Gabion & Stone Retaining Wall Engineering

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What Is a Gabion Wall?

Gabion retaining walls use wire mesh baskets filled with rock or stone. They work as gravity structures — relying on their own mass to resist earth pressure. Gabions are popular for their natural appearance, excellent drainage properties, and flexibility on uneven ground.

Engineering Design Considerations

Basket sizing — Standard gabion baskets are 1.0m × 1.0m × 0.5m or 2.0m × 1.0m × 0.5m. Wall width (depth into the slope) is the critical dimension — wider baskets provide more weight and stability. For taller walls, the base course is wider than the top.

Stability analysis — We check overturning, sliding, bearing capacity, and global stability. Gabion walls are heavy, so bearing capacity of the foundation soil is important — they're not ideal on very soft ground.

Wire specification — Baskets must be galvanised or PVC-coated wire mesh. Wire diameter and mesh opening size affect the structural capacity of the basket itself. We specify minimum wire gauge for the design loads.

Rock fill — Rock must be hard, durable, and sized to prevent falling through the mesh. Minimum rock size is typically 1.5× the mesh opening. We specify rock gradation and minimum density.

Natural drainage — One advantage of gabions is they're inherently free-draining. However, we still design proper drainage behind the wall to prevent soil migration through the rock fill, using geotextile fabric separation layers.

Pricing

Gabion wall engineering from $600+GST. Design complexity depends on wall height, terracing, and surcharge loads.