Riprap is one of the essential works in the case of exterior development or earthwork. It represents a practical solution to avoid the risks of landslides. It is also less expensive than building a retaining wall and more useful in many ways. Riprap is a complex operation, so it is essential to call on a professional company for an outdoor landscaping project.
What type of riprap should I use?
Riprap is a complex operation, and many parameters must be considered. The choice of riprap is one of the elements that mostly influence the nature of the work.
Aesthetic riprap
Aesthetic or landscape riprap consists of improving the appearance of a garden as part of outdoor development. It is a purely aesthetic operation with little impact on the garden’s functionality. To do this, it is possible to create different levels to make the garden more dynamic. In this case, it is possible to use rocks of different sizes depending on the desired result. Aesthetic riprap is easy to create.
Riprap for support
Contrary to an operation aiming to improve the aesthetics of a garden, the rockfill for support or slope rockfill is more functional. Indeed, it allows stabilizing a sloping ground or a ground on different levels to avoid landslides.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of embankment rockfill?
Riprap is the best alternative to retaining walls, which are expensive to build. Even though riprap is mainly used for functional purposes, this structure adds charm to your outdoor space. Indeed, the riprap often uses natural stones, not cut, giving it a more or less singular and natural appearance. It is, moreover, possible to integrate plants into the structure to improve its aesthetic rendering.
On the other hand, the riprap retaining wall is challenging to achieve. Because the rocks’ dimensions are different, the arrangement is more difficult to set up. Cut stones are an easier alternative, but it takes away the natural asset of the layout.
In addition, the large size of the stones makes the operation difficult, and a specialized company is often required to do the work.
Is riprap subject to any specific regulations?
If there are no specific regulations for landscape riprap, this is not the case for slope retaining. Indeed, before carrying out the work, it is mandatory to declare it to the town hall. Even if no building permit is required for this type of project, it must respect the local urban plan.
In addition, additional regulations, such as the question of joint ownership or safety insurance must also be taken into account in certain regions.
Doing the riprap yourself: good or bad idea?
Riprap is a particularly complex operation and difficult to supervise. The difficulty depends on several elements: the location of the work site, the slope inclination and the importance of the difference in level to be stabilized, the size of the rocks to use, etc.
The transport of the rocks and their placement requires the use of construction equipment. Because of the rocks’ size and weight, handling them is difficult, even dangerous.
Therefore, calling upon a specialized company to carry out the work is highly recommended.
It is also essential to ensure the safety of the operations concerning the neighborhood. Moreover, if an owner decides to carry out the work himself, he will be held responsible in case of accidents.
