Gabions are highly useful tools that were created long ago for defensive and structural purposes. Nowadays, they remain a staple in constructional operations, but they have also begun to appear in more creative commercial and residential undertakings.

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A Guide to Understanding Gabions

A gabion is a mechanism made of wire that cages in sizeable debris. This word is actually a derivative of another that means large cage. The contents most often seen underneath the wires are types of terrain such as rocks and boulders, dirt, soil, or logs. However, the list goes on when the gabion is applied to alternate activities.

The gabion is essentially a heavy-duty type of hog wire. It's a mesh (otherwise known as a grid) of steel that has been treated to withstand a harsher amount of pressure from its contents and the elements.

At one time, gabions were made of lightweight wicker. It wasn't perfect, but it was innovative and effective. These days, gabions employ the tougher material which gives them greater strength and lifespan.

What is the Purpose of a Gabion?

As the name suggests, this cage is meant to contain or trap, and they're used in the makings and maintenance of dams, foundations, pathways, trenches, sculptures, and more.

If you've ever driven through a natural bridge and marveled at the bravery of the workers who made it, you can also thank them for installing gabions to keep the rock and landslides at bay.

In recognizing the feat of trapping rocks and other mass debris from falling onto the areas beneath, one must also applaud this contraption in its ability to serve as a means to defend and support.

Gabions are an ancient technology used to fortify riverbanks, protecting nearby encampments and settlements from potential erosion. They've been helpful in quick and simple wall assemblies for military setups as well. Presently, gabions are being noticed for their aesthetic appeal as well as their functionality.

Where is it Used?

The usefulness of this tool allows it to be as versatile as necessary. Therefore, gabions are appealing to different people for different reasons. The fact that they serve a purpose, but also potentially increase curb appeal, makes them easily applicable to various environments.

Although you probably didn&#;t know the name, there are countless gabions displayed throughout cities and states, especially surrounding the mountainous regions and large bodies of water. Many travelers will see them alongside a precipitous highway as they climb up and brace the cliffs that tower above.

Other locations for gabions are typically lining road construction or other large-scale construction sites. They prove to be very effective in acting as retainers for chunks of debris that may hinder a project or harm passersby.

As mentioned, they were once a staple in the development of communities that flocked toward rivers. During wet seasons, the riverbanks were (and still are) subject to erosion, putting the community at risk. Creating pathways for flowing water to cities and for traveling through rough terrain are also jobs that are filled by gabions worldwide.

While a gabion may not seem so by these select encounters, its usefulness is not limited to creating roadways. You can actually use gabions in your own personal landscaping endeavors at your home or commercial lot. While using them in your own backyard is fairly new, the idea was bound to occur because of the gabion's many benefits.

What are the Benefits of a Gabion?

We have many other options for construction, stability, and décor, but gabions are often preferred because they deliver a powerful combination of features that no other method can. The key thing to remember about gabions, and why they're becoming so popular in the non-engineering world, is that they are semi-cheap, semi-permanent, and semi-simple.

Cost-Effective

By filling the gabion with materials native to your area, you're more likely to save money both initially and long-term. Whatever you pay to install and customize the look of your gabion project, the increase in property value, enticing appearance for customers or guests, and the lengthy lifespan will help this addition pay for itself in no time.

You can fill the gabion with any item that suits your fancy as long as it won't slip through the grid, and the options are nearly endless. Also, by choosing options such as concrete or stone from demolition sites, you're reducing the amount of waste and energy needed to break it down for reuse.

Long-Lasting

The wiring is durable enough to contain heavier materials like concrete, yet flexible enough that you can shape it to your own desired forms. For example, if you'd like gabions around a firepit or constructed in an intricate shape to hold collectibles, bending the wires is an easy option.

However, the steel material is welded to ensure that it doesn't bend under pressure and holds its form, so your ideas should be presented to a professional capable of assisting you in your endeavors.

Gabion wiring materials come in an assortment of options for buyers that vary depending on the job. Baskets are largely available in a galvanized steel that lasts a decade (perhaps longer when applied to lighter jobs or simple landscaping).

Another option is the heavier duty gabion baskets that are coated in galfan, a combination of aluminum and zinc. This is a more expensive, but highly necessary option for bigger jobs like those you'd find on roadsides and in construction. The galfan coating simply protects the metal from the elements for longer, but the strength and durability come from the design of the cage.

