Flexibility Flexibility, the ability of mesh to deform properly under load, is essential to the performance of a gabion or mattress. It is imperative to understand that flexibility is a function of the size, shape and density of the rock fill inside the basket rather than a property of the mesh alone. Welded wire mesh gabions are manufactured used ASTM A641 soft temper wire. They are malleable and conform easily to changes in the substructure. This is a function of the wire geometry and joint type since both types of mesh are made from generally the same sort of single strand core wire.
Welded wire distributes structural loads primarily through tensile forces on the wire mesh.
The square arrangement of the welded wire strands produce a balanced distribution of tensile load in both axis of the panel. This imbalance is the result of wire in the twisted joint being subjected to a high percentage of shear load as they are pulled perpendicular to their twist axis and against each other. After welding, the mesh is then prepared in a multistage process for coating. Copyright 2000 Modular Gabion Systems.