BC Ministry of Forests
Riprap Standards
October 26, 2022
1.0 Use
Typically for ministry bridge projects, riprap shall be used to prevent or retard erosion and scour
in the vicinity of bridge piers and abutments. Bank erosion near abutments may result from
natural shifting of the stream channel or from disturbances to natural banks caused by bridge and
road construction. Bed scour near piers and abutments may result from severe floods,
degradation of the stream profile over time, local eddy currents around piers and projecting
abutments, or lateral shifting of the thalweg (deepest part of channel).
2.0 Sources
Riprap shall be made of sound, durable quarry or talus rock that will not deteriorate during
freeze-thaw cycles or on exposure to water or the atmosphere. Durability testing and approval of
rock sources may be required. Where quarry rock is not reasonably obtainable, non-rounded
boulder sources may be approved. Average solid density shall not be less than 2.4 tonnes per
cubic metre.
3.0 Nominal Size
Riprap particles shall be of a nominal size of at least 200 mm (as measured along the rock’s
intermediate axis), and in a mixture in which no more than 50 percent by mass is finer than the
median (D50) size.
4.0 Size Selection
The nominal size for a specific application should be selected according to the expected local
flow velocity under design flood conditions, according to Table 1. Local velocity means the
vertically averaged value at a specific point on the channel cross-section. In case of doubt as to
the appropriate velocity, the next larger nominal size should be used.
Velocities may be estimated from actual flood observations and adjusted to design flood
conditions, or from calculation of flood depths and velocities using the gradient, cross-section
and estimated roughness of the stream channel. In estimating local velocities, cross-sectional
shape and plan curvature shall be taken into account.
Alternatively, from extensive experience, riprap sizes may be based on the performance of
equivalent installations on the same stream or in hydraulically similar situations. In streams with
coarse alluvial beds, a rough guide is to ensure the nominal size of bank riprap is at least twice
the size of the largest stones on the stream bed.
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Table 1: Riprap Size Classes and Allowable Velocities
Nominal (D50) size Equivalent mass Maximum allowable
(mm) (kg) velocity (m/s)
200 10 2.5
300 35 3.0
450 125 3.6
600 280 4.2
800 700 4.8
1000 1300 5.3
1300 2800 6.0
5.0 Gradation and LayerThickness
The gradation of riprap and thickness of riprap layers shall be in accordance with Table 2
(reference: Section 205-Standard Specifications for Highway Construction (TRAN))
Table 2: Riprap Gradation and Layer Thickness
Class of Nominal Rock Gradation- Percentage Smaller Than
Riprap Thickness of Given Rock Mass (kg)
(kg) Riprap (mm)
15% 50% 85%
10 350 1 10 30
25 450 2.5 25 75
50 550 5 50 150
100 700 10 100 300
250 1000 25 250 750
500 1200 50 500 1500
1000 1500 100 1000 3000
2000 2000 200 2000 6000
4000 2500 400 4000 12000
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Where the gradation specified in Table 2 is not reasonably obtainable, more widely graded or
quarry-run material of equivalent nominal size may be considered by the ministry if a greater
thickness is provided. Gap-graded material liable to excessive segregation is not acceptable.
Where practicable, the ratio of D100 size to nominal size should not exceed 1.5.
6.0 Underlayer
Where riprap is placed on top of soil such as fine gravel, sand or silt, a containment layer of
coarse gravel or equivalent quarry rock not less than 100 mm thick shall be placed between the
soil and the design layer of riprap. If necessary, additional layers of intermediate sized riprap
shall be used to contain underlying layers that could reasonably be expected to be susceptible to
erosion underneath the design layer of rip rap.
7.0 Rock Shape
On average, the ratio of long axis to short axis in a rock should not exceed 2, and no rock should
have a ratio exceeding 3.
8.0 Bank Slope
Riprap on stream banks should normally be placed on a slope of 1 vertical to 2 horizontal.
Steeper slopes may be approved where there would otherwise be excessive encroachment into
the channel or difficulty in matching natural slopes, but in no case should the slope be steeper
than 1 to 1.5. Where a slope steeper than 1 to 2 is used, a larger rock size shall be used.
9.0 Placement
Riprap shall be laid out to ensure an even distribution of rock sizes over the area covered. The
placed material shall be tamped or otherwise treated to provide an even, dense surface with a
minimum of voids.
Use of hand-placed rock or grouted riprap of smaller size and thickness may be approved by the
ministry in special cases.
10.0 Length of Bank Riprap
Where the bridge is located in a reasonably straight reach and the abutments are at or near the
stream banks, bank riprap should normally be provided on both banks on either side of the bridge
centreline (Figure 1). The length along each bank shall not be less than the width of the
disturbed zone resulting from road and bridge construction, or less than 20 percent of the channel
width, whichever is greater.
Where the bridge is located in a channel bend and there is evidence that one bank is subject to
erosion and the other to accretion, riprap may be restricted to the eroding bank only. In bends
where both banks may be subject to erosion, smaller riprap may be placed on the inner bank.
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The ends of bank riprap shall be keyed at least 1 m into the bank in trenches, as indicated in
Figure 2.
11.0 Cross-section of Riprap
The upper limit of riprap shall be the top of the bank or the design flood level, whichever is
lower. A horizontal apron or a thickened toe shall be provided, containing a sufficient volume of
rock to cover potential scour development (see Figure 2). Scour level shall be taken as no higher
than the deepest point in the channel in the general vicinity of the bridge, or as 1.5 m below local
bed level, whichever is lower.
12.0 Pier Riprap
Riprap may be required around the foundations of in-channel piers. Pier riprap shall consist of a
horizontal apron flush with the stream bed, extending all around the pier or footing for a distance
equal to at least 1.5 times the pier width (see Figure 1.)
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Figure 1: Plan - Bank and Pier Riprap
Bank
Bridge Centerline
Keyed into Bank
Figure 2: Section – Bank Riprap
Design Flood Level
Apron
1.50 Underlayer
where required
Thickened Toe
Alternative
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