Maccaferri Gabions & Terramesh System

Gabion retaining structures are rectangular wire mesh baskets filled with rock at the project site to form flexible, permeable, monolithic structures, such as gabion retaining walls for commercial, industrial and road projects. They are also used for erosion control for bank stabilization, channel linings, and gabion weirs. Gabion strength lies in their double-twisted hexagonal mesh of steel wire which is reinforced by selvedges of heavier wire running along the edges and by transverse diaphragms. The wire will not unravel even when cut. Assembly is easy, requiring no specialized labor and nearby rock is used for fill.

Gabion retaining structures are available with different levels of protective coating for durability. With 30% voids, gabion structures offer free drainage providing a higher bank stability when used for river bank protection.

Maccaferri Terramesh® System is a versatile modular system used for soil reinforcement applications such as mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls; reinforced slope systems (RSS) and soil reinforcement. It is used for commercial, industrial, road works, erosion control, and bank stabilization.

Terramesh® structures rely upon the double twist steel wire mesh placed horizontally within the slope with backfill compacted upon it. The gabion type facing element of the Terramesh® System is fully integrated with the double twist mesh reinforcement and is dependent upon the final use of the structure. The double twist mesh reinforcement takes advantage of the friction acting along the surface of the wire and, more importantly, the mechanical interlocking properties of the backfill.

For durability, the zinc coated wire mesh is protected by a polymeric barrier made of PVC. Maccaferri Terramesh® has been evaluated by HITEC (with the collaboration of AASHTO and FHWA) for a 75 year design.