Perhaps these self-made structures are the simplest in manufacturing and at the same time universal in use. About them many who heard, but that's what it is, in principle, not everyone knows. And it is gabions in many cases that will allow to solve with a minimum of expenses a whole series of problems connected with the arrangement of the territory, the specificity of the soil on the site and the like.
What is it? Gabion resembles a kind of mattress, the cover of which is a grid, and as a filler can be used a variety of materials - crushed stone, natural stone, bricks or concrete battles, even wood. You can buy a finished product, good, manufacturers have filled the market with a wide variety of designs, differing in linear parameters, wire characteristics and filling. For example - the cost of a small gabion( 4 x 1) starts from 786 rubles .
Still, thinking hosts, given the simplicity of making gabions, prefer to collect them themselves. At least because the frame can be executed in any size and configuration, choosing the parameters exactly the ones that are required, not limited to the assortment of what the outlets offer. How to make the simplest gabion, we will consider.
Scope
In principle, where and for what purpose to establish such designs, the owner himself decides, and their application entirely depends on his imagination and ingenuity. But the most common options can be noted.
- Zoning of the suburban or local area.
- Decorative decoration of the territory.
- Strengthening the coastlines of reservoirs, gully slopes, stairs, terraces and the like.
- The device of retaining walls, various fences( fences), supports.
- Installation of a solid foundation for various structures - sites, flower beds, lawns and so on.
- Create transitions from one level to another.
- Fountain decoration.
- Arrangement of decorative country furniture( benches, armchairs, tables).
Let's start by choosing the right material for the construction of gabions:
Metal mesh
Given that the gabion is used for placement on the territory, and not inside the building, the products must be primarily resistant to corrosion. Therefore, preference is given to a grid of "galvanizing".The guaranteed lifetime of the box collected from it is not less than 100 years.
This version of the gabion is chosen in cases where it is supposed to install a "mattress" on a line having a complex configuration, which involves bending the carcass in separate sections or installing it along an arc. For example, finishing fountains or flower beds. There are many uses, so the shape of the "mattress" can be any - a cylinder, a parallelepiped, a cube with different dimensions.
Armature
The cross-section of the rod is selected based on the gabion's purpose. As a rule, it is no more than 8 mm. Such structures are used in places where the "mattress" will experience significant loads and samples of large fractions are taken for filling it. For example, for the manufacture of supports, bases, retaining elements. Unlike the reinforcing framework for the foundation, for which mounting it is not recommended to use welding, here on the contrary - it is better to pin all the bars in this way. Their knitting with wires takes too much time, besides, not every landlord will be able to perform this work qualitatively - practical skills will be required.
Assembly technology
With a grid it is more difficult to work, because in this case the welding machine is not used. If the size of the gabion is considerable, in some cases it is advisable to construct a formwork in the place of its installation. At least, in the places of strong bends of "tape" - it is necessary. This will greatly facilitate the assembly.
In the place of installation, the marking of the territory is made, and at the "nodal" points, pins are inserted into the ground. As a rule, pieces of thick reinforcing bar.
Place gabion in place and fix it to the pins( also with wire).
After the whole structure is assembled and leveled, it is filled with the prepared material. This stage has its own specifics.
- Initial filling is carried out not more than ½.
- Opposite walls of the gabion are tightened so as to achieve their parallelism. In this position, they are fixed by the braces. They are made mainly of thick wire. The locations of their installation are selected depending on the size of the filler and the design features( linear parameters) of the gabion.
- Final filling( to the top).
- Pulling the upper ends of the sides( wire, metal wire).
Well, how to make further( surface) design of the mounted structure, the host decides on his own - here any clues will be superfluous.
Filling feature
With a considerable width of the "tape" of the gabion, it is advisable to lay large samples of material along its lateral sides, and fill in smaller fractions and debris inwards. At the same time, it is impossible to load braces, otherwise under the weight of the filler they will bend, and this will cause the walls to shrink and the carcass deform.
Useful advices for
In the case of manufacturing a gabion from the reinforcement, it is possible to somewhat simplify the work and save, if the spacing between the rods is increased, and from above, so that the filler material does not spill out, cover it with a mesh-netting.
If the gabion is used as a decorative element, then it is advisable to cultivate it from above. For example, put an artificial or natural stone, cover with a tile. This will hide from the look of the grid, the appearance of which decorate the design is clearly not conducive.
If the construction is net, besides high, then the pins driven into the ground should be long enough. They will further strengthen the gabion and prevent its "sprawling" in width.
The article gives only general concepts about gabions and the ways of their construction. If you plan to mount a complex, to the same compound structure, then you need to anticipate some points in advance. For example, how to fasten the compartments among themselves, how to provide transitions in levels and so on.
