Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Experimental and Numerical Impact Responses of an Innovative Rockfall Protection Structure Made of Articulated Concrete Blocks

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study deals with an innovative type of protection structure for gravity-driven natural hazards such as landslides (slope failures, rockfalls, etc.) consisting of a vertical wall made up of interconnected concrete blocks. This type of articulated structure presents many advantages including reduced footprint, versatility and easy maintenance. The response of such a structure under impact is investigated considering projectiles with kinetic energies of 520 and 1020 kJ, based on real-scale impact experiments and numerical simulations. The finite difference model is described in detail as well as the experiments. The model was developed focusing on the global structural impact response while keeping the computation time reasonable. The model parameter calibration is based on data in the literature and complemented with specific measurements. The experimental data allows us to describe the impact response of the structure and identify the main mechanisms controlling this response (sliding, tilting, and fracturing). The simulation results revealed that the model is efficient in mimicking this response, in terms of deformation amplitude and evolution with time. Finally, the numerical model made it possible to highlight complex mechanisms that were not possible to experimentally determine such as the different energy dissipation modes within the wall.

Highlights

  • Full-scale impact experiments demonstrating the impact strength of articulated walls made of concrete blocks and metallic elements up to 1000 kJ.

  • Finite difference model of the structure validated against experimental data.

  • Highlights of the prevailing mechanisms involved in the impact response of the structures based on both numerical and experimental investigations.

  • Based on simulation results, friction between concrete blocks and damage to concrete contribute up to 70% of the projectile kinetic energy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

\(C\) :

Cohesion

dsi :

Cumulative shear displacement component in axis i

\(\Delta z\mathrm{min}\) :

Smallest dimension in the normal direction of the two zones in contact

\({\Delta E}_{i}\) :

Energy dissipated by friction at node i, at current time

\({E}_{\mathrm{fric}}\) :

Energy dissipated by friction

\({f}^{s}\) :

Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion

\({f}^{t}\) :

Tension cutoff criterion

Fsi :

Instantaneous shear force component in axis i

\(G\) :

Shear modulus

\(K\) :

Bulk modulus

\({k}_{\mathrm{criterion}}\) :

Stiffness criterion for interfaces

\(\Phi\) :

Friction angle

\({\sigma }_{i}\) :

Principal stresses i

\({\upsigma }_{\mathrm{max }}^{t}\) :

Tensile strength applied in the model

\({\upsigma }^{t}\) :

Tensile strength

References

  • Breugnot A, Lambert S, Villard P, Gotteland Ph (2016) A discrete/continuous coupled approach for modeling impacts on cellular geostructures. Rock Mech Rock Eng 49(5):1831–1848. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-015-0886-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colgan T, Ewe E (2019) Design of a large scale rockfall protection bund for coastal transport corridor recovery following the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake in Pacific. In: conference on earthquake engineering. Auckland, New Zealand

  • Dugelas L, Coulibaly JB, Bourrier F, Lambert S, Chanut MA et al (2019) Assessment of the predictive capabilities of discrete element models for flexible rockfall barriers. Int J Impact Eng 133:1–15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijimpeng.2019.103365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • EOTA (2018) Falling rock protections kits. European Assessment Document. EAD 340059-00-0106/c 417/07

  • Furet A (2020) Modélisations expérimentale et numérique d’ouvrages pare-blocs modulaires: application à la technologie Bloc Armé®. Université Grenoble Alpes, Français

    Google Scholar 

  • Furet A, Lambert S, Villard P, Jarrin J-P, Lorentz J (2020) Réponse sous impact de murs pare-blocs. Rev Fr Géotech 163:9. https://doi.org/10.1051/geotech/2020017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Green R, Finlan JS (2021) Rapid design of a modular rockfall protection wall in response to the 2016 KaiKoura earthquake. Geo-Extreme 2021:151–165. https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784483688.015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guccione DV, Thoeni K, Fityus S, Nader F, Giacomini A, Buzzi O (2021) An experimental setup to study the fragmentation of rocks upon impact. Rock Mech Rock Eng. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-021-02501-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hara T, Tsuji S, Yoshida M, Ito S, Sawada K (2012) Experimental development of new type reinforced soil wall. Int J Geomate 2(2):213–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Hearn G, Barrett R, Henson H (1996) Development of effective rockfall barriers. Transp Res Rec 1504:1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Itasca Consulting Group, Inc. (2019). FLAC3D - Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua in Three Dimensions, Ver. 7.0., Minneapolis

  • Kister B, Fontana O (2011) On the evaluation of rockfall parameters and the design of protection embankments – a case study in interdisciplinary workshop on rockfall protection – Rocexs, Innsbruck, Austria, 31–32

  • Korini O (2021) Comportement et dimensionnement aux impacts des merlons de protection en sol renforcé par géosynthétiques. Ecole Doctorale Mecanique, Energétique, Génie Civil, Acoustique (MEGA)

