Rockfalls of various magnitudes occur regularly in mountainous regions
and Switzerland is no exception. Protection galleries made either of
reinforced concrete or pre-stressed concrete members, with a cushion
material laid on top, could be used more efficiently to prevent
rockfalls that lie within the prevalent range from damaging
infrastructure and lifelines. This requires greatest care in developing
the general concept of design and construction, considering the
ductility requirements of the structure and the selection of material
for the energy absorbing cushion layer. Currently, design of the gallery
in Switzerland is dependent upon the impact force selected as the
"action" and the corresponding penetration depth of the falling rock
into the cushion material with design limit of 3 MJ.
