Impact pressures and flow regimes in dense snow avalanches observed at the Vallée de la Sionne test site

Abstract

A fundamental problem in avalanche engineering is to determine the impact pressures exerted on structures. This task is complicated because snow avalanches flow in a variety of regimes, primarily depending on snow temperature and moisture content. In this paper we address this problem by analyzing measured impact pressures, flow velocities, and flow depths of five Vallée de la Sionne avalanches. The measurements are made on a 20 m high tubular pylon instrumented with high‐frequency pressure transducers and optoelectronic velocity sensors. In the observed avalanches, we find both subcritical and supercritical flow regimes. Typical Froude numbers were smaller than 6. The subcritical regime (Fr < 1) is characterized by a flow plug riding above a highly sheared basal layer. The measured pressures are large and velocity‐independent in contradiction to calculation procedures. Pressure fluctuations increase with flow depth, indicating a kinematic stick‐slip phenomena which is largest at the basal layer. Supercritical flow regimes (1 < Fr < 6) are characterized by a sheared flow all over the avalanche depth. In this regime the impact pressure is velocity‐dependent. We derive relationships governing impact pressure as a function of the Froude number, and therefore flow regime, encompassing all the observed avalanches.