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Obre Biel, Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn

Rockfall Protection - Obre Biel, Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn 2016

Multi Hazard Barrier protecting Matterhorn Gotthard Railway line against rockfalls, snow slides and smaller avalanches

Rockfall Protection - Obre Biel, Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn 2016

Finite elements based simulation software FARO allowed the correct barrier dimensioning according to the customer requirements

Rockfall Protection - Obre Biel, Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn 2016

Drilling works using walking excavator equipped with drill rig

Rockfall Protection - Obre Biel, Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn 2016

Drilling with casing was necessary due to poor ground conditions and thus unstable drill holes

Rockfall Protection - Obre Biel, Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn 2016

Multi Hazard Barrier during installation - visible already positioned posts with retaining and lateral ropes

Rockfall Protection - Obre Biel, Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn 2016

ROCCO® ring net installation using shackles

Rockfall Protection - Obre Biel, Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn 2016

Fully installed Multi Hazard Barrier with special gap filling adjustment

 

System length

28 m - 112 m

 

Year of installation

2016

Initial situation

The railway line Matterhorn Gotthard has a section called Obre-Biel that is being used by as many as  ten passanger trains per hour, along with cargo trains. Over the years, this section of the railway has been inundated by snow slides and smaller avalanches. Consequently, railway traffic has been severly impaired and has also created the danger of possible trail derailment. The line was also endangered by rockfalls.

 

 

Description

The soution shall protect the railway line against snow slides, snow avalanches and rockfalls. Choosing flexible rockfall barriers willl decrease the amount of traffic disturbances.

Standard rockfall barriers are designed to deal with loads caused by rockfalls. So, to serve as a mutli-hazard protection system, some special dimensioning has to be implemented.

Such special dimensioning is not possible without involving computer simulations. For this purpose, Geobrugg uses finite element simulation software called FARO. FARO was originally developed by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, and WSL, in order to simulate rockfall barriers with ring nets.

Further software development financed by the Commision for Technology and Innovation CTI allowes surface load simulations caused by debris flows, shallow landslides and avalanches.

By using FARO software, a total of 182 meters of rockfall barriers were correctly dimensioned to protect the railway line. They were finally divided into three lines of 112, 42 and 28 meters.

Customer

Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn (MGB)

Contractor

ABA Bautec AG

Protected object

Railway

Corrosion protection

Galvanized, GEOBRUGG SUPERCOATING

Engineering

geoformer igp AG (wasser/schnee/lawinen - André Burkard AG)

Your local contact

Kevin H. Coyle
 

Kevin H. Coyle

Regional Manager Northeast

Natural Hazards
Hydraulic Engineering
Geobrugg North America, LLC,3 Beaudet Terr,Columbia CT 06237 / United States Regional Manager Northeast

E-Mail

Saleh Feidi
 

Saleh Feidi

Regional Manager California

Natural Hazards
Hydraulic Engineering
Geobrugg North America, LLC,8921 Emperor Ave.,San Gabriel, California 91775 / United States Regional Manager California

E-Mail

John Kalejta
 

John Kalejta

Regional Manager Central US

Natural Hazards
Hydraulic Engineering
Geobrugg North America, LLC,3215 67th Avenue Pl,Greeley CO 80634 / United States Regional Manager Central US

E-Mail

Bob Lyne
 

Bob Lyne

Regional Manager Southeast

Natural Hazards
Hydraulic Engineering
Geobrugg North America, LLC,8004 Windspray Drive,Summerfield NC 27358 / United States Regional Manager Southeast

E-Mail

Pierce Runnels, Civil Engineer
   

Pierce Runnels

General Manager Geobrugg North America

Natural Hazards
Geobrugg North America, LLC,22 Centro Algodones , Civil Engineer General Manager Geobrugg North America

E-Mail

Tim Shevlin
 

Tim Shevlin

Sales Director

Natural Hazards
Geobrugg North America, LLC,Salem OR 97302 / United States Sales Director

E-Mail