Rockfall Barriers

The Bitorika quarry is a quarry in which calcareous materials were exploited during the 1990s. Since the quarry was abandoned, there have been several landslides of material under unfavourable weather conditions. In February 2015, instability occurred at the eastern end of the quarry, caused by an episode of heavy rainfall, with some blocks overtopping the ridge of material on the upper platform and thus reaching the car park. As a result of these landslides, several actions were carried out, consisting of the restoration and anchoring of unstable blocks, ridges using materials from the excavation, and a first dynamic barrier in the eastern sector of the quarry. However, during the inspection and diagnosis of the episode, a large rocky volume of very precarious appearance was found in the central part of the quarry face, which collapsed in February 2018. At present, most of the wedge that had been dislodged has fallen. However, the starting area has left a very precarious looking root, which may break off spontaneously or under the influence of adverse weather conditions. If new blocks with a more spherical morphology fall, they could pick up enough speed along the continuous slope created by the debris cone to overtake the lower platform and eventually reach the road.

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The Ziordia quarry has an orography formed by limestone rock, with steep slopes as a result of quarrying, and potentially unstable large blocks. The company CRS Ingeniería contacted Bianchini Ingeniero to analyse the situation and possible solutions, and subsequently the company Inaccés Geotècnica Vertical also intervened. One of the main risks was the blocks that could fall from a 40-metre-high, 15-metre-wide mochón, located on one of the quarry's usual passageways. This represented a potential risk for the installations and the workers themselves. Therefore, a series of actions were carried out to stabilise these blocks and protect the area.

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The Cebu Transcentral Highway is located in Barangay Cansamoroy, Balamban, in the province of Cebu, and is approximately 33 kilometers long. It’s one of Cebu’s most ground-breaking transportation development as it makes land travel to several destinations in Cebu’s central and northwestern regions faster and easier. However, certain sections in Balamban Transcentral Highway imposed danger to the infrastructure and motorists passing by. Contractors and designers sought to prevent hazards such as falling rocks or boulders, landslides, and debris flows during heavy rainfall or typhoons.

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