Topic:

Mitigate Damage with Passive Rockfall Protection Structures

Course Overview:

Passive protection structures are engineered structures constructed at locations some distance away from the source of the falling rocks or shallow landslide mass. They are not intended to prevent rockfall or shallow landslides from occurring, nor are they intended to stabilise the slope surface, but instead to mitigate the damage by dissipating the energy of the rock. There are many types of passive protection structures - this webinar focuses on the following three structures, their respective features and real-life case study applications:

• ETAG27 (European Organisation for Technical Approvals 2013, now EAD) energy certified dynamic fences
• Hybrid or attenuator fences
• Reinforced soil bund or embankment

Speaker:

Eric Ewe, Geofabrics NSW Slopes & Walls Business Development Manager has 25 years experience in the design and installation of geosynthetic and mesh products in New Zealand, Australia and overseas. Eric has a Bachelor of Civil Engineering Degree and is heavily involved in the field of rockfall mitigation works, he has contributed to the New Zealand “MBIE Passive Rockfall Protection Structures design guidelines” and co-authored a number of technical papers on the subject. Eric offers both practical and technical expertise across a wide area of geosynthetic, reinforced soils and rockfall engineering.

Learning Outcomes:

• When to use a passive protection structure 
• Considerations and design process options
• Understanding the different types of structures
• Full scale trials and testing for these structures
• Advantages and disadvantages of each structure
• How to specify the different types of structures