Abstract
Geostructural rock mass surveys and the collection of data related to discontinues provide the basis for the characterization of rock masses and the study of their stability conditions. This paper describes a multiscale approach that was carried out using both non-contact techniques and traditional support techniques to survey certain geometrical features of discontinuities, such as their orientation, spacing, and useful persistence. This information is useful in identifying the possible kinematics and stability conditions. These techniques are extremely useful in the case study of the Elva valley road (Northern Italy), in which instability phenomena are spread across 9 km in an overhanging rocky mass. A multiscale approach was applied, obtaining digital surface models (DSMs) at three different scales: large-scale DSM of the entire road, a medium-scale DSM to assess portions of the slope, and a small-scale DSM to assess single discontinuities. The georeferenced point cloud and consequent DSMs of the slopes were obtained using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and terrestrial photogrammetric technique, allowing topographic and rapid traditional geostructural surveys. This technique allowed us to take measurements along the entire road, obtaining geometrical data for the discontinuities that are statistically representative of the rock mass and useful in defining the possible kinematic mechanisms and volumes of potentially detachable blocks. The main purpose of this study was to analyse how the geostructural features of a rock mass can affect the stability slope conditions at different scales in order to identify road sectors susceptible to different potential failure mechanisms using only kinematic analysis.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilSlope stability conditions are strongly affected by discontinuities in geometrical features, which control the possible kinetic conditions of the potentially detachable blocks, their volumes, and their stability conditions
The potential kinematic mechanism is conditioned by the orientation of the rock face, which can vary along a slope and affect the local stability conditions of the rock mass
In order to obtain high-resolution images along the road characterized by a complex orography with overhanging and inaccessible rock walls, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and terrestrial photogrammetry supported by a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) topographic survey was carried out
Summary
The so-called “Strada del Vallone” is located in the orographic left of the Maira Valley. 1956, its geometry was substantially modified, widening the roadway, modifying the route route and creating the current tunnels and the actual road configuration [29], in order to and creating the current tunnels and the actual road configuration [29], in order to make it make it passable by the vehicles 3 to about 1 phenomena involving single blocks with volume variables between a few cm 1 m occurring along the entire road with a high temporal frequency. 1), which (variable between a few m3 to 2500 m3) was recorded by the public agency (Table 1), which led, in some cases, to the interruption of the traffic along the road (Figure 4).
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