WSL is first rockfall protection testing lab in Europe to have its own test facility

On October 19, it conducted the first type tests in its new capacity. At the facility near Walenstadt, the WSL type-tested to European standard a protection system capable of retaining rocks weighing up to 16 metric tons.

The rock that crashed down the face of a disused quarry near Walenstadt today marks a milestone in practical research at the WSL. The Institute was recognised as an official testing body by Brussels in view of its experience with complex testing procedures and the availability of a test facility for rockfall protection nets operating according to international standards. The measured data are now to be evaluated by Empa, the Swiss Materials Science and Technology Research Institute, as a prelude to the tested system being granted EU-wide approval.

More and more countries are installing new types of rockfall protection systems, while seeking to minimise costs at the same time. Official type-testing is a highly significant procedure for the manufacturers of such systems. The unique position now occupied by the Swiss Federal Institute WSL, as the only testing body in Europe to operate its own test facility, simplifies the approval process.

The WSL has been conducting experimental and computational research into the dynamic load-bearing behaviour of protective structures for many years. It has prior experience in testing various manufacturers' protection systems that have been installed in Switzerland, and, in most cases, subsidised by the government, on behalf of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and the Expert Commission on Avalanches and Rockfall (EKLS). Its recent recognition as a EU-notified testing body also enhances the standing of the WSL as a noteworthy test institution in the international arena. As a vastly experienced research institute within the domain of the ETH (Swiss Federal Institutes of Technology), the WSL is very well placed to share technological expertise serving the purpose of protection against natural hazards.

Rockfall protection structures are installed in the mountains along transportation routes and to safeguard people and buildings. Modern protective structures can arrest the descent of boulders harnessing mechanical energy of up to 5000 kJ. This figure represents a mass of 16 metric tons travelling at a velocity of 90 km/h. The flexible systems tested in Walenstadt are lighter, easier to install in steep terrain and less expensive than compact reinforced concrete structures offering equivalent performance characteristics. The design of Geobrugg AG that underwent testing consists of interconnected wire ring nets that are mounted on the slope with steel cables and supports