gabion baskets and mattresses form containers, that when filled with stone, provide an aesthetic method for retaining earth or controlling soil erosion. as a method for retaining earth, gabion baskets are stacked atop one another to form retaining walls, culvert headwalls, bridge abutments or bridge wing walls. erosion control uses involve laying baskets or mattresses side-by-side on the ground to develop channel lining, bank protection, weirs and drop structures.