Tapered revetment block with leveling pads

A revetment block, comprising:

• a top surface;
• a bottom surface;
• a first sidewall extending between the top surface and the bottom surface;
• a second sidewall extending between the top surface and the bottom surface;
• and
• a horizontal duct extending from the first sidewall to the second sidewall, wherein the horizontal duct is parallel with the bottom surface, and wherein the top surface has a non-parallel relationship with the bottom surface;
• a first leveling pad comprising a first prism or frustrum shape having a height extending from the top surface adjacent the first sidewall, wherein the first leveling pad is configured for a second horizontal duct of a second such revetment block stacked on the top surface to be parallel with the first horizontal duct;
• a second leveling pad adjacent the first sidewall shape and comprising a second prism or frustrum shape having a same height as the first leveling pad extending from the top surface, wherein the second leveling pad is further configured for the second horizontal duct of the second such revetment block stacked on the top surface to be parallel with the first horizontal duct;
• and
• third and fourth leveling pads comprising third and fourth prism or frustrum shapes spaced apart on the top surface adjacent the second sidewall, wherein the third and fourth leveling pads have a different height or different heights than the first leveling pad and the second leveling pad, such that the third and fourth leveling pads are configured for the second horizontal duct of the second such revetment block stacked on the top surface to be parallel with the first horizontal duct;
• wherein the top surface is tapered at a constant, positive slope from the first sidewall to the second sidewall.

A stack of revetment blocks, comprising:

• a first revetment block including a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and a first horizontal duct extending from a first sidewall to a second sidewall, wherein the horizontal duct is parallel with the bottom surface, and wherein the top surface has a non-parallel relationship with the bottom surface,
• a first leveling pad comprising a first prism or frustum shape extending from the top surface adjacent the first sidewall, and
• a second leveling pad comprising a second prism or frustrum shape extending from the top surface adjacent the second sidewall;
• and
• a second revetment block including a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and a second horizontal duct extending from a first sidewall of the second revetment block to a second sidewall of the second revetment block, wherein the second revetment block is stacked on the top surface of the first revetment block;
• wherein the first and second leveling pads of the first revetment block have a same height extending from the top surface thereof and the height is selected for the second horizontal duct of the second revetment block to be parallel with the first horizontal duct of the first revetment block.

A method of forming a revetment block array, comprising:

• contemporaneously placing a first plurality of revetment blocks of a first stack in a first orientation on a surface, wherein each of the first plurality of revetment blocks includes a respective horizontal duct;
• wherein each of the first plurality of revetment blocks has a sloped top surface with a pair of leveling pads comprising prism or frustum shapes extending a same height from the sloped top surface adjacent a sidewall thereof, wherein the same height is selected for the horizontal ducts of the first plurality of revetment blocks to be parallel when said revetment blocks are stacked on one another in the first stack, along the respective sloped top surfaces thereof;
• and
• after contemporaneously placing the first plurality of revetment blocks of the first stack in the first orientation on the surface, contemporaneously placing a second plurality of such revetment blocks in a second stack with the first orientation and adjacent to and horizontally offset from the first stack such that a horizontal duct of each revetment block of the second plurality of revetment blocks is axially aligned with the horizontal duct of a respective one of the first plurality of revetment blocks and configured to interlock rows of the first and second revetment blocks by cabling.