Gabion not so long ago began to find active use in the design household plots. However, this practical and functional element of construction is almost indispensable in modern landscape design. At the same time, it gives many options for use in order to create beautiful functional forms. In addition, gabions are used even in the interior design of large buildings.

Buying ready-made gabions is quite expensive, but you can make it yourself at home by creating a shape that suits your own design needs. When successful experience, you can organize a good home business for the production of finished gabions to order.

You will need a minimum investment to organize the production cycle, some skills and an organized channel for receiving orders from buyers.

What are gabions and how are they made?

At its core, a gabion is a three-dimensional structure, which is made of cellular welded mesh. Inside, it can be hollow, can be divided into segments by partitions, have additional reinforcing elements to increase stability, as well as to provide other properties of the gabion.

The scope of gabions is quite wide:

Photo	Application area
	Landscaping. Harmoniously fit as elements of landscape design
	Lightening. Serve as sources of additional lighting using erklez filler (colored rubble glass) allows you to play with the rays of light from the lamps
	Architecture. Gabion retaining wall to strengthen the shore and landscape
	Gardening. Flowerbeds, flower beds
	Arrangement. Space zoning tools
	Interior design. Decoration for a modern interior
	Building. Fences and barriers

Depending on the purpose of the gabion, its design can be adjusted. You can set it to the desired size, give it a fancy curved shape, and create clear geometric objects. An additional decorative effect of the gabion can be given by its combination with a green hedge, park lighting or natural decorative materials.

Aesthetic decorativeness is not the only function of the gabion. Landscape architects appreciate it for its high endurance, durability, ability to withstand quite serious loads (for example, when strengthening slopes or coastlines), as well as long term operation. If the owner adheres to the rules of correct operation, this design can serve for decades without the need for repair or reconstruction.

How to make gabions with your own hands

Despite such a mass of useful functions of gabions, every person who has a minimum set of tools and the right amount of galvanized mesh, which serves as the main one, can make them at home. building material in this case.

DIY gabions step by step instructions:

There are various forms of gabion construction:

• cubic (in the form of a box);
• flat forms (similar to a mattress mattress);
• gabions in the form of cylinders;
• as well as more complex curved objects (you will need more hands-on skills to make them).

Do-it-yourself gabion fence

Before you start, make sure you have everything you need. You will need:

1. Welded galvanized mesh for gabions, from which the structure will be created. The mesh property requirements are detailed below.
2. Fasteners. Metal spirals or wire staples act as fasteners.
3. Steel pins to stiffen the structure and fasten it to the ground.
4. Special braces or wire rope, thanks to which the structural panels retain their desired shape.
5. The material with which you will fill your design. You can fill the gabion with: stones, crushed stone, plastic, gravel, pebbles, quartzite, sandstone, wood, glass erklez and even construction debris.

The design of the fence differs from conventional gabions with additional connecting nodes. Frame elements are connected with bolt or tie-down brackets. This allows you to maintain the strength of the structure with such narrow, but high dimensions of the form.

Before you get down to business, develop a simple mini-project and calculate the required amount of materials.

Prepare material for filling in advance. It should be sorted so that the structure can be densely filled. This rule is still useful when you need to create beautiful patterns from different types of stones.

DIY gabion flowerbed

1. According to a pre-prepared pattern, it is necessary to cut out the details of the future gabion from the wire.
2. Using brackets or a wire spring, we connect the parts into a common structure, while not forgetting to leave the upper part free. It will act as a cover.
3. We fix the pins in the structure, and also strengthen the gabion blank where it will be located.
4. We fill the gabion with prepared material. This stage consists of two parts: first, you fill the gabion to half and fix the side walls with chalk, giving them desired shape, and then fill the form to the top, after which the lid is also attached to the spiral general design.

Important! For correct filling, it is necessary that the stones are more large size formed the lower part of the gabion, while its top can be filled with a filler of a finer fraction. This will provide even greater reliability and stability of the structure.

Note. If it is necessary to use stones and fine filler (sand), geofabric is used to separate the layers, which is a kind of border. It will not allow excess consumption of bulk filler.

Properties of Welded Gabion Mesh

Durability, reliability and environmental friendliness - all these qualities will be present in your gabion if you choose the right source material. A simple chain-link mesh is only suitable for a gabion if you do not expect much endurance from it and plan only decorative functions.

Often, a special metal welded mesh (galvanized) is used for gabions. It is ideal for durability to use a steel wire mesh, which is additionally coated with galfan and a polymer composition.

The service life of such material exceeds 100 years. During this time, the grid is not affected by corrosion or other natural factors. The grid covered with polymer does not create an aggressive environment around itself. It is completely eco-friendly.

Over time, such a gabion will gain even greater strength due to shrinkage, mutual penetration of particles of its filler and the natural environment.

The overseas word "gabion" appeared in the vocabulary of landscape designers quite recently. Despite this, decorating the site in such a non-standard way is becoming more and more popular, because the stones enclosed in mesh cages look unusual and immediately attract attention. You can buy a spectacular structure ready-made or make gabions with your own hands - the step-by-step instructions for assembling them are simple and understandable even for a beginner in construction.

What are gabions and what are they

Gabion is a very simple structure - it's just a mesh box filled with stones. Initially, gabions were used for military purposes for the construction of redoubts, then civil engineers paid attention to them, it turned out that gabions are indispensable for strengthening road slopes, crumbling slopes, and banks of reservoirs. As a decoration of the site, these structures began to be used not so long ago.

Stones enclosed in a mesh base can look very decorative.

Types of frames for gabions

The basis of any gabion is strong mesh blocks of double twisted wire. The thickness of the wire must be in the range of 2-6 mm in order for the structure to withstand the load from filling with stones. To avoid corrosion, only galvanized or PVC-coated wire is used. The size of the cells may vary depending on the size of the filler.
Small gabions consist of one element. Large-scale buildings such as retaining walls or fences are built from blocks fastened together. The block design allows you to create a wide variety of shapes without the risk of deformation of the frame. Separate sections are connected with galvanized clamps or strong wire.

What does gabion mesh look like?

There are four main frame designs:

1. box-shaped. Such a frame can be mesh or welded from rods, depending on the size of the gabion. To decorate the site, a mesh-box frame is usually used. The name speaks for itself - it is a grid connected in the form of a rectangular or square box.
2. Flat or mattress. It is a low building. Mattress gabions, as a rule, are used in large-scale construction to strengthen the banks of a pond or areas on slopes.
3. Cylindrical. This type of frame is used to create supports for garden furniture or as separate decorative elements.
4. Arbitrary form. In this case, the shape of the gabion depends only on the imagination of the owner of the site.

Stones in nets are able to strengthen crumbling areas of soil

What can fill the grid

To make gabions with your own hands, you need to know what materials are suitable for filling them. The most common option is natural solid or chipped hard rock. It can be granite, quartzite, basalt. Such filling is used for retaining walls, fortifications, fences.
Small decorative structures are filled with sandstone, volcanic tuff, and large pebbles. You can create an unusual design by filling the frame with shards, small wooden logs, pipe trimmings. The most important rule is that the filler particles should be larger than the mesh cells.

Filling can be the most unexpected

Arguments in favor of the gabion on the site

Looking at the colorful photos of gabions that craftsmen make with their own hands, the question arises, is it not easier to put an ordinary brick or masonry in the traditional way on a concrete solution. However, gabions have a number of advantages:

• mesh structures are very flexible and therefore indispensable in areas with unstable soil. Where the cement cracks or even collapses, the gabions will remain intact, in extreme cases, only slightly deformed;
• over time, the structure does not lose its strength. The stones are caking and only getting stronger;
• water freely penetrates through the stones, which means that the structure does not require an additionally equipped drain;
• the process of installing gabions with your own hands is not so laborious and less costly than the construction of concrete masonry.

