R i v e r Tr a i n i n g w o r k s

P r o b l e m s a n d s o l u t i o n s W e i r s

African
Gabions
Environmental Solutions
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Th e u s e o f w ei r s i n r i v e r t r a i ni ng

In mountainous countries the control of erosion in rivers and streams can be of major
importance. With proper controls the entire area of the stabilised river basin benefits.
Halting bed degradation upstream reduces both the occurrence of landslides and the
deposition of material downstream. In the latter case examples of benefits are the
reduction of flood risks, siltation of reservoirs and canals and in the cost of maintaining
navigable waterways. Erosion in streams is checked by lowering the velocity of water
to a value at which it ceases to move the soil particles forming the bed and banks. THE USE OF TRANSVERSE
This is achieved by reducing the gradient to obtain a stable velocity and hence WORKS PREVENTS EROSION AND
equilibrium. Such conditions are attained by the construction of a series of weirs or CONTRIBUTES TO THE STABILISATION OF
check dams, so that the slope between the toes and the crests is stable for the soil THE BANK AND WATER QUALITY.
concerned. The excess water energy is dissipated at the toe of each structure.
Gabion weirs offer additional advantages. The structure can be changed in height TRANSVERSE WORKS DISSIPATE
and size simply by adding or removing courses of gabions on the existing structure. ENERGY AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE
This can be very convenient when control works are urgently required on rivers on STABILISATION OF THE BED MATERIAL.
which the collected hydrological information is scarce. After a period of operation,
the shape of the structure can be adjusted according to new requirements, with THE FLEXIBILITY OF GABION
progressive adjustments made afterwards. Another advantage of gabion structures WEIRS ALLOW FOR GRADUAL
is that herbaceous and woody plants readily grow from within the stability of the STRUCTURAL SETTLEMENTS ON
stone fill. POOR SOILS AND CAN ALSO BE USED IN
In nearly all gabion type structures over 10 years of age siltation of the void volume EMERGENCY WORKS. GABION WEIRS ARE
has led to plant colonisation. EASILY INTEGRATED INTO THE
This ‘naturalisation’ of such engineering structures is a positive environmental bonus ENVIRONMENT BY INCORPORATING
that can be utilised by designers. Incorporating ‘ecological value’ into the engineering VEGETATION IN THE DESIGN PHASE OF
solution is easily achieved and at a low cost. THE STRUCTURE.
This environmental benefit may be a mitigating factor in choosing a gabion system
for the solution. The environmental benefits offered by any solution is becoming
increasingly of more interest throughout the world.
i = 10%
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i = 25% 1. Series of vertical weirs. 2. Vertical weirs built to 3. Series of weirs for river
Pollino Park, Rotonda, stabilise the bank of a bed stabilisation along the
Potenza, Italy. gorge. N3 Highway.
1 La Paz, Bolivia. Inchanga, KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa.

1. Original river bed.

2. Profile of river bed after training.
3. Natural upstream ramp.

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 Th e p r i n c i p l e t ype s
of g a b i o n w ei r s
Gabion weirs are classified in three types, according to the shape of their downstream
face at the centre of flow:
- vertical weirs
usually used in sequence or small works.
- stepped weirs
especially used for small drops for rivers without big soil transport.
- sloped weirs
for watercourses with high discharge and small river bed material.

4. Vertical weirs.
Broadoaks, Christchurch,
New Zealand.

5. Road embankment erosion protection

using a series of weir structures.
South Coast, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

6. Stepped weir.
Molodzwi Dam, Maclands Estate,
Sapekoe, Levubu, N. Province,
South Africa.
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The ve r t i c a l w ei r

The vertical weir is the simplest type, often used for small weirs in a system to control
a reach of a stream. An example of a vertical gabion weir is shown.
In a vertical gabion weir, the nappe is not only aerated, but also separated from the
downstream face. This implies that the gabion mesh is protected against abrasion
and impact by heavy bed material carried in flood conditions and is recommended for
training works on mountain torrents.

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1. Original river bed.

2. Artificial backfill.
3. Natural upstream ramp.
1 4 4. Profile of maximum scour.

7 7. Vertical weir.
Caniglio River, right tributary of Sillaro river,
near Bologna, Italy.

8. Weir for soil construction.

S. Caterina, S. Tiago Isle, Cape Verde Republic.
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9. Realignment of a torrent carried out

with weirs for slope consolidation.
La Paz, Bolivia. 1986. 5
 The only mesh which is exposed to abrasion is the crest which must be protected.
Suitable protecting materials are timber or steel sheets securely fastened to the wire
netting.
Also suitable is a concrete capping cast in-situ after the structure has settled with
joints typically at 2 metre centres.

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10. Series of weirs with crest with wooden

revetment.
Reuppe, Austria.

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11. Vertical weir for erosion control.

Arapongas, PR, Brazil.

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12. Diversions for solid transportation

control for the protection of a stretch of
Shaar Descent, Saudi Arabia.

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In the design of vertical weirs, attention must be given to the dissipation of the kinetic
energy of the cascade which is allowed to scour the bed thus forming a pool. Here
the energy is dissipated in the cushion of water and in the formation of a hydraulic
jump.
A secondary weir is placed at the downstream end of the pool to control the formation
of the jump and to restrict the extension of the pool downstream.
The latter is necessary to ensure that the main structure is not undermined.

