The use of rockfall protection embankments
Rockfall protection embankments are passive systems and an ideal solution when surface stabilisation systems cannot be installed (e.g. for very wide slopes) or where interception of falling rocks is not possible due to the whole slope being inaccessible. They are commonly used as protection from natural hazards, landslides, rockfalls, avalanches, hydro-geologic problems and more.
Reusing site-won materials to protect. Nowadays, Maccaferri rockfall protection embankments are built using reinforced soil, enabling contractors to use locally available site-won materials. A variety of face finishes are available, including a vegetated embankment facing, which reduces the environmental and visual impact of the system.
Reduced need for repair with almost unlimited potential. Being constructed from reinforced soil, our rockfall embankments are scalable to accommodate extreme rockfall impacts (potentially up to 20,000kJ) and also to divert potential debris flows. Unlike rockfall catch fences, rockfall embankments can sustain multiple impacts and rockfall events without the need for repair.
FEM analysis has been used to design our reinforced soil embankments offering a capacity of 20,000kJ. Given enough space, almost unlimited energy absorption capacities are achievable.