They were designed for big jobs. They're also resilient, but they don't have to be a permanent fixture in your lawn if you ever change your mind. The ease of assembly requires nothing more than placing the baskets as you like, filling them up, and fastening the wire in place.

The grid pattern of the gabion lets water, air, and light pass through each crevice, so there is a lesser chance for the elements to knock down retainer walls. When it comes to stability without a foundation, the heavier the filler material, the better.

Placing stone-like items that imprint themselves into the ground more and more with added weight helps with permanence and solidity. A hundred pounds of rock is already hard to move, but it becomes even tougher as it forces a constant pressure into the ground, gaining a stronger bearing in time.

Additionally, this ability to shape the environment makes the gabion a most effective architectural device in areas prone to shifts in the earth. For example, regions that experience heavier rain or snowfall, earthquakes, or other phenomena that cause the earth to change beneath your feet.

Even if you're not a resident of a changing environment, the knowledge that your landscape contains such a substantial, sustainable, and long-lasting component is something worth appreciating.

Efficient Assembly and Quality Products

Assorted Goods

You don't have to think large-scale with gabions. A wonderous feature is that they're available for purchase in cut panels, lengthy rolls, or sizeable baskets. The welded, treated mesh wire comes in all manners of cuts and installs very quickly.

Depending on your ideal placement, there is a gabion basket that fits best. Whether you intend to build an aquatic arrangement, vertical accent wall, heavyweight boundary, or soundproof barrier, there is a particular gabion manufactured for high-performance in that arena.

Simple Installation

The assembly process doesn't require much more than having the inspiration and following through with installation, which is remarkably simplistic. There is no need to lay any initial foundation as the contents within are generally bulk items that create a natural grounding for themselves.

The gabion itself is merely there to serve as a reinforcement and containment. It can be large, premeasured baskets that you fill and stack or line up. It can be a series of panels that are linked together to create baskets in the sizes you prefer, or it can be a roll of mesh wire that is cut to lengths that aren't offered.

The reason gabions are shaped into basket formations is because they're smaller and easier to transport or shift one by one as opposed to a single, large enclosure full of material. If you're considering a DIY gabion, remember that working in increments is wiser than attempting a complete coverage in one fell swoop.

A Personal Touch

It's customizable to an extent and can be a range of heights, opening itself to endless possibilities, and the possibilities continue as you choose the contents within the gabion.

Although harder, heavier parts are the go-to for filling up a gabion, you have a chance to really make a statement with your landscape as you fill your gabions with objects according to your needs.

Retainer walls need heavy objects that compact together and hold their form. They can't be something that easily bows or breaks under immense pressure. This is why stones or concrete are often the top choices here.

Some homeowners choose to place crystal, glass, or other transparent substances inside lower gabions and illuminate them with LED lights at the bottom or weaved through the crags and crevices. This idea isn't meant for holding up walls, but it makes for a unique surrounding for a fish pond or bar.

Perhaps you'd like a seating area for outdoor dining. You can fill gabions of differing heights as you please and top them with smooth cuts of wood to make seats and tables. They can be transformed into benches, counters, bars, or any other flat-surfaced furniture that can also stretch to lengths beyond those of store-bought furnishings. This is an ideal solution for people on a budget.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Welded Gabion Mesh. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

You can now use this technology to obtain the firepits, waterfalls, raised planters, ponds, and sculptures you've been craving. Landscaping architects are known for getting creative with projects, and gabions are no exception to their talents. Gabions are used in the civil engineering world frequently and have been adopted into the world of commerce and residence seamlessly.

How to Get Started

Knowing what you want and getting a professional consultation helps to plan out the process. When considering something elaborate or highly dependent on a sound framework, a professional is the way to go.

This is especially the case for retainer walls as they call for a specific and trained eye to know the proper placement and material to use. For smaller tasks, the process should be simple enough if you already have a good grasp of what you'd like to create and the best way to proceed.

Using a gabion for modern landscaping plans is one of the greatest ways to get creative on a budget. While it does take some planning and knowledge to install gabions properly, they assemble quickly and offer a very natural look to your landscape that lasts through any weather for spans of 10 to 40 years.