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13. Gabion weir with side protection to the 14. Vertical weirs with stilling basin.
stilling basin made with Terramesh™ System. Ghindi river, Eritrea.
Piomba Torrent, near Chieti, Italy.

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15. Weirs for erosion control

of clay slopes.
Ca’Domenicali, Bologna, Italy.

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16. Stepped weir for erosion control.

Mount Merapi Volcano, Central Java,
Indonesia.
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 In the case of high weirs in erodible soils, the river bed in the stilling pool is protected
by an apron extending to the counter weir.
The control of the hydraulic jump is obtained by a broad crested counter weir which
ensures that the tail water does not affect the conditions of flow in the pool, an
abrupt rise in the other case.
It is essential to point out that a simple apron without a counter weir is not only
useless, but it can be dangerous in as much as it prevents the formation of the water
cushion in the stilling pool; which is necessary to dissipate the energy of the falling
water. 1

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17. Gabion weir.

Zézere river, Vale Formoso,
Portugal.

18. Weir constructed during

a land improvement
operation on the Musone
River, near Castreccioni Dam,
Cingoli, Macerata.

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21. Large weir with stilli
Dittaino River, Catenanuo
 1. G a b i o n s . 1. G a b i o n s .
2 . Geotextile. 2. Geotextile.

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19. Weir with auxiliary weir.

Some parts have been
constructed by widening the
original structure.
Chubut, Argentina.

20. Flood control dam

with stilling basin.
Saougal, Burkina Faso.
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ling basin and auxiliary weir.
uova, Passo Gelso, Enna, Italy.
 Stepp ed w e i r s

The stepped weir is essentially the same as the vertical type, but the water flowing
over the weir dissipates a part of its energy at each step.
This type of structure should only be used for small weirs where the discharge value
per unit width is limited. This type should be avoided where a heavy bed load is
carried which could cause damage to the mesh on the steps.
For large weirs and when the height of the structure ranges from 10 to 15 metres,
the requirements of greater stability and improved hydraulic behaviour dictate the
use of weirs with a sloping downstream face.

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1 1 . Superficial protection of crest.
2 . Geotextile.

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22. Stepped weir. 23. Weirs for erosion 24. Weir in a project
Castel dell’Alpi, control. designed for the
Bologna, Italy. Congonhas, Minas reclamation of
Gerais, Brazil. agricultural land.
Wadi Bu Sanab river,
Libya.

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 1. G a b i o n s .
1 2 2. Geotextile.

25. Sills for solid transport control for the protection 26. Outlet cascade.
of a stretch of Shaar Descent, Saudi Arabia. Australia.

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28. Stream protection.

La Paz, Bolivia.

27. Outlet cascade.

Niscemi, CL, Sicily, Italy.
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 Slop e d w e i r s

Sloped weirs are generally found in training schemes on major rivers carrying light
bed loads in which the soils are of fine granular material having a poor bearing
capacity.
Where a heavy bed load of shingles and boulders is carried, the crest, slope and stilling
pool must be protected from abrasion by concrete or asphaltic mastic lining.

1. G a b i o n s .
1 2 2. Geotextile.

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29-30. Large sloped weir with stilling basin

and auxiliary weir made with gabions sealed
with bituminous mastic.
Brenta River, Carturo, PD, Italy.

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31. Sloped weirs covered with concrete.

River Platte, Denver, Colorado, USA.

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32. Double sloped weir.

Setta Torrent, Sasso, Marconi, BO, Italy.

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Dams

The use of gabions and Reno mattresses as linings for the upstream or downstream
faces of earth and rockfill dams has been well established for more than twenty years.
They function as reinforcement and are sufficiently flexible structures in resisting both
tension and compression. Gabions and Reno mattresses are being used for this
application with increasing frequency. They may be used to form a protective lining
for dams which have an impermeable core, or when grouted with sand mastic asphalt,
they can themselves become an impermeable lining which can prove to be the most
versatile, safe and often the most economical solution. Gabions and Reno mattresses
are also successfully used in auxiliary structures such as linings to spillways, outlet
channels, sedimentation basins, temporary works and protection of fill to embankments,
etc. In these applications the ease and rapidity of installation are determining factors
in the selection of the type of structure. They are also easily colonised by plants either
by design, or naturally over a longer period of time.
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33. The upstream face of the Paduli Dam (Massa

Carrara) across the Enza river was completely made
with sand asphalt mastic grouted Reno mattresses.
At the completion of work, the surface was coated
with bituminous aluminium paint to improve its
resistance to UV sun radiation.
Tuscany, Italy.

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34. Revetment with 30cm thick PVC coated gabions

in the stilling basin downstream of the spillway to
the Grenada Dam on the Yalobusha river. This dam
was constructed to control the floods of the Yazoo
river basin. The gabion protection has replaced a
previous rip-rap revetment completely damaged
during an extraordinary flood in 1983.

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35. Revetment of a facing dam with Reno mattresses.

Arapoti, Parana, Brazil.

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 Fish pas s e s

In low water courses with a minimal flow the building of a weir invariably presents
an obstacle for fish.
This problem can be solved by constructing a specially designed stepped structure
alongside the weir, allowing the fish to pass up and down to their natural seasonal
habitats.
There may be many alternative solutions worthy of specific studies.

36-37. Fish pass made with gabions.

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Belfed, Holland.

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38-40. Fish pass made with gabions.

Limburg, Holland. 1992.

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BP 168, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar Tel: +261-20-22-231 02 Fax: +261-20-22-553 90 E-mail: [email protected]
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