AVALANCHE & ROCKFALL MITIGATION
Ensuring Protection + Peace of Mind
The Wasatch Geotech team has the knowledge and experience to develop appropriate strategies to reduce your risk exposure to avalanches and rockfall. Our team has an intimate understanding of both active and passive defense systems and can craft a strategy most appropriate for your site.
Our practice reaches across multiple sectors, helping both private and public agencies. At Wasatch Geotech, we bring industry-leading expertise in evaluating and mitigating avalanche hazards, including retrofitting of existing infrastructure. What’s more, we provide engineering solutions for deep seated as well as shallow landslides, debris flows and rockfalls.
Our team members have consulted for ski resorts including Deer Valley, Snowbird, Jackson Hole, Vail and Crested Butte as well as State Departments of Transportation in Utah, Nevada, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, and Washington. We work with avalanche control system providers including ALPINE INFRASTRUCTURE, WYSSEN avalanche control, MND SAFETY and INAUEN SCHÄTTI. Geohazard mitigation suppliers regularly utilized in our designs include BRUGG Geobrugg and MACCAFERRI.
Explore further to learn more about our comprehensive Avalanche and Rockfall Mitigation services. And visit our partner websites below.
AVALANCHE
HAZARD EVALUATION
The Wasatch Geotech team has dedicated experience and knowledge to evaluate ice and snow hazards and will work diligently to help solve the most difficult issues regarding avalanche risk and mitigation.
The Wasatch Geotech team has dedicated experience and knowledge to evaluate ice and snow hazards and will work diligently to help solve the most difficult issues regarding avalanche risk and mitigation.
We start by performing field reconnaissance in order to evaluate your site’s conditions that may indicate avalanche risk, and we use it as the basis for assessment or any potential hazards. Using this valuable information from the field, and other data like weather patterns or snow depth data, an analysis of avalanche potential and avalanche path extent is performed. An avalanche study report is the final product of the evaluation and if necessary, includes recommendations for risk mitigation.
SITE HAZARD ASSESSMENT
SOFTWARE SIMULATION
MAPPING + ZONING
AVALANCHE
MITIGATION
Should human observation, snow surveys and avalanche forecasting deem an area or location of unacceptable risk for avalanches and avoidance is not possible we assist and engineer upon the client's needs both passive and active avalanche defense strategies.
Wasatch Geotech experts have the skills and experience to develop avalanche hazard reduction strategies to reduce your risk exposure. Our team members have worked on both active and passive avalanche defense projects and can determine the approach most suitable for your site. We bring the experience to each unique situation to maximize economy and level of protection.
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Passive defense systems operate stand-alone without the need for constant weather and snow condition monitoring. This defense strategy dramatically reduces the risk of snow avalanche release and eliminates the inherent risk to avalanche professionals that would be otherwise in the field managing the avalanche during peak risk periods. We have experience with the complete range of passive defense systems including flexible snow nets, snow umbrellas, rigid snow fences, deflection berms and catching dams.
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Active avalanche defense technologies include Remote Avalanche Control Systems, or “RACS”. We have experience with the selection and deployment of active systems that use concussive energy of explosions emitted by devices sited immediately above the starting zone. Active avalanche mitigation differs from passive in that constant monitoring of mapped avalanche paths by winter safety personnel is required during winter to identify periods of increased avalanche risk. When deemed necessary, infrastructure below the avalanche path is closed and the RACS device is used to artificially trigger an avalanche. If successful, winter maintenance personnel then clear any avalanche debris prior to reopening the infrastructure to the public.
MANAGEMENT PLANS
PASSIVE DEFENSIVE STRATEGIES
ACTIVE 'RACS' ZONES
ROCKFALL HAZARD
EVALUATION
Rockfall hazard assessments are performed by trained staff looking at what type of rock block is being released from a slope, in what configuration, how it moves down slope, i.e. (rolling, bouncing, or falling), and what risk that rock event or events poses to the client.
Rockfall hazard evaluation involves assessing the likelihood and potential impacts of rockfalls, including factors like location, intensity, and frequency of occurrence to understand the potential dangers and design appropriate protection measures.
Key factors include characterization of the rock mass in question, slope geometry, runout area and exposure of people, structures or infrastructure in the potential path of the rockfall.
Our team couples remote sensing techniques such as the utilization of LiDAR and photogrammetry coupled with field surveys which may include geological mapping, slope stability analysis as well as in-situ observations to fully assess the rockfall hazard in question.
ASSESSMENT
CHARACTERIZATION
OBSERVATION
ROCKFALL
MITIGATION
Rockfall mitigation involves implementing strategies to prevent rock and other debris from falling from slopes, thus safeguarding people and infrastructure. This can involve stabilizing slopes, containing falling rocks, or removing unstable material.
Rockfall mitigation generally falls into one of three categories, namely: prevention strategies, stabilization measures, and containment strategies.
Prevention strategies are often implemented after a geotechnical assessment has been performed and typically include drainage and vegetation management along slopes in question.
Stabilization measures typically include scaling of loose and potentially unstable rock material followed by rock bolting and anchoring, coupled with high-tensile steel wire mesh treatment and in some cases a shotcrete or gunite finish.
Containment strategies consist of proper placement and design of catchment fences/barriers, attenuator systems or even proper construction and grading of catchment areas if space and geometry allows.
SLOPE STABILIZATION
UNSTABLE MATERIAL REMOVAL
CONTAINMENT STRATEGIES
SUPPORT +
INSPECTION SERVICES
At Wasatch Geotech, we're just a phone call away for all your routine and emergency rockfall and snow avalanche needs. Our comprehensive inspection services cover everything from annual assessments of rockfall and avalanche systems to foundation, steel, and grout inspections—plus much more. Reach out to us today!
Coming Soon
ANNUAL ASSESSMENTS
EXPERT OPINIONS
EMERGENCY NEEDS
SUPPLIERS + PARTNERSHIPS
True to their guiding principle, Geobrugg Worldwide has been developing and manufacturing protection solutions since 1951, and continues to drive innovation and industry standards
In the second half of the 19th century Maccaferri invented Gabions and dramatically changed the landscape. We deliver innovative, long-lasting and environmentally friendly solutions
With the Avalanche Guard® safety system from
Inauen-Schätti AG, safety officers have a reliable and cost-effective solution to quickly and efficiently secure ski slopes, valleys and transport routes
The first company in the United States dedicated to producing Remote Avalanche Control Systems (RACS) and other avalanche solutions. Their mission: protecting people and property from mountain hazards.
A pioneer and innovator of non-explosive preventive avalanche triggering systems for over 30 years and with patented products Gazex™/Gazflex™, O’BellX™ and DaisyBell™ - the world reference in this sector
Wyssen Avalanche Control is a 3rd generation Swiss family company based in the Bernese Oberland developing and building avalanche towers, software and detection systems for avalanche prevention.