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Published: 24/01/2023 | Updated: 01/06/2023
Many hardscaping elements are usually used in most landscape designs. Depending on what the feature is, it can add harmoniously to the natural elements or contrast beautifully.
But most of the time, they have more functions beyond aesthetics that make them appealing to homeowners.
Gabion Walls are one of those hardscaping structures that more and more homeowners are reverting to now. And for very good reasons!
This article will explain everything you need to know about gabion walls, their benefits, and their disadvantages. And help you decide whether to include them in your yard or not!
The word gabion etymologically comes from the Italian word, gabbione which means big cage and is of itself an augmentative of the word gabbia, meaning cage.
And that is exactly what a gabion wall is. A gabion wall is basically a cage shape made up externally of a wire container and filled most usually with rocks. But gabion walls can also have a different fill material like concrete, stone, sand, and soil.
Nowadays, gabion walls are becoming very popular with homeowners to build in their outdoor landscapes. But gabions actually go way back!
It's believed the earliest gabion wall-like structures go back over 7000 years when they were used to protect the bank of the Nile river.
And since then, they have been relied upon in civil engineering in stabilizing shorelines, stream banks, or slopes against erosion. As well as gabion retaining walls around dams to direct the force of water.
Gabion walls have also been used in various forms of road building. And military applications to protect infantry, army corps, and artillerymen from enemy fire.
The most stunning and impressive example of gabion baskets construction in that military sense is the foundation of San Marco Castle in Milan, which Leonardo da Vinci actually designed.
This is only one example that shows how gabion walls blur the line between artistic design and crucial practical functions.
This is one of the reasons why gabion walls are so favored by such different industrial fields and different homeowners, but it's not the only one.
To help you decide if gabion walls are right for your home, we have gathered for you all the main reasons why gabion walls are so incredible (and all the reasons why they might not be for you!)
Different types of gabion walls, gabion retaining walls, and gabion baskets obviously exist for those different functions.
(The one closely related type of structure that shouldn't be mistaken for a gabion wall, is bastions, which are made with geotextile to allow it to be filled with a granular soil fill, which isn't normally used as a gabion fill material)
But the basic structure of a gabion wall remains the same. And has been in use for so long for those reasons that make it hard to ignore how brilliant this structure is for landscaping too:
While the cost of gabions varies according to different aspects, like the type of wire mesh, and the type of fill materials, generally speaking, building a gabion wall is relatively inexpensive and affordable for most homeowners.
Since the baskets are made of galvanized wire mesh, even the best types won't cost as much as other construction materials like concrete. The filling materials won't be as costly either, especially if they are resourced locally, as there won't be additional money for transportation.
But here, you definitely want to choose a quality natural stone!
And if your yard demands a smaller gabion wall, then you can also save money on labor costs as it would be relatively easy to put it together yourself.
This also depends on how big you want your gabion wall to be and/or how much space your yard can offer.
But even with big ones, gabion walls simply don't require the infrastructure and foundation other walls would need.
Which means it can be put together fairly rapidly. Erecting the baskets, filling them, then closing them properly takes little time in comparison with other structures.
While bigger gabion walls would require a professional engineer to get it absolutely right, with smaller yard ones you can easily learn to do it on your own.
All there is to be done is the preparation for the ground the basket will take, the filling, and then closing the basket tightly.
As a tip, pick the large stones, and the prettier ones of course, for the visible lines, while stacking the center with the smaller, less attractive rocks.
Gabion walls as structures have a very long life span, averaging between 50 and 100 years.
And while, like any metal, gabion baskets are affected by the environment, if your house is inland and isn't exposed to a lot of salt, it'll rust much more slowly.
Especially if you go for quality gabion baskets at the beginning, your gabion wall is going to last for a very long time.
Once installed, gabion walls require very little to no maintenance. There is no need for cleaning.
So once you have your gabion wall, you can put it behind your back and know it won't require more work from you.
The nature of the way gabion walls are structured means there is space between the stones to allow air movement. This makes the structure very breathable.
