A gabion is a mesh wall or cylinder that is stabilized with pieces of rebar for stability and is filled with a combination of rocks, stone, chunks of old concrete, sand, soil and/or pebbles. Gabions can be installed for many different purposes but can be found in numerous environments.
Different Types of Gabions:
- Gabion Basket – These baskets are usually cube shaped and can be found along railways, retaining walls, water embankments, and highways.
- Gabion Sack – These “sacks” are commonly shaped like a large bag of sand and will typically be found directing river water flow or stacked to help with flooding during emergencies.
- Gabion Wire Mesh – Commonly found along highways and railways for slope stabilization and to prevent rock slides.
- Gabion Mattress – These are a rectangular box shaped structure that have a nice esthetic and are extremely durable which is why you will find them along water ways to slow erosion or to slow water movement over an area to allow it to absorb into the soil better.
- Gabion Wall – These structures are valued highly for the ability to use locally sourced materials and ease of installation. Once a wall is installed, it requires virtually no upkeep or and can be much cheaper than other wall alternatives.
Pro Vs Con:
Pro –
(1) Aesthetically Pleasing
(2) Durability
(3) Strength
(4) Permeability
(5) Flexible Shape
(6) Economical
(7) Environmentally Friendly
Con –
(1) Require machine equipment to install
(2) If your installation isn’t placed properly, it can fail which will require a re-do and will be added cost.
(3) Require high quality wire which will require a decent financial investment
(4) Time consuming to install.
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