Calibration of a rockfall simulator with a fragmentation model in a real-scale test

Authors: Matas, G; Lantada, N; Corominas, J; Ruiz-Carulla, R; Prades, A; Gili, J Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2025_75

Cite As:
Matas, G, Lantada, N, Corominas, J, Ruiz-Carulla, R, Prades, A & Gili, J 2020, 'Calibration of a rockfall simulator with a fragmentation model in a real-scale test', in PM Dight (ed.), Slope Stability 2020: Proceedings of the 2020 International Symposium on Slope Stability in Open Pit Mining and Civil Engineering, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 1141-1148, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2025_75



Abstract:
In this contribution, we first present the tool RockGIS, which is a stochastic program for rockfall propagation simulation that takes fragmentation into account considering fractal laws. The results of real-scale field tests and several natural rockfall events inventoried have led to a formulation of a new fragmentation model which has been implemented into RockGIS code. The parameters of the power law that define the sizes of the generated fragments are computed at each impact according to the kinematic conditions. To calibrate the model, we used data from a real-scale rockfall test performed in a quarry. The sizes of the tested blocks were measured manually. Both the size and spatial distribution of the fragments after each release were measured from the orthophotos taken with systematic drone flights. Both rockfall block size distribution (RBSD) and runout distribution obtained after the calibration process matched satisfactory field data, and the spatial distribution of the modelled fragments is qualitatively similar to the one obtained in the test. Finally, the comparison of scenarios with and without fragmentation is presented.

Keywords: rockfall simulator, fragmentation, calibration, quarry, hazard

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