Foundation Considerations

Step 1

Remove topsoil and soft subsoils

Road base thickness

The required thickness of road base, depends on the actual site subsoil conditions.

Foundation testing

Small non engineered retaining walls, are unlikely to require Scala Penetrometer foundation testing, which accurately measures the subsoil bearing strength.

Concrete foundations

Most gabion walls do not require concrete foundations.

Road Base compaction

When placing 100mm depth of roadbase or greater, you will need to use a plate compactor

Proper compaction, eliminates future consolidation, and foundation settlement.

Sand Blind

Some contractors place thin layer of sand over the road base for final foundation leveling.

This should not be done on sites that have high groundwater flows.

Stepped foundations

Stepping the foundation, allows walls to be built on sloping sites

Gabion foundation examples

Stepped foundation example

Concrete ledges were cast into the bedrock,

The concrete foundations were based on the gabion basket sizes being installed.

Foundation questions

If you have any other gabion foundation questions, please email us some pics of your site with your questions.

Concrete foundations

Gabion walls rarely require a concrete foundation, see below. Consider using galv coated steel if your site has water issues.

Double width base gabion

The extra width of the base gabion improves, wall stability, and reduces the bearing load on the subsoil,

Spreading the load over a larger area, allows gabion walls to be built on weaker subsoils without expensive foundations.

INTERESTING LINKS

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