Gabions are simple and concise

How to assemble a gabion with your own hands

Before you make a gabion with your own hands, it would be useful to watch a video on its installation or read the step-by-step instructions. Having dealt with the intricacies of the process, you can proceed with the installation.

Materials and tools for work

The initial stage is the preparation of everything you need. Would need:

• durable galvanized mesh. For small structures, a wire thickness of 2-3 mm will be sufficient, the larger the structure, the thicker the wire, up to 5-6 mm. As a rule, a special gabion mesh with hexagonal cells or a regular one with rectangular cells is used. You can try to make a gabion from a chain-link mesh, but this design will be short-lived, because the chain-link is not designed for heavy loads;
• wire staples or clamps for fastening the frame. They must be galvanized, otherwise the attachment points will rust over time and the box will fall apart;
• sand, geotextile or thick black film for the substrate;
• filler - stones, pebbles, broken bricks. The more cells the grid has, the larger the filler should be;
• reinforcement for stiffening large structures, it is not used for small forms;
• tape measure, pliers, shovel.

Mesh must be galvanized

Basic rules for creating a gabion

Gabions of all shapes and sizes are built according to the same principle. All work can be divided into three stages:

1. Foundation preparation.
2. Frame installation.
3. Filler filling.

The thoroughness of the preparation of the base depends on the size of the structure. If for small decorative gabions it is enough to simply level the ground, then a sand cushion is laid under large sections, and in some cases even a foundation is poured, for example, for a fence.

The simplest stone flower bed

Galvanized mesh is strong in itself, it holds its shape well, so additional stiffening ribs or reinforcement at the corners of the boxes are justified only on large-scale objects where a large weight of stones can deform the mesh. If the reinforcement is still needed, it is welded together and only then the mesh is fixed. Everything welds must be treated against corrosion.
The installed box is covered with stones. To make the structure look as decorative as possible, you should try to find stones of the same size and quality. There is one trick, if there are few stones - they are laid close to the grid, and the inner space, invisible to the eye, is filled with construction debris or rubble.

Step-by-step instructions for building a flower bed

Do not immediately take on serious designs. First you need to fill your hand by building something small, for example, a fence for a flower garden or a retaining wall for an alpine slide. How to make such a gabion with your own hands is clear even without a photo, just follow a simple step-by-step instruction:

1. Determine how wide the fence will be. For a small flower garden, 25-30 cm is enough. For ease of installation, the height is the same. That is, as a result, the flower bed will be framed by rectangular blocks with a section of 25x25 or 30x30 cm.
2. Along the perimeter of the flower beds, a strip 35-40 cm wide is marked out, the soil is carefully leveled and rammed. To not grow through the stones weeds, the base is covered with geotextile or ordinary black film so that the canvas is slightly wider than the base of the gabion. In no case should this technique be neglected, because if weeds grow through the mesh and stones, it will be very problematic to get rid of them.
3. The mesh is cut into strips 25-30 cm wide and equal to the length of the sides of the flower bed. On each side, you will need four long strips and two squares for the ends to build a mesh box. To protect the flower garden from four sides, four boxes will be required, respectively.
4. Assembly is carried out directly on site. Lay one of the strips on the ground. Perpendicular to it, first one, and then the second wall is installed and screwed to the base with clamps or wire staples. At the same time, they try to tighten the fasteners from the inside, while maintaining a neat appearance designs. Cut off excess wire with pliers.
5. The ends are attached in the same way. The top of the resulting basket is left open for a while.
6. When all four boxes are ready, they are covered with stones. After that, the upper strips of the grid are screwed. The geotextile protruding beyond the blocks is masked with small gravel, sand or decorative pebbles. That's all, the gabion is ready.

Finished fence for the flower garden

The best ideas for site decor

As you can see in the example of a fence for a flower bed, making gabions with your own hands is very simple. In the same way, you can create a variety of, both simply decorative and functional structures in the courtyard.
Stones enclosed in a grid make excellent fences, fences, retaining walls. It is possible to combine gabion structures with sections of conventional material. The fence looks interesting wooden spans alternate with stone. By the way, supporting pillars for such a fence, it can also be made from gabions.

If you install a countertop on top of the boxes or wooden seats, you can get a set of durable garden furniture from a table and benches. Such furniture can be safely left for the winter in the open air or removed only wooden details.

Benches with such a base will last a long time

Gabions can decorate a summer terrace or gazebo, make garden arches, strengthen the slope by making strong steps on it. They organically fit into the landscape of alpine slides and rockeries - the ability of the structure to easily pass water is the best suited for these structures.

The combination of stones and water looks very fresh and decorative. Fountains, waterfalls, banks of reservoirs - in all these cases, the use of baskets with stones will be appropriate. Skilled craftsmen make absolutely unexpected things out of mesh and stones. It can be, for example, a brazier, an outdoor fireplace, containers for plants, a wide variety of garden figurines, ranging from cubes, balls and ending with animals.

The garden can be decorated with such figures

Video: Do-it-yourself gabion assembly nuances

Gabions are durable, unusually decorative, they are easy to install with your own hands. Thanks to these qualities, they can be found more and more often in garden plots.

Today few people are surprised adjoining territories, decorated in compliance with all the canons of landscape design. Many owners, choosing certain items design solution, prefer those that are not only able to decorate the site, but will also perform certain functions.

DIY gabions - step by step instructions

Recently, gabions have been actively returning to landscape design, as they can be used for various decorative and applied needs. These original structures are given various shapes and sizes, there are several "techniques" for their construction. But it must be said that the general design of gabions is not very complex, and the work on their manufacture can be completed

This publication is dedicated to this: do-it-yourself gabions - step-by-step instructions for their construction.

Gabions - what is it?

First you need to understand what gabions are. Information about how they appeared and what they were previously used for will also be useful in order to understand how strong this design is.

Gabion (more precisely, "gabbia") in translation from Italian means "large cage". If we talk from the point of view of construction, then this is the name of a structure made of a metal mesh and filled with stones or other materials.

According to the rooted ancient "tradition", very often the novelties of certain technologies come into the life of a peaceful layman from the military sphere. This also applies to our subject matter. Long before becoming an element of landscape design, gabions were widely used as fortifications. They were used to protect artillerymen who were in positions near the guns - such protective structures are clearly visible in paintings or engravings depicting events, for example, the Napoleonic Wars or the defense of Sevastopol. At that time, gabions were usually made from wicker baskets filled with rammed earth - they showed good effectiveness in protecting against bullets, buckshot, and even enemy nuclei.

In the twentieth century, wicker baskets were replaced with sandbags that lined walls around machine-gun nests. Until today, gabions are used at NATO military bases located in Iraq and Afghanistan, but they are made of strong steel wire mesh or bags of special fabric, designed to be filled using automatic bucket loaders. Their convenience lies not only in reliability, but also in quick assembly.

In addition to defensive purposes, gabions have become widely used for purely peaceful purposes. For example, they are built along rivers, and they become good dams to protect settlements from natural disasters. The structures perfectly contain the flow of water during floods, while preventing the erosion of the coastline.

Gabions are very often built in mountainous or rugged terrain - to contain landslides, strengthening slopes in private areas and along mountain roads with such structures.

Landscape designers, taking into account the very wide possibilities of these structures, today use gabions in the preparation of projects for the design of territories.

