HEX-LOC® inspired by nature's 'super shape'

An eco-inspired solution is tackling New Zealand’s erosion problems.

It might not have the dangerous fauna and flora of Australia,
but the 'Shaky Isles' aren’t without their hazards.

​

​​

Notorious for slips, floods, and erosion due to its steep terrain, fractured geology, and occasional severe weather, New Zealanders routinely wake to the havoc of slips across hillsides and transport corridors.

​

Meanwhile, the relentless ocean works away at vulnerable shorelines, and rivers prone to flooding wash millions of tons of sediments into the sea, destabilising bridges and other essential infrastructure.

​

But from the same capricious Mother Nature comes the inspiration for a cost-effective solution that stops erosion in its tracks.

HEX-LOC® and EcoReef® address inland slope instability and coastal erosion utilising a clever modular hexagonal block. The blocks connect horizontally and vertically, forming an interlocking honeycomb structure that creates a stable, adaptable mass capable of managing erosion on slopes, riverbanks, coastal areas, and alongside roads.

"The hexagon is nature’s supershape" says HEX-LOC® Business Development Manager Rachael Mackman. "It's a strong, versatile natural building block. Our engineers have harnessed that inspiration, delivering an abatable stabilisation solution that works in almost any place susceptible to washaways.”

​

Strong, flexible and cost-effective

HEX-LOC® is suitable for diverse applications in civil engineering, coastal protection, and landscape management. Mackman says that other techniques for arresting constantly shifting soft soils have been both expensive and inflexible.

“For example, gabions are cumbersome, time-consuming, and require custom installation with a high degree of manual labour, and require rock, which may or may not be available near site,” she explains. "Traditional piling methods often come with significant costs, especially in remote or difficult-to-access locations. While vegetative solutions provide natural and effective protection, they require time to establish".

By contrast, HEX-LOC® provides a flexible solution that adapts to many needs. Each block is designed to interlock seamlessly, and when combined and stacked in tens or hundreds, they form a robust, self-supporting structure. Their hexagonal frame is intentional: it simplifies handling and allows any onsite fill to be used, significantly reducing transport costs.

“The lattice structure is part of the genius,” adds Mackman. “And that also provides the substrate for vegetation to take hold, adding to the ecosystem and protecting vegetation from subsequent erosion events.”

​


Fast and efficient installation

Each stackable cell is substantial in scale, measuring 1400mm x 1585mm and weighing 620kg, increasing by more than a ton once filled. But thanks to its innovative design, installation is rapid and efficient, with blocks interlocking seamlessly above and below. Contractors consistently report ease of use, noting that no additional equipment is required to achieve secure placement.

Mackman sends kudos to the engineers behind the system. “It’s pretty clever as it directly targets one of the biggest cost centres associated with erosion control: labour. When erosion control requires specialised skills, fixing problems takes longer, and the problem worsens, making remediation yet more expensive. We’ve created a high-tech solution resting on a low-tech building block. Installation is fast, simple and easy, which means more slips and unstable slopes can be repaired, for less money.”

It’s a ‘Kiwi solution for a Kiwi problem’, adds Mackman. “The ‘Shaky Isles’ with our constant slew of slips isn’t about to change. But how we deal with them is,” she concludes.

​

HEX-LOC® and EcoReef® are advanced modular erosion control systems built around strong, interlocking hexagonal modules. Working together, HEX-LOC® and EcoReef® deliver long-term coastal and infrastructure protection, while supporting habitat restoration and environmental resilience. HEX-LOC® and EcoReef® are registered trademarks, and are legally protected brand names.

​

​