United States
United States

myGeobrugg

Rockfall Protection - Balmi-Tschuggen 2015

View from the protected road of two barriers: On the line 1.1 (2000 kJ, H = 6 m) installed on the bare rock face and on the line 1.7 (2000 kJ, H = 5 m) installed on a very steep and high slope.

Rockfall Protection - Balmi-Tschuggen 2015

Technical pre-approval of the line 1.2 (1500 kJ, H = 6 m).

Rockfall Protection - Balmi-Tschuggen 2015

View from above the line 1.3 (1000 kJ, H = 6 m).

Rockfall Protection - Balmi-Tschuggen 2015

In anticipation of small diameter falling rocks on the line 1.2 (1500 kJ, H = 6 m), a very fine secondary mesh was installed (25 mm x 25 mm) along with the barrier.

Rockfall Protection - Balmi-Tschuggen 2015

View of heavy traffic and the rockfall barrier protecting the road from above the 1.2 line.

Rockfall Protection - Balmi-Tschuggen 2015

The very same day of installation acceptance by the customer (ASTRA - Federal Roads Office), several blocks were successfully retained by the line 1.9 (2000 kJ H = 5 m, adapted to withstand snow pressure).

Rockfall Protection - Balmi-Tschuggen 2015

View of the lines 1.9, 2.0 and 2.2 (all 2000 kJ, H = 5 or 6 m). Due to their location, they are also adapted to withstand snow pressure.

Rockfall Protection - Balmi-Tschuggen 2015

Impact October 2019 and the protected road

Rockfall Protection - Balmi-Tschuggen 2015

Rockfall impact October 2019

Rockfall Protection - Balmi-Tschuggen 2015

Successful rockfall protection

Rockfall Protection - Balmi-Tschuggen 2015

" ... blocks of about 3.5 Cubic meter ..." (Jungfrau Zeitung, November 1st, 2019)

 

System length

16 m - 80 m

 

Year of installation

2015

Initial situation

The existing rockfall barriers above national highway A8 over the Brünig Pass were greatly weakened after years of prevalent heavy snowfalls and had to be replaced. Therefore, the Swiss Federal Roads Office (ASTRA) in 2014 invited IMPULS AG to consult the new project (installed by Gasser Felstechnik AG).

Description

A total of eleven lines* with energy absorption capacities between 1,000 and 2,000 kJ were installed:

1000 kJ: height = 6 m, length = 30 m

1500 kJ: height = 6 m, length = 56 m

2000 kJ: height = 5 m and 6 m, length = 122 m

In addition, five lines were dimensioned for rockfall as well as for snow slide so that multi-hazard barriers  were installed:


2000
kJ: height = 5 m and 6 m, length = 139 m

* The RXI barriers used are now superseded by the RXE barriers.

Customer

Bundesamt für Strassen (ASTRA)

Contractor

Gasser Felstechnik AG

Protected object

Road

Corrosion protection

Galvanized

Engineering

IMPULS 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