Uses for marine mattresses in coastal engineering

By Steven A. Hughes

Purpose: The Coastal and Hydraulics Engineering Technical Note (CHETN) described herein provides basic information on the Triton Marine Mattress System, describes potential applications for marine mattresses in coastal engineering, and summarizes previous successful deployments of marine mattresses in projects by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and others.

Description of marine mattresses: Marine mattresses are rock-filled containers constructed of high-strength geogrid. Geogrid panels are laced together to form mattress-shaped baskets that are filled with small stones similar to construction of gabions. Tensar Corp., manufacturer of the geogrid panels used to form the mattress, developed the Triton Marine Mattress System. The system is not patented, and the mattresses could be constructed using similar geogrid products from another manufacturer. However, as of the date of this CHETN (February 2006), all mattress applications in the United States have been made using Tensar geogrid.

Steven A. Hughes, Ph.D., P.E., Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, USAE Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss.