Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Abstract
Protection galleries are important structures to reduce the risk caused by falling
rocks. In Switzerland about 350 galleries are in use for that purpose. The aim of the
tests described in this paper is to gain experimental data to improve the design methods
for rock fall galleries.
A series of rock fall impact tests on six reinforced concrete slabs with a cushion
layer consisting of compacted gravel was performed. Concrete cubes of 800 kg and
4000 kg, respectively, were dropped with different falling heights. Special cushion
systems consisting of high-tensile steel wire mesh and cellular glass were tested.
The relevant data to describe the dynamic processes in the structure are the
measured reaction forces at the supports, the accelerations in the boulder and in the
slab as well as the strains at the upper slab surface and in the reinforcement. In addition
the impacts were recorded by high speed cameras. This paper describes the conducted
impact tests in an outdoor rock fall testing area.
Keywords: rock fall impact, large-scale tests, cushion system, cellular glass, reinforced concrete slabs
1. Introduction
The risk of rock fall events increases due to global warming and due to the population growing into
alpine regions. Meanwhile the risk acceptance in our society decreases according to the state of our
proper economical situation. Considering the high mobility requirements also in alpine regions,
professionals need to improve the protection against rock fall hazards.
Rock fall galleries are an efficient measure to protect roads and railways, mainly if the danger is
locally concentrated. A study on the Swiss rock fall galleries has shown that most of the existing galleries
consist of reinforced concrete slabs and are covered with a cushion layer [1]. The cushion layer
distributes the contact stresses, reduces the accelerations in the striking body and increases the impact
time. Normally, granular soil from the surroundings or gravel is used as cushion layer. Protection galleries
typically span 9 m with a slab thickness of approximately 0.70 m. The back side of the galleries is clamed
supported at the retaining wall, the valley side is supported on columns (see Figure 1). A typical column
spacing is 7 meters.
a)
b)
2. Test Setup
Six reinforced concrete slabs
covered with a cushion layer were Figure 1: Typical rock fall galleries in Switzerland a) Galeria Val
subjected to falling weight impacts. Funtana, 1971, b) Avalanche gallery Buggital from 1982
The slabs correspond to an
average Swiss rock fall protection
gallery in a scale of 1:2. With three different slab types the influence of the slab thickness and
reinforcement on the impact behavior could be explored. Additional to the standard gravel cover, two
special cushion systems were tested. The impact was defined by different artificial boulders dropped from
varying heights. For each slab, the impact energy was increased until the slab failed. The kinematics of
the striking body was analyzed and the dynamic response of the reinforced concrete slab was
investigated by measuring accelerations, reaction forces and strains.
The test unit consists of two HEM 360 beams supported by four reinforced concrete footings of
0.5 x 0.5 m and 0.6 m height. Both HEM beams are 4.5 m long. One of them serves as line support for
the slabs and is placed on two load cells (shown on the left hand side in Figure 2). A mortar layer with a
thickness of about 1 cm is placed between the line support and the reinforced concrete slab. It insures a
continuous and regularly distributed support and compensates geometrical irregularities and also
restrains the horizontal movements.
The remaining two corners of the slabs are simply supported on the load cells. They model the
column supported points of the galleries. On this side the load cells are placed on top of the second HEM
beam (shown on the right hand side in Figure 2). The four load cells have a capacity of 1000 kN each.
The reaction forces at all supports provide the most important data to study the impact response of the
structure.
a)
b)
250
350
UNP 220
60
slide plate
120
calotte
load cell
HEM 360
Figure 3: Simple support a) load cell with sliding plates and calotte, b) technical drawing of cross section
1&2
0.25 m
3&4
0.35 m
5&6
0.35 m
reinforcement
d = 18 mm
s = 155 mm
d = 22 mm
s = 155 mm
d = 22 mm
s = 155 mm
reinforcement
no
no
d = 10 mm,
s = 155 mm
a)
b)
c)
Figure 4: Reinforcement layout of a) slabs 1 & 2, b) slabs 3 & 4 and c) slabs 5 & 6
In the center of the slab the strains in the bending reinforcement and at the slabs upper surface are
measured (Figure 5). The reinforcement strains are measured in two additional rebar of 2 m length
located orthogonal to each other in the center of the slab. There, also the strains at the slab surface are
measured. These strain gages have to be protected by silicon and by a 0.5 cm thick mortar layer. For a
better observation of the crack pattern the soffit of the slabs is painted in white.
a)
b)
Figure 5: Strain gages on a) the reinforcement and b) at the upper slab surface
a)
b)
F5
F6
F7
F8
F9
F10
6
6
6
6
6
6
1)
Gravel
2)
Gravel
Gravel
Gravel
Gravel
Gravel
800
800
800
800
4000
4000
10
15
15
15
5
7.5
thickness: 0.20 m
2)
incompact
79
118
118
118
198
295
is carried out only once. Taking into account the high costs of large-scale tests this decision is advisable.
The test program was set up to obtain the best comparisons possible between the single impact tests.
To avoid damage to the test unit and to the instrumentation the load capacity of the slabs should
not reach the ultimate load level, although it would be interesting since information about the governing
failure mode and the dynamic material properties can be gained. The tests have been performed by
increasing the falling height until plastic strains in the bending reinforcement reach a certain level or shear
failure occured.
