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System solutions
Specific solutions
Specific problems
General issues
Pr obl ems and S ol ut i ons
R o c k f a l l P r o t e c t i o n
04
Risk analysis
SURFACE SLOPE INSTABILITY PROTECTION STRATEGY
PASSIVE PROTECTION SYSTEM
Control of instability effects
TRENCHES, ROCK FENCES AND
ROCKFALL PROTECTION EMBANKMENTS
DRAPERY SYSTEMS
SURFICIAL REVETMENTS
SOIL NAILING
TIE BACK ANCHORS
ACTIVE PROTECTION SYSTEM
Instability prevention
Roads, rai l ways and urban areas are f requentl y subj ected
t o i nst abi l i t y of r ock sl opes. Such i nst abi l i t i es can af f ect
t he super f i ci al por t i on of t he sl ope or i nvol ve i t s ent i r e
gl obal st abi l i t y. Rockf al l syst ems can be desi gned t o act
on t he sur f i ci al l ayer of t he sl ope onl y or t hey can act
deepl y wi t hi n t he r ock mass t o consol i dat e l ar ge bl ocks
or st abi l i ze t he whol e sl ope. A cl ear di st i nct i on must
be made at t he out set bet ween sur f i ci al pr ot ect i on,
appl i ed usi ng a combi nat i on of st eel meshes, st eel
cabl es, cabl e panel s and anchor s ( pr esent ed i n t hi s
br ochur e) , and t he wor ks ai med st abi l i zi ng t he r ock
sl ope agai nst gl obal i nst abi l i t y pr obl ems ( not par t of
t hi s br ochur e) . For t he l at t er , t he same super f i ci al
protecti ons are normal l y appl i ed, together wi th sol uti ons
speci f i cal l y desi gned f or t he gl obal sl ope st abi l i t y. I t i s
i ncor r ect t o assume t hat t he same i nt er vent i on
t echni ques dedi cat ed t o super f i ci al por t i on of t he sl opes
can be appl i ed, wi t hout ot her wor ks, f or deep seat ed
i nst abi l i t i es. Sur f i ci al i nst abi l i t i es ar e r el at ed t o
al t er at i ons and det er i or at i on of t he r ocks due t o pl ant
r oot act i on, t her mal expansi on, wi nd and sal t er osi on,
sl ope excavat i on met hods, f r eeze and t haw pr ocesses,
pr ogr essi ve weat her i ng of j oi nt s wi t hi n r ocks, hydr ost at i c
pr essur es, sei smi c act i on and so on. Onl y i n l i mi t ed cases
can t hese pr obl ems be r educed t o a si mpl e sol ut i on.
Rather, quanti tati ve ri sk assessment shoul d be undertaken
t o adequat el y and ef f i ci ent l y quant i f y t he r i sks
associ at ed wi t h possi bl e l andsl i des f or a par t i cul ar sl ope
or set of sl opes. The r i sk assessment shoul d wei gh up
the probabi l i ty, magni tude and di stri buti on of occurrences
and, on t he ot her hand, t ake i nt o account t he unf or seen
and undesi r abl e consequences of casual t i es, pr oper t y
damage and l oss of ser vi ce. Ri sk management shoul d
f ocus on t he i dent i f i cat i on of pot ent i al key r i sk f act or s
whi ch ar e t hen l ogi cal l y eval uat ed i n t er ms of pr obabi l i t y,
cost s and ot her benef i t s, so as t o manage t he r i sk i n an
opt i mal way.
05
Rockfal l barri ers Si mpl e drapery system
Rockfal l protecti on embankments
Surfi ci al rei nforci ng systems
Rockfall protection
Passi ve systems are those whi ch do not af f ect the
process of the rock detachment, but rather f ocus on
contai ni ng and i ntercepti ng f al l i ng and sl i di ng debri s,
thereby averti ng danger to i nf rastructure and i ts users.
Passi ve systems i ncl ude:
- Si mpl e drapery systems
- Rockfal l protecti on barri ers
- Rockfal l protecti on embankments
Active systems are those that act to prevent and control
i n a si gni f i cant way rock detachments:
- Surfi ci al rei nforci ng systems, where di f f erent ki nds
of steel wi re and steel cabl es f orm an armoured mesh
whi ch i s then f i xed to the rock sl ope through anchor bars.
- Pre-stressed and ti e back anchors.
The pl anni ng, constructi on and mai ntenance of these
structures must take i nto account the durabi l i ty.
In accordance wi th these concepts, Maccaferri s l ong-earned
experi ence i n thi s f i el d, coupl ed wi th i ts corporate
ori entati on towards research and i nnovati on, has yi el ded
the devel opment of the MAC. RO. System ( MACcaf erri
ROckfal l protecti on systems). MAC.RO. provi des fl exi bl e
solutions tuned to different problems and combines industrial
i nnovati on and advanced research wi th proj ect desi gn.
Rockf al l pr ot ect i on syst ems ar e a key el ement i n t he desi gn and mai nt enance of r oad and r ai l way i nf r ast r uct ur e
net wor ks and have a di r ect i mpact on saf et y. For t hi s r eason, a new appr oach t hat encompasses t he over al l anal ysi s
of t he r ockf al l st r uct ur al syst em, and not j ust t he i ndi vi dual component s, i s necessar y.
The wor d syst em i s t he best descr i pt i on, as i t embr aces t he di f f er ent st r uct ur al component s t hat i nt er act wi t h
one anot her .
A key distinction must be made between active and passive protection systems.
Cogne (AO) - Italy
Madeira - Spain
Belluno - Italy Scascoli (BO) - Italy
06
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Galfan Zn-Al 5%-MM Alloy
Steel
Polymer sheathing
Galfan Zn-Al 5%
-MM Alloy
Steel
The MAC.RO.

