Weirs

Gabion weirs have been widely used for river training to establish proper control of mountain streams and rivers. They establish stability to river basins by limiting the effects of erosion upstream and reducing the deposition of material into the lower reaches. Furthermore, by decreasing the gradient of mountain watercourses, the velocity can be reduced from a supercritical flow to a critical flow and equilibrium of the inner bed can then be established.

Gabion weirs are constructed in three principal types: vertical weirs, stepped weirs, and sloped weirs. Vertical weirs are the most commonly used because they are simpler to design and can handle a larger discharge per unit width along the crest. Sloped weirs are used for larger channel widths with poorer soil conditions and stepped weirs are best suited for channel applications with smaller discharges.