Generally, revetments are located on the outside bank of bends where bank recession or erosion is most active as a result of impinging flow (see Figure 7‑11). They may be required elsewhere to protect an embankment from wave wash or flood attack.

The segment of revetment placed above the annual flood elevation may differ in design from the segment located below that elevation due to the conditions affecting construction, the types of materials available, and the differences in the duration and intensity of attack. The higher segment is termed upper bank protection, and the lower segment is called subaqueous protection. Both are required to prevent bank recession, and the upper bank protection may be extended to a sufficient height to protect against wave action. For smaller streams and rivers, the upper and subaqueous protections are usually of the same design and are placed in a single operation.

The banks on which revetments will be placed should be graded to slopes that will be stable when saturated, and an adequate filter system should be incorporated to prevent loss of bank material through the protective revetment.

The type of filter system used depends on slope stability, bank material, type of revetment, and availability of filter materials.

Filter materials may consist of sand, gravel, or woven or non-woven synthetic filter cloth.

Numerous materials have been used for bank protection, including dumped rock, Portland cement concrete, sacked sand-cement, soil cement, gabions, and precast blocks.