System
The concept behi nd a r ockf al l pr ot ect i on syst em i s a
combi nat i on of good pl anni ng wi t h t he r i ght choi ce of
syst em component s and mat er i al s. The choi ce has t o be
based on t he act ual f or ces t he syst em wi l l have t o
wi thstand, compared to the strength l i mi ts of the di fferent
el ement s of t he syst em. As i t has al ways been wi t h al l
soi l st abi l i zat i on wor ks, t he basi c concept Maccaf er r i
compl y wi t h i s t he mi ni mum ener gy l evel , i . e. an
i nt er vent i on car ef ul l y t uned t o t he pr obl em, t her eby
avoi di ng over- desi gn and unnecessar y cost s. Dur abi l i t y
aspect s of r ockf al l syst ems ar e r egul at ed by t he
Dur abi l i t y and Const r uct i on Pr oduct s Di r ect i ve
89/ 106/ EEC gui del i ne. The per i od of t i me dur i ng whi ch
t he syst em per f or ms as expect ed i s di r ect l y connect ed t o
t he dur abi l i t y of t he syst em component s and t he l evel of
mai ntenance; a concept known as worki ng desi gn l i f e.
Rockf al l pr ot ect i on bar r i er s and sur f i ci al syst ems ar e
non- easi l y r epl aceabl e syst ems, and t her ef or e t hey
must have a 25 year wor ki ng l i f e; on t he ot her hand,
r ei nf or ced ear t h embankment s f or r ockf al l pr ot ect i on
must be desi gned f or a mi ni mum 50 year wor ki ng l i f e.
Action
Trenches and walls at the
foot of a slope
Rock fences with high
energy dissipation
capacity
Rockfall protection
barriers, made on-site
Simple drapery system
Surficial strengthening
Soil nailing
Deep consolidation, with
nails and ties
Typical applications
Intercepting and stopping falling
rocks and boulders
Intercepting and stopping falling
rocks and boulders
Intercepting and stopping falling
rocks and boulders
Controlling rockfall, guiding falling
debris to collect / accumulation at
the foot of the slope
Consolidating the slopes surface
and preventing possible rock
detachment
Global stabilisation of the slope
Stabilisation of huge rocks,
individual or in groups, which
are prone to seismic shifting
Protection of roads running at the
bottom of man-made cuttings
Protection of roads and buildings at
the foot of natural cliffs
Interception of falling rock paths
in rocky slopes
Protection of road cliffs and
buildings, also in combination
with trenches and/or walls
Protection of road cuts and
buildings
Management of slope cuts
Natural cliffs, slope cuts
P
a
s
s
i
v
e
A
c
t
i
v
e
Durability of facings and systems
Very aggressive environment (industrial, road and marine)
L
o
s
s

