International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE) ISSN: 2278-3075, Volume-8 Issue-11, September 2019
Ganesh C. Chikute, Ishwar P. Sonar
reported [4, 5 & 6]. Study on field performance of such Abstract: Retaining wall is an important structure of any advanced type of retaining wall is also made by different infrastructure. Due to research and advancement in Civil researchers [8, 9, 10 & 11]. Kenneth L. Carper has presented Engineering use of new types of retaining walls are very much case studies of structural failure during construction and common in recent construction scenario. Gabion retaining wall is one of the new types of retaining wall. Gabion wall consists of stressed need for strict quality control during construction to stone filled metallic mesh boxes which are tied together to form a avoid financial and human loss. [7]. As far as Gabion wall shape of retaining wall. Gabion wall is very much common failures is concerned, limited literature is available. Edward nowadays due to its simplicity, speedy construction, and flexibility. A. Nowatzki & Brian P. Wrench has presented Geotechnical In spite of massive structure of Gabion wall there are possibilities Investigation on Causes of Failure of a Gabion Retaining of Gabion wall failures. Literature review shows that very less information is reported on failures of Gabion wall. Wall. They concluded that poor quality of backfill soil and This paper focused on defects/ failures observed in existing flood situation is responsible for instability of Gabion wall Gabion walls. Total 11 sites of existing Gabion walls around [19]. Pune district (India) are considered for the study. Investigations of Output received through the case studies of failures will these sites are made to identify various defects/failures with provide guidance to engineers, designer to avoid similar possible reasons. Remedial measures to overcome these deflect/failures are also suggested. Such a study will be helpful not errors, precautions required to build more stable and reliable only to avoid failures but also to provide a basis for possible structures. For an engineer, knowledge about engineering research and modifications in the Gabion wall. failures is sometimes more important than knowledge about Index Terms: Gabion wall, Defects/ failure of Gabion its successes. To improve the safety of Gabion wall structures, wall, Bulging, Corrosion. failure studies are necessary both to explicate the common mistakes that have caused their malfunction and to offer I. INTRODUCTION guidance for future engineering practice. Author 1 is currently doing his PhD work related to Retaining wall is constructed to retain earth, avoid modification of Gabion wall. It is essential to know current landslides. Landslides scenario in India is very serious [15] status of existing Gabion walls. Accordingly, Author has for which retaining wall may be an effective method. There visited number of existing Gabion wall sites. During his are different types of conventional retaining walls like observations it is found that some of Gabion walls are not masonry/concrete gravity wall, RCC cantilever/counter fort/ performing well and some of them are on verge of failure. buttresses. There are also an advanced type of retaining walls This has motivated to present a collective report related to like MSE (Mechanically stabilized earth) wall [18], Gabion Gabion wall failures based on sites investigation. The wall [17] etc. observations related to various failures cases of Gabion walls Gabion wall is a gravity type retaining wall in which reported in this paper will provide a basis for further detailed boulders are filled in box type cages formed by standard net case study and possible modifications in the Gabion walls. made of steel wires of diameter ranging from 2.2 to 3.4 mm The area considered for the study is Pune district (India), zinc and/or PVC coated having mesh opening sizes of which is part of Deccan Traps; the large igneous province has 60x80mm, 80x100mm, 100x120mm and box sizes in average mountainous terrain and moderate rainfall. In this multiples of 0.5 m [2 & 3]. Gabion wall is very much common study, 11 existing sites of Gabion wall from this area are nowadays due to its simplicity, speedy construction, and considered for the study. Each of these sites is physically flexibility. Gabion wall has a wide range of applications like investigated to identify present performance. Various defects stream bank stabilization [16], Gabion-stepped Weirs [20], and failures with possible reasons for the occurrence, Landfill embankment for dumping site [14], acoustic observed for each type of wall are presented in this paper. performance [12], flood protection work [21], Energy Suggestions to reduce and avoid such defects/failures are also dissipation Gabion Stepped Weir [22], gabion mattress for mentioned at the end. canal erosion prevention, earth retaining structure, [13]. Poor performance, defects, failures of various types of II. SITE INVESTIGATION advanced retaining walls (MSE, Geo-textile wall) has been Site 1- This site is at Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Bridge Sagnvi, Pimpri-Chinchwad. Revised Manuscript Received on September 03, 2019 * Correspondence Author This is constructed by metal Gabion wall on the west side Ganesh C. Chikute, Ph.D. Student, Department of Civil Engineering, river bank of Pawna River to avoid bank erosion and retain Government College of Engineering Pune COEP, India, Email: the earth fill. Average height is [email protected] 8m and the base width is 7m Dr. Ishwar P. Sonar, Assistant professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Government College of Engineering Pune COEP, India, Email: [email protected]
Published By: Retrieval Number J97310881019/2019©BEIESP Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.J9731.0981119 & Sciences Publication 1384
Failures of Gabion Walls and length is 500m as shown in Fig. 1 and Photo 1.
