ALY, T. E. BURROWS. 
A shrinkage of the fascines usually takes place under the weight 
of the mud, and during the first twelve months amounts to 12” or 
18", and this shrinkage is made up with silt or other good surface 
material obtainable. | 
The first cost of fascine embankment work——at the section 
given—is under 3/- per cubic yard, inclusive of backing with silt 
for an average width of 3’; and when the fact that such small 
subsidence has to be allowed for, and a very small expenditure for 
maintenance, the embankment may be considered a cheap training 
wall with a life of over twenty years. Some of this work con-— 
structed at Cook’s River, nearly ten years ago, bearing out the 
probability of this statement. 
When a scour occurs or the proximity to a steamer’s wash is : 
unavoidable, it has been found advisable to face the embankment : 
with fascines, as shown in Section “A”; that is, with a liner or 
stretcher fascine staked down along the face of each layer of silt. 
Embankment work of this nature, has been considered as 
specially liable to damage from fire; but the experience of the 
author is against this theory, and where the bank has a good top 
layer of mud, and the fascines are kept to high water spring tides 
level, it is almost impossible to seriously damage the work by fire. 
Timber shoots or box drains are used to relieve the banks while 
in their early stages, from the water pressure caused by falling 
tides: the shoots being fitted with a hinged flap, which opens 
outward only ; and where large areas are dealt with, or consider- 
able back water has to be released, a self-acting sluice door is 
used for the same purpose. ; 
In concluding the remarks on embankment work it may be 
mentioned that where the banks have been constructed by truck- 
ing the material for the work ahead, over that recently constructed — 
behind, greater consolidation and security are gained at a very 
slight additional cost. The Great Marlow Embankment was a 
combination of earthwork with a fascine face, where height of : 
bank exceeded 5’ and was constructed for protection of river banks 
from erosion (section herewith). 