o
f

C
o
a
t
i
n
g

(
g
r
/
m
2
)
Reinforced rockfall protection
embankments - required life-span
Rockfall protection -
required life-span
Time
(years)
Zn-Al (5%) MM
polymer-
sheathed
Class A EN 10244
Zn-Al (5%) MM
Zn
300
275
250
200
175
150
125
100
75
50
25
0
Aim
Double knot to fix the overlapping
rope in the HEA cable panel
07
MAC.RO.

System
LA.T.I.F. Trento - Italy
Universit
di Milan
Italy
CNR/ITC Milan - Italy
CETE - Lyon - France
ROCK FENCES
The sol ut i ons pr ovi ded by t he MAC. RO.
syst em have been devel oped i n col l aborat i on
wi t h not ed r esear ch cent r es. I n t hi s way
Maccaf er r i not onl y pr ovi des pr oduct s, but
al so t he f undament al t echni cal assessment s
needed i n or der t o achi eve t he opt i mum
act i on pl anni ng.
Accessories
Steelgrid MO
Accessories
Steelgrid BO
HEA panel
ROCKFALL PROTECTION
EMBANKMENTS
SURFICIAL
STRENGTHENING
SIMPLE DRAPERY
SYSTEM
Terramesh
doubleface
SOIL
NAILING
Macmat R
Steelgrid BO
Accessories
OM CTR 30/04/A
CTR 20/04/A
CTR 20/04/B
CTR10/04/B
CTR 05/07/B
OM CTR 50/07/A
Pont Boset (AO) - Italy
11 08
Rockfall catch fences
Soil nailing
Surficial reinforcing systems
Rockfall embankments
Simple drapery systems
Surficial reinforcing
revetments
09
Si mpl e mesh dr aper i es ar e usual l y i nst al l ed al ong r ock
sl opes whose sur f ace can br eak down i nt o f r agment s
not smal l er than the openi ng of the doubl e twi sted mesh
( 60mm t o 80mm) and not l ar ger t han 0. 5 met r es i n
di amet er . On moder at el y st eep sl opes, or sl opes wher e
some veget at i on may gr ow, t he mesh shoul d be kept as
cl ose as possi bl e t o t he sl ope. On ver y st eep or near l y
ver t i cal sl opes, t he mesh net must be anchor ed at t he
t op and bot t om of t he cl i f f and l ef t unanchor ed al ong
t he sl ope. Thi s al l ows smal l r ocks and debr i s t o f al l
saf el y to the f oot of the cl i f f , whi l st remai ni ng contai ned
bet ween t he r ock f ace and t he mesh. To l i mi t t he
cont ai nment ar ea bet ween t he mesh and r ock f ace some
nai l i ng or peggi ng of t he mesh at i nt er val s bet ween t he
t op and bot t om anchor age may be necessar y. The most
i mpor t ant aspect her e i s t o have a saf e and cont i nuous
anchor age at t he t op and pr ovi de suf f i ci ent space t o
al l ow r ocks and debr i s t o move downwar ds. Our doubl e-
t wi st wi r e mesh i s t he i deal sol ut i on due t o i t s i sot r opi c
Simple drapery system
Guiding loose debris to fall safely behind the mesh
collecting material at the foot of the slope.
Protection of infrastructure and buildings placed directly
at the foot of man-made cuts or natural cliffs.
Containment of small falling rocks from rock slopes prone
to deterioration as a result of root action, thermal
expansion, winds, freeze thaw cycles, and hydrostatic
pressures.
f l exi bi l i t y and t he f act t hat i t wi l l not unr avel even i n
t he event of some wi r es acci dent al l y br eaki ng. Si ngl e
t wi st mesh cannot pr ovi de t he same l evel of saf et y i n t he
event of wi r e br eakage, i r r espect i ve of t he st r engt h and
t ype of wi r e used.
Ancona - Italy
Cork - Ireland