Types of gabions and areas of their modern application

In European countries, gabions have long been widely used in landscape design, but in our area they are just beginning to gain popularity. All gabions are divided into several classical types, each of them has a certain shape, purpose and name.

• "Jumbo" These are box gabions. They can safely be called the most common and used. This type of gabion is distinguished by the characteristic shape of a parallelepiped, with each of its containers being twice as wide as it is high. However, the exact proportions are calculated depending on the composition of the filling and the functional purposes of the overall design. The length of a single cell of such a gabion can be from 2000 to 6000 mm, have a width of up to 1000÷2000 mm, and a height of not more than 1000 mm. The result of connecting containers into a common gabion is a rigid structure with clear lines.

If the Jumbo gabion is long, then it is divided into sections, installing dividing diaphragms every meter of length. They additionally fasten the opposite walls, providing the structure with increased rigidity.

Box-shaped gabions can be made in different ways:

- from a mesh with weaving in the form of hexagonal cells, which is attached to a rigid frame made of thicker wire;

- from a mesh made by welding from a steel bar.

The second version of gabions is considered more durable, as it has increased rigidity and a neat appearance, so they are more often used in landscape design, as well as for the construction of fences, bench stands, retaining walls and other similar purposes.

It is much more difficult to make gabion walls from a woven mesh, but in the factory, gabions are made from it using a double twist mesh. This material provides strength, integrity and even distribution of loads.

The wire for the frame of each of the gabion elements must have larger diameter than the one used to weave the mesh itself.

For the manufacture of boxes, a grid of galvanized wire is used. If the structure will be in a very aggressive environment for the metal (for example, constant contact with water is expected), then you should choose a PVC-coated mesh that will protect the material not only from moisture, but also from chemical, mechanical and corrosion damage.

Gabions "Jumbo" are great for building retaining walls on a hilly area, strengthening the sea or river bank, protecting pipelines, as well as decorative elements in landscape design - for framing flower beds, pools, installing parapets, etc. Since these structures have excellent resistance to erosion, they form the banks and bottom of channels that deliver water or drainage. Gabions "Jumbo" are good protection for the sea sandy shore and the bottom, as they prevent its erosion.

• "Reno Mattresses"- this type of gabions, like "Jumbo", is used to strengthen the river bank line. So, it was structures from such “mattress” structures that protected the city of Bologna from flooding. The name, of course, comes from their characteristic shape, reminiscent of a mattress, that is, they are flat and wide - the height of the structures does not exceed 300 mm.

This type of gabion usually has a single width of 2000 mm (similar to a double bed), while the length of mattresses can be 3000, 4000, 5000 and 6000 mm. Inside the structure, as in the case of the Jumbo, partitions are installed - diaphragms with a step of 1000 mm, which make the gabion more durable.

Gabions of the "mattress" type are made of galvanized wire with a diameter of 2.4 mm, coated with PVC and woven into a mesh with cells of 60 × 80 mm. In the factory, "mattresses" are made with standard dimensions 2000×2000×230 mm, and they can be purchased in specialized or online stores.

Prices for gabions

This type of gabions is used to strengthen a retaining wall built from Jumbo boxes, as it perfectly distributes loads and strengthens the structure, for laying on the bottom and banks of canals, building cascades, strengthening the banks of rivers, lakes and other natural and artificial reservoirs, as well as reinforcement of slopes and slopes of hilly areas and ravines.

In landscape design, streams are decorated with mattress gabions, the bottom and islands are laid out of them in shallow ponds. Stones help to keep water clean in stagnant reservoirs for much longer, since slurry from organic sediment, which sooner or later forms in lakes, does not accumulate at the bottom.

Unlike box-shaped, mattress structures are thinner, easier to install and require less material to fill them out.

Some owners of suburban areas are interested in whether Reno mattresses can be installed vertically, as fencing sections. It must be said that this option is also possible, but for such an installation, frame or structural elements will be required - channels or pipes.

• Cylindrical gabions (bags) can have a length of 2000÷4000 mm and a diameter of 650÷950 mm.

Cylindrical structures have higher flexibility than box and mattress structures, due to the absence of jumper diaphragms and stiffeners inside them. This feature allows them to be laid on an imperfectly leveled surface.

This type of gabions is also made of galvanized wire with PVC coating, which protects the metal from various aggressive influences. Due to the flexibility of this design, it can be used in various areas of construction, as cylindrical gabions perfectly resist external loads and are able to evenly distribute them on the base. They are also used in design decoration

So, cylindrical gabions use:

- to protect against mudflows, snow avalanches, rockfalls and talus in mountainous areas;

- to strengthen the coastlines of various reservoirs;

- to regulate river beds - change direction or even separation (creation of artificial islands);

- for the construction of retaining structures on complex terrain of the site;

- for the protection of underwater and aboveground pipelines;

- to strengthen the slopes of roads and railways, as well as to create road barriers;

- for the formation of waste channels;

- to create reliefs of different levels on flat areas, including fences and other enclosing structures;

- for decorative use in landscape design.

• Gabions as flowerbeds and other elements of landscape design. If you plan to decorate the territory of the site with stone decorative details, then with the help of gabion structures you can create an unlimited number of various forms. It can be geometric figures, labyrinths, and the contours of various animals.

To create such a flower bed, you do not have to look for ready-made gabion structures - it is enough to purchase a metal mesh sold in sheets. From the mesh, gabion walls are formed, which go deep into the ground and are installed at a distance of 100÷150 mm from each other. Then the bottom part of the structure is lined with geotextile, after which the space between the walls is filled with stones right size and forms.

Animal figures made using the gabion technique are usually welded structures that are made of thick steel wire having a diameter of 4.5 ÷ 6 mm. Performing such work is a rather complicated process, and a master with well-established experience in the art of welding can do it. Therefore, if there is a desire to have a similar decorative element on your site, it will have to be ordered by professionals, but it will cost a lot.

• Decorative gabions can be filled not only with stones, but also with other materials at the choice of the site owner. This role is often played by ceramic products, for example, old tiles, flower vases, stands for them, individual bricks and other items. In addition, wooden logs are used to fill mesh containers, and even metal cans from various drinks, plastic boxes, artificial stone and more. The choice of filler is up to the owner of the gabion, however, it must be remembered that the lighter in weight the selected filling material is, the stronger the mesh structure should be.

Features of the construction of gabions

Before proceeding to the consideration of the construction of various gabion structures, it is worth understanding some of the points that you will have to face when doing work. Both the decorativeness of the composition and its strength, stability and reliability depend on the correct implementation of all stages.

So, the features of the arrangement of gabions include:

• The choice of material for the manufacture and filling of boxes.
• Methods for fastening the walls of mesh containers, necessary tools to do the work.
• The specifics of filling the boxes with stone.
• Fasteners used at work.

Material and construction of gabion walls

If gabions are purchased ready-made, then you need to know that they are manufactured in the factory in accordance with the requirements of GOST and TU (In GOST R 51285-99, GSI are gabion mesh products intended for the manufacture of gabion structures). Therefore, all elements must comply with the established requirements, which relate to both materials and dimensions designed for certain loads.

When making the walls yourself, it is also necessary to refer to the parameters and characteristics established by the standards.

The walls of the gabion can be made from a mesh made of galvanized wire with a cross-sectional diameter of 2 ÷ 4 mm, woven by double weaving into hexagonal cells. Its example is shown in the figure above, taken, by the way, from the GOST mentioned above. The designations on the diagram show:

1 - edge wire.