Figure 2 Cross Section at site 2
Figure 1 Cross Section at site 1
Photo 1 Overall view of a wall at site 1 Photo 4 Overall view of a wall at site 2 Observations- Observations- At this site grey Basalt (Igneous) stones of irregular shape At this site black Basalt (Igneous) stones of irregular shape from the quarry are used. Placing of these stones are not from the quarry are used. Stones have a more inclined surface proper there is loose packing of stones are observed at many and stones are getting rearranged under loading due to locations. Due to this lose packing stones get rearranged slipping on these inclined surfaces of stones. Due to this under loading and form a bulging of Gabion wall. Such bulging about 200-300mm is observed at bottom layers as bulging is observed at middle and top layers as shown in shown in Photo 6. In the case of bulging Gabion box expand Photo 3. Irregular shapes of stone and poor workmanship are in the horizontal direction, and reduction in the vertical the main reasons. direction, which causes uneven stresses in cross section of The stones used for filling in Gabion are having sharp edges, wall, deflection of the wall may lead to the collapse of the which cuts the Coating of Gabion mesh, which leads to wall. Irregular shape stone and poor workmanship are the Corrosion of Gabion mesh wire, can be seen in following main reasons. Photo 2. Improper handling of stones and sharp edges of stones cuts the coating of Gabion mesh, which leads to corrosion of Gabion mesh wire, can be seen in following Photo 5. Progression corrosion may break mesh of Gabion box, escaping of stones form box, ultimately lead to wall collapse.
Photo 2 Corrosion of Gabion Mesh at site 1
Photo 5 Corrosion of Gabion Mesh at site 2
Photo 3 Bulging of Gabion Mesh at site 1
Site 2- This site is at Old Bridge at Narsinha School, Sagnvi, Pune.
This is constructed by metal Gabion wall on north side river Photo 6 Bulging of embankment of Mula River to avoid bank erosion and retain Gabion Mesh at site 2 the earth fill. Average height is 7m and base width is 7m and length is 1000m as shown in Fig. 2 and Photo 4.
Retrieval Number J97310881019/2019©BEIESP Published By: DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.J9731.0981119 Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering 1385 & Sciences Publication International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE) ISSN: 2278-3075, Volume-8 Issue-11, September 2019
Site 3- This site is at Dolphin school Madhuban Sagnvi, Pune. This is constructed by metal Gabion wall on north side river embankment of Mula River to avoid bank erosion and retain the earth fill. Average height is 7m and base width is 7m and length is about 600m as shown in Fig. 3 and Photo 7.
Fig. 4 Cross Section at Site 4
Figure 3 Cross Section at site 3
Photo 10 Overall view of a wall at site 4 Observations- Due to improper (loose packing) filling of stones and crushing filled soft stones, there is bulging of Gabion wall at some locations are observed as shown in Photo 11. The stones used for filling in Gabion are having sharp edges,
Photo 7 Overall view of the wall at site 3 which cuts the coating of Gabion mesh, which leads to Corrosion of Gabion mesh wire, as shown in Photo 12. Observations- Stone used to fill in the Gabion box is light yellow soft basalt Due to lose packing of filled basalt stones there is bulging of get crushed and escaping from Gabion Mesh Can as shown in Gabion wall is observed at the top layer of the wall as shown Photo 13. in Photo 9. Sharp edges of stones cut coating, which leads to Corrosion of Gabion mesh wire, as shown in Photo 8.
Photo 8 Corrosion of Gabion Mesh at site 3 Photo 11 Bulging of Gabion Mesh at site 4
Photo 9 Bulging of Gabion Mesh at site 3 Site 4- This site is at Someshwarwadi, Pune. This is constructed by metal Gabion wall on the west side Photo 12 Corrosion of Gabion Mesh at site 4 river bank of Ram river to avoid bank erosion and retain the earth fill. Average height is 3m and base width is 3m and length is about 2000m as shown in Fig. 4 and Photo 10.
Published By: Retrieval Number J97310881019/2019©BEIESP Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.J9731.0981119 & Sciences Publication 1386
Failures of Gabion Walls
and base with is 3m and length is 300m as shown in Fig. 6 and Photo 17.