Build your own gabion wall - instructions, costs, prices

In our blog you will learn how to build a gabion wall yourself and how to save a lot of money when buying the individual parts via our online shop. Gabions are stone baskets that can be used in many different ways in the garden. A gabion wall can be used as a noise or privacy screen, to support or fasten a slope or simply as a decoration, for example for a gabion raised bed. The construction of a gabion wall is relatively simple, since the individual elements are already delivered ready. These can be purchased for example from our online shop. Here we present the different availability of gabions and the costs.

PROFILE - What is a gabion wall?

• Gabions are stone baskets
• other designations: Loading basket, wire ballast box or masonry stone basket
• available in different sizes and designs
• a net basket contains different stones
• natural stones can be used as fillings
• Quarry stones of quartzite, granite, river pebble or limestone well suitable
• Gabions can be supplied filled or unfilled
• several baskets side by side and on top of each other form a gabion wall
• is frequently used for slope fastening and slope securing
• Gabion walls can be given a natural appearance by climbing plants
• they are also nature-friendly because they provide safe shelter for many insects, small reptiles and mammals

The building as a retaining wall

Gabion walls are becoming more and more popular in local gardens and on the properties of detached houses. And many towns and municipalities also use gabion walls as slope reinforcement, for example when a road is a little higher. The construction of gabion walls is relatively simple if good preliminary information is available. Depending on how high and how long a gabion wall is to be, a decision should be made as to which type of gabion delivery is the most sensible. The filled gabion parts are more expensive, but those who only want to build a small wall are better advised to do so. The setting up of the wire baskets already filled with stones is quicker, the wall can be erected within a day, for example as a border or to secure a small slope. It looks different if many gabions are needed, then it becomes quite cheaper, if one decides for the variant of the self-filling. It is also easier to first build up a layer of wire baskets, then fill them with the stones you want and order and then build up another layer.

The filled wire baskets are heavy and not easy to stack on top of each other. However, if the wire baskets are now set up empty and only then filled, this is usually possible with one's own physical strength. Who would like to build a high wall, a static calculation must be carried out however, with a small wall (under 2.0 m height) with few gabions, such a calculation does not have to be usually made.

Location and regulations for the construction of a gabion wall

A gabion wall is versatile in the garden. A building permit is not always required. Because it can also be built as a bed surround, as a separation of your own garden or as a privacy screen for a terrace. In such cases the construction of the gabion wall does not have to be approved, as no major structural changes are made to the house or garden. The situation is different if the gabion wall surrounds the property and is to be used instead of a fence to bound the property. In this case, the neighbours concerned usually have to agree, as does the municipality, if the gabion boundary is also erected towards the road.

In order to be absolutely sure when the gabion wall is to reach a certain height, the safest way is always to contact the responsible congregation. Because here the regulations in Germany are not uniformly regulated, the municipalities and countries have different opinions of structural changes on the properties and depending upon housing situation already a view protection at a terrace must be approved starting from a certain height by the responsible building authorities. It becomes annoying above all if this was not known to the owner of garden and a subsequent permission is no longer given. That means usually that the straight built wall must be removed again. In order not to let this come so far, an inquiry should always be submitted as well as an application with sizes and location of the wall with the responsible municipality in advance.

Preliminary work, statics and construction

Depending on the purpose for which the gabion wall is built, the statics must be checked. Various regulations and safety classes must be observed here, especially for very high walls and for slope securing. The higher a gabion wall is built, the safer its stability must be guaranteed. Therefore, the trade also offers different sizes of gabions, as well as the most different types of mesh, mesh width, and different wire thicknesses. If the gabion wall was constructed with preliminary work and on the basis of the statics, it is a wall that will last for a long time. In addition to high weather resistance, it also offers good noise and visual protection.

When determining the location for the new gabion wall, particular attention should be paid to the following in order to maintain high stability:

• Gabions with a height of up to one metre and a width of at least 30 centimetres only require a frost protection substructure.
• here a base of gravel (compacted) is sufficient
• Gabions with a width of more than one metre and/or less than 30 cm must be additionally fixed.
• to prevent the wall from falling over later, posts or iron pipes are knocked deep into the ground in the middle of the wire basket
• for better safety, these posts can also be concreted into the ground, which is an advantage for very high walls
• Gabions also generally require a foundation as a slope attachment
• before any possible undercutting, the installation of a strip foundation is suitable
• before setting up the gabion baskets, no matter for what purpose, the floor must always be checked for its strength
• who is not sure, should consult a structural engineer before building the gabion wall
• Depending on the desired height and length of a gabion wall, the baskets are placed next to each other and stacked on top of each other

The gabion baskets are connected to each other in different ways. Here there is the fastening by a spiral, which is pulled by the meshes. Another variant are the gabions, where round eyelets are attached at the sides, which are connected with a straight rod. The third variant are baskets, which can be connected to each other with C-rings.

