The Uses of Gabion Stone
Gabion baskets have been used for a long time period internationally and are preferred on government projects due to some of the following reasons;
- High strength – un-weathered rocks used within the gabion provide high compressive strength.
- Enhanced flexibility – woven steel wire mesh is used for the baskets, allowing movement over expansive soils without failure.
- Labor intensive – gabions use a lot of manpower, with little use of machinery required. Unskilled labor from local communities can be used and trained in a short time period.
- Low environmental impact – vegetation and plants/trees can be incorporated in the gabion system to cover the gabion or mattress protection in a short time.
- High porosity – gabions unlike concrete do not require weep-holes for water pressure release behind the retaining walls, they have a 35% pore space volume, allowing free movement of water through the walls, and soil fines movement are blocked with a geotextile filter fabric.
- Bomb and earthquake proof – gabion structures can provide protection for; bomb shelters and earthquakes, especially when filled with rock and soil due to their high flexibly/strength characteristics.
- Mattress linings – offer vegetation growth and the benefit of microorganisms within the structure to provide food for insects, fish and animals in river situations, unlike the environment created using a solid or segmented concrete lining with little environmental benefits.
- Simple – Local labor is used to erect baskets, and can be trained up in a short time period on site.
- In time – vegetative root growth will enhance the strength of the structure by binding the rocks together and stabilizing it with soil infill in streams.
- Economical – suitable rock infill and the use of local labor can be sourced from quarries and communities near the site.
Applications
Gabions have been around for over a hundred years and have a wide range of applications and new ones are continually being found. We have listed below the most common applications to date.
- Mass – gravity retaining walls
- Skin-reventment walls
- Reinforced soil walls
- Terrace walls
- Channel lining
- River training structures
- Gabion weirs
- Dam embankment protection
- Roadway culvert in or outlet structures
- Low-level or Irish crossings
- Longitudinal river structures
- Biofilters (Sewage Plants)
- Hydrochambers (Water storage)
- Rockfall mesh netting
- River diversion structures
- Mine – primary crusher walls
- Architectural applications
- Bridge abutment protection
- Sound barriers
- Standard sizes of Gabion and River Mattress Baskets