Several natural debris flow events in the USA and around the world have demonstrated that aflexible barrier properly designed to handle the complex forces present in a fluid/slurry torrent can beeffective at stopping debris flows and/or mitigating such hazards. Intensive research has beenconducted to identify the appropriate design parameters for such barriers and to identify specificengineering criteria necessary for use in debris flow applications. Such research has included 1:1laboratory testing with small-scale, artificially generated debris flows, real-scale 1:1 field-testing aswell as computer simulations modeling the behavior of barriers during such events.A design model for debris flow barriers (based on a finite element software program, but notincluded in the paper) has been calibrated and verified by real-scale field-testing, undersupervision/involvement of the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape (WSL) and isthe only known valid model for tested barrier type ((GB) ring-net barriers) in debris flowapplications. During the model’s development, it become clear that each application site where adebris flow barrier would be considered requires specific dimensioning be completed for each barrieras no “one-size-fits-all” criteria exists for a properly designed solution.This research has led to an initial dimensioning model for flexible barriers to be used fordebris flow mitigation, which is currently being applied in numerous cases. In California, thisconcept has been applied to one project case involving 10 debris flow sites along a short distance ofhighway in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California. These barriers have been installedand impacted by actual debris flows. The subsequent observations have provided invaluableinformation regarding performance, design assumptions, and maintenance requirements includingcleanout.
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