Gabion walls consist of galvanized wire mesh baskets, or gabion baskets, containing fill material such as rocks and natural stone. These free-draining walls help prevent landslides caused by soil erosion and other factors.
Unfortunately, a gabion retaining wall can deteriorate and fail. When this happens, it’s sometimes because the wall doesn’t have the correct base-to-height ratio. Other times, the wall has surpassed its intended length of service and worn down from natural forces. The infiltration of fine silts and clay and the deterioration of the gabion wall rock can also cause its partial or total failure.
No matter the cause of a retaining wall failure, it’s essential to understand the benefits of repairing it versus replacing it. Often, repairing gabion retaining walls is a better solution than demolition and complete replacement for several reasons. The benefits of restoring an existing gabion retaining wall instead of replacing it with a new wall include:
GeoStabilization International® can repair and stabilize a gabion retaining wall and provide erosion control providing an extended wall lifespan of 75 years. Its original appearance can be restored, too: Our retaining wall design engineers have experience building gabions to match the original wall surface to look the way it did before it deteriorated.
GeoStabilization International® teams use soil nailing to repair and stabilize gabion walls when possible. Soil nailing involves inserting thin reinforcing bars, or nails, slightly downward into slopes at various depths determined by engineers.
We use a compressed air cannon called the Soil Nail Launcher™ to shoot 20-foot steel or fiberglass nails into the soil at 250 miles per hour. This innovative technique can be much more economical than using conventional soil nailing procedures or creating concrete gravity walls.
This method of repair works best when the facing of the retaining wall is still somewhat intact. If it isn’t intact due to erosion or crumbling rock, we’ll use soil nailing alongside other methods of stabilization, and we may carefully restack the salvaged stone.
Whether you’re building a gabion wall or repairing one, it’s a good idea to work with a trusted company like GeoStabilization International®, which has expertise doing it in a cost- and time-efficient way — and with the least amount of environmental disturbance.
GeoStabilization International® has provided landslide prevention and repair in the United States and Canada for more than 20 years. Our team of top equipment operators, geologists, and engineers has restored even the most deteriorated walls.
Beyond gabion retaining wall repair, we specialize in emergency landslide repair, rockfall mitigation, and specialized stabilization services such as bridge abutments, retaining walls, compaction grouting, and more. Contact us at 855-579-0536 to learn how we can help you with our geohazard mitigation services in the United States, Canada, and Australasia.
If you are interested in a no-obligation site visit to determine if our services fit your geohazard mitigation needs, call us at 855-579-0536 or fill out our contact form.
