E n v i r o n m e n t a ls o l u t i o n s

R o a d w o r k sP r o b l e m s a n d s o l u t i o n s Grav i ty earth reta in ing s t ructures

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Technical manuals def ine a reta in ing st ructure as any st ructurecapable of resist ing an appl ied soi l pressure.Retaining walls are permanent structures typical ly constructed atthe toe of a s lope or to retain backfi l l .The planning and implementat ion of these st ructures must takecareful account of several structural and functional considerations:- Geomorphological condit ions- Ana lys i s o f the s ta t i c and dynamic ( se i smic ) fo rces p resent- Presence of phreatic surfaces- Costs of the completed structure"Functionality" must include not only the overall environmentalimpact of the structure, but also the various local environmentalmitigations and improvements that the entire road works shouldprovide.The variety of gabion applications, combined with the testamonialof ex ist ing gabion st ructures bui l t s ince 1894, represents there l iab i l i t y and reassurance that Maccafer r i o f fe rs i t s c l ients.Over t ime, des ign s tandards and approaches have changed.What has not a l te red i s the ab i l i t y o f Maccafer r i gab ions toperform as designed; fundamental ly the structural stabi l i ty andintegrity, but in addit ion the capabi l i ty to establ ish vegetat ionon the external facing.The key to the longevity of these structures is obviously basedupon the quality of the steel wire, but mainly due to the originalidea of gabions. To combine the passive function (soil retention)

w i th t he a c t i v e f unc t i on ( t he c r ea t i on o f a new l o ca lenvironmental equi l ibr ium).Gab ion s t r u c tu r e s we re, pe rhaps uncons c i ou s l y i n t hebeginning, the f i rst histor ical examples of "environmentalinsert ion” of an art i f ic ial structure.

Gabion earth retainingstructures

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Advantages and characteristicsRobust •

Flexible •Permeable •

Durable •

The assembly and installationof gabions is extremely

simple in any environmentwithout the aid of specialised

equipment or personnel.A structure with outstanding

character ist ics is the result .

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Italy

• Versatile• Good environmental and aesthetic impact

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Reinforced structuresGabion structures are capable of

resist ing any type of stress, in

particular bending, tensile and shear.

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PortugalU.K.

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Gabion structures are

capable of accommodating

large differential

sett lements and

unpredictable loads.

These characteristics do not

reduce the structural

integrity, but improve it by

promoting the interact ion

of the entire structure.

Flexiblestructures

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Italy

Poland

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The dra inage capabi l i ty of gabions is

created by the voids in the gabion stone

f i l l , which col lect and t ransport water

away from the structure, e l iminat ing one

of the main causes of so i l instabi l i ty :

water logged backfi l ls and/or foundation.

Also, without formal dra inage, the tota l

cost for the st ructure is reduced.

Permeable structures

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Italy

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Polymeric coating

Galfan® coating

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The durability of the structure is dependent upon:

- Good natural integration with the backfill and

retained slope

- Advanced technical characteristics of the steel

wire and its Galfan (Zn-5% Al-MM) coating

with an optional polymeric sheathing, all in

accordance with the most stringent

international Standards

- The use of hexagonal woven double twisted

wire mesh which avoids any unravelling or

unzipping of the mesh

These characteristics optimise the longevity of

the structure, which has been certified by

independent international bodies to offer a

design life of over 60 years.

Structure withlong durability

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- Ease of installation in any environment, without

the aid of special ised equipment or personnel,

reducing costs

- Future modif icat ion of the structure is

straightforward; e.g. new layers can be installed

to increase the height of the structure, (provided

structural stabi l i ty is ver i f ied)

- Immediate performance fol lowing instal lat ion

- Ease of maintenance

These benefits al low Maccaferr i gabions to be

used for most retaining structures alongside roads,

railways and buildings where reliability and safety

is paramount.

Versatilestructures

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Italy

U.K. Italy

France

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France

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The opportunity to combine live plants with a high sound

absorption capabi l i ty, make gabion structures ideal

solutions to balance engineering and environmental

needs in the construct ion of roads and rai lways.

The structural f lexibi l i ty of Maccaferr i gabions al lows

several interest ing architectural possibi l i t ies for

residential and commercial areas.

Good environmentaland aesthetic impact

Brazil Italy

Italy

High acoustic absorptian(~18 decibel)

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Laboratory and ful l scale tests carr ied out

in partnership with the University of

Bologna, have proved and cal ibrated the

stabi l i ty analyses of the Maccaferr i Gawac

design software.

The software takes into consideration

Design softwaregeometry, loads and other factors associated

with the design of Maccaferri gabion structures

in a wide variety of condit ions.

Gawac graphical ly displays cross sect ions of

the structure, the retained material, foundation,

phreatic surfaces and external loads.

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E n v i r o n m e n t a ls o l u t i o n s

© 2 0 0 3 O ff i c i n e M a c c a f e r r i S . p . A . - B o l o g n a - I t a l y - P r i n t : L i t o g r a f i a Z u c c h i n i - P r o j e c t : G r a f i c a M o n t i - P h o t o : A r c h i v i o O ff i c i n e M a c c a f e r r i

Officine Maccaferri S.p.A.Via Agresti, 6 - P.O. Box 39640123 Bologna - ItaliaTel. ++39 051 6436000Fax ++39 051 236507e-mail: comes.officine@maccaferri.com

Website: www.maccaferri.com