Madeira - Spain
10
Steel gri d MO
Mono Ori ented
Fixed drapery systems
Anchor at the base of the slope
Bologna - Italy
The desi gn of a dr aper y syst em as a whol e shoul d be
under t aken onl y af t er a r eal i st i c assessment of t he si t e
condi t i ons have been est abl i shed, and i n accor dance
wi t h t he gener al pl anni ng gui del i nes l ai d out i n t he
Eur ocode desi gn st andar ds. The mai n cont r i but i ng
f act or s t hat shoul d be st r essed and consi der ed ar e:
- The permanent l oads:
wei ght of t he whol e net t i ng, wi t h a r ecommended
par t i al saf et y f act or of 1. 35.
- The vari abl e l oads:
wei ght of debr i s pi l ed up at t he f oot and/ or wei ght
of snow ( f or sl opes l ess t han 60) , wi t h a suggest ed
saf et y f act or of 3.
I n general , t he dynami c act i ons pr oduced by a r ock
sl i di ng bet ween t he draper y and r ock f ace can be
di sr egar ded except i n speci f i c si t uat i ons i n whi ch t he
r ockf al l syst em has not been desi gned or i nst al l ed i n
Maccaferri has developed Steelgrid, a new double twisted
wire mesh with high tensile steel cables woven within
the double mesh during the production stage. The
resulting product is midway between a cable reinforced
mesh and a steel cable panel, ideal as a surface revetment.
However, the great economic benefit of Steelgrid is
achieved from the fact that two different products can
be installed simultaneously (mesh and steel cables),
reducing overall project costs and saving installation
time.
STEELGRID MO (Mono Oriented) consists of double twisted
wire mesh where the usual selvedge wires are replaced
by 8 mm diameter high tensile steel ropes. An additional
8 mm diameter steel rope may be inserted longitudinally
midway between the selvedges in the woven mesh. This
system is the natural evolution of the typical simple
drapery system.
the correct way. Other than that, the mai n stresses are due
to the accumul ati on of debri s at the f oot of the sl ope.
11
The vol ume of debri s i s eval uated not onl y i n order to
desi gn the drapery system, but al so to determi ne the extent
and type of the most suitable rockfall system to be installed.
I t i s i mportant to assess what the l i kel y amount of
accumul ated debri s wi l l be at the foot, si nce thi s wi l l have
an i mpact on the admi ssi bl e di stance between the f oot of
the sl ope and the road surface. In other words, the desi gner
shoul d have a reasonabl e i dea of the acceptabl e quanti ty
of debri s, and refrai n from drawi ng catastrophi c scenari os
to j usti f y the assumed requi rement of a hi gher resi stance
system. The f i gures here show the vol ume of debri s
correspondi ng to a base wi dth of 1. 00 metre i n rel ati on to
a accumul ated hei ght up to 3. 00 metres.
Volume of debris at the foot of the slope
The f or ce bear i ng upon t he dr aper y i s a f unct i on of t he
sl ope angl e and must be eval uat ed usi ng ul t i mat e l i mi t
state condi ti ons, taki ng i nto account the fri cti on between
t he debr i s and t he sl ope and t he pr evi ousl y ment i oned
saf et y f act or s.
Forces on the Drapery
S
h
e
a
r

