Flexible rope net gabion

Abstract

A transportable, flexible rope net gabion useful for scour protection includes a lifting ring, a plurality of polymer ropes connected to the lifting ring, a polymer net connected to the polymer ropes, and a plurality of stones or boulders. Up to 45% of the volume of the polymer net is packed with the stones or boulders, so that the rope net gabion can be evenly positioned around a structure to be supported. The polymer ropes, the polymer net, or both the polymer ropes and the polymer net are made using virgin high density polyethylene (HDPE).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A transportable, flexible rope net gabion for scour protection comprising:
 a. a lifting ring;   b. a plurality of polymer ropes connected to the lifting ring;   c. a polymer net connected to the polymer ropes, the polymer net having a volume; and   d. a plurality of stones or boulders,   wherein up to 45% of the volume of the polymer net is packed with the plurality of stones or boulders, such that the rope net gabion could be evenly positioned around a structure to be supported;   wherein the polymer ropes, the polymer net, or both the polymer ropes and the polymer net are made from 20% to 100% by weight of high density polyethylene (HDPE).   
     
     
         2 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the HDPE is virgin HDPE of ethylene or bioethylene. 
     
     
         3 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the HDPE is a polymer of bioethylene produced by dehydration of ethanol. 
     
     
         4 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the HDPE is a polymer of bioethylene produced by dehydration of ethanol. 
     
     
         5 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the polymer ropes, the polymer net, or both the polymer ropes and the polymer net are made from 20% to 100% by weight of virgin HDPE and 0% to 80% of virgin polyester. 
     
     
         6 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the virgin polyester is virgin polyethylene terephthalate. 
     
     
         7 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the polymer ropes, the polymer net, or both the polymer ropes and the polymer net are made from 20% to 90% by weight of virgin HDPE and 10% to 80% of virgin polyester. 
     
     
         8 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the polymer ropes, the polymer net, or both the polymer ropes and the polymer net are made from 50% to 100% by weight of virgin HDPE and 0% to 50% of virgin polyester. 
     
     
         9 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the polymer net is a knotted net. 
     
     
         10 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the polymer net is a knotless net. 
     
     
         11 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the polymer net is monolithically connected to the plurality of polymer ropes. 
     
     
         12 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the polymer net is made from 50% to 100% of virgin HDPE and 0% to 50% of a virgin polyester; and   the polymer ropes are made from the virgin polyester.   
     
     
         13 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the polymer ropes are made from 50% to 100% of virgin HDPE and 0% to 50% of a virgin polyester; and   the polymer net is made from the virgin polyester.   
     
     
         14 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 both the polymer ropes and the polymer net are made from 50% to 100% of virgin HDPE and 0% to 50% of a virgin polyester.   
     
     
         15 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the polymer net is made from 50% to 100% of virgin HDPE and 0% to 50% of a virgin polyester; and   the polymer ropes are made from the virgin HDPE.   
     
     
         16 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 the polymer ropes are made from 50% to 100% of virgin HDPE and 0% to 50% of a virgin polyester; and   the polymer net is made from the virgin HDPE.   
     
     
         17 . The rope net gabion as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 both the polymer ropes and the polymer net are made from virgin HDPE.   
     
     
         18 . A method of making a rope net gabion comprising a lifting ring, a plurality of polymer ropes, and a polymer net having a volume, the method comprising:
 making the plurality of polymer ropes from 20% to 100% by weight of HDPE and 0% to 80% by weight of virgin polyester;   connecting the plurality of polymer ropes to the lifting ring;   connecting the polymer net to the plurality of polymer ropes; and   filling up to 45% of the volume of the polymer net with a plurality of stones or boulders.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising making the polymer net from 20% to 100% by weight of the HDPE and 0% to 80% by weight of the virgin polyester. 
     
     
         20 . A method of making a rope net gabion comprising a lifting ring, a plurality of polymer ropes, and a polymer net having a volume, the method comprising:
 obtaining HDPE manufactured from bioethylene produced by dehydration of ethanol;   making the polymer net from 20% to 100% by weight of the HDPE and 0% to 80% by weight of virgin polyester;   connecting the plurality of polymer ropes to the lifting ring;   connecting the polymer net to the plurality of polymer ropes; and   filling up to 45% of the volume of the polymer net with a plurality of stones or boulders.