Hydraulic Erosion Control
Reinforced cellular confinement protects channel beds and slopes from hydraulic flow forces.
Concrete, aggregate or vegetation
Durable Hydraulic Protection with Neoloy® Tough-Cells
Channels, drainage systems, shorelines and hydraulic structures face continuous erosion from flowing water, rainfall, wave action, sheet flow, saturated soils and changing water levels.
Protection isn’t just about covering the surface. It must address water velocity, tractive forces, uplift, slope angle, saturated soil, drainage and long-term durability. When the surface system loses integrity, erosion can damage the channel bed, undermine slopes, reduce hydraulic efficiency, and threaten nearby infrastructure.
Common channel and environmental protection challenges:
Hydraulic infrastructure exposed to sustained flow, weak soils, and high velocities needs more than basic confinement — it needs stiffness, creep resistance, and dimensional stability over time.
Neoloy® Tough-Cells form a reinforced cellular mattress over the channel bed, side slope, shoreline or drainage structure. Once anchored and filled, the system confines the infill, dissipates hydraulic energy and protects the underlying soil from erosion.
The system improves hydraulic protection through:
The solution uses three main surface cover systems: soil/vegetation for low flow velocities, gravel for moderate flow velocities and concrete hard armor for high flow velocities.
Neoloy® channel protection translates hydraulic resistance into long-term project value.
Reinforced cellular confinement protects channel beds and slopes from hydraulic flow forces.
High reinforcement efficiency can reduce concrete demand in hard-armour systems.
Flexible confinement accommodates minor ground movement and helps limit cracking and leakage.
NPA cell walls add tensile strength to the channel cover system.
NPA maintains stiffness under sustained loading and environmental exposure.
Low creep preserves cell geometry and helps prevent gaps in the protected surface.
Folded sections deploy quickly and can act as controlled forms for concrete infill.
Less concrete, faster installation and simpler logistics can reduce total project cost.
Lower concrete and aggregate demand can reduce transport, material use and embodied carbon.
Dikes and dam protection systems require reliable resistance to overtopping, saturated slopes and high hydraulic forces. Neoloy® Tough-Cells can be used as a permeable or hard-armor protection system depending on water flow and design conditions.
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Roadside channels, drainage ditches and culverts are exposed to concentrated runoff and high sheet-flow conditions. Neoloy® Tough-Cells protect soil from erosion while allowing engineers to select vegetated, aggregate or concrete infill according to hydraulic demand.
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Irrigation channels must maintain hydraulic efficiency while resisting erosion, cracking and seasonal construction constraints. Neoloy® Tough-Cells with concrete infill provide a fast, controlled and reinforced channel lining system.
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Landfill covers and containment systems require erosion control, infiltration control, drainage and long-term environmental resistance. Neoloy® Tough-Cells can protect cover layers, drainage layers and containment berms using concrete, gravel or vegetated infill depending on the application.
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Reservoirs and containment ponds require protection of geomembranes, slopes and liner systems. Neoloy® Tough-Cells can be installed above geomembranes to create a protective, stable and uniform cover layer.
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Neoloy® Tough-Cells support Sustainable Drainage Systems and Low Impact Development strategies by protecting soil in bioswales, open-channel drainage corridors and stormwater retention areas. The system helps preserve soil structure, reduce channeling and support vegetation growth.
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Neoloy® Tough-Cells also support lower-impact infrastructure by reducing material demand, improving drainage and enabling local or recycled infill where suitable.
Across sustainable construction applications, Neoloy® Tough-Cells can help:
In Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, the irrigation system required faster, more durable channel modernization within a short dry-season construction window. Neoloy® Tough-Cells were selected by Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development as a fast, reliable and cost-effective channel protection solution.
The project used Neoloy 356-50 with 7 cm M200 concrete infill for trapezoidal irrigation channels with 3 m high walls, side slopes above 41°, a 3.5 m wide channel bed and design water flow velocity of 3 m/s.
PRS supports each project with engineering evaluation, solution configuration, surface cover selection, anchoring guidance, installation training and project-specific value engineering.