Gabion Box

Selvedges

All edges of the gabion boxes, mattresses, diaphragms and end panels shall be selvedged with a core wire diameter not less than 20% greater than that of the mesh wire. The selvedging shall be such that the mesh will not unravel and such that the strength of the connection between the selvedge wire and the mesh is equal to or greater than the breaking strength of the mesh.

Binding and Connecting wire
The diameter of the wire core shall not be less than 2.2 mm for gabion boxes and 2.0 mm for mattresses.

Zinc Coating

All wire used in the fabrication of the gabion boxes and mattresses and in the wiring operations during construction shall be zinc coated to BS 10244-2 Steel wire and wire product zinc coatings. The minimum weight of the zinc coating shall be as follows:

Mesh

The mesh shall be hexagonal woven mesh with the joints formed by twisting each pair of wires through two full turns. The wire core diameter for gabion boxes shall not be less than 2.5 mm, and the wire core diameter for mattresses shall be not less than 2.0 mm. The nominal size of the mesh shall be 60 mm, being the distance between the axes of two adjacent twisted joints. The wire mesh shall have sufficient elasticity to permit elongation of the mesh equivalent to a minimum of 10% of the length of the section of mesh under test without reducing the diameter or tensile strength of the individual wires.

PVC Coating

All wire used in the fabrication and wiring operations for the gabion boxes and mattresses shall have extruded onto it, after zinc coating, a coating of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The coating shall have an average thickness of not less than 0.55 mm and nowhere shall be less than 0.40mm thickness. It shall be capable of resisting deleterious effects of natural water exposure and immersion in salt water and shall not show any material difference in its initial characteristics in accordance with the testing requirements specified.

PVC coating characteristics

The properties of the PVC material should adhere to the following:

Tolerances

The gabions are then tied together to form a gabion structure.