Reno Mattress

Reno Mattresses, or revet mattresses, are gabion type structures manufactured from 6 x 8 double twist mesh with more planar area and relatively small in thickness. The blending of Reno Mattress structures into the environment is rapid and pleasing. The voids in the rock fill become progressively filled with silt, promoting vegetation growth which is essential to the preservation and maintenance of the ecological balance of the surrounding environment.

Reno Mattresses are used for river bank and scour protection, channel linings for erosion control, and embankment stability. They are filled with rock at the project site to form flexible, permeable, monolithic structures to promote rapid growth of natural vegetation. All the physical and mechanical properties of Maccaferri Reno Mattresses meet or exceed the requirements of ASTM A975.

The base section of the Reno Mattress is divided into compartments and filled with stones at the project site. With lids secured, Reno Mattresses form flexible, permeable, monolithic structures. The woven mesh system has the capability of withstanding unexpected and/or localized stresses due to ground settlements and scour by deflection while maintaining its structural integrity. The stone fill allows the water to seep through the structure while retaining the soil; therefore, no additional drainage is required to relieve the hydrostatic pressures. Reno Mattress construction does not require skilled labor because they are easily built using standard construction equipment. Structures can be built in stages, if necessary, and baskets can be prefilled and launched to enable underwater installation. As always, Maccaferri area offices offer on-site assistance.

Advantages and distinctions of Maccaferri Reno Mattresses:

A mattress shaped version of the gabion used mainly for erosion control when the retaining properties of box gabions are not required
Their strength lies in their double twisted hexagonal steel wire mesh which is reinforced by selvedges of heavier wire running along the edges
The base section is divided into compartments to restrict the movement of stone and strengthen the structure
The lid is supplied as a separate panel
The wire will not unravel even when cut
Easily assembled, requiring no specialized labor and using nearby rock for fill
Free drainage and 30-35% voids allow vegetation to grow

Maccaferri’s first hydraulic erosion control intervention was on the Reno River, near Bologna, Italy, over 130 years ago. It is there that the term Reno Mattress was developed.