|
Biodiversity
Landscape Development
Management of Natural Hazards
Natural Resources
Forest Ecosystems
Research Units
In focus
Staff
Organization
Mission and Tasks
Locations
History
Job opportunities
Contact and maps
Test facility for rockfall protection measuresThe WSL runs a test facility Lochezen in an old quarry in Walenstadt SG. The main installation (Fig. 1) is used for the type testing of new flexible protection barriers against rockfall according to the Swiss guidelines (PDF, additions). The test specimen with a maximum weight of 16'000 kg can be dropped from the specially designed crane from up to 63 m. Up to 15 load cells can measure acting cable forces at a sample rate of 2'000 Hz. The braking process is recorded using high speed video with up to 250 frames per second.
Impact of single barrier components such as nets, ropes or brake elementsAn additional 4 x 4m steel frame (Fig. 2) equipped with load cells at the supports allows the investigation of the bahaviour of single barrier components such as nets, ropes or brake elements.
Test facility for protection galleriesFinally, another special testing table is available to for tests on gallery structures or cushion layers (Fig. 3). The measured data are the support reactions strains within the concrete slab and the boulder movement (acceleration sensors and high speed video).
Fig. 3: Test facility for protection galleries Analysis of the trajectory and the braking processArtificial boulders equipped with acceleration sensors allow also a posterior back analysis of the trajectory and the braking process (Fig. 4) with a sample rate of 2 - 10'000.
PartnersThe facility is run together with the company Geobrugg AG. Geobrugg uses the installation also for development of new products. Contact |