Evaluation of Gabion Wall Behavior under Lateral Loading with Varying Infill and Mesh Parameters for Road Infrastructures

Gabion walls, formed by wire mesh boxes filled with stones or alternative materials, are widely used in retaining structures and erosion control due to their adaptability, permeability, and cost-effectiveness. This study experimentally investigates the structural behavior of gabion walls subjected to lateral monotonic and repeated loading. Gabion specimens were prepared using varying wire diameters, coatings, mesh opening sizes, and two types of infill materials, namely, stones and construction and demolition (C&D) waste. The experimental program included compression testing of cylindrical gabion specimens and lateral loading tests on wall specimens mounted on a reaction retaining wall platform. The results indicate that gabion walls exhibit nonlinear behavior, characterized by initial elastic response followed by ductile deformation. The arrangement of the infill material significantly influenced load-carrying capacity and deflection, while infill density alone showed limited correlation with performance. Smaller mesh opening sizes and higher wire volume fractions enhanced resistance to loads and deflection. The inclusion of C&D waste as a partial replacement for stone reduced specimen density by 8% and increased deflection by 35%, while causing only a marginal (≈2%) reduction in load-carrying capacity. Repeated loading revealed residual strains and deflections due to permanent rearrangement of infill material, with higher wire volume fractions contributing to increased ductility. Overall, the findings demonstrate that gabion walls possess high ductility with moderate elasticity, and that sustainable practices such as incorporating C&D waste infill can be adopted without significantly compromising structural performance. This research provides insights into optimizing gabion wall design and advancing sustainable construction methodologies. The present research contributes to SDGS 9, 11, 12 and 15.