F
o
r
c
e

o
n

f
a
c
i
n
g

(
k
N
/
m
)
Strain
on facing
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 1,00 2,00 3,00 H
d
(m)
S
wm
= 80
= 70
= 60
H
d
S
wm
1,00

V
d
1,8
1,6
1,4
1,2
1,0
0,8
0,6
0,4
0,2
0
V
o
l
u
m
e

a
t

t
h
e

f
o
o
t

(
m
3
/
m
)
0 1,00 2,00 3,00 H
d
(m)
H
d
V
d
1,00
Tori no - I tal y
Bergamo - I tal y
Eval uat i on of
t he sui t abi l i t y
of t he net
i n si mpl e
dr aper y
syst ems,
usi ng t he
MACRO2.
sof t war e
12
A surfi ci al rei nforci ng system i s ai med at the stabi l i zati on
of t he r ock mass sur f ace l ayer cont ai ni ng pot ent i al l y
unst abl e r ocks of a si ze t ypi cal l y 1- 1. 5 m
3
. Thi s t ype of
wor k can be cl assi f i ed under t he act i ve syst ems rat her
t han t he passi ve , al t hough i t coul d be ar gued as a
combi nat i on of bot h. I t shoul d be hi ghl i ght ed t hat a
"sur f ace r evet ment i nst al l at i on i s di f f er ent f r om t he
gl obal st abi l i t y of t he r ock sur f ace. The l at t er, i f t he
probl em exi sts, must be addressed wi th deep penetrati ng
measur es ( e. g. soi l nai l i ng, deep anchor s) , whi ch may
t hen be coupl ed wi t h a f aci ng syst em/ draper y ( made
wi t h a ser i es of anchor s, mesh and cabl es) t o achi eve
sur f ace st abi l i t y.
The compl et e syst em consi st i ng of anchor s, st eel cabl e
panel s, steel cabl es and mesh netti ng, as detai l ed bel ow,
i s a basi c uni t or cel l encl osed bet ween 4 anchor
poi nt s. To det er mi ne t he most sui t abl e syst em, t he
f ol l owi ng i nf or mat i on must be assessed:
- t he st i f f ness or r i gi di t y of t he f aci ng ( draper y)
- t he f or ces t ransmi t t ed t o t he anchor s.
Rock Slope Surficial
Reinforcing Systems
Prevent the possibility of rocks detaching and improve
the slope surface stability.
Consolidation of the shallow surface layer of the slope.
Protection of infrastructure and buildings placed directly
at the foot of man-made cuttings or natural cliffs.
Containment of large unstable rocks in slopes prone to
weathering caused by root plant action, thermal
expansion, winds, freeze and thaw cycles, and hydrostatic
pressures.
I n t hese ki nds of pr obl ems, i t i s cr uci al t hat t he draper y
pr ovi des a hi gh r esi st ance wi t h mi ni mal def l ect i on i n
or der t o l i mi t t he di spl acement of t he r ock mass.
The st i f f ness of a draper y syst em can be def i ned as t he
resi stance to the di spl acement when the faci ng, anchored
i n t he st andar d manner, i s subj ect ed t o movement
per pendi cul ar t o t he pl ane of t he syst em.
anchorage
metal
cables
metal cables and double-twist mesh panels
13
Steel gri d BO
Bi Ori ented
HEA Panel
A steel cabl e or steel cabl e panel such as the HEA panel s
devel oped by Maccaf er r i , i s mor e ef f ect i ve t han woven
wi r e meshes on t hei r own f or sl ope consol i dat i on
appl i cat i ons, and t hi s i s unr el at ed t o t he mechani cal
pr oper t i es of wi r e. I n addi t i on, doubl e- t wi st wi r e mesh
