Gabions (from Italian gabbione meaning "big cage"; From Italian gabbia and Latin cavea meaning "cage") are cages, cylinders, or boxes filled with soil or sand that are used in civil engineering, road building, and military applications. For erosion control caged riprap is used. For dams or foundation construction, cylindrical metal structures are used. In a military context, earth or sand-filled gabions are used to protect artillery crews from enemy fire.

Gabion Box
Specification(m)  partitions  Capacity ( m 3)
0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5  0  0.125
1 x 0.5 x 0.5  0  0.25
1 x 1 x 0.5  0  0.5
1 x 1 x 1  0  1
1.5 x 0.5 x 0.5  0  0.325
1.5 x 1 x 0.5  0  0.75
1.5 x 1 x 1  0  1.5
2 x 0.5 x 0.5  1  0.5
2 x 1 x 0.5  1  1
2 x 1 x 1  1  2
Sets of gabion steps 1m to 2m wide