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Impact loads of falling rocks on granular material

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Werner Gerber Axel Volkwein

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 Advances in Geomaterials and Structures 337

Impact loads of falling rocks on granular material

Werner Gerber, Axel Volkwein
WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Zuercherstr. 111,
CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
[email protected], [email protected]

Abstract. This contribution presents results of 54 tests with two different boulders made of
concrete, which dropped on two different ground layers. The deceleration of the boulder during the
impact was measured with accelerometers. The analysis of data delivered useful results such as
maximum deceleration, penetration depth and braking time. This allows the description of the
correlation between maximum deceleration, penetration depth and impact velocity. The
characteristic of the deceleration of each test was analyzed specially. The normalization of the
decelerations shows an independence of the course of deceleration from the drop height respectively
from the impact velocity. The results are a useful basis to design earth dam against rockfall or help
to calculate the rockfall process in simulations.

Keywords: rockfall, impact load, deceleration, braking process, ground layer.

1 Introduction
Dynamic load extremes of rockfalls on structures are dependant on the distance over
which the impacting mass is stopped. Lower values are observed when braking occurs
over a greater distance such as the case of a flexible wire-rope rockfall barrier.
Conversely, highest peaks are observed when impacting a concrete gallery or wall with no
or just a thin cushion layer. Therefore, an in depth understanding of such impact loads is
essential to properly design protection measures. One question is therefore how deep is
the penetration and what is the maximum rockfall deceleration on different grounds?
Table 1. Drop heights and kinetic energies of all tests
drop height 2.5 m 5m 7.5 m 10 m 12.5 m 15 m
velocity at impact 7 m/s 10 m/s 12 m/s 14 m/s 16 m/s 17 m/s
kinetic energy (800 kg) 20 kJ 40 kJ 60 kJ 80 kJ 100 kJ 120 kJ
kinetic energy (4'000 kg) 100 kJ 200 kJ 400 kJ 600 kJ
ground layer A (0.5 m) Test number 1 - 30
series 1 (800 kg) 1, 2, 3 4, 5, 6 7, 8, 9 10, 11, 12 13, 14, 15 16, 17, 18
series 2 (4'000 kg) 19, 20, 21 22, 23, 24 25, 26, 27 28, 29, 30
ground layer B (1.3 m) Test number 31 - 54
series 3 (4'000 kg) 31, 32, 33 34, 35, 36 37, 38, 39 40, 41, 42
series 4 (800 kg) 43, 44, 45 46, 47, 48 49, 50, 51 52, 53, 54
338 Gerber W. & Volkwein A.

The existing guideline in Switzerland (ASTRA 1998) refers to galleries on concrete with
variable cushion layer. Egli (2004) calculates the acting forces for a penetration depth of
20 mm on a 20 - 40 cm thick concrete shed. The tests of Schellenberg et al. (2007, 2008)
showed penetration depths of 4 - 14 cm in a 40 cm cushion layer of compacted gravel
banked on different concrete plates. Heidenreich (2004) performed tests under laboratory
conditions using concrete blocks with masses of 100 kg, 500 kg and 1000 kg dropped on a
cushion layer with a thickness of 1 m resulting in a penetration depth of 5 – 28 cm.

2 Experimental set-up
2.1 Methods and measurements
Two concrete blocks with masses of 800 kg and 4'000 kg were dropped vertically onto
two ground layers A and B. Layer A was 0.5 m and layer B 1.3 m each prepared above
bedrock. The drop heights of the blocks varied between 2.5 m and 15 m, producing a
kinetic energy range of between 20 and 600 kJ. Each test was repeated tree times and a
total of 54 tests were carried out (Table 1). On top of the concrete block four
accelerometers with a range of ±500 g (g = gravitational acceleration constant) were
installed to measure the deceleration of the block two seconds before and one second after
impact. The sample rate for all accelerometers was 5000 Hz. The experimental setup can
be seen in Figure 1.

Concrete block

Drop height

Penetration depth
Ground layer

Bedrock
Figure.1. Experimental set-up and 800 kg concrete block with accelerometers mounted within a U-
shaped steel frame on top

2.2 Ground layers and procedure

Three 23-54 kg samples of the ground layer material with a grain size < 63 mm were
sieved and analysed according to Swiss code SN 670'008. The analysis indicated a
material of sorted gravel with silt and sand (GW-GM), showing average grain size
fractions: gravel 74 %, sand 18 % and silt 6 % (details in Table 2).
Table 2. Grain size distribution of 3 samples and average
ground material grain size Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 Average
gravel 2 - 63 mm 76% 67% 79% 74%
sand 0.06 - 2 mm 18% 22% 15% 18%
silt < 0.06 mm 6% 11% 6% 6%
 Structures against rock impacts 339

In the first series (tests 1-18) the 800 kg block was impacted onto ground layer A. For
each impact the block was released onto a fresh portion of the 5 by 7m ground layer.
Following this the surface of ground layer A was then raked to level out impact scars in
preparation for tests 19-30 using the 4000 kg boulder. In series three (tests 31-42) the
same procedure was performed onto ground layer B, while the 4000 kg boulder was used
before the 800 kg (tests 43-54). A re-levelling of the impact scars was also conducted
between tests with the different boulders.

