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Quantitative assessment of the residual risk in a rockfall protected area

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Abstract

Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) has become an indispensable tool for the management of landslide hazard and for planning risk mitigation measures. In this paper we present the evaluation of the rockfall risk at the Solà d’Andorra slope (Andorra Principality) before and after the implementation of risk mitigation works, in particular, the construction of protective fences. To calculate the risk level we have (i) identified the potential rockfall release areas, (ii) obtained the volume distribution of the falling rocks, (iii) determined the frequency of the rockfall events, and (iv) performed trajectographic analysis with a 3D numerical model (Eurobloc) that has provided both the expected travel distances and the kinetic energy of the blocks. The risk level at the developed area located at the foot of the rock cliff has been calculated taking into account the nature of the exposed elements and their vulnerability. In the Forat Negre basin, the most dangerous basin of the Solà d’Andorra, the construction of two lines of rockfall protection fences has reduced the annual probability of loss of life for the most exposed person inside the buildings, from 3.8×10−4 to 9.1×10−7 and the societal risk from 1.5×10−2 of annual probability of loss of life to 1.2×10−5.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Antoni Díaz from Eurogeotecnica in the trajectographic analysis carried out. This work has received financial support from the Rockfor project (Contract QLK5-CT-2000-01302) funded by the European Commission from the project SGR2001-00081 funded by the DURSI. The authors are indebted to Professors Robin Fell and Christophe Bonnard who have reviewed and made several valuable suggestions to a first draft of the paper

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geotechnical Engineering and Geosciences, Technical University of Catalonia—UPC, Campus Nord UPC, Jordi Girona 1-3, D-2 Building, 08034, Barcelona, Spain

    Jordi Corominas & José Moya

  2. Euroconsult, Na Maria Plana 33, Andorra la Vella, Principality of Andorra, Barcelona, Spain

    Ramon Copons & Joan Altimir

  3. RISKNAT Group, Departament de Geodinàmica i Geofísica, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí Franques s/n 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Ramon Copons & Joan M. Vilaplana

  4. Eurogeotecnica, Avda. De les Corts Catalanes 5-7, 08190, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain

    Jordi Amigó

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  1. Jordi Corominas
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  2. Ramon Copons
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  3. José Moya
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  4. Joan M. Vilaplana
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  5. Joan Altimir
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  6. Jordi Amigó
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Correspondence to Jordi Corominas.

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Corominas, J., Copons, R., Moya, J. et al. Quantitative assessment of the residual risk in a rockfall protected area. Landslides 2, 343–357 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-005-0022-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-005-0022-z

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