2 - main wire.

B is the grid cell size.

B1 is the size of the cell diagonal.

Standard mesh sizes for gabions are shown in the table below:

Cell size B, mm	Diagonal size B1, mm	Wire diameter without polymer coating, mm (main/edge)	Mesh width, mm	Standard roll length, m	Recommended diameter of the binding wire for mounting the gabion structure
60	80	2,0 / 2,4	For all - from 1000 to 4000 in 1000 mm increments	25, 50 or 100 m	2,0
-//-	-//-	2,2 / 2,7			2,0
-//-	-//-	2,4 / 3,0			2,0
-//-	-//-	2,7 / 3,4			2,2
80	100	2,0 / 2,4			2,0
-//-	-//-	2,2 / 2,7			2,0
-//-	-//-	2,4 / 3,0			2,0
-//-	-//-	2,5 / 3,0			2,2
-//-	-//-	2,7 / 3,4			2,2
-//-	-//-	2,8 / 3,9			2,4
-//-	-//-	3,0 / 3,9			2,4
100	120	2,7 / 3,4			2,2
-//-	-//-	3,0 / 3,9			2,4
-//-	-//-	3,4 / 3,9			2,4

When used to make wire mesh with polymer coated, its diameter increases by 1 mm.

When deciding to make a gabion box from a welded mesh, it is necessary to choose sheets made of a rod with a thickness of at least 6 ÷ 8 mm.

In the manufacture of gabions, in addition to the mesh itself, you will also need the so-called knitting wire, which is used to fix the mesh on the frame, as well as tying its walls together. Therefore, in addition, in the right column, one more parameter is shown, which is not included in the GOST mentioned above. This is the recommended diameter of the wire that will be used to link the gabion structure.

The knitting wire also has its own requirements, which include the following points:

• The knitting wire must not have breaks.
• The splicing of the ends of the wire is done by twisting or extension.
• The twist should not be longer than 20 mm, so it must be done very high quality and carefully.
• There should be no more than one twist per 20 m of wire, made in any way.

The connection of the finished walls of the gabion is carried out in different ways:

• The side and bottom ribs of the gabion are most often connected using a wire spiral, which can be made independently by tightly winding the wire onto a pipe of a certain diameter, which can vary from 20 to 40 mm.

• In addition to the spiral, galvanized steel staples, which are installed with a special stapler, can be used to fasten the baskets along the vertical and lower horizontal ribs. This is done in increments of 120 ÷ 150 mm, and at the same time it is necessary to alternate, installing first one bracket, and then two.

• The gabion lid can also be attached to the box with staple rings or tied with wire, which twists the edges of the walls and the lid.

Another necessary detail of the design of the box-shaped gabion is the stiffening ribs (more precisely, peculiar puffs) installed inside the basket and holding the walls in their original position even under the load provided by the stone filler.

The stiffeners are usually made from wire of the same diameter as the mesh itself.

These elements can be installed parallel to the side walls or diagonally at the corners, with a vertical step of 150÷200 mm.

Selecting and laying stone for filling

An important point in the construction of gabion structures is right choice and stone laying.

Gabion mesh baskets can be filled with stones of various shapes - for example, round pebbles, raw wild stone or flat stone plates laid according to the type brickwork, that is, with the displacement of their joints.

The size of the stone for gabions is selected according to the parameters of the cells of the mesh selected for the design, so that the filling elements do not fall out of the baskets. The optimal size of the stone is considered to be the one that is at least two, maximum five times larger than the dimensions of the cells, since they give a uniform draft and load on the bottom of the basket. Do not fill baskets with stone too much big size, since there are significant empty spaces between them.

According to the rules for creating gabions, the following requirements for stones are determined:

• For the construction of gabions in the air, that is, on the street, specific gravity stone should be at least 17.5 ÷ 18 kN / m³, and for strengthening banks or other hydraulic structures 23 ÷ 25 kN / m³.
• The strength of the material must be at least 400 kgf / cm².
• The frost resistance of the stone is greater than F 350.
• The stone must be resistant to decay under the influence of external factors (wind erosion under the influence of moisture, temperature extremes and ultraviolet radiation). So, for the entire period of operation, the loss of the total mass should not be more than 5÷10%.
• The material must have a low moisture absorption coefficient, not more than 0.6%.

To create gabion structures, such rocks as tuff, soft and dense limestone, sandstone, trachytes, granite, basalt, quartzite, slate and other minerals are most often used.

Recently, colored glass stones have become especially popular for gabions used as elements of landscape design. They look extremely impressive in the design of the site, especially on sunny days. In addition, they are easy to clean with a water jet from a hose and retain their original appearance throughout the entire period of operation, while practically not losing their weight.

Gabions are filled with stones according to certain rules in stages:

• If the gabion has a height of 500 mm or more, then all its sections are filled with stones gradually and simultaneously, that is, at first they are all filled up by about ¼ of their volume. If mattress-type gabions are filled, then filling them with filler can be done in one or two stages.

• Then, one or two first sections of the gabion are completely filled, and half filling is done in the third and further.
• The next step is the laying of stones in all sections to the very top, and the stones must be laid 20 ÷ 50 mm above the top line of the box, since when they shrink, they will level out and fall to the desired level.
• If next to the first structure it is planned to install another one in length, then the last section of the first mesh box is left empty so that it can be connected to the next part of the gabion.
• In the case when baskets of large width are needed, in order to save stone, it is recommended to lay it only on the outer sides of the structure. In the middle, which should be about ⅓ of the width of the mesh box, you can fill in stones of a smaller fraction, as well as any solid construction waste.
• The method of filling mentioned in the previous paragraph is permissible only if the gabions are installed on land and will not have direct permanent contact with water. If they strengthen the bottom or shore of the reservoir, the boxes must be completely filled with stones.
• The stones are packed into containers tightly, so that there is as little empty space between them as possible.

Here it is necessary to clarify that stiffeners or spacers inside the structure can be installed both before filling it with stones, and simultaneously with phased backfilling. However, it is easier to do this process before laying the stones, but in this case they will need to be laid carefully so as not to damage the wire ties.

The use of geotextiles in the construction of gabions

When arranging mattress gabion structures, in addition to the above materials, geotextiles will be required, which replaces part of the previously used layers of gravel and sand bedding, which acted as a return filter. Thanks to the use of this material, the layer of sand "cushion" can be reduced by 20% of its required thickness.

Prices for geotextiles

geotextile

In addition to the filtering function, geotextiles completely prevent vegetation from growing through the gabion structure. This material is resistant to decay processes, is not affected by mold, rodents do not touch it. The canvases are very flexible, so they are easy to work with, as they easily fit on sites with any relief.

Geotextile sheets are supplied for sale in rolls, and when laying them, it is necessary to check their integrity, since they should not have breaks or other damage. Cloths are laid to the entire height of the slope being equipped, overlapping by 100 ÷ 200 mm. They are stapled together with a stapler, and then glued with waterproof construction tape, since the connection must be strong.

Anchoring gabions on slopes

A necessary fastener for fixing mattress gabions on slopes are special anchors, and the process of their installation is called anchoring.

Anchoring is especially important for mounting mattress gabions on steep slopes. To do this, the anchors are driven into the ground, holding the structure in the required position.

Gabion anchors can be made in the form of a hairpin or a hook. The first version of the fasteners is used to fix the structure through the bottom mesh, and the hooks are driven in along the membranes and hooked onto the top wire of the frame.

Thus, they give additional rigidity to the lintel diaphragms, while simultaneously holding the entire structure on the slope being built.