3 Time integration of acceleration measurements

The average of the four acceleration sensors was again averaged over time using a
2 milliseconds mean (11 values) in order to remove the natural vibrations of the sensors.
The result was integrated over the time to obtain velocity and displacement curves of the
falling boulders (Figure 2). Maximum velocity was reached at the time of the impact and
decreases to zero at the point of the maximum penetration depth. Afterwards, the block
accelerates upward and drops to the ground a second time.

4 Results
4.1 Results of braking process
The maximal penetration depths lie between 15 and 30 cm and clearly increase with
increasing drop heights. These penetrations have been produced with the 4000 kg block
and a ground layer of 1.3 m (test no 31 - 42). For the smaller boulder or the thinner
ground layer the penetration depths lie between 7 and 18 cm (Figure 3).
The minimum decelerations of 210 - 700 m/s2 were also produced with the 4000 kg block
and a ground layer of 1.3 m (test no. 31 - 42). The maximum decelerations of 600 –
1620 m/s2 were measured with the 4000 kg block and a ground layer of 0.5 m (test
no. 19 - 30). The decelerations of the tests with the 800 kg block don’t show significant
differences between the two variable ground layers (Figure 3). The relation between
maximum deceleration and penetration reveals strong changes for the 4000 kg block and
the two different ground layers but less for the tests with the 800 kg block (Figure 4 left).

10 2500 40 Velocity [m/s] 2500

Velocity [m/s] Displacement [cm]
Displacement [m]
Displacement (m); Velocity (m/s)

5 2000 Deceleration in [m/s^2]

30 2000
Displacement after impact (cm)

Deceleration in [m/s^2] Moving mean 2ms (m/s^2)

Deceleration (m/s^2)

Deceleration (m/s^2)

0 1500 20 1500
Velocity (m/s)

-5 1000 10 1000

-10 500
0 500

-15 0
-10 0

-20 -500
-20 -500
-2000 -1500 -1000 -500 0 500 1000
-10 0 10 20 30
Time after impact (ms) Time after impact (ms)

Figure.2. (left) Measured deceleration during 3 seconds and (right) detail during 0.040 seconds
340 Gerber W. & Volkwein A.

35 1800
800kg / A 4000 kg / A 800 kg / A 4000 kg / A
1600
30 800 kg / B 4000 kg / B
800 kg / B 4000 kg / B

Deceleration max (m/s^2)

1400
Penetration depth (cm)

25 1200

1000
20
800

15 600

400
10
200

5 0
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Drop height (m) Drop height (m)

Figure.3. Displacement after impact (Penetration) and (b) maximum of deceleration (54 tests)
1800 2.5 m 800kg 2.5 m 4000kg formula 2.5 m
2400
5 m 800kg 5 m 4000kg formula 5 m
1600 800 kg / A 2200 10 m 800kg 10 m 4000kg formula 10 m
800 kg / B 2000 15 m 800kg 15 m 4000kg formula 15 m
1400
Deceleration max (m/s^2)

1800
1200 4000 kg / A
1600
Deceleration max (m/s^2)

1000
4000 kg / B 1400
1200
800
1000
600
800

400 600
400
200
200
0 0
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Penetration depth (cm) Penetration depth (cm)

Figure.4. Maximum deceleration as a function of penetration depth (on the right with assumed
relationship model for four different falling heights)

4.2 New formula

In Figure 3, penetration and deceleration deal with the drop heights. With increasing drop
height penetration and deceleration increase as well. That means that the impact velocity
influences these values. The results of the 4000 kg block tests show also a correlation
between the penetration and the maximum deceleration. The maximum braking force Fmax
is therefore assumed as a function of mass m and maximum deceleration amax. Thereby,
the deceleration amax itself is a function of impact velocity v, braking time t and a constant
value c (Eqn 1). The penetration d is also a function of impact velocity v, braking time t
and the reciprocal value 1/c (Eqn 2). The combination of the two equations delivers an
estimation for the maximum acceleration in dependency to the impact velocity and the
penetration depth (Eqn 3). This new assumption is visualized for four different falling
heights on the right side of Figure 4. The calculated values are mostly above the measured
one. So, equation 3 is a valuable instrument to gain a first impression of the braking
process.
 Structures against rock impacts 341