Photo 13 Soft rock fill at site 4 Figure 6 Cross Section at site 6
Site 5- This site is at Mutha Village, Lavasa road. This is constructed by metal Gabion wall on side of the mountainous road to retain the earth fill. Average height is 3m and the base width is 3m and length is 300m as shown in Fig. 5 and Photo 14.
Photo 17 Overall view of the wall at site 6 Observations- At this site stones of black basalt of proper size and shape are used. Placing of stones is also proper. Gabion box is in a Figure 5 Cross Section at site 5 straight line, similar to stone masonry. There is no any defect is observed in this wall. Site 7- This site is at Lavasa city Ghat-1, Lavasa. This is a modified type of wall in which RCC columns with box footing are constructed at the 2.4m interval. Gabion mesh at backfill side is tied at regular interval to columns with bolts and stones are placed behind this mesh. Entire structure acts as a retaining wall. This wall is constructed by metal Gabion Photo 14 Overall view of the wall at site 5 wall on side of the mountainous road to retain the earth fill. Observations- Average height is 3m and the base width is 3m and length is The stone filled in Gabion Wall is loose packing and size of 300m as shown in Photo 18. stones is also small as shown in Photo 15. This causes bulging of and tilting of the wall at the top layer as shown in Photo 16.
Photo 18 Gabion Wall at site 7 Photo 15 Loose rock fills at site 5 Observations- There is an RCC column footing type structure. Column size 300x600 mm is provided at 2.4 m interval and base footing of size 0.75x0.6m along the length of the wall. Gabion mesh is fixed with a column by bolts to form a barrier for rock filling. Tilting of the column due to the erosion of foundation by rainfall may take place and hence bulging is observed at the top layer. As shown in Photo 19. Photo 16 Tilting of the wall at site 5
Site 6- This site is at Temghar Dam Ghat, Lavasa road. This is constructed by metal Gabion wall on side of the mountainous road to retain the earth fill. Average height is 3m
Retrieval Number J97310881019/2019©BEIESP Published By: DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.J9731.0981119 Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering 1387 & Sciences Publication International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE) ISSN: 2278-3075, Volume-8 Issue-11, September 2019
Photo 21 Erosion of rocks at site no 9 Photo 19 Failure of Gabion Wall at site 7 Site 10- This site is at Bhugaon. Site 8- This site is at Lavasa city Ghat-2, Lavasa. This is constructed by metal Gabion wall on side of the This is constructed by polymer Gabion wall on side of the mountainous road to retain the earth fill. Average height is 4m mountainous road to retain the earth fill. Average height is 2m and base width is 4m and length is about 1500m as shown in and the base width is 2m and length is 200m as shown in Fig. Fig. 9 and Photo 22. 7.
Figure 9 Cross Section at Site 10 Figure Cross Section at site 8
Photo 22 Overall view of the wall at site 10
Photo 20 Failure of Gabion Wall at site 8 Observations- This is a polymer type gabion wall. This polymer mesh get loosen and gabion wall was tilted, bulged may lead to collapsing even for a small height of 2 m, as shown in Photo 20. Photo 23 Bulging at Site 10 Site 9- This site is at Lavasa city Ghat-2, Lavasa. This is constructed by metal Gabion wall on side of the mountainous road to retain the earth fill. Average height is 2m and base width is 2m and length is 200m as shown in Fig. 8 and Photo 21.
Photo 24 Crack in backfill at Site 10 Observations- As shown in Photo 23, Bulging of bottom layer Gabion box due to improper placement of stones (loose packing), irregular shape and small size of the stone is observed. Figure 8 Cross Section at site No 9 Entire backfill is filled with black cotton soil and this is heavy Observations- rainfall area. Due to this cracks 100 to 200 mm wide are There is an erosion of rock from gabion box is due to formed in backfill soil, as shown in Photo 24. weathering effect observed, as shown in Photo 21. Site 11- This site is at Mumbai- Pune Expressway, Reliance petrol pump.
