A well-established art dating back thousands of years, the application of gabion structures is one of the most sustainable construction methodologies in practice to this day.
The flexibility of gabion designs makes this method of construction a highly versatile one for projects that can range from building and architecture to massive retaining wall structures.
“The process goes way beyond ‘throwing rocks in a box’,” says Louis Cheyne, managing director of Gabion Baskets and a recognised expert in the field. “In fact, it’s a highly skilled environmental engineering discipline, which has the advantage of using relatively simple fabrication and installation techniques – often combined with available in situ materials – to create highly sustainable solutions that promote the use of labour intensive opportunities, and in parallel, skills development training and SMME startups.
Retaining walls remain one of Gabion Baskets’ core business activities and these typically range from 1 m upwards, depending on the requirements. The higher the wall height, the wider the base, Retaining with gabions which is one of the few design restrictions imposed when working within the confines of a building or roadworks project; but for mining applications, like primary crusher tip walls, this footprint restriction is often not an issue.
Tip wall installations completed by Gabion Baskets in Southern Africa include a project for Barrick Gold in the DRC, with a height of 11 m and a base width of 5 m to 6 m.