  • Korini O, Bost M, Rajot JP, Bennani Y, Freitag N (2019) Experimental study of reinforced soil bunds subjected to horizontal impact in14th International Congress on Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM), Foz do Iguassu, Brazil

  • Korini O, Bost M, Rajot JP, Bennani Y, Freitag N (2021) The influence of geosynthetics design on the behavior of reinforced soil embankments subjected to rockfall impacts. Eng Geol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2021.106054

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lam NTK, Yong ACY, Lam C, Kwan JSH, Perera JS, Disfani MM, Gad E (2018) Displacement-based approach for the assessment of overturning stability of rectangular rigid barriers subjected to point impact. J Eng Mech. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0001383

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambert S, Bourrier F (2013) Design of rockfall protection embankments: a review. Eng Geol 154(28):77–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambert S, Kister B (2018) Efficiency assessment of existing rockfall protection embankments based on an impact strength criterion. Eng Geol 243:1–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2018.06.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambert S, Heymann A, Gotteland P, Nicot F (2014) Real-scale investigation of kinematic response of a rockfall protection embankment. Nat Haz Earth Syst Sci 14:1269–1281. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-14-1269-2014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambert S, Bourrier F, Gotteland P, Nicot F (2020) An experimental investigation of the response of slender protective structures to rockfall impacts. Can Geotech J. https://doi.org/10.1139/cgj-2019-0147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lorentz J, Jarrin J-P, Meignan L, Leroux Mallouf R. (2018) Bloc Armé© – Landslides passive protective structure. In: 4th International Symposium Rock Slope Stability, Chambéry, France, pp. 105–106

  • Mentani A, Giacomini A, Buzzi O, Govoni L, Gottardi G, Fityus S (2016) Numerical modelling of a low-energy rockfall barrier: new insight into the bullet effect. Rock Mech Rock Eng 49(4):1247–1262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-015-0803-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oggeri C, Ronco C, Vinai R (2021) Validation of numerical D.E.M. modelling of geogrid reinforced embankments for rockfall protection. Geoingeg Ambient Mineraria 58(1–2):36–45. https://doi.org/10.19199/2021.163-164.1121-9041.036

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peila D, Oggeri C, Castiglia C (2007) Ground reinforced embankments for rockfall protection: design and evaluation of full scale tests. Landslides 4:255–265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-007-0081-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peila D, Oggeri C, Castiglia C, Recalcati P, Rimoldi P (2002) Testing and modelling geogrid reinforced soil embankments subject to high energy rock impacts, Geosynthetics in 7th ICG, Delmas, Gourc & Girard (eds.)

  • Plassiard J-P, Donzé F-V (2009) Rockfall impact parameters on embankments: a discrete element method analysis. Struct Eng Int 19(3):333–341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ronco C, Oggeri C, Peila D (2009) Design of reinforced ground embankments used for rockfall protection. Nat Haz Earth Syst Sci 9(4):1189–1199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simmons M, Pollak S, Peirone B (2009) High energy rock fall embankment constructed using a freestanding woven wire mesh reinforced soil structure in the 60th Highway Geology Symposium. Buffalo, New York, pp 290–301

    Google Scholar 

  • Yong ACY, Lam C, Lam NTK, Perera JS, Kwan JSH (2019) Analytical solution for estimating sliding displacement of rigid barriers subjected to boulder impact. J Eng Mech. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EM.1943-7889.0001576

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Patrick Joffrin and Christophe Pruvost from the Université Gustave Eiffel, Jérome Gineys from Cerema for their technical assistance conducting the experiments, the partner Myotis for the acquisition of some of the experimental data and Julien Lorentz from Géolithe Innov for his investment leading the experiments. The authors express their appreciation to Itasca and more specifically to Marco Camusso for the personal help they benefited from the Itasca Educational Partnership.

Funding

This work was conducted as part of the C2ROP French national project and a Cifre thesis. It also benefited from a financial support from the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes region.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Géolithe, 181 rue des Bécasses, 38920, Crolles, France

    Agathe Furet & Jean-Philippe Jarrin

  2. Univ. Grenoble Alpes, INRAE, ETNA, 38000, Grenoble, France

    Agathe Furet & Stéphane Lambert

  3. Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS UMR 5521, Grenoble INP, 3SR, 38000, Grenoble, France

    Agathe Furet & Pascal Villard

Authors
  1. Agathe Furet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pascal Villard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jean-Philippe Jarrin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Stéphane Lambert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Agathe Furet.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Furet, A., Villard, P., Jarrin, JP. et al. Experimental and Numerical Impact Responses of an Innovative Rockfall Protection Structure Made of Articulated Concrete Blocks. Rock Mech Rock Eng 55, 5983–6000 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-022-02957-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-022-02957-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation