Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program

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One of the primary missions of the CGS is to help reduce the impact of all geologic hazards on the residents of the state. The CGS responses to Colorado’s rockfall hazard include:

  1. Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program user's manual Pfeiffer, Timothy J on Amazon.com.FREE. shipping on qualifying offers. Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program user's manual.
  2. May 08, 2016 Focus - Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program: Modeling Rockfall in 3. D - FHWA- HRT- 1. The Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program (CRSP) was developed in 1987 to estimate the velocity, energy, and bounce heights of rockfall, which in turn forms a basis.
  3. Rockfall Simulation Program. In Transportation Research Record 1288, TRB, National. Research Council. Washington D.C. Rockfall hazard analysis using the Colorado rockfall simulation.
  • Emergency response to rockfall events when they occur throughout the state
  • Providing rockfall investigations and hazard evaluations to other state agencies and departments
  • Identifying and mapping specific areas of rockfall hazard in cooperation with local government planning agencies and the Colorado Division of Emergency Management
  • Producing rockfall hazard maps for public use
  • Helping county and municipal planners and developers to identify and avoid, or mitigate, hazardous areas through our land use review (LUR) program
  • Providing the popular Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program computer software
  • Providing comment and guidance for proposed rockfall mitigation
  • Providing educational resources so that the people of Colorado our many visitors might better understand rockfall and the risk associated with living in and traveling through mountainous terrain

A rockfall is a type of fast-moving landslide that happens when rock or earth falls, bounces, or rolls from a cliff or down a very steep slope. Rockfalls start from high outcrops of hard, erosion-resistant rock that become unstable for a variety of reasons. The size of the falling rock depends on the source area geology (bedding thickness, bedding dip and dip direction, hardness, joint/fracture orientation), weathering, position, and steepness of the slope. Generally, an individual rockfall has one to only a few rocks, with sizes that vary from gravel to boulders (two inches to five feet or larger in diameter). When a large mass of rock fails and the resultant fall spreads out into a debris fan, it is referred to as a rockslide or even a debris avalanche. Rockfalls can be very dangerous depending on where they occur, the size of the rocks involved, and how fast the rocks fall or bounce downslope. When people, buildings, vehicles, or highways are in their path, these rockfall events can cause property loss, personal injury, or even loss of life. Rockfalls can also create unexpected hazards on roads, causing damage to vehicles who unexpectedly drive over or into recent rockfalls.

U-he hive vst free download mac. Because they are often catastrophic and without warning, it is difficult to predict how often rockfalls occur. However they are a common erosional process in mountainous areas near cliffs of broken, faulted, or jointed bedrock; on steep slopes of rocky soils; and where cliffs and bedrock ledges are undercut by erosion or human activity. Young, actively rising mountain ranges like those in Colorado do not weather away slowly, grain by grain, but typically erode through larger events including rockfalls, landslides, and debris flows. Many regions and towns in Colorado’s Front Range and Western Slope are exposed to the rockfall hazards of nearby mountains and cliff-rimmed mesas. Roland versaworks cut contour swatch.

Active rockfall areas are those showing evidence of recent falling and rock movement. Rock displaced or damaged vegetation, fresh “tracks” of rocks rolling down-slope, fresh scars on cliffs, anomalous or disoriented lichen growth on rock blocks, eyewitness accounts, and damage to fences or man-made works are some common criteria for identifying active rockfall areas. The most common difficulty with ‘inactive” rockfall areas is unexpected reactivation due to human activities or exceptional natural conditions. Questionable rockfall areas should be monitored if there is the possibility that reactivation of a rockfall may take place and present a hazard to man.

Most fatalities from rockfall in Colorado happen on roads or major transportation corridors, but some people have been seriously injured or killed in their homes where they are located in the path of rockfalls. Rockfalls are often not covered by homeowners insurance because they are classified as a type of landslide. It is important to be extra alert during three particular times on Colorado’s highways: spring thaw, after heavy rains, and at night. Be particularly alert during these times where you are approaching blind curves.

Causes of rockfall events include

  • Mechanical weathering, such as freeze/thaw cycles, where ice forces rocks apart and subsequently melts, plant growth within rocks, or windstorms.
  • Chemical weathering, where water reacts with rocks and changes their composition to more easily eroded minerals
  • Excess water from rainfall, snowfall, or surface irrigation from humans that lubricates rock joints and fractures, weakening them and causing them to slip and/or separate
  • Increased groundwater pressures that hydraulically “lift” the rock and decrease the normal rock friction at discontinuities, leading to rockfall
  • Vibrations or shaking from earthquakes, blasting, roads, construction, trains, and even sonic booms may shake loose rocks and cause them to fall
  • Erosion and undercutting at the base of a cliff or steep slope from streams, rivers, glaciers, debris flows, or human activities such as excavations or road cuts
  • Animals, even humans, can also dislodge rocks while burrowing, climbing, or walking in steep rocky terrain
  • Fires that destroy stabilizing vegetation

The Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program (CRSP) was developed to aid in the design of rockfall mitigation by sup­ plying data on probable rockfall bounce height and velocities. The program uses easily identified parameters to produce a rockfall simulation on PC-compatible computers and has proven.

Witnesses have even seen lightning trigger a rockfall in Colorado!

Planning for rockfall

Generally, it is best to build homes, buildings, and other infrastructure outside of areas where rockfall is known to be a risk. Unless completely protected, buildings, roads, pipelines, railroads, and most other kinds of infrastructure are at risk of severe damage or destruction in rockfall areas. There are several methods to reduce the risk of rockfall to people and infrastructure where building outside of these areas is impossible or impractical. These are discussed in detail in the publication Rockfall in Colorado. In the case of costly engineered structures, expenses for mitigation of rockfall danger are likely warranted, especially if alternative locations are prohibitively expensive. Housing, on the other hand, might easily be planned elsewhere with less expense if other potential sites are available.

The CGS is directed by state statute to review geologic reports for new developments in unincorporated areas of the state with lot sizes less than 35 acres, as well as all new school construction or critical facilities, to determine whether they are at risk from geologic hazards such as rockfall. The staff of the CGS also provide post-disaster assessments to affected areas and communities, helping to identify areas at risk of further damage.

Colorado Geological Survey. “RockTalk V11N2, Winter 2008 – Rockfall in Colorado.” RockTalk, Winter 2008.
Computer
Jones, Christopher L., Jerry D. Higgins, and Richard D. Andrew. “MI-66 Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program, Version 4.0.” Rockfall Simulation Program. Miscellaneous MI-66. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, March 2000. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/colorado-rockfall-simulation-program.
Stover, Bruce K. “SP-37 Highway Rockfall Research Report.” Highway Rockfall. Special Publication. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Department of Natural Resources, 1992. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/highway-rockfall-research-report.
Wait, T. C., and Karen A. Berry. “OF-06-01 Rockfall Hazard Susceptibility in the Estes Valley Development Code Area, Estes Park, Larimer County, Colorado.” Rockfall Hazard. Open File Reports. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Department of Natural Resources, 2006. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/rockfall-hazard-susceptibility-estes-valley-park-larimer-colorado.
Rockfall
———. “OF-06-02 Rockfall Hazard Susceptibility in the Evergreen Area, Jefferson County, Colorado.” Rockfall Hazard. Open File Reports. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Division of Minerals and Geology, Department of Natural Resources, 2005. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/rockfall-hazard-susceptibility-evergreen-jefferson-colorado.
Wait, T. C., and Jonathan L. White. “OF-06-03 Rockfall Hazard Susceptibility in Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado.” Rockfall Hazard. Open File Reports. Denver, CO: Colorado Geological Survey, Department of Natural Resources, 2006. https://coloradogeologicalsurvey.org/publications/rockfall-hazard-susceptibility-springs-el-paso-colorado.
Instructional games

USGS — The Landslide Handbook

CGS RockTalk, Vol. 11, No. 2 — Rockfall in Colorado

The Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program (CRSP) was developed in 1987 to estimate the velocity, energy, and bounce heights of rockfall, which in turn forms a basis for selection of designs for mitigation. Several revisions were issued in the following years, and the program has been widely used for rockfall design. The new version of CRSP has been written based on a combination of Particle Flow Code and the Discrete Element Method for dynamic model simulation. This approach provides a more accurate approximation to the equations of motion for rock and slope interaction than employed by previous CRSP versions.

Colorado rockfall simulation program 3d
  • Corporate Authors: 200 Southern Boulevard, P.O. Box 189
    Albany, NY United States 12201-0189
  • Authors:
    • Bartingale, Ryan
    • Higgins, Jerry D
    • Andrew, Richard
    • Rock, Alan
    • Zhang, Runing
  • Conference:
    • Location: Buffalo NY, United States
    • Date: 2009-9-29 to 2009-10-1
  • Publication Date: 2009

Language

Mi 66 colorado rockfall simulation program
  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: CD-ROM
  • Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: pp 189-200
  • Monograph Title: Proceedings of the 60th Highway Geology Symposium

Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program Free Download

Subject/Index Terms

  • TRT Terms: Best practices; Blast cleaning; Geotechnical engineering; Groundwater; Rockfalls; Simulation; Water quality management
  • Geographic Terms: Colorado
  • Subject Areas: Design; Geotechnology; Highways; I43: Rock Mechanics;

Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program Version 5

Filing Info

Mi 66 Colorado Rockfall Simulation Program

  • Accession Number: 01142305
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Oct 20 2009 6:37PM