Design the Change: Reno Mattress Plus

The approach to watercourse management is increasingly considering social and environmental aspects along with the economical impacts of hydraulic structures. Sometimes referred to as Green Infrastructure approach, the incorporation of the natural environment and engineered systems has proved to be effective to enhance community health and safety, ecosystems and to boost the economy. Understanding of hydraulic engineering and watercourse ecosystems enables us to find a better balance between the demands of our societies and environmental equilibrium.
Reno Mattress Plus is the result of experimental tests at Colorado State University. A deeper understanding of the performance of the mattress enables us to make more cost-effective designs that will give to our solutions an increased competitiveness in comparison to equivalent and alternative (traditional) systems.
Traditional river bank protections realized with loose stones (rip-rap) require thick layer of material to be effective. This is due to the fact that the stones are not confined and that the stones layer cannot be accurately placed resulting in higher stone consumption and, consequently, increasing the environmental burden.
Choosing Reno Mattress Plus over traditional river bank protections will help the designer and the owner to save over 70% of stones volume.
Additionally, we will compare a riprap solution with the Reno Mattress Plus from a "green infrastructure" perspective... Reno Mattress Plus creates a natural habitat for living species, enhancing biodiversity through the protection of the benthos. The interstitial spaces of the mattress offer an habitat for species that live in the transition zone between water and land.