Because of this, unlike concrete walls, gabion baskets don't build up hydrostatic pressure that can threaten the wall's integrity and stability.
This is one of the most important benefits of gabion walls that have made gabion walls so useful and still in use now.
The stone fills absorb the force of flowing water and dispatch it, protecting the land from erosion. and providing soil stabilization.
You might think this won't matter for a commercial gabion wall in your yard, but if you have a pond or live near a river or stream, a gabion wall will protect your land from the water.
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Retaining walls are designed so that the water trickles through. This means your yard will be protected from over-saturation and there will be no need for drainage.
As gabion walls aren't fixed to the earth the way other walls like concrete walls are, that doesn't only mean that there is internal flexibility to handle small ground movements, but that they can form flexible structures for possible re-location.
With some work, you can de-construct the wall and move it to another spot if you think it'd look more attractive in another place.
Maybe you'd like to change the material of the fill for aesthetical reasons, or anything else, you'll have the freedom to do so.
While the benefits of gabion walls way outweigh the possible disadvantages, you still should know about them to make an informed decision for your yard!
If you have a large yard and was thinking of having an accommodating large wall, then the large wall would require heavy equipment.
The weight will make it hard to work on your own and the construction would be best to be erected by a professional then.
Again, this is only for larger stacked cages, not for any gabion construction. But if you're going for a large one, then it won't be that easy to build on your own. It'll take a lot of labor and would generally be safer with a professional.
This is a purely subjective point. To many people, the aesthetics of gabions are the biggest pro rather. The structure can enhance the beauty of this around it. But that depends on the style of your garden.
This isn't something you should worry about though, as you can contact Shrubhub from the comfort of your home and arrange for a 3D view of your landscape with the gabion wall in mind to best see if it looks like what you have in mind (or even better!).
This way you don't have to worry about whether the aesthetics will fit or not after implementation, you'll know from the start!
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You’ve probably seen them in all kinds of places: wire baskets of stones piled up against slopes and rivers, or neatly dividing green spaces. Gabion walls have seen a resurgence in use and popularity lately, but they are far from new. Used by military and structural engineers for thousands of years, including on the banks of the River Nile, they form a time-tested and dependable structure that has countless benefits and uses.
The word gabion comes from the Italian gabbione which literally translates as “big cage”, and this is essentially what they are – cage-like enclosures filled with inorganic material like stone, brick or broken concrete. Also known as gabion cages, their main use in structural engineering has been for protecting shorelines, river banks and slopes from erosion, and they're either laid at angles in “mattress” form or, more commonly, stacked incrementally like bricks.
Nowadays though, they are used for all kinds of other practical reasons, as well as purely aesthetic reasons. More and more gardens, urban spaces, towns and land re-development projects are transforming the way gabion baskets can be used and are employing them to build walls, pillars, benches and base structures, as well as to separate and divide areas, reinforce earth walls, and as a buffer for water features. The baskets themselves can come in a range of different sizes to suit all kinds of needs and designs, and are constructed using tough, galvanised wire mesh, usually of a 3mm thickness.
One of the reasons gabion walls are so popular with gardeners and landscapers is because anyone can build and place their own baskets and use them how they want to – they’re the DIY way to build walls and other similar structures in your own space. All it takes is a plan and some elbow grease.
Images by Catherine Stewart.
Take a look at Catherine Stewart’s post which explains every step she took to build a gabion wall in her front garden, including step-by-step pictures to show you how everything went together. As Catherine explains, she was able to fill hers with on-site sandstone which they broke up themselves, but that doesn’t mean you need an abundance of available stone on your doorstep in order to fill up your basket. Gabion stone can be sourced easily and in a range of sizes and colours, meaning you can tailor your design to fit your environment, making them an attractive and customisable addition to your space.