Configuring and ordering gabions

With a few clicks to your individual gabion wall - here you can get to our gabion configurator.

Gabion wall the ideal slope attachment and slope protection

The gabions are particularly suitable as slope stabilizers and slope securing, because they offer good water permeability, so that no waterlogging and water accumulation can occur on the slope, even if it rains heavily for several days in a row. The water permeability of the joined stones in a wire mesh therefore ensures that the water can always run off downwards when securing the slope, but the soil on the slope is collected.

However, the following must be observed when fastening slopes with gabions:

• a high level of stability must be guaranteed
• therefore never build a slope stabiliser with gabions without a foundation
• use a concrete foundation for the slope fixation
• Gabions that are planted offer additional slope stabilization, as the roots increase the strength
• especially when the construction of a slope fortification is very difficult, a specialist can also be consulted

Gabions which are to be used to secure a very large or long slope require even greater stability so that they can support the slope well even in very strong weather conditions, such as very prolonged rainfall.

Gabion filling - the choice of the right stones

The client is also spoilt for choice when it comes to the choice of stones. First and foremost, of course, it is important that the gabion filling also matches the mesh size of the gabion baskets used. In addition, there are other properties such as weather resistance, good compressive strength and frost resistance. The choice here is important, depending on how high a gabion wall is to be built, whether water runs off when securing a slope, and much more. And, of course, the appearance and use of the gabions are also important. If the wall is to stand alone later and is not to be overgrown, the stones used must of course also have a particularly beautiful appearance. In contrast to this there is a wall covered with green plants, for example also in the case of the slope fastening, where the stones are no longer in the foreground. Here you can also use a cheaper variant of the stones. In all cases, larger cavities between the layered stones must be avoided when filling the gabion baskets, as otherwise the stability is not given. A better compaction can also be achieved by overfilling the baskets, so the stones slide together a little more densely, the wall becomes more stable.

The following stones are offered on the market as gabion fillings:

• Quarry stones from the regional area
• Glass in different colours
• different types of marble stones
• basalt
• Granite in different colours
• tourmaline
• Quartz stones in different qualities and colours

If the baskets are delivered separately from the stones, they can of course also be varied and mixed appropriately during later filling. For example, coloured pieces of glass can be placed between white marble stones. This is entirely in the hands of the builder of the gabion wall.

The cost of a gabion wall can be determined when the size and appearance have been determined. The costs for this depend mainly on the filling, as this is calculated according to kilo prices. The higher and wider the wall has to be, the more filling material is needed. And also by the desired kind of the filling material the costs can turn out very differently for the entire wall, which can make a large difference in the end for the different walls. In addition there are the costs for an unfilled gabion.

Configuring and ordering gabions

With a few clicks to your individual gabion wall - here you can get to our gabion configurator.

Buy gabion wall, gabion stones costs and prices

The costs of the gabions always depend on the size and the respective selection of the filling stones or gabion stones. The stone baskets can be bought online on our website. The 4.5 mm thick wires of the welding grids, which are used for this, are either galvanized or zinc-plated. Finally there are the desired stones, which are also different in price. If you already know that the gabion wall will grow over later, you can choose the cheapest variant. Ideally, the best stones will be those with the highest quality. In addition, the price also depends on the delivery mode. From our gabion shop, lattice material and stones are always delivered seperately. The delivery of our filling material is always "DDP"!

Therefore, it can be assumed that prices will be roughly as follows:

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• one unfilled gabion (see price in the shop - single price list or configurator)
• In addition there are the prices for the filling material, see price list in the shop - here you have to pay attention to the container size!
• this includes limestone, basalt and others
• higher quality stones, like lava spits, sodalite, etc. cost a little more
• kits are also available, for example a kit for a gabion fence