ENGINEERING PROTECTION AGAINST GEOHAZARDS
Geobarrier’s core business is the development of integrated protection solutions for territories, buildings, and infrastructure against hazardous slope processes characterized by high destructive power and extreme impact forces. Natural hazards such as landslides, rockfalls, debris flows, and snow avalanches pose a direct threat to human life; therefore, every stage of an engineering protection project must be entrusted to qualified professionals.
Traditionally, protection against these hazards has relied on massive reinforced concrete structures: avalanche and rockfall galleries, dams, retaining walls, and avalanche splitters. However, the use of such structures is not always technically or economically viable, and in some cases, it is simply impossible. Constructing these facilities in mountainous terrain is invariably an expensive, resource-intensive, and extremely lengthy process.
A superior alternative to these traditional methods is the use of high-strength, flexible, deformable metal structures (both barrier and drapery types), which are capable of dissipating powerful impact forces directly on the slope. The fundamental elements of all our systems are ring nets and 2D-Geo mesh made from high-tensile steel wire. The optimal balance of flexibility and strength allows our structures to be installed on difficult slopes with restricted access, while their low weight and ease of assembly significantly reduce construction and installation costs. Our extensive experience and database of proven standard solutions allow us to provide rapid consultation and offer cost-effective designs that meet all investor and client requirements without compromising quality.
"The collapse of small rock masses, consisting of fragments no larger than 1 cubic meter, is defined as rockfall. A rock collapse (or massive rockfall) is the process wherein large blocks detach from the main rock mass and subsequently move down the slope. The formation of a collapse is preceded by the development of a crack or system of fissures, along which the detachment and failure of the rock block occur. The morphological results of such collapses are the formation of detachment scarps and niches in the upper parts of slopes, and the accumulation of debris at their base." [General Geomorphology, G. I. Rychagov, 2006].
From the perspective of engineering protection measures, the most critical parameters are: the degree of rockfall risk, the recurrence interval (frequency), and the mass, fall trajectory, and kinetic impact energy of the largest potentially hazardous rock block.
ROCKFALL
LANDSLIDE
"A landslide involves the displacement of a monolithic block of rock. Landslide processes are always hydrogeologically determined. They occur when permeable rocks are underlain by a horizon of impermeable rocks (aquicludes), most commonly clay. Landslide formation is particularly favored by geological stratification where the dip of the impermeable rock roof coincides with the direction of the slope surface. In this scenario, the impermeable horizon serves as a slip plane along which a significant block of rock slides down the slope. Landslides form in both mountainous regions and on plains, where they are typically associated with riverbanks, seacoasts, lakeshores, and engineered slopes. A characteristic external sign of landslide-prone slopes is the development of so-called 'drunken forest'." [General Geomorphology, G. I. Rychagov, 2006].
DEBRIS FLOW
"A debris flow (sel) is a mountain channel flow consisting of a mixture of water and rock fragments, characterized by pulsating (wave-like) motion and significant erosive-accumulative and destructive effects. Debris flows are distinguished by their short duration (typically 1–3 hours) and the absence of strict periodicity in their occurrence.
The immediate primary causes of debris flow formation are heavy downpours, intense snow and ice melt, and less frequently, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, the breaching of lake barriers, or anthropogenic activity. From a dynamic perspective, a debris flow represents a descending translational wave saturated with solid material, moving along a normally dry (ephemeral) channel.
The density of a debris flow can range from 1,100 to 2,300 kg/m³. The volume of a single discharge event can range from 10,000 m³ to 10 million m³. Based on the composition of the mass, flows are classified as water-stone, mud-stone, mud, water-snow (slush), and water-ice. The front of a debris flow can travel at speeds of up to 40 km/h and possesses immense destructive force."
[Glaciological Dictionary, V.M. Kotlyakov, 1984]
SNOW AVALANCHE
"Snow Avalanches are defined as sliding and cascading snow masses set in motion on a slope. Under natural conditions, avalanches occur when the stability of the snowpack is disturbed by meteorological phenomena and internal processes, within specific terrain and vegetation conditions that collectively form the factors of avalanche formation. The lower speed threshold for an avalanche is conventionally set at 1 m/s.
An avalanche is capable of increasing its volume by entraining (dragging in) new masses of snow during movement. Avalanche volumes range from a few cubic meters to millions; recorded events have reached volumes of up to 3 million m³. In the case of dry snow avalanches, a destructive air blast (shock wave) propagates ahead of the moving mass.
The avalanche path is distinctively divided into the catchment area (starting zone), the avalanche track (channel), and the deposition cone (runout zone). Avalanche formation is possible on slopes with an incline greater than 13 degrees." [Glaciological Dictionary, V.M. Kotlyakov, 1984]