Used to protect shorelines, riverbanks, streambeds, or bridge abutments against erosion, riprap has become a hot commodity in the North Texas market due to the large number of lakes in that area.

“In years past, our Coleman quarry sold about 40,000 tons of riprap per year. In 2024, we expect to sell close to double that,” said Jacob Scherer, Regional Manager - Northeast Oklahoma Aggregate Operations & Materials Yards. “Paired with it being the highest priced product at our quarries, we could potentially bring in approximately $1 million in revenue.”

To prepare for this potential future business, we’ve rented a portable trommel at Coleman.

The trommel is a rotating, circular mesh drum that can sort materials based on their size. The mesh allows small materials, like soil or sand, to fall through, allowing the larger materials to flow to the end of the trommel, where they are gathered into another pile to use for riprap.

In addition to sorting the stones, the trommel also helps to round and smooth out their edges, giving the finished product a more attractive and consistent appearance.

“The trommel makes sorting the rock more efficient, and having a more consistent appearance to the stones in the riprap is a value-add for our customers,” Jacob said. “This is an area of high interest right now, and we’re pleased to sell as much riprap as our customers will buy.”

Along with the larger Hercules trommel in place at Richards Spur, this trommel helps us to deliver to current customers while paving the way for future riprap business.