Gabions being used as a headwall. Gabions - Their Applications on the Golf Course by JOHN DREW Superintendent, Winters Run Golf Club, Maryland ROSION IS a basic part of We who are within the influence of 100 years. Unfortunately, Winters Run nature, and indications are that streams and rivers tend to become con- does not understand such definitions Ethe forces that tear down and cerned when the rain starts coming and will pro bably flood a few more build up are not tired yet. One of these down hard. times in our lives. forces that we in the golf course business Our golf course, like so many others, Many ideas have been proposed to have to deal with is that of water and contains some land that is not suitable prevent creek bank erosion. Vegetation, resultant erosion. Creek, pond, stream, for housing or farming. Forty-eight of logs, rip-rap, railroad ties, concrete, or wave erosion affect almost all of us 180 acres are in a flood plain. Winters and steel sheet piling have been used at some time. Run, a major stream, meanders through with varying degrees of success and / or Erosion caused by running water can the course, giving it character, beauty, failure. In our case, we decided that be extremely devastating. These pro b- floods, erosion, and silt. The last named rip-rap would protect our eroding creek lems become magnified in areas of items caused us to look for protection banks most effectively and at minimal increasing population. Water runoff from water damage early in the clu b's cost. After finding local stone (at no increases each time houses, roads, and history. It is interesting to note that cost), we spent $5,000 to haul and place parking lots are built. Runoff causes from 1972 through 1979 we experienced it along 300 feet of bank. The next quiet little brooks to become raging at least five "IOO-year floods." Floods "IOO-year storm" scattered most of our torrents and placid creeks to act like of this magnitude, statistically speaking, work down the stream, leaving just a bulldozers as they tear away the soil. are only supposed to happen once every few of the very largest rocks in place. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1982 9 as both a base for upper courses and as a "^ —— scouring protector. Because of their great flexibility, these mattresses bend if water erodes the underlying soil. - When they do this they interrupt the I erosion process. Mattresses may also be used on sloping banks and as linings for stream bottoms. tf The 3 foot by 3 foot by 6, 9, or 12 foot long baskets are used on top of the previously mentioned mattress. They both protect the bank from water and ' •, ^ the upper courses may be used as retain­ g ing walls. fc"*" " atMl ••• ^^-Mtv. ^ ABIONS ARE shipped assembled G but folded up. In the field they must be unfolded, and the corners and £^ individual cells are laced together using wire provided. After being built, they are moved into position and wired to lb •• any adjacent baskets. This wiring creates F/>5/ gabions on the upper course (summer). "*T. a monolithic type of structure out of individual blocks. When this step is completed, the basket is filled with 4-inch to 7-inch stones. These may be Re-evaluation showed us that our banks In the majority of cases, hydrostatic placed by hand or carefully loaded by would best be protected through the use pressure is the downfall of stream bank machine. The more hand work done in of gabions. protection systems. How many times placing stone within the basket the Gabions may be traced back to have we seen walls made of rigid neater the overall job will be. When the Roman times, when they were used material, such as railroad ties or con­ basket is filled, the lid is folded down primarily in warfare. The term gabion crete, falling over into the very stream and wired shut. Gabion construction means "a large basket, sometimes they were built to protect against? This progresses in a similar manner to wickerwork ... or iron, filled with earth is not a case of the force of the stream concrete block work. The difference or stones to create a battlement or sunk pushing the wall down, but rather that between the two is that, with gabions, in water to form a bar or dike . ." of water buildup behind the wall the completed blocks are as large as four Modern gabions fit this definition pushing it into the stream. It can be cubic yards and weigh as much as six perfectly except that they are rarely embarrassing to build a mighty defense tons apiece. used in war. Today's gabions come in a against one force only to have it succumb Because of the simplicity of assembly, variety of sizes, and all are made of to another. these structures do not require the either heavily galvanized or PVC-coated Because of the voids between the expertise of outside labor. Once the wire. The basic size used in this country stones, gabions do not allow any hydro­ decision has been made to use gabions is 3 feet high by 3 feet wide by either 6,9, static pressure buildup. In the case of and the design work is finished, normal or 12 feet long. Variations include our stream, it tends to flood quickly golf course crews should have no trouble 1 baskets that are 1 /2 feet high, all other and then rapidly drop back to normal doing a fine job. In many instances the dimensions similar, and mattresses levels. This leaves the banks in a super­ work can be carried out in stages. The which are 1 foot thick by 6l/i feet wide saturated condition. In other words, job can be started during a slack work by either 8, 10, or 12 feet long. Gal­ there is a lot of water left in the soil of time, then finished later on. In our case, vanized wire is recommended for all the stream banks. It wants to hurry back we usually can do the mattress work in applications except where the baskets to join the stream itself and will stop at July and August when cool-season will be exposed to salt water or water nothing to get there. Gabions allow this grasses are not growing much and when with a pH considerably different from 7. drainage to occur rapidly and so prevent it is pleasant to be in the creek — then any pressure buildup. Additionally, the come back and complete the upper HE GABION principle, where porosity of the structures keeps them courses after the usual fall work is done. T applied to water control and not from being subjected to heaving or other Although in this article we have con­ warfare, embodies two things which frost damage. centrated on stream bank protection, make it unique and thus quite advan­ In protecting stream banks, two keep in mind that gabions may also be tageous — flexibility and porosity. things should be considered. The used as retaining walls, dams (weirs), Because the gabion baskets are filled slumping of earth from the sides of the channel linings, and on gradually slop­ with 4" to 7" stone and laced shut, they banks into the water must be stopped. ing banks. They can be used to arrest are capable of bending, should the need Also, the scouring action of the water wave erosion on seashores and to pre­ arise. Also, since they are filled with along the base of the banks must be vent bank deterioration in ponds due to rather large stone, the voids are arrested. In many cases this scouring burrowing animals or the like. numerous. These allow water to pass action does most of the damage. We have successfully used these through, but not with great speed or Gabion mattresses, usually 12 to 18 structures as outfall basins for storm force. inches thick, are used with great success drains, abutments for bridges, and head 10 USGA GREEN SECTION RECORD walls for culverts, as well as the normal Put Turf grass Science to Work applications. Currently we are thinking of putting a gabion retaining wall on a On Your Golf Course with — steep slope to create a terrace that will support a needed golf cart path. Before starting that, we have to get back in the TURF MANAGEMENT creek and install some 600 feet of gabion mattress in order to protect a fairway that is eroding yearly, due to scouring FOR GOLF COURSES at the base of the bank. by James B. Beard, Texas A & M University, in association with the United States Golf Association ABION COSTS will vary depend­ G ing on distance from a manufac­ Whether you need to identify the cause of a stubborn leaf wilt problem, turing and distribution point and the construct a bunker, or arrange a tournament, you'll want to keep Turf price of large stone delivered to the job Management handy. You'll find this comprehensive work thoroughly site. Our costs do not usually exceed covers course design and construction, turf maintenance, equipment, $100 per cubic yard for installed gabions. irrigation, and disease and pest control. Sponsored by the U.S.G.A., Turf In most cases this includes any excavation Management is written by an eminent turfgrass researcher specifically and backfill. We normally use our own for green committee chairmen, golf course superintendents and other turf backhoe-loader for preparing, lodging professionals. It includes valuable information on managing course opera­ baskets, and backfilling.