Gabion Erosion Control

How to control river erosion

Gabion river and stream erosion benfits are…

Rapid construction and immediate use

Dissipate flowing water energy

Semi flexible building blocks for channel stabilisation.

Have an irregular surface to diffuse and reduce river bank scouring

Gabions are able to use smaller rock for river bank protection, when larger rip rap is unavailable

Much cheaper, more flexible and greener than concrete

Can be installed in wet or dry conditions

Free draining, with no hydrostatic pressure issues

How gabion erosion cages work

Gabion baskets placed on the outside of the river bend to prevent river bank erosion during floods. Geotech filter fabric is placed behind and underneath the gabion baskets to prevent the movement of soil material through the gabions.

Gabion foundation

Gabion baskets placed placed on top of a gabion foundation basket, this details results in a foundation that is better able to resist scour and undermining of the gabion wall.

Design for peak flood events

Gabion flood projection must be designed to cope with peak river flows often referred to to as 1 in 50yr, or 1 in 100yr floods. This often requires larger gabion walls and foundations, than envisaged. An engineer is able to examine historical weather data, and design for the expected flood events over the life time of the wall.

Gabions are ready for immediate use

Machine and hand filling gabions, is often possible without having to divert the river with a bund

Temporary bund

Building a temporary bund, to often done, to speed up construction

Scour Protection

Placing large rocks, at the base of the gabion, provides added erosion protection. These rocks may need to be inspected and replaced after flood events

Purpose built lifting cradle

This allows gabions to be pre filled and lowered into place for immediate protection

Gabions can flex to ground movement

Gabions can flex to ground movement, dissipate energy from flowing water, and drain freely. Their strength and effectiveness may increase with time, as silt and vegetation fill the voids, and reinforce the structure.

Use the strongest wire mesh

In locations where high flood water velocities are expected, carrying woody debris and gravels in suspension, the stronger 4.5mm or 5.2mm welded gabions are the preferred choice, to resist damage to the gabion structures during floods.