Part 3

GABION STRUCTURES

Welded Wire Erosion Mattresses

Wire mattresses were first used ! t"e US Re#lamation Ser$i#e in %&%' for #"annel an( )rote#tion on t"e Carls ad Pro*e#t in New Me+i#o

Ro#(,filled welded wire or twisted wire mattresses #an e an effe#ti$e miti-ation to miti-ate wa$e and $elo#it!,indu#ed erosion. T"ese led to t"e de$elo)ment of ro#(,filled -a ion as(ets.

Ro#(,filled -a ions are -ra$it! stru#tures desi-ned usin- t"e same met"odolo-! as t"ose em)lo!ed for #ri walls. Ga ions are $er! fle+i le stru#tures/ a le to wit"stand si-nifi#ant mo$ements from under#uttin- or landsli))a-e. T"e! #an e #onstru#ted on a atter 0left1 or le$el 0ri-"t1.

Ga ions wor( well in unimproved channels e#ause t"e! )ro$ide surfa#e rou-"ness more in "armon! wit" natural #"annels. Ga ions #an also a sor si-nifi#ant defle#tions w"en under#ut ! t"e stream.

 Ga ion as(ets are 2soft/3 fle+i le su))ort s!stems/ w"i#" #an e a#(filled wit" nati$e ro#( to 4 lend5 into t"eir a#(-round/ and t"ere !/ e#ome more aest"eti#all! )leasin-. T"is wall is lon- t"e west ound s"oulder of Interstate 67 #omin- into Glenwood S)rin-s/ Colorado.

Ga ion Walls and Mes" to sta ili8e talus #ut slo)e

West ound Interstate 67 near Glenwood S)rin-s/ Colorado/ s"owinattem)ted sta ili8ation of a "i-"wa! #ut in talus T"is s#"eme was not alto-et"er su##essful/ as s"own at lower left

 Crus"ed ro#(,filled -a ion retainin- wall su))ortin- an

an#ient sin("ole feature alon- t"e east ound lanes of Interstate 99/ *ust east of :i#"! Road in Rolla. Note ro#(fill sur#"ar-e on #rest of wall T"e toe wall )ro$ides )assi$e toe restraint so t"e wall did not "a$e to e e+#a$ated as dee)l! a-ainst t"e e+istin- road s"oulder/ w"en t"e "i-"wa! was widened in ;77<.

T"is s"ows a t!)i#al -a ion wall and revetment, or Reno Mattress/ w"i#" )rote#ts t"e wall from ein- s#oured or under#ut durin- "i-" flow. Ga ions )osses high skin friction and )ro$ide channel aeration durin- "i-" flow/ w"i#" ma(es t"em $er! desira le for limited re)air of unim)ro$ed #"annels