Using TrapBag for Stabilizing River Banks
While it’s natural for river banks to erode over time, human activity can exacerbate it and make it more severe.
TrapBag is a low-cost, rapid-deployment barrier bag that is similar to, yet improves upon, the design of conventional sandbags. It uses a cellular design to withstand the impacts of water moving against river banks and protect the land behind them from eroding or washing away. This makes them an ideal river bank stabilization method.
Prevent River Bank Erosion with TrapBag
TrapBag is designed to be easier to install than other river bank stabilization methods. Each cell in a TrapBag barrier is interconnected with its neighbors, which strengthens the entire barrier and allows it to hold back even the highest floodwaters during major storms or flooding events.
The barriers are designed to be easy to set up in just a few steps:
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Open the packaging: TrapBag barriers come folded up on a pallet. They are pulled out like an accordion and can be stretched up to 50 linear feet per unit at their maximum length.
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Place the barrier where you need it: Prop the TrapBag river bank stabilization barrier against the vulnerable river bank or anywhere else you might typically use erosion control blankets or rip rap.
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Fill the cells: A team of two people and an equipment operator can fill your TrapBag barrier within minutes with sand, gravel, or concrete. Once your first barrier is completely filled, you can also stack another barrier on top of it and begin the process again to create a taller barrier.
Who We Serve
We work with organizations, business owners, and agencies across the world to help them protect what matters most from the negative effects of river bank erosion. Some of the organizations we work with include:
Municipalities and cities:
Government organizations need river bank protection methods that will keep homes, businesses, and infrastructure like highways and sewer systems safe from damage.
Learn More »Civil engineering
We work with coastal and civil engineering firms across the globe to protect river banks and the structures near them, such as homes and roads. In turn, the roads and bridges they construct will require fewer repairs due to river bank destabilization.
Learn More »Environmental protection
Environmental protection agencies at the local, state, and national levels use TrapBag to protect river banks from erosion. In turn, they can protect natural habitats and local wildlife to preserve them for future generations.
Learn More »Projects
How TrapBags Compare to Other Solutions
Rip rap is an assortment of stones, pieces of recycled concrete, or other recycled roadway material placed along river banks to prevent them from destabilizing or washing away. This is an effective long-term river bank stabilization method that municipalities favor.
However, rip rap can be very expensive to install, even for smaller projects. Conservative estimates put installing the rocks at $30 per square yard as a baseline. Prices can increase substantially depending on the size you need, where the rock is coming from, and the area you need to cover. If you need shorter-term river bank stabilization and protection or are on a restrictive budget, TrapBag is a cost-effective solution.
Sandbags have been the go-to solution for protecting river banks from flooding and destabilization for thousands of years. They can be used as a relatively cheap solution for river bank protection by stacking them against the banks during periods of high water.
However, you get what you pay for with sandbags. Enough water pressure or wave action from the river can shred a typical sandbag and leave the river banks vulnerable to destabilization. They can also be very labor-intensive to fill and stack where you need them. On the other hand, TrapBag can withstand wave action from rivers for years, protecting the river banks from washing away or becoming destabilized.
Why Choose TrapBag as a River Bank Stabilization & Protection Method?
TrapBag was first designed in 2004 by our founder, Everett “Buzz” Waid, as an all-around improved alternative to traditional flood control systems after a hurricane devastated his community. Since then, we’ve installed hundreds and hundreds of miles of flood barriers around the world.
TrapBag improves on the traditional design of sandbags. One 100-foot section of TrapBags replaces 8,000 sandbags. We engineered the cells in these barriers with a pentagonal shape with one sloped side and one vertical side to ensure their structural integrity. The barrier is also less likely to give way than other traditional river bank stabilization systems.
Even more, our staff wants to ensure you can protect what matters most. Our team is here to help 24/7 across multiple countries and continents.