Gabion structures are stone structures that are placed in metal or plastic containers in the form of nets. They are used to strengthen the banks of slopes and reservoirs, as well as in the form of retaining walls and elements for the construction of dams. In order to make gabions, it is necessary to become more familiar with the technology of fastening nets and their elements. It is important to know the requirements for materials.
Design requirements
Before you make a retaining wall of gabions, you should familiarize yourself with VSN-APK 2.30.05.001 03. This is a guide where you can find regulatory documents. According to them, at the moment there are two types of walls based on gabions, which can be with a reinforcing panel or massive. The last option is the most commonly used. To create, you need box gabions. As a foundation for a wall, flat ones are sometimes used, which are also called mattresses. massivestructures hold the soil due to their own weight.
In the manufacture of a retaining wall, some requirements should be considered. For example, when designing structures, it is necessary to carry out a calculation. In the process of this, you must check the stability of the structure, determine its cross section depending on the characteristics of the soil and the height of the system. During the stability check process, you must determine how high the risk of tipping, shearing and failure of the bearings is.
Define parameters
For an ordinary home master, when the design is characterized by a small height, the calculation can be omitted. You can choose the width by eye. If the wall is long enough, it should be vertically rigid. To increase stability, the structure must be made stepped, the base must be wide. From above, the design should go to a narrowing. Cross members can be provided.
Before creating a gabion retaining wall, you must determine the height, which should not exceed 8 m. If this value is to be higher, then regulations require berms. This is a horizontal section of a slope of great width. Above the lower rows, the upper gabions should not hang more than 15 cm.
When stacking containers, dressing should be observed. The minimum offset of vertical joints should be 25 cm. Gabions should be filled with stone 5 cm above the container mark. This requirement is due to the self-compacting of stones during construction and the effect of vertical loads.
Need for foundation and drainage
A low gabion retaining wall should be installed on compacted soil, which will act as a base. Before starting work, the site must be cleared and leveled. If the height of the structure is not more than 1 m, a foundation should be provided. It must be made of flat gabions. Under them, a bed of sand and gravel is provided. The foundation can also be poured with concrete. Quite often, you can not do without drainage at the base. In order to stabilize the soil, geotextiles can be placed under the gabions. This material is used when laying mattress elements.
Work technology
Before starting, you should prepare structures and materials. For walls, box-shaped gabions made of mesh, which is made using the double torsion method with diaphragms, should be used. The latter are necessary to ensure rigidity. The metal mesh must be protected against corrosion.
Gabion containers can be purchased and ready-made. These items are shipped folded. They can be made from welded mesh or netting. In the first option, all elements are interconnected. But if you plan to make a retaining wall of gabions from a chain-link, then the wire for such a design should have double torsion with an anti-corrosion coating.
When buying, it is important to pay attention to qualitywire. This applies not only to the main structure, but also to the connections. Materials must be purchased in larger quantities than required. This is especially true for those masters who are doing the work for the first time. The margin should be 5-15 percent.
Preparing everything you need
It is not recommended to start work alone. For manipulation you will need:
- gabion containers;
- tie wire;
- stone aggregate;
- mount;
- anchors;
- shovel;
- hammers.
A gabion stapler can act as a tool for fastening parts. It can be pneumatic or mechanical. Such devices reduce the time spent on work. Instead of a knitting wire for a fastening of grids staples in the form of rings are used. They are made of wire, the diameter of which is 3 mm. The coating may be a zinc-based layer. This material is supplied in a tape that is installed in the stapler.
If the installation of a retaining wall of gabions will provide for the manual connection of the elements with a wire, it should be wound with a snake. Between the turns you need to leave a distance of 10 cm. The process requires labor and time, but will save money. You can determine the required number of staples and wire, taking into account the weight of the containers.
Method of installing gabions
Before you install a gabion retaining wall with your own hands, you must unpackcontainers. One of the elements is located on the surface, it should be raised and the side walls straightened. The evenness of the parts should be checked, as well as the geometric shape of the grid. If the walls, bottom and lid are not connected, they are connected with wire or a stapler. The next step is to install diaphragms, if any. Their pitch is usually from 75 to 100 cm. The diaphragms are connected to the walls and bottom.
Next, you can check the location of the corners and the plane of the box. In the listed order, you should collect several elements that will form the basis of the first row. Several ready containers are arranged in a row. They are fastened to the soil or to each other, if necessary, using rings and anchors.
If you want to make a retaining wall from gabions, the technology must first be studied. It involves several steps. On the next one, you need to fill the containers of the first row with stones. They are placed as tightly as possible. The volume is filled in several stages. If the height of the container is 50 cm, then there should be 2 sets.
After backfilling each layer, it is necessary to reinforce the structure using tie-wire ties. It is used to fasten the walls relative to each other. After filling the grid, the lid is closed and then fastened with staples or wire. All of these steps will need to be repeated for the next rows. The lower and upper containers are connected to each other at the corners or in those places where the diaphragms were installed.
Final works
When constructing retaining walls from box-shaped gabions, a row can be performed in several steps. The last container is left empty. Along the perimeter of the side face, you need to attach the next element. It will be impossible to do this if stones are already laid inside.
After the installation is completed, the walls are backfilled. This can be done manually or with the help of special technologies. If an excavator will be used in the work, then it is necessary to place it on a slope with the utmost care. The backfill material is sand, which has a coarse or medium fraction with layer-by-layer compaction.
In closing
Specialists can make a turnkey retaining wall of gabions. The price of such works is 4,500 rubles. per cubic meter. Such structures can be made of different materials.
Additional advantages of such systems are water permeability, soil reinforcement and ease of installation. Therefore, after looking at the photos of gabion retaining walls, you will be able to understand whether you can handle the work yourself.
