Research Notes

RSN 02-06 November 2001

New Guidance on Managing Rockfall

The Problem of Rockfall design charts for designing rockfall catchment
Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent annually areas. Researchers rolled about 11,250 rocks off
in the U.S. to construct and maintain rock slopes five different rock cut slopes of three different
and reduce rockfall hazards along highways. heights (40, 60 and 80 feet) into three different
Rockfall occurs on slopes where rocks may free catchment areas. The results of the study are
fall, bounce, roll or slide. Many factors cause contained in a Rockfall Catchment Area Design
rockfall, including discontinuities in the rock, Guide.
groundwater conditions, climatic change, poor
Rockfall Catchment Area Design Guide
construction practices, trees and weathering. Legal
claims and litigation costs resulting from injuries The guide contains a set of “practitioner-
and deaths due to rockfall reach millions of dollars friendly” design charts, which can be used to
each year. design rockfall catchment areas to meet specific
rockfall retention
One of the principal ways requirements. Based on
that transportation agencies three factors – rock cut
manage rockfall hazards is to slope ratio, vertical rock
provide “catchment areas” slope height and catchment
(ditches) along the side of the area slope – the design
road. The design of charts provide an estimate
catchment areas is critical to of the required catchment
their success in reducing area widths needed to retain
rockfall hazards. The current up to 99% of rockfall.
practice is not consistent
throughout the United States, The sample chart (next
because only limited research page) shows the cumulative
has been conducted to percentage-retained curves
provide designers with the for the 80-foot high,
data they need to make 0.25H:1V slope. The
informed design decisions. catchment area widths are
plotted against the rockfall
Multi-state Partnership “cumulative percentages
Through a joint effort funded retained.” In this example,
by seven state DOT’s and the the horizontal line denotes
Federal Highway 90% rockfall retention. The
Administration, the Oregon line intersects the impact
Department of curve at a catchment area
Transportation (ODOT) has Rockfall testing; 40-foot high vertical presplit slope. width of 14 feet, which
completed an extensive Circle denotes test rock. Grid lines (middle-right) are means that 90% of the
research project to develop
for measuring impact and roll out distances. rocks initially hit the
ground within a 14-foot wide professionals, that
zone adjacent to the toe of demonstrate the
the cut slope. The 90th practical application
percentile line intersects with of the design
the 4H:1V catchment area procedure and
curve at 22 feet; with the design charts and the
6H:1V catchment area curve use of site-specific
at 31 feet; and with the flat rock rolling to aid in
bottom catchment area curve the rockfall
at 51 feet – meaning 90% of mitigation design.
all falling rocks had roll out The case studies also
distances less than or equal to illustrate other
these values. important design
considerations,
For sites with different height including
and width configurations, the constructibility and
designer could use other performing benefit-
charts to determine the cost comparisons of
optimum slope and ditch. The design alternatives.
same charts can also be used
to evaluate the effectiveness With tens of
of existing catchment areas. thousands of
Cumulative percent retained for the 80-foot, highway rock slopes
Additional Features of 0.25H:1V slope in the U.S., some of
the Guide them decades old,
The Design Guide provides guidelines and a 100% control of rockfall is neither possible nor
step-by-step design procedure using three economically practical. Nonetheless, agencies
example problems. In addition, the report can have greater confidence in making rockfall
includes seven highway project case study control design decisions using the results of this
examples prepared by geotechnical research project.

Request a copy of “Rockfall Catchment Area Design Guide” from the ODOT Research Group
by phone, e-mail, or in person. Or view the report at http://www.odot.state.or.us/tddresearch/reports.htm.

For more information, contact Liz Hunt, Technology Transfer Coordinator,

at (503)986-2854, or via e-mail at elizabeth.a.hunt@odot.state.or.us

Oregon Department of Transportation

Research Group
200 Hawthorne Ave. SE, Suite B-240
Salem, OR 97301-5192

Telephone: 503-986-2700
FAX: 503-986-2844

For more information on ODOT’s Research Program and Projects,

check the website at http://www.odot.state.or.us/tddresearch/

Research Notes 02-06