One of the core reasons that gabion walls have stood the test of time – ever since they were used on the banks of the River Nile – was that they are extremely flexible and durable. Under great stress, a gabion basket will deform, buckle or compress very slightly, rather than break. This is a functional feature that prevents loss of structural integrity and ultimately makes it stronger over the course of time. Additionally, not being fixed to the ground (like a normal wall would be) means there will be an allowance for all the small ground movements which happen naturally.
Though it might not look it, the wire mesh that makes up the basket or cage is very strong under tension and acts as a reinforcement of the overall structure, rather than just a container. And due to silt and vegetation collecting in between the filling over time, they actually become even stronger with age, and form a naturally permanent structure. Many people have taken advantage of this fact to use gabion baskets as a base for tables and benches.
The nature of the way gabion baskets are made means there is space in between the stone filling. This allows both air and water to pass through, which allows the whole structure to breathe. On the other hand, concrete structures can build up hydrostatic pressure due to their impermeability, and this can compromise their structural integrity.
Made from wire mesh, gabion baskets are less expensive than most construction materials like concrete, and can be put together easily by anyone, avoiding the need to buy heavy concrete or to mix it yourself. Filling like stone or broken concrete can usually be sourced locally and at a much lower cost. At Mainland Aggregates, we supply a wide selection of gabion stones to fill gabion baskets. Our range includes white gabion cobbles, blue pennant gabion stone, dove grey gabion stone and Cambrian green gabion stone.
Labour costs can also be all but eliminated, as almost anyone can construct a gabion basket structure without the need to hire people to do it. The only exception here is if you’re building over a metre in height – then we recommend consulting a professional in order to keep it safe.
One of the key benefits of gabion walls over traditional walls is that you don’t need a conventional foundation – a compacted layer of filling like crushed rock is often all that is required to give the baskets a firm footing. You may think that translates to the base not being firmly planted in the ground, but this isn’t the case. As long as you’ve flattened and prepared the ground to put the wall on, the fill at the bottom of the basket will settle into the ground directly, providing frictional strength which keeps the baskets in place and prevents the structure from being dragged away by a river or stream.
The principal benefit and practical use for gabion walls, as mentioned above, is to reduce or prevent erosion. This works by absorbing the force of flowing water, as the energy is dissipated by the stone fill, thus protecting areas under risk of erosion. For this reason, they’re used to bolster river banks and shorelines that are under threat of erosion. If you have a pond or a stream, or your garden backs onto a river, a gabion wall be a great practical way to protect the land.
A major reason that gabion baskets and walls are popular is that, despite being man-made structures, they still look natural and can match a space to its local terrain through the use of local filler materials. Baskets of many different sizes and shapes can be used, including curved baskets which form a bend or circle when put together, and filling of all kinds of colours, textures and sizes can be used inside them.
When local material is used for filling, transportation costs and the associated fuel consumption are almost eliminated, meaning putting together a gabion wall takes much less toll on the environment than a traditional concrete wall. Also, since the filling is making use of materials that already exist, there is no extra demand on the creation of concrete or other such materials. Thanks to their strength and permeability, gabion walls are also extremely long-lasting, durable and sustainable, so won’t need replacing or repairing as often as other walls.
As long as you’ve done some research and have what you need, you can put together your own gabion wall within one day. All it takes is to fasten the baskets together, prepare the ground where they will lie, and fill with your chosen filling. One key trick is to pick your flattest and best-looking pieces of stone or rock for the sides that will be seen most frequently – many people line the edges with the best pieces and fill the centre with cheaper filling like broken concrete, as well as saving any rare right-angled pieces for the corners. If you’re building over a metre in height or planning to build on top of the wall or baskets, then you should consult a structural engineer, but for other uses, they really can be done all by yourself.
Unlike a concrete wall or structure, gabion baskets aren’t fixed to the ground, and can therefore be moved or taken down with relative simplicity, to accommodate a changing environment or just aesthetic preference. This can give you the flexibility to try out a garden or landscape design, and if you don’t like the look of it or how it works practically, you can take apart the baskets and move them around however you like, as many times as you like. Just be prepared for a bit of heavy lifting!
Are you interested in learning more about Custom Gabion? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!