Sustainable Retaining Wall Solution as a Mitigation Strategy on Steep Slopes in Soft Rock Mass

Abstract

Steep slopes in soft rock are characterized by their susceptibility to instability (rockfall, rockslide) due to weathering and erosion of the slope surface. This article deals with the problem of adapting to the increasing height of the scree slope. The construction of a retaining wall in a scree slope in front of a slope of soft rock with a steep face, where a very rapid weathering and erosion process of weathered material takes place, and the simultaneous deposition of material in front of the steep slope is a common solution. Changes in the geometry of the slope and the front scree are taken into account, and at the same time, sufficient safety against rockfall must be ensured. The analysis is shown on a specific example of a steep flysch slope near Split, Dalmatia. The retaining wall solutions are compared in terms of function, cost and sustainability. The construction of a single colossal, reinforced concrete retaining wall shows that this solution is not feasible due to the high construction costs and CO2 emissions of the retaining wall. A model was therefore developed to determine the height of the retaining walls for different construction time intervals and distances from the original rock face. The critical failure modes were investigated for various retaining wall solutions with regard to the highest degree of utilization of the resistance, which also allows the cost-optimized solutions to be determined. By building two or more successive retaining walls at suitable intervals and at an appropriate distance from the original rock face, construction costs and CO2 emissions can be significantly reduced.