Published By: Retrieval Number J97310881019/2019©BEIESP Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.J9731.0981119 & Sciences Publication 1388
Failures of Gabion Walls
This is constructed by metal Gabion wall on side of the From field investigation, failure reasons and effects of all sites mountainous road to retain the earth fill. Average height is 8m are summarized in Table 2. and base with is 7m and length is 800m as shown in Fig. 9 and Table 2 Failure reasons and effects Photo 22. Failure % Possible Effects type failure reasons The irregular More Voids leads to shape of the rearrangement of stones causing stone bulging. If inclined faced stones are used especially on the outer side of the Gabion box get slipped Bulging 72.7 under loading causing bulging. Improper or This happens due to the use of Loose single size stones and poor Figure 10 Cross Section at Site 11 Packing workmanship leads to more voids. Observations- Size of stone If smaller size stones are used it Bulging of Gabion box but to improper placement of rock fill, may split out from mesh can see in Photo 25. opening and may bulge more than stones with all size. Sharp edges Sharp edges of stone may cut of a stone Gabion mesh wire. Weathering action and presence of water Corrosion 36.4 corrode such cut mesh wire leads to the breaking of wires. Splitting of stones from such opening may cause a collapse of the wall. Placing If a sharp edge of the stone is not direction of nearly parallel to mesh wire, Photo 25 Bulging at Site 11 the stone there is more possibility that this sharp edge cut the mesh wire. Erosion of 18.2 Soft Soft stone or weathering prone III. RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION- stone /weathering stone crushed used applied load prone stone. leads to bulging. From the investigation of these existing sites, defects noted Type of Black cotton soil has expansion can be classified in five categories as Bulging of the wall, backfill and contraction on the wetting-drying process, which corrosion of mesh, erosion of soft stone, cracks in backfill and Cracks in 9 may cause cracks in backfill as erosion of foundation soil. Percentagewise failures of these backfill well as changing the pressure of categories are shown in Table 1 and Fig. 11. the wall. Rainfall and If the wall is located in the Table 1 Failure Summary of all sites drainage rainfall area, with no drainage Defects Bulgin Corrosion Erosion Backfil foundatio arrangement there is more g of of mesh of soft l cracks n soil possibility of cracks. Site No wall stones Erosion Improper If backfill is not filled in a layer backfilling with proper compaction 1 * * possibility of cracks will increases. 2 * * Heavy If the wall is located in rainfall 3 * * Erosion of 9 rainfall and and mountainous area or near 4 * * * foundatio no protection flowing stream, without 5 * n soil to the foundation protecting blanket, 6 foundation soil under foundation get wash out leads to the collapse of the 7 * wall. 8 * Foundation If proper foundation depth is not 9 * depth provided especially wall is 10 * * located in rainfall and 11 * mountainous area or near Total 8 4 2 1 1 flowing stream, there is more possibility of wall collapse. Failure 72.7 % 36.4 % 18.2 % 9.1 % 9.1 %
V. SUGGESTIONS To avoid bulging- Stones used in Gabion box should be all in size which minimizes the voids and increases the self-weight of gabion, leads to the possible reduction in wall cross-section. Concrete block [2] may be used Figure 11 Percentage Failure of Gabion Wall to replace the stone. Concrete blocks produced from IV. DISCUSSIONS AND COMMENTS construction demolition waste
Retrieval Number J97310881019/2019©BEIESP Published By: DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.J9731.0981119 Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering 1389 & Sciences Publication International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering (IJITEE) ISSN: 2278-3075, Volume-8 Issue-11, September 2019
[25], may prove effective and eco-friendly. Congress. Valencia 2012. Volume 05/455-465. To avoid cutting/corrosion of Gabion wire- http://www.eurogeo5.org/ 10. Fernando H. M. Portelinha, Benedito de Souza Bueno, Jorge Gabriel By proper placing of stones (i.e. sharp edge should not Zornberg & Victor Pimentel (2012). “Field performance of steep walls perpendicular/angled) cutting wires and succession corrosion of nonwoven and woven geotextiles reinforcing poorly draining soils”. of Gabion mesh get reduced. Second Pan American Geosynthetics Conference, Lima, Peru, pp. 136-144. By proper selection of wire mesh based on design and coating 11. Ching-Chuan Huang & Woei-Ming Luo (2010), ‘Behavior of PVC/Zinc to reduce corrosion of Gabion mesh. cantilever and geosynthetic-reinforced walls on deformable By using concrete block the possibility of cutting wires and foundations’ Elsevier, Geotextiles, and Geomembranes, 28 (2010) 448–459. succession corrosion of Gabion mesh get reduced. This will 12. F. Koussa, J. Defrance, P. Jean & P. Blanc-Benon (2012). “Acoustic reduce stress concentration on wire mesh. performance of gabions noise barriers: Numerical and experimental To avoid erosion of soft stone- approaches”. Applied Acoustics 74 (2013) 189–197. Stones filled in Gabion should be tested not only for strength http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apacoust.2012.07.009. 