What is a gabion?
A Gabion is defined as a corrosion resistant wire container filled with stone used for structural purposes. They are fastened together and used for retaining walls, revetments, slope protection, channel linings and other structures. Gabion baskets have some advantages over loose riprap because of their modularity and ability to be stacked in various shapes. They also have advantages over more rigid structures because they can conform to ground movement, dissipate energy from flowing water and drain freely. Their strength and effectiveness may increase with time in some cases, as silt and vegetation fill the interstitial voids and reinforce the structure. The Noble County Surveyor’s Office uses Gabions (also called Gabion Mattresses) to shore up eroding banks, and to protect areas that could begin to erode. We have also use Gabions to create modular dams in various parts of the county.
Derived from the Italian word gabbione, a gabion is a container that is filled with sand or dirt. The device is often used in civil engineering projects, as well as some military applications and general road building. Gabions have been in use since medieval times, and are still employed by many civil engineers today. In actual construction, the gabion is somewhat like a cage. The cage may be cylindrical or in the shape of a square or rectangular box. The cage may be constructed with a number of different materials, depending on the application. In some cases, the gabion is made with the use of metals, while gabions that are intended for temporary use may be composed of an outer shell of canvas or a similar material. Even wick has been used as the material of choice for a gabion. One of the most common uses today for a gabion is to create a barrier that prevents erosion. Strategically constructing a retaining wall to prevent silt and topsoil from washing away during heavy rains or even
Webster’s dictionary describes a gabion as: Pronunciation: ‘gA-bE-ən, ‘ga- Function: noun Etymology: Middle French, from Old Italian gabbione, literally, large cage, augmentative of gabbia cage, from Latin cavea — more at CAGE : a basket or cage filled with earth or rocks and used especially in building a support or abutment. www.Gabionbaskets.net was created to show how a Gabion is so much more than this simple definition!