Tools for the job

In order for the work to be carried out at the proper level, it is necessary to prepare some easy-to-use tools, which include the following:

• The stapler used for connecting with wire staples will greatly facilitate and speed up the work. Such a tool may be mechanical or pneumatic. The choice of this tool depends on the financial capabilities of the master and the conditions of the work. The mechanical version of the tool is completely autonomous, that is, it is not tied to a specific place, while the pneumatic version is powered by a compressor.

It is clear that not everyone has such a tool. But if large-scale work is planned, then it makes sense to buy it. It costs, however, a lot, and perhaps a better option would be to look for opportunities to rent a tool.

• Pliers are used for cutting wire and twisting it.
• Hammer or sledgehammer - for driving fixing elements.
• Metal scissors.
• A shovel for preparing the installation site for some types of structures.

Assembly of finished gabion structures

Box gabions

This type of structures goes on sale in a folded, bundled form. Transportation and storage of such packages must be carried out in a horizontal position. The height of stacked structures should not exceed 2000 mm. Prior to installation work, the folded gabions must be stored on flat wooden pallets to avoid the risk of damage to structures laid from below.

Work on the assembly of box-shaped structures is carried out in the following order:

- The first step is to open the package of gabions - it is recommended to work in a free space that provides full disclosure of the development and an unhindered approach from any of its sides.

- Further, the elements of the gabion are laid out on a horizontal flat surface with a sweep, that is, the way they will be assembled. It turns out that all the side walls are laid out around the bottom and the installation site of the internal partitions is outlined.

- Then the side walls and partitions are connected to the bottom in one of the above ways. At the same time, the step of their installation is observed, which can vary from 750 to 1000 mm.

- In the next step, the side walls alternately rise to a vertical position and are interconnected at the corners with spiral fasteners. Partitions-diaphragms are connected to the mesh of the side walls using a knitting wire.

- A lid is fixed on the assembled gabion. It can be fixed with a spiral fastener or with a tie wire, but always in such a way that it can open and lean back freely.

If it is planned to build a structure consisting of several separate gabion structures, then they are assembled in the next step.

The assembled boxes are installed on the site prepared for them, according to the developed project. If they are mounted in one line or side by side, then they are connected to each other with the same wire for the details of the frame structure.

If gabions are mounted on an inclined surface, and there is a risk of them slipping under the weight of stones, then the structure should be rigidly fixed in place with anchors.

Before filling the gabion with stone filler, it is recommended to temporarily strengthen its front side with formwork, which will help to contain the pressure of the stones laid in the basket.

When installing gabions in several levels, the bottom row is first filled with stone, then empty boxes are installed on it, and then they are connected to the lower structural elements with wire around the entire perimeter.

If it is planned to install curvilinear gabion structures, then the finished gabions after their assembly will have to be cut and their elements adjusted to the desired angle.

It is possible that some overlapping parts of the structure will have to be cut off with metal scissors, and then the final linkage of the intended configuration will be made.

Installation of "mattress" gabion structures

Gabions of a “mattress” type are assembled in the same way as box-shaped ones, however, there are some nuances when they are installed on the ground.

The installation of empty "mattress" gabions is carried out on a prepared site covered with geotextiles. Then they are tied together with wire. If the slope of the site is formed with gabions, then they are fixed in place with the help of anchors, driving them into the ground according to the scheme presented and described above.

Further, after fixing the mesh boxes to the entire area covered by gabions, they are filled with stone. After that, the entire structure is covered with a lid, which must be wired to all parts of the frame, that is, to the side walls and diaphragms. At the same time, it must be remembered that the width of the mesh fabric used as a covering for gabions should have a width not exceeding 2000 mm, while its length can be (and this is even recommended) equal to the length of the entire structure along the slope line.

Further, it should be noted that when strengthening coastlines and the coastal bottom of reservoirs, mattress gabions are placed in the places intended for them already filled with the help of special equipment. But this is an industrial scale of work that cannot be done independently.

Assembly of cylindrical gabions

This type of structure is supplied in sheets that are already sized to the desired size, and are even equipped with a frame tie wire.

The cylindrical gabion is assembled in the following order:

• The canvas is laid out on a flat surface, straightened and checked for defects.
• Further, using a wire threaded along the side edges, the web is pulled together from two sides, one of which is securely fastened, while the second remains tightened as much as possible, but not fastened.
• After that, from the side that is capitally fixed, the binding of the free edges of the "cut" of the resulting cylinder begins.

• When the cylinder is connected ⅓ along its length, they proceed to work on the second side of the gabion. The mesh is also pulled together, after which the cylinder is also tied by ⅓ of the length.
• Thus, a gap is formed in the middle, through which the mesh will be filled with stone.

True, nothing prevents leaving a window to fill from one of the edges, but it seems that it is not so convenient to perform the operation.

• After filling the cylinder, it is tied completely.

If cylindrical gabions are used to strengthen the shoreline of a body of water with a strong current or high water level, they are thrown into the water using a special technique.

Creation of gabion structures on the ground

Now, knowing how gabions are assembled and installed, we can proceed to consider concrete examples erection of these structures.

Retaining walls built from gabions

Separately, a few words need to be said about gabions, which perform the function of retaining walls, since this design is most often used in this capacity. As can be seen from the above characteristics, cylindrical gabions and "Jumbo" are suitable for the construction of retaining walls; in combination with them, if necessary, "mattress" structures can also be used.

The walls can be drawn in different ways, and their structure depends on the angle at which the slope is located on the site, and on how actively its upper platform will be used, that is, how high the load on the gabion structure will be. In some cases, it is necessary to make a stepped wall, in others it is installed at an angle to the slope, in the third, the gabion attachment is deepened into the slope.

It should be noted that the strengthening of the slope is a rather troublesome process that requires a large amount of earthwork. However, the installation of gabions as a retaining wall is, perhaps, best option both in complexity of installation and in cost.

One example of slope reinforcement is shown in the figure above:

1 – natural ground Location on;

2 - compacted sand and gravel backfill;

3 - gabion of the "mattress" type, which serves as the basis;

4 - a pyramid of box gabions "Jumbo".

If it became necessary to use gabions as a retaining structure, then it would be necessary to make accurate calculations of its thickness and height, and only specialists can do this, since the reliability of such reinforcement will depend on the correct calculations and the quality of the work. Do not forget also that it will be necessary to think over the drainage of water, which will flow down the slope to the retaining wall.

Therefore, if you decide to build it yourself, without contacting specialists, you can use finished scheme arranging the wall, which can be selected on the Internet for each specific case. But with this approach, there will be no one to blame in case of failure.

Building a high gabion fence

When choosing gabions for the construction of a building envelope, it should be remembered that it will take up much more usable space of the site than a conventional wooden or metal fence. In addition, it will be much heavier than traditional fences.

Given the heavy weight of such a fence and its preferred small width, it will be necessary to install additional supporting elements for structural strength.

If the soil on the site is quite dense, then some craftsmen do not arrange a foundation for the gabion fence. However, if you need to install a reliable fence that will not give distortions and will last for a long time, then it is best to install at least a shallowly buried base.

So, to install such a stone fence, you will need the following materials:

• Ready-made steel welded mesh, made of rods with a galvanized coating.
• If you plan to weld the mesh yourself, then you need to purchase a steel bar with a diameter of 8 ÷ 10 mm. But you need to correctly understand that in this case the fence will be heavier.
• Pillars are required from a pipe with a diameter of 120 ÷ 150 mm or profile pipe not less than 60×40 mm. Their height should be equal to the height of the fence plus 700÷800 mm for penetration into the soil.
• You will need cement and sand to strengthen the pillars in the ground and for if you plan to equip it.

