WELDED WIRE MESH VERSUS TWISTED WIRE MESH
Thousands of years ago, Egyptians wove reeds into baskets; the baskets were filled with stones and buried along the Nile to control flooding and erosion. Later Europeans made stone-filled wicker baskets for both military fortifications and flood protection. These baskets acquired the name gabions, from the Italian word gabbione, meaning large cage. In the mid-nineteenth century, the first commercial gabion products were manufactured from woven or twisted mesh. The mid-twentieth century brought another change to the gabion with the advent of welding technology.
Over time, gabions have been improved and refined while retaining their most desirable and advantageous qualities. Each change reflects advancement in manufacturing and design resulting from the availability of new, better materials and techniques.
Welded wire mesh gabions offer the same flexibility as twisted mesh gabions with greater strength. Moreover, the superior coating technology used for Modular Gabion Systems offers greater corrosion resistance than can be achieved with twisted (woven) mesh.
When evaluating the benefits of welded mesh gabions, it is important to consider these points:
- TENSILE STRENGTH
- JOINT STRENGTH / PULL-APART RESISTANCE
PUNCH TESTS
FLEXIBILITY
DIMENSIONAL ACCURACY
PVC COATING
INSTALLATION
TENSILE STRENGTH
Independent laboratory testing confirms tensile strength values in excess of 3,000 pounds per lineal foot for standard 12 gauge welded wire mesh samples and values in excess of 3,700 pounds per lineal foot for standard 11 gauge welded wire mesh; these values exceed the requirements for welded mesh gabions as specified by ASTM-A974. Twisted mesh gabion manufacturers publish tensile strength values of 3,500 pounds per foot parallel to the twist and 1,800 pounds per foot perpendicular to the twist.