i s al so mor e ef f ect i ve t han si ngl e t wi st ed mesh, due t o
i t s hi gher st i f f ness. Wi t h t hi s i n mi nd, Maccaf er r i has
devel oped Steelgrid BO (Bi Ori ented) combi ni ng benefi ts
of bot h. Thi s geocomposi t e i s par t i cul ar l y sui t abl e i n
r ockf al l pr ot ect i on as a sur f i ci al r ei nf or ci ng syst em f or
sl ope consol i dat i on appl i cat i ons. I t s gr eat advant age
l i es i n t he abi l i t y t o connect t he i nt egral l ongi t udi nal
r opes t o t he t op anchor cabl e, and t he hor i zont al r opes
t o t he anchorage pat t er n al ong t he sl ope. Fur t her mor e,
t he woven st eel r opes i nsi de t he wi r e mesh i ncr ease t he
draper y st i f f ness, r esul t i ng i n i mpr oved saf et y and mor e
ef f ect i ve f aci ng.
Steel gri d BO ( Bi Or i ent ed) consi st s of 8 mm di amet er
hi gh t ensi l e st eel r opes, i n pl ace of t he convent i onal
Types of facing
Bologna - Italy
Anchor and Steelgrid panels' junction
sel vedge wi r e, wi t h a f ur t her 8 mm di amet er st eel r ope
i nser t ed l ongi t udi nal l y mi dway bet ween t he sel vedges.
Duri ng the producti on stage, steel ropes are al so i nserted
t ransver sel y i n t he cr oss di r ect i on t hr ough t he mesh
t wi st and secur ed t o t he edge r opes wi t h f er r ul ed l oops.
Eval uat i on of t he f aci ng behavi our
i n sur f i ci al r evet ment s, usi ng t he
MAC. RO. 1 sof t war e
14
24,4
13,5
4,6
11,9
8,0
1,3
Resistance
to tear
HEA Panel
High resistance
clips
Low resistance
clips
Resistance
to pull apart
kN kN
Type
of junction
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
HEA panel s ar e manuf act ur ed f r om a si ngl e hi gh t ensi l e
steel rope, woven to f orm a panel di amond shaped mesh.
The meshes ( wher e t he cabl es over l ap) ar e f i xed wi t h
hi gh- r esi st ance 3 mm wi r e knot s.
HEA panel s have been t est ed f or t he f ol l owi ng f eat ur es:
- r esi st ance of t he knot t o t ear and pul l apar t
- r esi st ance of t he knot agai nst t he openi ng of one
si ngl e mesh i n st at i c condi t i ons
- def or mat i on of t he HEA panel under st at i c l oad
- l oad t ransmi t t ed t o t he anchor s
CNR - ITC Milan - Italy
When high strength is required (> 192 kN)
When a facing with high stiffness is required
HEA steel cable panels
Comparat i ve t est s car r i ed out on t radi t i onal cabl e panel s,
wher e t he meshes ar e f i xed wi t h cl i ps, demonst rat ed
t hat Maccaf er r i s HEA panel s per f or m bet t er and ar e of
bet t er qual i t y. I n t he case of t he knot connect i on, af t er
t he l i mi t r esi st ance i s r eached, t he knot pr ogr essi vel y
unt i es i t sel f unt i l t he br eaki ng poi nt of one of t he wi r es
i s r eached. Wi t h t radi t i onal cl i p connect i on syst ems, t he
connect i on suddenl y f ai l s when t he l i mi t i ng r esi st ance i s
exceeded pr oduci ng i mmedi at e unravel l i ng of t he panel .
Junction resistance
Resistance to mesh opening
F
o
r
c
e