Work on the construction of gabion fencing is carried out in the following order:

Illustration
	The first step, starting the installation of any fence, is to mark its location on the ground. This process is carried out with the help of wooden pegs and a cord. First, one point is determined into which the peg is driven in, and the line of the future fence will be determined from it. A cord is attached to the peg, then it is stretched over the entire length of the fence, correcting the evenness of the line. When the line is drawn, it will be necessary to determine the width of the trench for deepening the fence. After which it is also indicated by a stretched cord. The next step is to remove a layer of soil from the marked place to a depth of 150 ÷ ​​200 mm.
	Further, at the beginning and end of the fence line, it is best to immediately install support poles and stretch the cords between them. So you can achieve perfect evenness of the installation of the remaining pillars, the pitch of which is marked in the next step and should be from 800 to 1200 mm.
	Further, at the designated points, wells are drilled with a depth of 600 ÷ 800 mm. The depth of installation of pillars in the ground is determined by the hardness of the soil. You can use a manual drill, but if it is possible to use a motor drill, then the speed of the work will only benefit.
	The next step is to install support pillars in the drilled wells. The verticality of their installation is set according to building level in at least two perpendicular planes. To keep the racks in the right position until the concrete is poured and they gain strength, temporary supports can be welded from the rebar scraps. Before installing the pipe, it is desirable to cover it with an anti-corrosion primer or a special rubber-bitumen primer.
	Further, the empty space in the wells around the pillars is filled concrete mortar from cement, sand and gravel, made in a ratio of 1: 3: 4. The time of hardening and concrete gain of the minimum required strength will be 5÷7 days, after which it will be possible to continue work on the installation of the fence.
	The next step is to fill the bottom of the trench with a layer of sand 70 ÷ 100 mm thick and compact it well, for this it is moistened with water. If it is planned to install a foundation at the base of the fence, then it will be necessary to install formwork along the entire trench and equip it with a reinforcing cage. In this case, the master decided to use the lower part of the stone fence going into the ground to a sufficiently large depth as a foundation.
	When installing a fence, gabions are assembled directly on site. To create a frame, first a mesh of the required length is cut from the roll (or from the card, depending on the material used), and in width so that it matches the width of the trench, since it will be used as the bottom of the structure. This strip of mesh is laid along the trench with the posts installed in it, and holes are cut in the middle of it for each of the posts. Then this tape must be laid on the bottom of the trench - it is put on through the cut holes on the installed racks and lowered to the sand compacted at the bottom. Further, the side parts of the structure are installed, which are fixed in the trench soil, through the bottom mesh with steel anchors and fixed to the pillars with the help of wire or special clamps. Then, on the mesh fixed on the racks, with the help of a knitting wire or spiral fastening, the diaphragms of the structure are fixed, with the same step as the racks. These elements will rigidly fasten the two sides of the structure and divide it into sections, which will help to properly distribute the load on the base. In addition, the diaphragms to a certain extent in this case also set the width of this rather narrow gabion.
	The next step is to install the second mesh wall, which is firmly tied to the diaphragms with the same knitting wire. When the installation of the baskets is completed, they are evenly filled by hand with the selected stone. It can have one color or several shades. If the second option is chosen, then the stones can be laid in horizontal or vertical stripes, or they can be laid out in various patterns. If the lower part of the fence will be buried in the ground, then it can be filled with any stone or even old brick, the main thing is that it be laid with the same or even higher density than the decorative stone that will be poured into the main above-ground part of the structure. After the lower part of the gabion is filled with stone, the trench is buried, the soil is compacted, bringing its level to the general level of the surface of the site.
	If a welded structure made of steel bar is installed, then the two walls of the gabion are connected by internal bridges, which are often also fixed by welding. However, the use of powerful puffs with hooks is often practiced, which will not allow the nets to disperse under the pressure of stones. In this case, these puffs can be installed as the gabion is filled.
	The design of the gabion type fence is usually not closed with a lid on top, since there is no need for this, and you can save on this part of the gabion. However, it is recommended to additionally tie the upper edges of the fence walls with a wire tie if they are made from a finished mesh, or, for example, fix them together with pieces of a steel bar if the fence is a welded structure.

Construction of a low decorative fence from box-shaped gabions

The next fence option has simple design and consists of only three box-shaped gabions. It will perform not so much a site-enclosing function as a decorative one, as it has an aesthetic and original appearance. Another advantage of this design is that there is no need to lay a foundation under it, since box-shaped gabions in this case have a wide base, which eliminates the risk of their subsidence, even despite their large mass.

To build this small fence, you need to prepare the following materials:

• Welded mesh with cells 40 × 40 or 50 × 50 mm.
• knitting wire.
• Stone for filling gabion boxes.
• Geotextile or black film.
• Anchors for fixing gabions to the ground.

In addition, you will need tools that can be found in any home - a shovel, a hoe, wire cutters or scissors for metal, a hammer, pliers, a tape measure and a building level.

The construction of this original fence is carried out in stages:

Illustration	Brief description of the operations performed
	The first thing to do when building this fence, just like in the previous case, is to mark the place where it is planned to be installed. After determining the site, it will need to be cleared, that is, removed upper layer soil by 120÷150 mm. To carry out this process, you can use a regular hoe. After the soil is removed, the site should be well tamped, and then gravel-sand backfill should be made on it, which is poured with water and also compacted, so that a layer of 80 ÷ 100 mm is obtained.
	After compacting the backfill layer, the site should be checked for evenness using a beam (rule) and a building level. The beam is laid on the compacted surface of the site, and the building level is set on it. If the measuring tool shows a large difference, then the bedding on one side must be increased or decreased.
	The next step with outside platforms, you need to dig a groove to which a plastic enclosing plate will be installed - a side. This element will serve as protection against moisture for the metal mesh of the boxes. The ditch is dug with a depth of 100 ÷ 120 mm and a width of 120 ÷ 150 mm. The plate is installed above the surface of nearby surfaces, since in the future the bottom of the mesh boxes will be pressed against it.
	Further, a protective edge is installed along the outer edge of the ditch, which is temporarily pressed against its wall with a board 25 mm thick.
	The site on which the fence will be installed is covered with geotextile or black film designed to protect the structure from weed plants growing through the gabion stones. In addition to the site, the ditch running along it is also covered with a film, the edge of the film is pressed against the side by the board. Having laid the film, proceed to the assembly of gabion structures made of welded mesh with cells measuring 50 × 50 mm. Their parts are laid out in the immediate vicinity of the prepared site and connected with a wire twisted into a spiral.
	Spiral fastening elements are screwed onto the edges of the folded structural parts. In this way, the sides are connected to the bottom, as well as to each other. The lid on one side of the box is also fixed with a spiral.
	The ends of the spiral fasteners must be carefully tightened with pliers so that they firmly hold the elements of the box, otherwise, when installing it in a permanent place, the spiral may slip off.
	Further, the assembled box is installed on the place prepared for it and is pressed against the side from the front front side. After that, separating diaphragms are installed in the basket and fastened with long walls. These elements are mounted in increments of 750÷1000 mm. If the box has a length of 1000 mm, then it can be divided in half by a diaphragm. These elements give the structure rigidity and help to contain its bursting under high load. The diaphragms are fixed to the bottom part and side walls with a spiral fastening.
	Additionally, it is recommended to tighten the walls with wire stiffeners (puffs) having a thickness of 5 ÷ 7 mm. These elements are especially relevant in high gabion baskets, where they are installed in increments of 120÷150 mm in height.
	The next step is to fill the baskets with stone. If it is possible to select stones with smooth surfaces, then it is recommended to lay them with the smooth side outward, pressing them against the walls of the gabion with any stones placed in the middle of the basket. In any case, adjacent baskets are filled with stone at the same time, that is, in parallel. Moreover, it is necessary to lay the filler as densely as possible.
	Having finished filling the lower containers of the gabion, and having fixed the lids on them, an empty basket is placed on top of them, ready for filling. Its bottom is connected along the entire perimeter with the lower, already completely filled and closed structure.
	On the this option fencing is also planned for the placement of a mailbox. Therefore, before laying the stone in the upper basket, the box is fixed on the grid.
	After the box is fixed on the front side of the fence, the container can also be filled with stone. The process is carried out in exactly the same way as when laying a stone in the lower part of the gabion, followed by installation and fixation of the cover.

