Rock Slope Geohazard Assessment and Mitigation to Protect People and Infrastructure

未来十年，由于人口增长和新的天然气、石油和采矿开发，加拿大将在陡峭的地形上建造数十亿美元的新基础设施。居住或工作在陡峭岩石斜坡及相关基础设施附近的人们容易受到地质灾害的影响。该研究方案的长期目标是改进地质灾害评估技术，并在地质灾害评估与设计适当的风险缓解措施之间建立缺失的联系，以减少岩石从陡峭的岩石斜坡上坠落造成的损失。短期目标解决了目前陡岩边坡风险管理中的三个不足。现有的地质灾害评估方法耗时太长，并且可能使从事评估的岩土工程师暴露在不安全的野外工作中。过于简单的几何公式（在当前的建筑规范中）被用来定义安全的建筑区域；这些公式没有考虑岩体质量和基础设施易损性等重要因素。新技术，如斜坡网格已经在加拿大引入，但需要设计方法来指定这些应该如何使用。研究目标是：****1)通过使用无人机和在无人机上测试各种传感器包的有效性，改进陡峭岩面的评估技术。一系列数码彩色摄像机将与激光雷达传感器和红外摄像机进行比较。***2)制定一个基本原理，以确定后退距离，通过结合岩体和边坡几何考虑以及建筑脆弱性来确定大量结构的安全位置。计算挫折的多标准方法将是对目前做法的重大改进。***3)通过全尺寸试验的数值模拟，提高对基本支护-岩体相互作用的认识，创建螺栓网格边坡稳定设计方法，超越目前使用的简单破坏机制/加载假设。此外，设计将明确纳入目前在岩石边坡危险等级系统中获得的数据，但令人惊讶的是，这些数据并未用于支持设计目的。****对后退距离的研究将导致划定安全建造的地方，从而防止在靠近岩石切割的地方建造房屋，以进行山坡住宅开发。对于公路、铁路、露天矿等岩质边坡，研究锚杆网支护设计，可以节约生命，减少经济和环境损失。这项研究使用无人机对房屋、高速公路和铁路上方的悬崖进行快速、安全的表征，将使斜坡不稳定发生时，能够更快地做出反应，及时做出疏散或重新开放运输路线的决定。**

Billions of dollars of new infrastructure will be built in steep terrain in Canada over the coming decade due to population growth and new natural gas, oil, and mining developments. People living or working near steep rock slopes and the associated infrastructure are exposed to geohazards. The long-term objectives of the research program are to improve geohazard assessment techniques and to build the missing links between geohazard assessment and the design of appropriate risk mitigation measures to reduce losses associated with rock falling from steep rock slopes. The short-term objectives address three deficiencies in the current risk management for steep rock slopes. Existing geohazard assessment methods can take too long and can expose geotechnical engineers doing the assessment to unsafe fieldwork. Overly simplistic geometric formulae (in current building codes) are used to define areas where it is safe to build; these formulae do not consider important factors such as the rock mass quality and the infrastructure vulnerability. New technologies such as slope meshing have been introduced in Canada but design methods are needed for specifying how these should be used.  The research objectives are to:****1) Improve assessment techniques for steep rock faces by using drones and by testing the effectiveness of various sensor packages on drones. A range of digital colour cameras will be compared with lidar sensors and an infrared camera. ***2) Develop a rationale to determine setback distances that define safe locations for a structure on a lot by incorporating rock mass and slope geometry considerations as well as building vulnerability. A multi-criteria approach to calculation of setbacks will be a significant improvement over current practices. ***3) Create design methodologies for slope stabilization with bolted mesh that advance beyond the currently used simple failure mechanism/loading assumptions by improving knowledge of fundamental support - rock mass interactions through numerical simulation of full-scale tests. Furthermore, the design will explicitly incorporate data that are now acquired in rock slope hazard rating systems, yet astonishingly, not used for support design purposes.****The research on setback distances will lead to delineation of where it is safe to build, thus preventing construction of homes located too close to rock cuts for hillside residential development. For rock slopes along highways, railways, and in open pit mines, the research on design of rock stabilization with bolted mesh will save lives and reduce economic and environmental losses. The research using drones for rapid and safe characterization of cliffs above homes, highways, and railways will enable more rapid response and timely decisions about evacuations or reopening of transportation routes when slope instability occurs. **