Rockfall Hazard Analyses and Rockfall Protection along the Adriatic Coast of Croatia

Abstract. Rockfall hazard zoning is essential for ensuring the safety of communities settled at the toe of potentially unstable slopes. Rockfall hazard zoning can be performed to include the effect of protection measures when land use restrictions might not be enough to mitigate hazards. The real effectiveness of the measures must be assessed to make sure they can play their role, especially in those cases when measures might have been installed at a given site for years. This article focuses on how to evaluate the effectiveness of rockfall protection measures and how hazard zoning can be influenced by their correct operation. The approach presented is divided into four main stages, which include a two-step procedure to evaluate the effectiveness of both existing and new protections. It is based on quite a comprehensive rockfall protection database built for the canton of Vaud in Switzerland, and on the Swiss Federal Guidelines for hazard zoning; however, all the methodological framework proposed and related considerations could be in principle extended to any other regional or national context in which a combination of intensity and frequency is used to assess rockfall hazards.

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Impact of rock block characteristics on rockfall hazard and its implications for rockfall protection strategies along Himalayan highways: a case study

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment ◽

10.1007/s10064-021-02288-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ashok K. Singh ◽

J. Kundu ◽

K. Sarkar ◽

H. K. Verma ◽

P. K. Singh

Keyword(s):

Rock Block ◽

Rockfall Hazard ◽

Protection Strategies ◽

Rockfall Protection

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Principles of the tool Rockfor.net for quantifying the rockfall hazard below a protection forest

Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Forstwesen ◽

10.3188/szf.2007.0157 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 158 (6) ◽

pp. 157-165 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Frédéric Berger ◽

Luuk K.A. Dorren

Keyword(s):

Case Studies ◽

Calculation Methods ◽

Protective Capacity ◽

Rockfall Hazard ◽

Protection Forest ◽

Site Characteristics ◽

Protection Forests ◽

Rockfall Protection

There are presently no clear rules for determining optimal rockfall protection forests, taking into account forest and site characteristics as well as the size and energy of the falling rock. To provide a tool that meets these requirements and quantifies the protective capacity, we have developed Rockfor.net (www.rockfor.net). This paper explains the underlying principles as well as the calculation methods used. Furthermore, it presents case studies which provide validation.

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L'inventaire forestier comme méthode de caractérisation spatiale de l'aléa chute de pierres

Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Forstwesen ◽

10.3188/szf.2019.0078 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 170 (2) ◽

pp. 78-85 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Robin Mainieri ◽

Jérôme Lopez-Saez ◽

Christophe Corona ◽

Markus Stoffel ◽

Eric Mermin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Source Area ◽

Historical Records ◽

Systematic Mapping ◽

Mountain Areas ◽

Rockfall Hazard ◽

Source Areas ◽

Breast Height ◽

Hazard Zoning ◽

Tree Data ◽

Rockfall Protection

The contribution of tree inventories to the spatial characterisation of the rockfall hazard Rockfall is one of the most frequent natural hazards in mountain areas. The characterisation of rockfall activity in terms of frequency, intensity (energy) and dispersion (run-out distance) is essential for risk management, but is extremely complex due to the diffuse nature of this hazard and the gaps in historical records. In this study we show that trees can be reliable bioindicators to reconstruct rockfall activity. Our method is based on the combination of a systematic mapping of all trees (location, breast height diameter, species) and the complete recording of all visible scars. On an area of one hectare in the municipality of Saint-Guillaume (Vercors massif, French Alps) we recorded 793 trees and 2333 scars. The spatial distribution of the tree species and scars was used to locate the most active source areas and the most important rockfall trajectories and to show the decreasing rockfall activity with increasing distance to the source area and thus also the protective effect of the forest. The approach is particularly valuable in areas where historical records are lacking. It can be used in the future to 1) refine hazard zoning and 2) calibrate rockfall models. Thanks to the recorded tree data, the area could also be used as a marteloscope for practicing silvicultural interventions in the rockfall protection forest.

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Development of Performance Upgrade Technique of Existing Rockfall Protection Fence

GeoFlorida 2010 ◽

10.1061/41095(365)16 ◽

2010 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

S. Tsuji ◽

T. Hara ◽

A. Yashima ◽

M. Yoshida

Keyword(s):

Rockfall Protection

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Gastric lesions in dolphins stranded along the Eastern Adriatic coast

Diseases of Aquatic Organisms ◽

10.3354/dao03137 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 125 (2) ◽

pp. 125-139 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

J Hrabar ◽

I Bočina ◽

A Gudan Kurilj ◽

M Đuras ◽

I Mladineo

Keyword(s):

Gastric Lesions ◽

Adriatic Coast

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DEVELOPING AND SELECTING SLOPE STABILIZATION TECHNIQUES IN MANAGING SLOPE FAILURES

Jurnal Teknik Sipil ◽

10.24002/jts.v12i4.638 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Ari Sandyavitri

Keyword(s):

Retaining Wall ◽

Value Engineering ◽

Rating Systems ◽

Slope Stabilization ◽

Rockfall Hazard ◽

Proactive Approach ◽

West Sumatra ◽

Hazard Rating ◽

Hazard Rating Systems ◽

Steep Slopes

This paper objectives are to; (i) identification of risky slopes (within 4 Provinces in Sumatra including Provinces of Riau, West Sumatra, Jambi and South Sumatra encompassing 840 kms of the “Jalan Lintas Sumatra” highway) based on Rockfall Hazard Rating Systems (RHRS) method; (ii) developing alternatives to stabilize slope hazards, and (iii) selecting appropriate slopes stabilization techniques based on both proactive approach and value engineering one. Based on the Rockfall Hazard Rating Systems (RHRS) method, it was identified 109 steep slopes prone to failure within this highway section. Approximately, 15 slopes were identified as potential high-risk slopes (RHRS scores were calculated >200 points). Based on the proactive approach, seven riskiest slopes ware identified. The preferred stabilization alternatives to remedy most of these slopes are suggested as follow; either (i) a combination of retaining wall and drainage, or (ii) gabion structure and drainage. However, different approaches may yield different results, there are at least 2 main consideration in prioritizing slope stabilization; (i) based on the riskiest slopes, and(ii) the least expensive stabilization alternatives.

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