0 30.8 153.9 37.2 186.2 416 208.2 10.0 19.4 1938 23.5 234.7 26.2 262.3 15.0 14.8 221.9 17.9 268.6 20.0 300.2 20.0 12.2 244.2 148 295.6 165 330.4 3.0 HYDRAULIC STABILITY IN WAVES 3.1. Model Studies ‘AcJacks achieve high hydraulic stability though self weight and interaction with adjacent units. The geometry of the A-Jacks provides for a high degree of interlocking among units with they are nested. The in-place A-vJacks matrix has a high porosity which allows for dissipation of wave energy. The porosity for uniformly placed units with r= 1/5.2 is 57% and for randomly placed is 68%. The combination of nesting with adjacent units and dissipation of wave energy provide for very high stability coefficients. ‘A-Jack have been extensively tested in 2D wave flumes and 3D model basins in Australia, Indonesia, and the United States. These studies have the examined influence of wave conditions, structure slope, placement method, packing coefficient, and waist ratio on hydraulic stability. Tests were conducted specifically for the Gorgan Project at the Manly Hydraulics in NSW. Tests were conducted using irregular waves on a slope of 1.5H:1V. The Manly report is attached as an Appendix. Results from the Manly tests for stability were consistent with results from other tests. Rocla AvJacks Concrete Armour Units page 7 of 10 May 2009,=~ Figure 3.1 Manly test results after 1000 Figure 3.2. Manly test results after 1000 waves for random placement. waves for bundle placement. 3.2 Stability The stability coefficient is determined from the measured conditions corresponding to the maximum waves at which the A-Jacks were stable. The Hudson equation is Wb Kol7!7-WPm) in which Wis the weight of an A-Jack (or bundle), Hs is the significant wave height, m is the slope defined as mH:1V, Yc is the weight density of the concrete, Yew is the weight density of sea water, and Ko is the Hudson stability coefficient. The value for Ko is adjusted to account for similitude between the flume and prototype water and concrete densities. An alternative expression for stability is the stability number Ns defined as Ns=HsK (ro! tor1) Dy) in which D, is the nominal diameter. Experimental and design values for the Hudson stability coefficient are summarized in Table 3.1 ‘A-Jacks sizes for a range of wave heights are shown in Table 3.2 using the Hudson equation and Yoo = 2.4 thm’, r= 1/5.2, m= 1.5H:1V. 3.3 Underlayer For bundle and uniform placement, the weight of the underlayer stone is W, = W/10 where W the weight of the A-Jacks. For random placement larger underlayer stones are used with a weight of Wy = WIT. Larger stones are used for the random placement because the voids in the armour matrix are larger. Smaller stones for bundle and uniform provide a smoother surface which facilitates uniform placement. The nominal diameter, Dp w of the underlayer is defined as Das = (War lV)" Rocla Avjacks Concrete Armour Units page 8 of 10 May 2008 Rocha where Yq is the weight density of the ‘Table 3.1. A-Jacks Hudson stability coefficients from Manly tests underayer stone. For (r= 115.2, m= W:A.5H). A-Jacks with re 115.2, Ko Ko Ne underlayer weights of | Placement | Experimental | Design Design _| approximately Random 29 16 29 correspond to stones Bundle? a 20 34 with nominal diameters that_are 1.117 and | Bundle Relaxed 65 20 34 1.25T where T is the | thickness of the A- Jacks arm. Uniform ® 100+ 25 3.3 (1) Weight was defined as the weight of 4 A-Jacks in the bundle. | Using the weight of a single A-Jack gives Ko = 108. (2) Uniform placement tests were not conducted during this set of The allowable variation of the underlayer weight | Manly tests. Experimental value for Kpis from tests conducted at is 0.75 Wy to 1.25 Wy Ore ‘State Universit with about 50% of the stones weighing more than Wy. The underlayer thickness corresponds to a two stone thick layer. This is approximately two stone diameters. The underlayer thickness should not be less than 0.3 m. The underlayer elevation should not have deviations exceeding 50% of the underlayer nominal diameter from the design profile. Table 3.2 A-Jacks sizes (Yoo = 2.4 Um®, r= 1/5.2, m= 1.5H:1V). Random Bundle Uniform H(m) | w(t) | v(ms3) | c(m) | wat) | v (m3) | C(m) | Wit) | V(m43) | C(m) 1 | 004 | 002 | 054 | 003 | 0.01 | 050 | 003 | 0.01 | 046 2 | 033 | 014 | 1.08 | 027 | 011 | 1.00 | 0.21 | 0.09 | 093 3 [112 | 047 | 161 | 089 | 037 | 1.50 | 0.72 | 030 | 1.39 4 | 265 | 110 | 215 | 212 | oss | 200 | 170 | 071 | 1.85 5 | 518 | 216 | 269 | 414 | 173 | 250 | 331 | 1.38 | 232 6 | 895 | 373 | 323 | 716 | 298 | 300 | 573 | 239 | 278 7 [1421 | 5.92 | 376 | 11.37 | 474 | 349 | 9.09 | 379 | 3.24 8 | 2121 | 884 | 430 | 1697 | 7.07 | 399 | 1357 | 566 | 3.71 9 | 3020 | 1258 | 484 | 2416 | 10.07 | 449 | 1933| 805 | 4.17 10 | 4143 | 17.26 | 5.38 | 33.14 | 1381 | 4.99 | 2651 | 11.05 | 4.63 Rocla A-Jacks Conorete Armour Units page 9 of 10 May 2009| Roclaw This document provides specifications and recommendations for the fabrication of an installation of A-Jacks armour units for marine applications. Additional product and technical information may be obtained from: Rocla Pipeline Products A-Jacks Marine Attention: Michael Carell 1011/198 Surf Parade 72 Orchardleigh St Surfers Paradise, QLD 4217 Guildford NSW 2161 T: 07 5527 2828 E:carnelim@rocla.com.au E: info@a-jacks.com Tel: 02.9721 5220 www.a-jacks.com www.rocla.com.au National 131 004 Rocla A-Jacks Concrete Armour Units page 10 of 10 May 2009