Karl is an expert in civil engineering. With several years of experience in the French army, he now supports States and various international organizations in the construction and securing of infrastructures in hostile environments. In this capacity, he has designed and built numerous structures based on gabions.
Hello Karl, and thank you for sharing your experience with Gabion Defense. Before talking about the product, can you tell us a little more about your background and experience in deploying gabions in hostile environments?
After a 26-year military career, I took the path of retraining in the construction industry. Employed within a large French construction company in Africa, I managed complex construction sites.
I quickly turned to gabion structures, on all kinds of projects (GMS, Bunker, perimeter walls, access chicanes and combat posts). I was thus able to work with different products, which allowed me to compare the advantages and disadvantages of the majority of gabions on the market.
You have worked for several years with competing brand solutions. What attracted you to the composition of Gabion Défense products?
When I discovered the Gabion Defense system, the first thing that pleasantly surprised me was the quality of the steel of the meshes and the connecting rods.
The geotextile also won me over. It appears to be of very good quality to the touch and gives an impression of durability and efficiency. At first glance, it seems more resistant to wear and tear than competing products I have worked with.
And of course the assembly system is very ingenious. It certainly requires skill, but is very effective.
How do you find these elements interesting from an operational point of view?
The design made of removable panels, junction spirals and geotextile bag makes it possible to simplify movement on the area, transport and handling; which is essential in certain contexts.
For example, it takes a lot of personnel to move large units of some competing gabions, especially to mount them on a second level. The operation is delicate with regard to HSE standards in the world of large companies.
In addition, repairs following improper handling are also made easier with Gabion Défense. With other brands, they require in-depth expertise and suitable labor. However, repairs are often frequent in difficult areas.
The Gabion Defense was designed differently from the products already on the market. What do you think of this implementation solution?
Simplicity, efficiency and speed of assembly are the strong points of this system.
In addition, with the quality of the steel and the disconcerting ease of setting up the spirals, the construction of entire projects becomes less energy-intensive.
Having personally experienced it, it is clear that creating such projects with other types of gabions requires much more handling and therefore resources (labor, dedicated machinery or vehicles, etc.)
Would you recommend Gabion Defense?
The product developed by Gabion Défense is ingenious. Working with this type of gabion on my previous projects would most certainly have allowed me to save time and personnel energy.
It is therefore with complete independence and knowledge that I now recommend Gabion Défense products.