Rockfall and Debris Flow Barriers are protection systems that are designed to retain falling rocks or water borne debris by dissipating their energies throughout the system. The systems are usually constructed with steel posts that support a flexible barrier comprised of a series steel cables and steel mesh or ring nets. Rockfall or debris flow barriers can be installed as protection systems for highways, railways, or for structures. They can be placed at the toe of a slope to keep rock from causing impact or up on the slope to catch rock and control it’s decent. Debris flow barriers are similar to rockfall barriers however, unlike the concentrated impacts a rockfall barrier may experience, a debris flow barrier is designed for large deformations where the loads are distributed over a broader portion of the barrier and the material is mainly being transported by water, rather than falling/rolling down a slope.
A Rock Drape is a protection system that utilizes wire mesh, cable netting or ring nets to help control rocks as they fall. The Rock Drape is anchored at the top and draped down over unstable slopes. This allows rocks to fall in a controlled manner, thus minimizing the potential to cause damage. The energy is reduced by containing the rocks and keeping them close to the rock face as they fall to the collection area at the bottom of the slope. A Rock Drape can be used in conjunction with other methods of mitigation to provide a long term solution to rockfall issues. If no catchment or collection area is available at the bottom, the drape may be pinned to the slope using rock bolts or dowels to hold the loose material in place.
