Product Description: Gabion is a large rectangular box of netted wire used in civil engineering works. Gabion has long been used as a transition method of construction and engineering for protecting river banks from erosion, for hardening the shoulder of roads and the face of slopes to prevent landslide. Gabion is also used for the foundation of water reservoirs. In the context of the Amhara Region, where there are serious problems of landslides gullies and in general soil erosion, gabion will be used for the protection and conservation of soil resources. Gabion is produced in a tabular or bed mattress (rectangular cube) type wire netting form. Stones have to be stuffed inside the gabion to make it useful.
Market Potential: The demand for gabion comes from the need of protecting the soil resources of the Region. The loss of these resources through water erosion is huge. Every year the Amhara Region loses billions of tons of fertile soil due to erosion. The consequence of this resource loss has been the decline of food production which results in food shortages in most parts of the Region. There are many localities in the Region where it has become difficult to grow trees, and shrubs, even grass due to the extreme shallowness of the soil or complete lack of it. The use of gabion is one alternative means for protecting soils from erosion. Gabion mad from wire might cost more than some erosion control measures. As a result, it is used selectively and in areas where other erosion control measures are not effective. Relevant government agencies and many NGOs are involved in protecting and conserving our natural resources. These organizations use gabion for protecting the soil from erosion. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of gabion since local production is very low. Most of the gabion used in the country is imported. As there is a very strong and urgent need for conserving the soil resource of the Amhara Region; and as the size of land to be covered by soil conservation measures is more than 75 percent of the 170,000 sq.km of the Region, there will be large demand for gabion in the Amhara Region.
Raw Material: Galvanized iron wire is the sole raw material and this will be either imported or bought from domestic sources.
Process and Technology: Galvanized iron wire is set on an automatic wire netting machine and knitted into diamond shaped wire netting. To shape the wire netting into the designated tabular form or rectangular cube form the back bone framework is made. This framework is inserted in to central portion and the outer edge of the wire netting to produce the desired tabular or rectangular cube form. There are two types of automatic machines:- the fully automatic type chain-link wire netting machine and the semiautomatic type wire netting machine, Technology experts recommend the use of the fully automatic type. This type will also enable knitting of big or small mesh fence netting and rockslide (landslide) prevention netting of various lengths. Major machinery and equipment required include: fully automatic chain link wire netting machine, semi-automatic type wire netting machine, rectangular cube frame manufacturing machine, circular ring frame manufacturing machine, frame twisting machine, circular ring frame and rectangular frame fixing machine and machine for straightening wire netting. There will also be other auxiliary machines such as cranes, electrical equipment, motors, trucks etc.
Estimated Investment: The investment cost will be:-
Buildings/shade 1500m2 at Birr 1500/m2 = Birr 1,100,000
Machinery (Production only)…………. = Birr 1,300,000
Working capital …………………………= Birr 500,000
Total = Birr 2,900,000
Benefits: saves foreign exchange, protects soil resources, used for other civil works, and introduces new skills and technology.
Location: Bahir Dar, Combolcha