v 1 v2
Fmax = m ⋅ ⋅ c (1) d = v⋅t ⋅ (2) amax = (3)
t c d

4.3 Normalization of deceleration curves

In order to find a general rule on how to describe the characteristics of a deceleration
process, the moving means of decelerations can be standardized by equating both the
stopping time and the maximum deceleration to 100%. Two examples for differently
shaped deceleration curves are shown in Figure 5 with either two significant local
maximum accelerations or one maximum and a plateau-like behaviour of the ground
underneath the blocks. Depending on the deceleration curve type the time of maximum
deceleration varies between 10 – 30 % or 60 – 75 % of the total braking time.
100 100

90 A 90 B
no 1-18 no 31-42
80 800 kg 80 4000 kg
Deceleration max. (%)

70 70

60 60

50 50

40 40

30 30

20 20
10
10
0
0
0 25 50 75 100 125 150
0 25 50 75 100 125 150
Braking time (%) Braking time (%)

Figure.5. Two examples for differently shaped deceleration curves after performing a according
normalization: (left) test no 1-18 and (right) 31-42

5 Discussion and Outlook

The penetration depth results of the tests with masses of 4000 kg show a clearly difference
between the two ground layers in contrast to the tests with the 800 kg block. This
surprising result can be explained through the chronology of the different test series. For
the third series, the 4000 kg block was used before the 800 kg block tests on the same
ground layer B. The re-leveling of the surfaces between tests did not involve a full
repacking of the ground layer. Therefore, in comparison to the first and second test series
where the 800 kg was used prior to the 4000kg block, the ground B can be argued to have
been greater compacted for the tests with the 800 kg boulder. Thus the penetration depths
with the 800 kg block don’t show significant differences anymore. This observation has
illustrated the importance of compaction in the ground layer, and is an important factor
during the impact that has to be investigated more in detail. This influence of a ground
layer compaction is further illustrated with the results of impact tests conducted by
Schellenberg (2004), were impacts onto a gravel cushion layer (40cm) were conducted. In
these tests the cushion layer was highly compacted with a vibration plaque and resulted in
higher decelerations for same penetration depths in comparison to our results (Figure 6).
 342 Gerber W. & Volkwein A.

4000

3500
800 kg / Schellenberg 800 kg / A

Deceleration max (m/s^2)

3000

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

Penetration depth (cm)

Figure.6. Comparison of test no 1-18 with Schellenberg (2004) compacted gravel layer

Penetration depth as well as maximum deceleration depends on the drop height or the
impact velocity, respectively. The higher the velocity the greater the penetration and
deceleration. On the other hand, the higher the penetration gets the smaller the
deceleration will be. This correlation could be described with the new formula which
reflected most of results about penetration depth and deceleration.
The normalization of decelerations shows clearly differences between the single test
series. With such an instrument a lot of ground characteristics can be classified allowing a
prediction of the ground behaviour due to rockfalls in order to better simulate trajectories
or to design earth dams. Future analyses therefore should verify the interrelation of the
mentioned parameters. Especially, to verify the assumed constant factor c containing
information on impact velocity, braking time and penetration depth.
Generally, the obtained results help to better design protection systems such as earth
dams, embankments and concrete galleries with layer thickness ranging 0.5 - 1.3 m.
Additionally, valuable data are produced in order to improve and/or calibrate trajectory
simulation of rockfall models. Further experiments are necessary to confirm and to
improve the relevant mathematical functions and to calculate the influence of the
compaction of the ground layer.

References
ASTRA (1998) Richtlinie Einwirkungen auf Steinschlagschutzgalerien. Eidg. Departement für
Umwelt, Verkehr, Energie und Kommunikation, Bundesamt für Strassen, Bern.
Egli, T. (2005) Wegleitung Objektschutz gegen Naturgefahren. Vereinigung kantonaler
Feuerversicherungen (Hrsg.), Bern.
Heidenreich, B. (2004) Small- and half-scale experimental studies of rockfall impacts on sandy
slopes. Ph. D. thesis no. 3059, Ecole Polytechnique Fédéral, Lausanne.
Schellenberg, K., Volkwein, A., Roth, A. and Vogel, T. (2007) Large-scale impact tests on rockfall
galleries. Proc. of the 7th Int. conf. on shock & impact loads on structures. Beijing, China. pp.
497-504.
Schellenberg, K. (2008) On the design of rockfall protection galleries. Dissertation Nr. 17924, ETH
Zürich.
SN 670 008a: Identifikation der Lockergesteine. Eingetragene Norm der Schweizerischen Nor-
menvereinigung. Vereinigung Schweizerischer Strassenfachleute VSS, Zürich.

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