Gabion Wire Guide – Everything About Gabions

Introduction

Gabion wire is a versatile product that has applications in a wide range of industries. It’s often used as a fencing material or as a support for retaining walls, although it’s also used as a streambank erosion control or to stabilize slopes. In agriculture, it can be used to cover seeds while they germinate and to protect the roots of young plants. (I hope you didn’t see that coming!) But what is gabion wire, exactly, and how is it made? Read on to learn more.

What is Gabion?

Origin of Word Gabion

The word gabion has been derived from the Italian word “gabbione.” It refers to a cage or a cylinder or a closed compartment made out of welded wire. This box is then filled with materials like concrete, sand, or rocks.

Applications of Gabion Wire

The gabion is then put to use in the civil engineering, military, and landscaping projects, to name a few. The engineers create gabions of different types as per need and use them in engineering works as per the requirement. At times, it is necessary to boost the durability of the gabion. The maker of the gabion places branches with deep roots between the rocks that are in the gabion.

What are the types of gabions?

Based on structure of gabion, it can be classified into several type viz.Gabion Baskets / Gabion BoxGabion Mattress /

Gabion Baskets / Gabion Box / Wire Box Gabion

gabion basket

These are wire mesh boxes made for use by project engineers for the highway and railway projects. The engineers make them out of double-screw steel wires twisted hexagonally. They then fortify with fillings of stones, mud, and soil. The dimensions can be of various types.

Gabion mattresses

gabion mattress

They are also called reno mattresses and used for channel coating. It prevents erosion caused by waves due to their velocity.

Gabion sacks

gabion sack

These are in the form of a porous structure, which is also flexible. It is beneficial in hydraulic projects.

Gabion wire mesh

gabion wire mesh

Gabion wire mesh is convenient to keep away loose rocks from falling off the cliffs and mountains onto highways and rail tracks. The wire mesh is also helpful to maintain slopes’ stability close to rail tracks and highway roads.

Decorative Gabion Elements

gabion decorative

If you want to decorate your garden and landscape, you can use the decorative gabion elements. They are perfect for the quick growth of plants.

Welded Gabions

welded gabion

It is possible to make welded gabions by using galvanized wire mesh. They coat these wire mesh with zinc and PVC.

What are the various applications of gabions?

Gabions are multipurpose utility structures. The engineers use them for many of the heavy engineering as well as military projects.Some of the more common uses in engineering are as under:

Strengthen Walls:

Gabions are used to strengthen walls along embankments as well as cuttings

Prevent Corrosion

Gabion structure can help to prevent corrosion of river walls, canal banks and to protect lakesides

Noise Pollution

Gabion are effective to prevent and reduce noise pollution

Foundation For Dams

To serve as a strong foundation for dams and other such construction structures. The cylindrical gabion of metal is of great use here.

Prevent Flood

Gabions are often utilized to create temporary walls and prevent floods from entering. They are often used to divert the flow of water so that weak structures are not affected by water force.

Decoration

As listed earlier, gabions often serve as decorative structures for landscaping

Prevent Erosion

It can be also used to cover channels such that there is no erosion

Boost Energy Dissipation

To boost energy dissipation in channels by using them as fish screens and as stepped weirs

Promote Air Movement in Building

Modular Wire Mesh Gabions with quarried stone are used to promote air movement in buildings to cool the temperature.

Military Applications

When it came to military use, the gabions proved to be versatile in their utility. In earlier times, they made round gabions that had open tops and open bottoms. They make them using wickerwork and by filling them with mud earth to fortify structures. These wickerwork gabions were lightweight. The military sappers and artillery gunners carried them for their protection. In the field, they use the gabion to construct a bulletproof wall. They do this by filling it with soil and by staking it into the ground and in position.In modern times, the gabions are very protective to FOBs or forward operating bases. They shield from any mortar and artillery fire and also from fragmentary explosions. Usually, the gabions are very useful at mess halls, quarters, and other unprotected places.

Main advantages of the gabion wire.

High durability

Due to the zinc coating, the gabion is highly resistant to any atmospheric corrosion. PVC coating can further extend the life of the wire.

Flexibility

The gabion can stand on even unstable surfaces as well as on water. The gabion maker twists the wire mesh in a double hexagonal manner to lend it a lot of flexibility.

Permeability

There is no need to provide separate drainage provisions. The seamless permeability of the gabion was enough.

Strength

Gabions are very robust as they can resist floods, torrential winds, and even ice.

Affordable

The gabion is affordable to set up. That is because the materials used are not expensive, and labor is not very costly to engage.

Environment friendly

Materials used for the gabion filling are usually soil, earth. There is tremendous scope for the growth and regrowth of plantations on them. They remain unaffected by any natural forces.

What are the main characteristics of gabions?

Characteristics of Gabion Wire are dependent on the

• Galvanized wire diameter
• Coating used and
• Aperture size for the twisting of the metal coating.

More information

• The Standard ASTM A 975 PVC coating or zinc coating makes the gabion’s durability and strength much better.
• The tensile strength is generally not less than 38kg/m2, with the wire diameter in the range of 2.0 to 4.0mm.
• The aperture can be 60*80mm, 80*100mm, 80*120mm, 100*120mm, and 120*150mm.

The makers of the gabion do the surface treatment of gabion baskets by the hot-dip method. In this, the zinc quantity used can be or more than 245g/m2. This treatment develops strong anti-corrosion properties in the gabion. Then there is the galfan coated treatment, a coating of an alloy of zinc and aluminum. The PVC coating is generally 1.0mm in its thickness. All these coatings keep the gabions free from corrosion.The structure of the gabions also depends on the types of welded mesh used. Widely spaced mesh is required for Lighter applications. For a gabion wall, the steel wire mesh with a much heavier diameter of wire is used. It makes the structure robust. For filling the gabion, stones of various types is used, and sizes may vary. The bigger the rocks, the more difficult it is to place them in order.When you decide on the height of the gabion structure, you have to keep in mind restrictions that are in force within the neighborhood or town. You may also want to include other features such as lighting or water for the gabion. For this, you need to plan for adequate wiring and plumbing facilities.

Gabion Wire Mesh Manufacturer in India

We are Systematic Group are leading Gabion Wire / Gabion Wire Mesh Manufacturer in India

Our Technical Specifications of Gabion Wire are 

Diameter2.20 mm – 4.00 mmGradeMild SteelTensile Strength350 – 500 N/mm2Zinc Coating220 to 300 GSM BS 1442 (1969)StandardsASTM A 4 11 , BS EN 10257-1 (1998), IS 280(1978), BS 10223 Part 3, EN 10244-2, ASTM 641, EN 10016

Benefits of Using Systematic Gabion Wire

• The steel wire used in the manufacturing of gabions has a heavy zinc coating. Our in-house wire drawing and galvanizing facility ensures maximum control on the end products.
• We ensure that gabions made from our wires provide added protection for use in polluted environments or wherever the risk of corrosion is present.

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References:

Wikipedia

TheConstructor