Concrete wave attenuating apparatus and an assembly thereof facilitating formation of a vertical oyster reef and method of forming a vertical oyster reef incorporating an assembly of concrete wave attenuating apparatuses

An assembly facilitating the formation of a vertical oyster reef comprising:

• A) a plurality of concrete wave attenuating frames, each frame having
• i) a concrete frame top and a concrete frame bottom defining a periphery of the frame, each having corners and sides extending between the corners, wherein the corners of the concrete frame top are generally aligned with the corners of the concrete frame bottom and the sides of the concrete frame top are generally aligned with the sides of the concrete frame bottom,
• ii) concrete corner posts extending generally vertically between the generally aligned corners of the concrete frame top and the concrete fame bottom,
• iii) concrete side members between the concrete corner posts extending generally vertically between the generally aligned sides of the concrete frame top and the concrete fame bottom frame, with a plurality of passages extending through the concrete side members, and wherein a flow area of each side is 20-75%, wherein the flow area is a sum total area of a minimum flow area of each passage of the side divided by a total face surface of the side times 100%, and wherein each frame is generally triangular in horizontal cross section and includes three of the concrete corner posts, and wherein each concrete side member is formed by a plurality of vertical concrete louvers extending between the concrete frame top and the concrete frame bottom, and wherein the plurality of passages are formed adjacent the vertical concrete louvers,
• iv) a space at a geometric center of the concrete wave attenuating frame defined radially within the concrete wave attenuating frame, wherein the plurality of passages extend to the space;
• B) a coupler connecting the plurality of concrete wave attenuating frames in a desired orientation.

A method of forming a vertical oyster reef incorporating a concrete wave attenuating apparatus comprising the steps of:

• A) forming an integral one-piece support rod sub-frame including the rods forming a closed loop top sub-frame, and the rods forming a closed loop bottom sub-frame and with substantially vertically extending rods coupled between the top sub-frame and the bottom sub-frame;
• B) encapsulating the sub-frame in concrete forming a frame of a concrete wave attenuating apparatus which includes
• i) a concrete frame top and a concrete frame bottom defining a periphery of the frame, each having corners and sides extending between the corners, wherein the corners of the concrete frame top are generally aligned with the corners of the concrete frame bottom and the sides of the concrete frame top are generally aligned with the sides of the concrete frame bottom,
• ii) concrete corner posts extending generally vertically between the generally aligned corners of the concrete frame top and the concrete fame bottom,
• iii) concrete side members between the concrete corner posts extending generally vertically between the generally aligned sides of the concrete frame top and the concrete fame bottom frame, with a plurality of passages extending through the concrete side members and wherein a flow area of each side is 20-75%, wherein the flow area is a sum total area of a minimum flow area of each passage of the side divided by a total face surface of the side times 100%, and wherein each frame is generally triangular in horizontal cross section and includes three of the concrete corner posts, and wherein each concrete side member is formed by a plurality of vertical concrete louvers extending between the concrete frame top and the concrete frame bottom, and wherein the plurality of passages are formed adjacent the vertical concrete louvers,
• iv) a space at a geometric center of the concrete wave attenuating frame defined radially within the concrete wave attenuating frame, wherein the plurality of passages extend to the space;
• and
• C) Placing the frame in a marine environment suitable to support an oyster reef.