Rockfall engineering is the study of rockfall initiation, trajectories and the impact of the solid mass of rock on the infrastructure below, whether protection is present or not. Rockfall instability results from external and internal factors such as temperature variations, scour by wind and water, the action of ice, erosion at the toe of the slope and residual geological stresses within the rock. To counteract the instability, the engineer can choose from a wide range of rockfall protection solutions adopted to suit a particular situation. These solutions can either be passive, hindering or controlling rockfalls and protecting the road and railway infrastructure below the slopes, or active. Active systems are those that act on the causes and inhibit its initiation.

Click on a Topic for more information...