The result of the work done is presented in the illustration at the beginning of the section. Of course, such a fence will not protect against unwanted guests, but it can serve as a bench where you can spend summer evenings, and if you wish, you can put a light one behind this structure. high fence from the same network.

metal scissors prices

metal scissors

Registration of a gabion of a country pond

The gabion structure is also perfect for strengthening the walls. In this embodiment, for a round-shaped artificial reservoir, it will be necessary to build a curved structure from a steel welded mesh. Typically, a pond tank is installed in a pit dug in the ground, which protects its walls from external damage. When building a gabion around a reservoir, you can avoid heavy earthworks and not think about where to put the selected soil, since you will have to deepen the tank by no more than 150 mm. If a ready-made container for a pond is purchased, then all dimensions of the structure and the site are adjusted specifically for it.

For the manufacture of metal structures for this gabion, built around a round pond with a diameter of 1460 mm and designed for 500 liters, a mesh with cells measuring 25 × 100 mm was used. It took 475 kg of round white stone of medium fraction to fill the mesh.

Work on the construction of this structure is also being carried out in stages.

• The first step is to clear the site from the sod layer and select the soil to deepen the pond capacity.
• Next, the surface of the site is leveled.
• After that, you can proceed to cutting and installing a metal welded mesh.
• In this case, it will be necessary to complete two parts of the structure of different shapes, which are then connected to each other - this is a curvilinear part framing the reservoir, and a box-shaped one adjacent to it.

• First, it is worth doing a curvilinear gabion, which consists of two main walls - inner and outer, as well as jumper diaphragms that divide the structure into sections and give it strength.

- The first step is to make and mount the inner circle, the ends of which are fastened with knitting wire. The resulting circle is leveled and fixed to the ground with anchors.

- Then, on the inner wall with a step of 300 mm, along its entire height, as well as to the bottom, separating diaphragms are fixed, which should have the same width.

- After that, the outer wall of the gabion is stretched and attached to the diaphragms, and then to the bottom of the structure. It can be attached with knitting wire or spiral fastening.

• Further, according to the schemes already considered earlier, a box frame is assembled, which, after assembly, is attached to round design. The box-shaped basket should be tied to a knitting wire round the entire perimeter of its end side.

Here it is necessary to clarify that usually under any gabions, geotextiles or a black film are laid on the site being prepared, and the installation of the pond is no exception. However, in the composition shown, this rule was not observed for some reason.

• Before installing the finished water tank in metal structure, you need to do two things:

- Fill part of the height of the gabion with stone to give the structure the necessary massiveness and stability.

- Fix a protective material on the inner wall of the wire frame, as the wire with sharp ends can damage the tightness of the water tank.

The protective fabric should have a sufficiently large thickness, be soft and flexible, durable and resistant to moisture. In this case, construction batting was used as protection.

• After filling ⅓ of the height of the gabion walls with stone, the protective material is stretched on the wall, bent inside the structure and fixed with ordinary clothespins. When the work is completed, fixing the protective layer is no longer required.
• Further, a polymer water container is installed in the formed circle. So that its edges do not fall, they are also grabbed with clothespins removed from the protective backing.

• In the next step, the edges of the container are wrapped inside the wall of the round part of the gabion, and the mesh structure is filled to the top with stone. At the same time, it is left open, that is, a cover is not installed on it.
• The box-shaped part of the gabion, after installing and fixing the lid, is covered with a boardwalk, which will act as a bench or bench. The size of the flooring in this case is 300 × 1000 mm, and it is located at a height of 500 mm from the ground level.

Such a pond in the country or on the territory of a country house will be a great place to relax. True, in addition to such a structure, you will have to purchase a pump, or when building a gabion, you need to think in advance about the supply of pipes for draining water, since you cannot do without its periodic replacement.

Based on the presented examples of gabions and the proposed instructions for their manufacture, it will not be difficult for a creative site owner to make the necessary changes to these options and apply them to bring their own ideas to life.

And in order to "spur the imagination" of the reader, we also suggest watching a short video, which shows gabions created by the owners of the plots with their own hands:

Video: The widest opportunities for creativity - homemade gabions, as a decoration of the house adjoining area

At the moment, gabions are very popular, which landscape designers use not only as decoration, but also as an element that has a practical purpose. It may seem that it is impossible to make such a decorative element with your own hands, since it is a complex structure that requires accuracy and dexterity. But in fact, there is nothing complicated in gabions, so let's take a closer look at what it is, what it is used for, how they can be made at home.

What are gabions and their purpose

gabions called special metal mesh structures filled with stones or rubble. Gabions are used for:

• strengthening of water objects, such as a river, a pond, etc.;
• creation of backwater to protect the slope from collapse;
• regulation of riverbeds;
• protection of the soil from erosion, as well as from the occurrence of landslides;
• avalanche protection;
• arrangement of the site and places for recreation;
• construction of hedges and fences;
• wind protection areas.

Did you know? Gabions, which now more often serve as a decoration of the yard, were originally invented in order to build defensive redoubts during hostilities.

Varieties

Gabions vary in size and purpose. Their installation does not require the arrangement of the foundation.

The main differences in gabions are frame structures, which are:

What is the frame made from?

Companies involved in the production of gabions, most often tend to use galvanized wire, which has a coating density in the region of 250-280 g/sq. m. This is a fairly dense wire: it cannot be compared with the most ordinary "rib", which is actively used for the construction of various fences. Also, instead of galvanized wire, it can be coated with PVC and be from 2 to 6 mm in thickness.
The containers that will be used for these structures must be very strong in order to withstand a large load under heavy filler, so they are made in a technique that involves double wire torsion.

Important! The mesh must have cells made as regular polygons so that the gabion holds well and is durable.

What can be filled

The choice of filler should depend on the size of the frame so that it does not fall out through the cells and holes in the grid, as well as where you plan to place the structure.
The frame for the gabion can be filled with coarse artificial stone or natural stone.

Presently the most popular are volcanic hard rocks, such as the:

• granite;
• quartzite;
• basalt;
• diorite.

The most common, but no less popular filler is sandstone.

You can use all kinds of rocky rocks to fill the structures, which will be resistant to severe frosts and strong enough.

If you are building gabions in order to decorate plots, then this is suitable alternative options materials, such as the:

• wooden cuts;
• pieces of pipes;
• broken tiles;
• brick;
• paving stones;
• crushed concrete.

If you want the gabions to blend in with the local landscape, it is recommended that you fill them with natural stone that matches the locality. For example, large pebbles, crushed stone, rounded boulders are well suited as a natural filler. If you choose the right filler, it will complement the picture so that everything is combined as harmoniously as possible.

