Purpose The purpose of supporting structures is to prevent avalanches being triggered, or at least to prevent

snow movements occurring that could lead to damage. Snow move- ments cannot be completely prevented. In
fully developed avalanches, forces arise that cannot normally be withstood by the supporting structures.

3.2.2 Function Avalanche supporting structures are designed to withstand the creeping and (at times) sliding
snow layer. The structures are anchored in the ground approximately normal to the slope and extend up to the
surface of the snow. Thus a restraining effect occurs, so that the creep and glide velocities decrease steadily in
the downslope direction towards the structure. Within this so-called back-pressure zone, which normally
extends over a distance measured in the line of slope of at least 3 times the vertical snow height (depends to a
large extent on the s
l
iding motion), additional compressive stresses in the line of slope develop. These are withstood by the supportin
surface, leading to a reduction of the shear (and possibly tension) stresses in the back-pressure zone in front
of the supporting structure that are responsible for the formation of snow slabs. When fractures occur,
the supporting structure prevents the old snow pack being dragged downwards, and limits the area of the region
in which shear cracks can propa- gate. Through their braking effect, the supporting structures keep the velocity i
check, the chief variable responsible for the occ