We are often asked whether we are able to undertake risk assessments for slopes, especially for road and rail projects, at risk of rock falls. We can undertake a rock fall risk assessment and the tool we use to model these is called RocFall. RocFall is a statistical analysis program designed to assist with assessment of slopes at risk for rockfalls. Energy, velocity and “bounce height” envelopes for the entire slope are determined by the program, as is the location of rock endpoints. Distributions of energy, velocity and bounce height are also calculated along the slope profile. Distributions can be graphed and comprehensive statistics are automatically calculated. The screenshot below is taken from a rail project that we are working on:
Rock Fall Risk Assessment
By using RocFall we are able to run a large number of rock fall simulations in a short period of time. This is statistically much more desirable as many elements of a rock fall simulation are judged to be random. The simulations will allow us to suggest what sort of remedial measures may be effective in mitigating the risks of the rock fall.