Application of three‐dimensional rockfall modelling to rock face engineering

Abstract

Many problems in engineered rock faces involve evaluation of the efficiency of rockfall mitigation measures, specifically rockfall dams, embankments and catch nets. Existing rockfall trajectory models are not suited for this purpose because they do not consider the non‐linear dynamics of rock motion, which is highly dependent on rock size, shape and impact configuration. In this paper, we discuss the application of the new 3D rockfall modelling tool Ramms::Rockfall, which computes rock‐ground interactions using hard‐contact impact mechanics. The model is applied to evaluate the effectiveness of a rockfall bank at the Geobrugg/WSL test site in Walenstadt, Switzerland.