(
k
N
)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
clips
HEA knot
Displacement (cm)
Ancona - Italy PONT BOSET - Aosta Italy
CERMET
Bologna - Italy
15
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
F
o
r
c
e

(
k
N
)
Force developed at anchorages
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500
Anchorage 1
Anchorage 2
Anchorage 3
Anchorage 4
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
F
o
r
c
e

(
k
N
)
Displacement (cm)
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
0
HEA Panel
Steelgrid
Single-twist mesh,
with high-resistance wire
CNR - ITC Milan - Italy
CNR - ITC Milan - Italy
Force developed at the anchors
Punch test resistance
Test s t o det er mi ne t he f or ce di st r i but i on wi t hi n an HEA
panel cl ear l y show t hat hi gher l oads wer e r ecor ded at
t he panel s cor ner s. On t he j obsi t e, t hi s usual l y r ef l ect s
t he anchor posi t i ons.
Load-di spl acement cur ves f r om l ab t est s eval uat e t he
st i f f ness of t he sur f i ci al r ei nf or ci ng syst em, enabl i ng
sel ect i on of t he most sui t abl e f aci ng pr oduct i n r el at i on
to eval uated l oads and maxi mum admi ssabl e di spl acement.
16
Rockfall simulation
with rockfall
interception structure
Rockf al l bar r i er s of var i abl e geomet r y ar e made of a
compl ex syst em of st eel cabl e panel s or r i ng net panel s,
a doubl e- t wi st wi r e mesh l ayer f or t he cont ai nment of
smal l rock f ragments, steel cabl es connected to structural
el ement s, post s, ener gy di ssi pat or devi ces and anchor s.
Rockf al l bar r i er s di ssi pat e ener gy wi t h syst em
def or mat i on, t hus enabl i ng t he syst em t o wi t hst and
ener gi es t ypi cal l y i n t he range of 500- 5000 kJ.
Catch fences
Intercept and stop falling rocks
and boulders.
Protection of infrastructure and buildings
placed directly at the foot of man-made
cuttings or natural cliffs.
Protection of the slope in the case of very
wide cliffs.
Maccaf erri suppl i es a system of barri ers to cover
t he f ul l range of ener gy: f r om 500kJ up t o 5000kJ.
These syst ems wer e devel oped t hr ough t he
combi nat i on of desi gn and f i el d t est s, as r equi r ed
by t he of f i ci al st andar ds ( ETAG 027- 2008
Gui del i ne f or Eur opean Techni cal Appr oval of
Fal l i ng Rock Pr ot ect i on Ki t s) .
Rockfall simulation
Brescia - Italy
Latina - Italy
17
Rockfall protection
embankments
These passi ve syst ems ar e an i deal sol ut i on when
super f i ci al r ei nf or ci ng syst em cannot be i nst al l ed ( e. g.
f or ver y wi de sl opes) or i nt er cept i on of f al l i ng r ocks i s
not possi bl e due t o t he whol e sl ope bei ng i naccessi bl e.
Nowadays, embankment s ar e i ncr easi ngl y bui l t usi ng
r ei nf or ced soi l , enabl i ng cont ract or s t o use l ocal l y
avai l abl e mat er i al s si t e won and cr eat i ng a veget at ed
embankment f aci ng, whi ch r educes t he envi r onment al
i mpact of t he syst em.
Maccaferris Terramesh

has been widely used for such

works where system effectiveness goes hand-in-hand
with rapid building time.
The double twist wire mesh units and integral soil
reinforcement structural element, are pre-assembled
during the manufacturing process, dramatically reducing
the number of operations to be performed on site,
reducing installation costs when compared to wrap
around or separate component systems.
Intercept and stop falling rocks and boulders.
Reduce the environmental impact with re-vegetating
solutions.
Protection of infrastructure and buildings placed directly
at the foot of man-made cuttings or natural cliffs.
Divert potential debris flows
Torino - Italy
Aosta - Italy Belluno - Italy
18
Aosta - Italy
Sassari - Italy
Aosta - Italy
19
Maccaferri has developed new software to assist in the
selection of the product used for flexible and soft
facings.
Using load-displacement curves obtained by full scale
tests on the products, the facing design can be achieved
following Eurocode directives. The facing product is
checked both at the ultimate limit state (related to the
failure of the system) and at the serviceability limit
state (related to the deformation of the product when
loaded).
Maccaferri has also developed a range of products
(bolts, facing accessories) to fulfil the specific
requirements of flexible structural facing (mesh + deep
nails) and soft facing (mesh + short nails).
Soil nailing
Soi l Nai l i ng i s a t echni que t hat can be used ei t her on
nat ural or excavat ed sl opes. I n soi l nai l i ng, t he soi l i s
r ei nf or ced by t he i nser t i on of t endons.
A har d, f l exi bl e ( doubl e t wi st ed wi r e mesh, HEA panel s,
Steel Gri d or Macmat

R) or sof t ( Macmat

R) f aci ng
i s used at t he sur f ace of t he sl ope. The f aci ng cover s t he
exposed f ace of t he r ei nf or ced soi l and may pr ovi de a
st abi l i si ng f unct i on t o r et ai n t he gr ound bet ween t he soi l
nai l s, pr ovi de er osi on pr ot ect i on and have an aest het i c
f unct i on.
Usual l y t he syst em pr ovi des st abi l i t y whi l e veget at i on
becomes est abl i shed: i n such way t he syst em i mpr oves
t he soi l shear st r engt h, meanwhi l e pr ovi di ng sur f ace
er osi on pr ot ect i on. Good pract i ce i s t o veget at e t he f ace
wi t h grass and/ or shr ubs, and seedi ng can be car r i ed out
by means of a seeded geot ext i l e or hydr oseedi ng.
Improve the geo- mechanical characteristics of the soil
Connect the unstable surficial layers with the stable
deep slope
Rio de Janeiro - Brasile
Macerata - Italy
Anchor bars