A New Methodology for Rockfall Hazard Assessment in Rocky Slopes

Abstract

This article presents an approach to rockfall hazard assessment for rocky slopes based on a previously published rockfall hazard methodology. The original method is appropriate to high alpine rocky slopes exposed to large scale deformations. It evaluates the parameters related to the geomechanical characterization of rock mass, indications of activity, external influences and event intensity. The original methodology was modified to consider different contexts, including geological, climatic and social environments. Parameters related to external influences were modified; the geometry and characteristics of the slope and the catchment area were introduced. The original methodology and the new proposal were applied to two urban slopes and one railway slope in order to test and compare the methods. The original proposal could not represent the rockfall conditions of these slopes. The new proposal was validated using two mine slopes, whose conditions of stability are known. The results of the analyses with the urban slope and the railway slope were coherent with the situation observed at the field. The validation in the mine slopes showed that this approach is applicable in several situations, being able to determine how hazardous a slope is in relation to rockfall events.