Supported by National Natural Science Foundation Project “Research on the Impact and Springback Properties of Rockfall”, Researcher HE Siming and his group, from Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMHE, CAS), carried out research on formation, development mechanism, and key control technology of rockfall.

The sketch map of rockfall prevention construction of Shaping bridge in Dujiangyan-Wenchuan road. (by IMHE)

HE’s group have made important progress in the following aspects: such as fracture mechanics mechanism of rockfall induced by earthquake, response mechanism of safeguard structure to rockfall impact, springback property of rockfall impact, calculation on impact force of rockfall, forecast on slope trajectory of rockfall and so on. Furthermore, HE’s group have developed more than 10 new kinds of safeguard structure with passive energy dissipation for rockfall mitigation.

The research achievement has been widely used in the mitigation of rockfall in the reconstruction after earthquake, such as rockfall prevention construction of Chediguan bridge in Dujiangyan-Wenchuan road, rockfall prevention construction of Shaping bridge in Dujiangyan-Wenchuan road, rockfall prevention construction of Nanhua tunnel exit of Yingxiu-Wolong road andcable car prevention construction of hangar tunnel in Lijiang-Panzhihua highway and so on.