Dolos concrete armour unit
Dolos (bloque de escollera de hormigón)
- Date
- 1963 · confidence high
- Place
- Port of East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Credited to
- Eric Merrifield and Aubrey Kruger
- People
- 👤 Aubrey Kruger1935–2016👤 Eric Merrifield1966–
- Field
- Tools
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A concrete block shaped like a twisted H that interlocks with others when stacked and dissipates wave energy. It is used in breakwaters worldwide.
Merrifield, the harbour engineer, is credited as the inventor; the Kruger family claims the shape was their idea.
What it led to
- more stable breakwaters using less concrete
- a family of interlocking armour units
- coastal protection in ports worldwide