Performance Assessment for Rockfall Protection Systems I: Performance Assessment Criteria

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to suggest performance levels, a test method, and assessment criteria for the performance assessment to allow standardized tests for rockfall protection systems. The range of rockfall impact energy was determined by using domestic rockfall data and a total of 9 performance levels from 50kJ to 1500kJ were suggested. The performance assessment is implemented by two types of full-scale free-fall impact tests to investigate the serviceability and the maximum capacity as in European and American standards. It was considered to be reasonable that the specimens of rockfall protection systems consist of 3 spans and the concrete block of a polyhedron with 26 faces, similar to spheres, impacts at the center of a center span. Assessment criteria were constructed to investigate whether a rockfall penetrated rockfall protection systems and whether the deformed specimen encroached on the roadway or obstructed the vehicle traffic.