13. Baran Toprak, Ozer sevim & Ilker Kalkan (2016). “Gabion walls & but for weathering action also. their use” International Journal of Advances in Mechanical and Civil Pre-tested concrete block may be a good solution. Engineering Volume-3, Issue-4, Aug.-2016. To avoid cracks in backfill- 14. J. M. Vashi, RM. D. Desai, A. K. Desai & C. H. Solanki, (2011), ‘Gabion GRS wall for raising solid waste dump site at Surat- case The material used in backfill should not be black cotton soil or study’ Indian Geotechnical Society, Proceedings of Indian if used it should be mixed with other materials to minimize the Geotechnical Conference. December 15-17, 2011, Kochi (Paper effect of expansion-contraction on Wetting-drying. This will No.Q-217.) 15. R.K.Bhandari (2006)."The Indian Landslides Scenario, Strategic minimize the effect of alteration of backfill pressure on the Issues and Action Point"- First India Disaster Management Congress" wall. Backfill should be placed in layers and well compacted. New Dehli-November-2006. Proper drainage arrangement for percolated water in backfill. 16. Ghislain Brunet & Randall Shuey (2005). ‘Stream Bank Stabilization Proper design of wall by considering all forces acting on it. with Vegetated Gabion’ Intervale Country Club Golf Course Manchester, New Hampshire. To avoid erosion of foundation soil- 17. Ruwan Rajapakse (2016). Book ‘Geotechnical Engineering Wall should be properly embedded in soil (optimum depth of calculations & rules of thumb’ 243-249. Chapter 16 Gabion wall. foundation). https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-075068764-5.50017-9. 18. A. J. Khan & M. Sikder, (2004), “Design basis and economic aspects A concrete/stone blanket on the toe side may provide to avoid of different types of retaining walls”, Journal of Civil Engineering foundation soil erosion especially in heavy rainfall and (IEB), 32 (1) (2004) 17-34. mountainous region. 19. Edward A. Nowatzki & Brian P. Wrench (1988). “Geotechnical Investigation into Causes of Failure of a Gabion Retaining Wall”. 2nd International Conference on Case Histories in Geotechnical VI. CONCLUSIONS Engineering. St. Louis, Mo., Paper No. 6.96. http://scholarsmine.mst.edu/icchge/2icchge/2icchge-session6/33. Failures observed in site investigation are buldging, 20. Chaiyuth Chinnarasri, Somchai Donjadee & Udomsak Israngkura corrosion, erosion of filled stone, backfill crack, and (2008). “Hydraulic Characteristics of Gabion-Stepped Weirs”. J. foundation erosion. Most these failures are due to improper Hydraul. Eng., 2008, 134(8): 1147-1152. 21. Ankita R. Jayswal, Fatema S. Malekwala & Chanda Rautela (2014). stones and improper filling of stones in Gabion box. Use of “Flood Protection Work by Terramesh Wall”. International Journal for alternative material like concrete block instead of irregular, Scientific Research & Development”. Vol. 2, Issue 01, 2014. ISSN improper shaped stone will be the one of solution to above (online): 2321-0613 22. Davide Wüthrich & Hubert Chanson (2014). “Hydraulics, Air failures. Alternative material like Recycled concrete blocks Entrainment, and Energy Dissipation on a Gabion Stepped Weir”. J. will be cost effective and ecofriendly solution. Hydraul. Eng., 2014, 140(9): 04014046. 23. G.C.Chikute & I.P.Sonar (2018). “Techno-Economical Analysis of REFERENCES Recycled Masonry block for Eco-friendly and Economical construction”. ASCE India conference 2017, 12 - 14 Dec.2018, Delhi, 1. Product manual of Modular block faced system, US patent no- India. 5636938. 2. Product data sheet of Metal Gabion of Garware-Wall Ropes Ltd. AUTHORS PROFILE Geosynthetics Division. 3. IS 16014 (2012): Mechanically woven, double -twisted, Hexagonal Ganesh C. Chikute completed his graduation and post Wire Mesh Gabions, Revet Mattresses and Rock fall Netting graduation in Civil Engineering and currently pursing in (Galvanized steel wire or Galvanized steel wore with PVC coating) - PhD from College of Engineering (COEP) Pune under Specification [MED 10: Wire Ropes and Wire products]. Pune University India. 4. Jason Y. Wu, & Nelson N. Chou, (2013). “Forensic Studies of Geosynthetic Reinforced Structure Failures” J. Perform. Constr. Facil. ASCE, 27(5): 604-613. 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Published By: Retrieval Number J97310881019/2019©BEIESP Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.J9731.0981119 & Sciences Publication 1390