** As featured in a show garden called Living La Vida 120 by Outside Options which won the Gold medal at the recent Bloom 2018 in the Phoenix Park as well as The World Garden award and the Gold Medal at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 2018.
** As used on the RTE Super Garden 2014 winning garden ‘Tus Nua’ by Cian Hawes. This garden also subsequently won a Silver Medal at the 2014 Bloom in the Park Festival **
** As used in the 2014 Bloom in the Park Festival Gold Medal winner ‘The Garden of Sculptures’ designed by Ingrid Swan and Ruth Liddle **
Description of Gabion Wall Weld Mesh
Gabions are purpose designed and manufactured specialist stone filled wire mesh baskets or cages for use in the construction of retaining walls and slope stabilisation. Weld Mesh Gabions are offered as an alternative to our range of Woven Mesh Gabion baskets. As specialists with over 25 years of design, supply and installation experience, we offer a comprehensive range for sale in Ireland. Purchasing from us means you get the benefit of good advice as well as the type and specification of gabion basket which best suits your requirements and budget.
Welded Mesh Gabions are constructed using square electro welded weld mesh panels of high tensile steel. They are increasing in popularity due to their comparative ease and speed of installation. They are an economical environmental solution for structural retaining walls and coastal defences. They are particularly suited for use in retaining walls due to their permeability and flexibility. The permeability enables groundwater to flow through freely when most other retaining wall types will retain ground water causing hydrostatic pressure to build up behind the wall. Hydrostatic pressure buildup may result in the wall failing and collapsing. The flexibility allows gabions to deform a little without damage when in comparison rigid retaining walls such as concrete walls would have cracked and crumbled.
When compared to Woven Mesh gabions, Weld Mesh Gabions are substantially easier, quicker and thus cheaper to fill and install. The ease and speed of installation more than compensates for the nominal additional purchase cost. Hence, it is the more economical overall solution, once the installation cost is taken into consideration. When designed like for like, they provide the most economical solution for small to medium height soil retaining applications.
Weld Mesh Gabions are typically supplied partially assembled to suit customer requirements and flat packed for delivery. Once on site, they are opened up, stood up and then laced together in-situ with lacing wire to form the required retaining wall configuration. Where appropriate, they may also be clipped using CL50 clips or helicalled using Helical binders. More information on this is available by downloading our Installation Guide which can be downloaded using the link at the bottom of this page.
Advantages of Weld Mesh Gabion Wall
- Blends easily and harmoniously with the natural surroundings.
- Low cost
- Good resistance to natural forces
- Can withstand unpredictable movement or settlement without loss of stability
- Durable
- Permeable
- Simple and fast installation
- Possibility of DIY installation
- Quality finish and appearance
- Customisation possible
- Quick and cheap to install
- Easily made to order
- Easy to vegetate
Specification Options
We offer a wide range of options to suit all requirements. We only supply proper gabions, with the steel grade and coatings conforming to the necessary structural and durability requirements as required by the latest standards. It is also possible to mix and match configurations to specific requirements. For example, it is possible to specify a basket with 6 different mesh types and specifications on all 6 faces on the basket. A selection of options on offer are listed below. It is advisable to go through the options listed below and select your requirements prior to enquiring. Otherwise, feel free to contact us if you require assistance selecting the best options for your application.
Mesh Sizes Options
Proper gabion mesh is square rather than rectangular due to the fact that the stresses are the same both vertically and horizontally. We can offer a range of mesh size dimensions. Mesh size is linked to the infill stone size. The most common mesh size is 3″ x 3″ (76.2mm x 76.2mm) but 2″ x 2″ (50.8mm x 50.8mm) and 4″ x 4″ (101.6mm x 101.6mm) are also available. Other mesh sizes are available on request.
Wire Diameter Options
Standard wire diameters available are 3mm, 4mm and 5mm. Heavier gauge wire increases rigidity which in turn results in a squarer and neater looking wall. The resulting basket is also easier and quicker to fill. Even though the standard 3mm is more than adequate for most structural applications, 4mm and 5mm are often selected for the following reasons:
- Improve appearance
- Ease of installation
- Speed of installation
- Added vandal resistance
- Added rigidity for pre-filling and lifting
Wire Coating Options
The durability of a gabion depends on the wire coating or metal used. The most commonly used coating specified is Alu-Zinc (95% Zn + 5% Al). Alu-Zinc coated gabions are often mistaken for ordinary zinc galvanised ones because they look similar to the untrained eye. However, they are typically up to 3-4 times more durable than ordinary zinc galvanised gabions. As a result, it is considered adequate for most permanent applications. Galvanised gabions on the other hand, are generally only considered suitable for temporary structures or structures where durability is not a concern.
