A-Jacks
A-Jacks are a commercially made concrete product used in both open channel and coastal applications. They consist of two concrete T-shaped pieces joined perpendicularly at the middle, forming six legs.[1] They are a product owned and patented worldwide by Poseidon Alliance Ltd.
Applications
Open channel applications include bank stabilization, flow and grade control, scour protection for
stream bank
to a more natural state while continuing to protect against erosion.
In coastal applications A-Jacks are used as
artificial reefs, and habitat development. In breakwater applications, A-Jacks can be an economical alternative to quarried rock, which can be both heavier and unwieldy; over the course of a breakwater construction project, the number of transportation cycles to deliver product to the site can be reduced substantially, since A-Jacks are delivered flat on trucks whereas rock rip-rap would be brought in dump trucks. For example, rock can weigh between 150-175 lb;[2]
a suitable rip-rap boulder comparable to a 96 inch A-Jacks unit (about 36 c.f.) would weigh about 5800 pounds, about 16% more than the A-Jacks unit. A-Jacks also have the advantage of being interlocking and self-stabilizing. For artificial reefs and habitat development, typical reef-building biota find areas of low turbulence within the open spaces to establish colonies.
See also
- Artificial reef – Human-made underwater structure that functions as a reef
- Breakwater (structure) – Coastal defense structure
- Gabion – Cage full of rock
- KOLOS – Concrete breakwater element
- Xbloc – Concrete breakwater element
References
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