Using the six available slabs the test program with 38 impacts as shown in Table 3 has been
executed. The procedure for the impact testing includes the following ten steps: 1) Placing the slab on the
testing unit and mounting the instrumentation, 2) installing the cushion layer on top of the slab, 3)
compacting the cushion layer and measuring the compaction, 4) placing the boulder into initial position
and measuring the position, 5) lifting the boulder to the predefined falling height and releasing it, 6)
measuring the final position after impact and removing the boulder, 7) measuring the compaction and
taking samples from the cushion layer, 8) tracking the cracks of the slab, 9) loosing of the compacted
cushion layer at the impact location and returning to step 3) for the next impact test. Finally, 10) removing
the slab from the testing unit and taking drilling core samples. For each slab (except the last one) the
tests lasted one day.
The influence of the slab thickness on the impact response is the major goal of the experimental
study. Additionally, the following comparisons could be obtained from the test program:
1)impulse variation: large mass with low impact velocity compared to small mass with high impact
velocity
2) slab response with different degradation states,
3) load capacity of the slab with and without shear reinforcement
4) conventional and special cushion layer
4. Discussion
It could be observed that the boulders impact surface was not completely horizontal at the moment
of contact. This lead to a small rotation of the boulder during the impact and produced a horizontal load
acting on the structure. The slabs received a small lateral displacement. The bolts ensuring the horizontal
restrain of the test units had to be replaced several times.
Neither the influence of the boulder shape nor the compaction of the cushion layer has been
studied during theses large-scale test. The compaction of the cushion layer has been studied
parametrically in previous studies [3]. Before every test the gravel layer has been compacted with a
compacting machine to Mv-values around 45 MN/m2. This value corresponds to the upper range of
compaction that can be expected on top of a rock fall gallery.
After the tests, the cushion layer was less compacted than before. The separation of cushion layer
and slab was clearly observable with the high-speed video recording.
In difference to real rock fall galleries, the slabs are not retrained from lifting off the supports. This
was also observed in the high-speed videos.
During the latest phase of the slab response, the slab, the cushion system and the boulder are in
a)
b)
Figure 9: Slabs after failure in test D2 a) front view b) chipping of concrete in the compaction zone
free oscillation. From the oscillation period, the actual stiffness of the slab can be deduced.
The failure mode that could be observed in all slabs was a combined bending shear failure close to
the simple supported corner (Figure 9). According to the design of the slabs, a bending failure along the
middle of the slab was expected. Punching resistance of the slab was close to the bending failure. For the
structural analysis and the design of the structure, the supposed failure mode plays an important role [8].
Also for the assumptions of dynamic material characteristics, the structures response is important.
5. Conclusions
Large-scale tests have been presented that simulate the impact of a falling rock onto a rock fall
protection gallery. An instrumented boulder has been dropped onto six concrete slabs that were covered
by a conventional and by a special cushion system consisting of high-tensile steel wire mesh filled with a
layer of light-weight cellular glass (Misapor). With this system it was possible to reduce the support forces
substantially.
It could be shown that the test setup produces reliable results. The obtained data is very detailed
and allows for an extensive analysis describing the rock impact, the behavior of the cushion system and
the interaction between impacting boulder and concrete slab.
6. Outlook
The test results, the evaluation methods and the comparison with analytical models will be
published next. Studies of the structural performance of concrete slabs subjected to rock fall impacts will
lead to a design concept for rock fall galleries. The teamwork between the different disciplines in rock fall
studies (detachment of blocks from cliffs, trajectory analysis, geotechnical studies of the cushion layer
and structural response of the gallery) will improve the handling of rock fall problems, i.e. mitigate the
damage of infrastructure or humans lives due to rock fall.
Acknowledgements
These large-scale tests have only been possible to perform thanks to the help of many involved.
The authors wish to thank Werner Gerber, Andreas Mller, Jorge H. Schellenberg, Markus Baumann,
Christoph Gisler, Matthias Denk, Bruno Fritschi, Daniel Caduff, Sara Ghadimi, Stephan Fricker,
Thomas Jaggi, Heinz Richner, Jan Laue, Reto Hess, Heinz Gubser and Hans Kienast.
Special thanks are also addressed to the highway administrations of the cantons of Grison and Uri
for their indispensable financial support.
References
[1]
Schellenberg, K., Vogel, T. (2005). Swiss Rockfall Galleries - Impact Load, Proceedings IABSE
Symposium Lisbon 2005, 'Structures and Extreme Events', IABSE Zurich, 2005, pp. 302/303 and CDROM file LIS099.PDF, pp. 1-8.
[2]
ASTRA, SBB (1998). Einwirkungen auf Steinschlagschutzgalerien, Richtlinie, Bundesamt fr
Strassen, Baudirektion SBB, Eidgenssische Drucksachen- und Materialzentrale, Bern.
[3]
Montani, S. (1998). Sollicitation dynamique de la couverture des galeries de protection lors de
chutes de blocs, Dissertation, No. 1899, cole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne, 190 pp.
[4]
Bucher, K. (1997). Dynamische Berechnung von Steinschlageinwirkungen, Proceedings,
Schweizerische Gesellschaft fr Boden und Felsmechanik, Conference Paper Montreux,
[5]
Chikatamarla, R. (2005). Rockfalls on slopes and structures, Dissertation, No. 16315, Swiss
Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich.
[6]
Volkwein, A., Schdler, S., Fritschi, B., Grassl, H. (2005). Spatial tracking of a falling rock using
internal acceleration sensors, EGU, Vienna.
[7]
Schaedler, S. (2004). Ermittlung dreidimensionaler Starrkrperbewegungen anhand von
Beschleunigungsdaten, Diplomarbeit Fachhochschule Weingarten.
[8]
Schellenberg, K., Vogel, T. (2007). Tests and analytical model of rockfall impacts on galleries,
Proceedings of Protect2007, Structures under Extreme Loading, Aug. 20-22, Whistler, p. 27 and CDROM file SWO04_Schellenberg.pdf, pp. 1-10.