PVC coated Gabions should be considered for longer service life requirements or when used near the coast, river or locations where exposure to corrosive chemicals, acids and salts is expected. Anticipated service life for with plastic PVC coating is up to 120 years, depending on exposure conditions. Gabions are galvanised first before being plastic coated. PVC coating on our weld mesh gabion is fusion bonded. Due to recent customer requests we now offer Grey as well as Green as standard colours. Other colours are available to special order.
For very severe exposure conditions or very long service life requirements, Stainless steel Grade 304 and Grade 316 gabions are also available to special order.
Gabion Sizes
Common sizes are typically in half metre steps, starting with 0.5×0.5×0.5m (L x W x H), with the 2x1x1m being the most common size. Other common sizes are 1.5x1x1m, 1x1x1m, 2x1x0.5x 1x1x0.5m, 2×0.5×0.5m. Non standard sizes including larger sizes are available to request. We can make up most sizes and shapes on request, depending on the mesh configuration selected. Note that actual sizes have to be in units of the mesh size used. Sizes are always denoted in Length x Width x Height. The third dimension always denotes the vertical height.
Feel free to contact us if you require assistance deciding on the most suitable configuration for your requirements.
Typical Weld Mesh Gabion Applications
- Retaining gabion wall structures
- River and canal training
- Erosion and scour protection; roadway protection; bridge protection
- Hydraulic structures, dams and culverts
- Coastal defence and protection works
- Rockfall and soil erosion protection
- Architectural cladding for walls and buildings
- Freestanding walls, noise and environmental barriers
- Windbreaks
- Boundary walls
- Landscaping features
- Raised flower beds
Architectural Gabion
Weld Mesh Gabion when hand filled with decorative stone facing is also increasingly being used as architectural cladding for walls and buildings in Ireland. It is a simple and easy way of achieving architectural stone cladding for buildings and other structures. The reason for this is the tidy and aesthetically pleasing stone faced finish due to the rigidity of the weld mesh. Gabions used for cladding have a different configuration to those used in retaining walls.
EasyBuild Gabion
There has been an increase in demand in Ireland for self-build DIY gabions, typically for smaller retaining walls or as landscaping feature walls for domestic applications. These have different requirements to standard gabions. The emphasis is on the ease of buildability. Standard gabions, although cheaper may require more skill during installation. Homeowners will probably not have the experience nor the tools and plant available to specialist installers. The ideal specification in this instance should take this into consideration. As a result, we have developed a range of EasyBuild gabions made from heavier gauge wire mesh on exposed faces. This gives the exposed faces a lot more rigidity, which in turn makes them a lot easier and more importantly, quicker to fill. For more information on our range of EasyBuild Gabions, please contact our sales department for details and pricing.
Landscaping Gabion
Gabions are increasingly being used as landscaping features. Although it can be argued that those used for landscaping do not necessarily have to have all the structural and durability properties of proper structural gabions, it is important all gabions should still comply with minimum requirements. We manufacture gabions to order as required for landscaping purposes.
Pre-filled Gabion
Prefilled gabions are available on request. These are delivered to site prefilled ready for lifting into position. They should be only used as the last resort due to cost. Whenever possible, they should be filled insitu for better structural performance, higher quality finish and to minimise cost.
Gabion Design
Welded Mesh Gabions can be designed using either the gravity retaining wall concept or as the facing element for reinforced earth as well as cantilever concrete or steel retaining structures. Both these are well establish design configurations in Ireland, UK and all over the world. These designs concepts are also allowed for in BS8002, BS8006 as well as Eurocode 7. We recommend all retaining walls be designed to at least one of these design codes. Feel free to contact us should you require design assistance. When designed properly, Gabion retaining walls offer an economical and aesthetically pleasing finished stone faced solution for low to medium height walls. This is especially so when compared to most other retaining wall options, such as reinforced concrete and masonry walls.
Feel free to give us a call and our experienced Engineers will be delighted to review your requirements with you and advice you on possible gabion design solutions.
For additional information on our range of Weld Mesh Gabion systems, please click on the appropriate pdf download link below.
Click here to download and view our Welded Mesh Gabion Brochure (PDF)
Click here to download and view our Welded Mesh Gabion Installation Guide (PDF)
Click on any of the photographs at the top of this page for slideshow
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