Gabion wall is essentially a semi rigid structure erected to accommodate large lateral and vertical movements without excessive structural distress. The flexibility of gabion enables it to be applied in a variety of field conditions on land and in waterways, serving the functions of retaining structures for bridge protection, landfill embankment and coastal protection as well as hydraulic structures which consist of longitudinal structures, groynes, culvert, dams and spillways. The performance of gabion depends very much on resilience of the protective coating, especially when placed in harsh soil conditions to serve the functions mentioned earlier. The present study was conducted to examine the effect of moisture, high acidity, high alkalinity, salinity or salt water and chemically corrosive leachate on the tensile and abrasion resistance of a proprietary coating material with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and day-night temperature changes in the outdoors. Samples in sheet form were tested for tensile properties, i.e. tensile strength, elongation at break, elastic modulus at 100% elongation and abrasion resistance to assess the severity of degradation under the simulated harsh conditions after 20-40 days’ exposure. Tensile strength-wise, acid appeared to be most detrimental to the coating material, suggesting the unsuitability of application in peat swamps or contaminated sites with low pH values. The abrasion test results revealed the material to lose significant abrasion resistance due to UV radiation in alkaline and saltwater tainted soils, while the submerged specimens underwent less dramatic destructuring of the material. Overall the proprietary coating material fulfills the general requirements for gabion wire protection, except for exposure to excessive pH, salinity and chemicals on site.
Volume 12 | 02-Special Issue
Pages: 789-798
DOI: 10.5373/JARDCS/V12SP2/SP20201133