Place for location

Considering that gabions have become quite popular in landscape design, it is important to decide where to place them if you decide to decorate the yard yourself.
When choosing a place, it must be taken into account that such structures look quite cumbersome and rough, so you should take care of the greenery with which you can dilute the composition.

You can also do gabion flower beds to both decorate the yard and update the old design of the site.
Gabions can be placed on the territory as fences or partitions. Also, these structures often strengthen the slopes to prevent collapse.

The structures are used to decorate parks, playgrounds, which are presented in the form of various figures, cartoon characters or simply geometric shapes.

Often gabions decorate pools or install them near artificial reservoirs.
Gabions can be used as a construction of a corner for relaxation, where a table can be provided, which is filled with any available stone, and around it to build square frames that act as chairs.

Sometimes such structures are used in order to provide good protection of arbors from flooding.

Despite the fact that the design is considered quite strong, the stones used for gabions have a space between them through which water will seep, preventing it from accumulating in the gazebo and flooding.

Materials and tools for work

Tools and materials that we will use for the construction of the gabion:

1. Very strong galvanized mesh. Its choice depends on the volume of the structure: the larger the gabion, the stronger the mesh will be required. Now they produce a special mesh for such structures, which has hexagonal cells, but you can also purchase a regular mesh, which has rectangular cells.
2. Also, sometimes a chain-link is used for structures, but it should be borne in mind that such a design will not last you for a long time.
3. Clamps or wire staples that will be required in order to fasten the parts of the frame. They should be selected for the frame itself, that is, purchased galvanized so that the attachment points do not rust prematurely and the structure does not collapse.
4. Thick black film, sand or geotextile in order to put them under the structure.
5. Pebbles, stones, broken bricks or any other filler that is planned to fill the frame.
6. Reinforcement, if it is planned to build a large structure - it is not required for small structures.
7. Shovel, pliers, tape measure.

Step-by-step manufacturing and installation process

In order to learn how to make gabions with high quality, you should first practice on small structures, for example, build

Gabions are multifunctional and versatile structures. They are containers made of strong wire or strong metal mesh, filled with stone, crushed stone or other materials. The word "gabion" itself is of foreign origin. Translated from Italian, "gabbione" means "big cage".

Initially, gabion frames were wicker and looked like baskets without a bottom. They were used, starting from the 16th century, in military affairs for the construction of fortifications. From the end of the 19th century, these prefabricated structures began to be used in construction. Without them, the construction of dams, bridges and retaining walls was not complete, the strengthening of slopes, slopes and bank protection with gabions was widely used.

Varieties of gabions and their scope

Later, wicker baskets were replaced by metal frames, and the structures themselves received new functions. Today, gabions are used not only in construction, but also in. Thanks to the use of various fillers, they can fulfill both their intended purpose, for example, strengthening the shore with gabions, and a decorative function, or combine both of these tasks.

For the frame of gabions, a strong galvanized wire with a diameter of 2-6 mm is usually used. Individual products are fastened together in a single structure. At the same time, in order to ensure the stability of the structure, prevent its deformation and premature destruction, the same strong wire is used for the installation of gabions. According to the shape of the frame, these products are divided into:

• flat;
• cylindrical;
• box gabions.

In structures of large dimensions, dividing partitions (diaphragms) must be provided. At the same time, box-shaped structures can be either mesh or welded gabions, depending on the method of their production.

Flat gabions, the thickness of which does not exceed 30 cm, are great option for strengthening the banks of streams and rivers, the slopes of ravines, laying on the bottom of shallow reservoirs.

Being flexible, these products of small thickness follow all the curves of the surface and any irregularities in the relief.
Such gabions, as in the photo, can also be laid as a foundation for box structures.

Gabions - the choice of specialists

The attention of builders, owners of personal plots and landscape designers, these structures attract not by chance. They have whole line Benefits to consider in more detail:

These structures are safe and fit perfectly into the surrounding landscape.

How to make gabions on the plot yourself

At summer cottages and suburban areas gabions can be used for:

To build gabions on the site, you can invite qualified builders. However, such a design is quite capable of being assembled independently, you just need to use quality materials. Here is a step-by-step instruction on how to make gabions with your own hands. There are two options:

For the construction of gabions, you need a strong metal grid, special metal spirals, steel pins, staples made of strong wire, braces, geofabric (for bulk materials), filler.
To connect the parts of the box, brackets and metal spirals are used, and with the help of pins, the structure is firmly attached to the ground. The middle of the container can be filled with small filler (geo-fabric is used for this), and the front walls with larger stones.

The filler fractions should be larger in size than the cells of the gabion container. The larger the cells, the larger the pieces of filler required.

When arranging surface structures, the size of the filler fractions should be one third larger than the size of the cells of the box or grid. If the product is intended for operation under water, such a design should be filled with an even larger stone, it should be one and a half times over size cells of a metal container.

Installation of gabions

Filler for gabions: which one to choose?

If on your site these structures function as retaining walls, strengthen slopes, or you decide to build a gabion fence, you must use a durable filler for these purposes. Great for hardwoods natural stones: basalt, quartzite, granite.

You can also use other varieties that are frost-resistant, durable, water-resistant, resistant to temperature extremes. Gabion stone can be different forms and sizes, depending on the size of the cells metal frame.
It can be rounded boulders, “wild stone”, large pebbles or crushed stone - any of these materials will not only be durable, but will also add attractiveness to the whole structure, make it pleasing to the eye.

To fill gabions that perform a decorative function, use materials with an interesting texture or their various combinations.

As a decorative filler for the device of gabions, you can use all kinds of materials, selecting them in accordance with the design style of the site and color palette.
These can be pieces of glass, cuttings of pipes and metal structures, broken tiles, paving stones, fractions of bricks, saw cuts of trees, thick pieces of bark and other natural or man-made materials.

Video instruction for assembling a gabion structure

Decorative gabions in landscape design

Today, more and more often you can see gabions in landscape design as decorative elements. There is no doubt that the use of these structures for decorative purposes has breathed new life into them. This area allows you to use products that previously carried an exclusively functional load as one of the main decorations of the site. And for the embodiment of the designer's fantasies, this area really provides unlimited scope.

The decorative role of these structures can be successfully combined with their functional purpose. Today, do-it-yourself gabion walls can be seen not only in personal plots as fences, retaining walls, partitions for zoning and in the exterior of buildings, but also in the interior.

The lighting of decorative gabions on the site in the evening looks beautiful. Therefore, when erecting these structures, it is worth taking care of their illumination.

Gabions will be the best solution for arranging a zone and gazebos, facing the shores of small ornamental ponds and construction of fountains, fencing flower beds, making bases for garden furniture and stands for garden sculptures.
The fillers of these structures are harmoniously combined with forged parts, natural wood, metal and other materials.

Gabions look great in a high-tech or minimalist yard. The austerity of these structures is perfectly set off by a green lawn, flowering plants and ornamental shrubs. In areas with relief differences, an interesting solution would be the creation of terraces from gabion structures. The recreation area can be separated with a gabion screen, arranging a cozy corner with an original design.

When installing an "outdoor" fireplace or a barbecue area from a gabion, it is necessary Special attention give it to the filler. It is better if it is a refractory material: stone or brick. The tree is not suitable for these purposes.

Gabions in landscape design, photos of which are given below, surprise with the variety of materials used, shapes, colors.
Thanks to these structures, any site can acquire a unique look and turn into a comfortable place to relax, where it is pleasant to gather with the whole family and receive guests.