Description
Book SynopsisSnow avalanches can have highly destructive consequences in developed areas. Each year, avalanche catastrophes occur in mountain regions around the globe and cause unnecessary fatalities and severe damage to buildings and infrastructure. In some mountainous regions, especially in the European Alps, technical avalanche defence structures are built to increase the level of safety for inhabited areas; however, new infrastructure such as roads, railway lines and tourist facilities cause new risk potential in hazardous areas. As a result, the demand is increasing for technical avalanche protection solutions.
Avalanche defence structures and protection systems are used in most inhabited mountain regions worldwide. During the last decades, technical avalanche protection has evolved from a specialist field to an independent engineering branch that has gained importance in alpine countries such as Austria, Italy, France and Switzerland, as well as in other countries such as Canada, Iceland, Norway and USA.
This work is the first comprehensive, English-language overview of technical avalanche protection and establishes state-of-the-art best practices in the field. It covers the fundamentals of avalanche protection technology and includes plans, dimensions, construction and maintenance of defence structures. The editors have collaborated with an international team of experts from Austria, Canada, France, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Norway, Switzerland and USA to produce this landmark handbook.
Table of ContentsDevelopment of avalanches and avalanche protection: an historic overview
Avalanches: formation and effects
Basics and models for avalanche dynamics and effects
Analysis and evaluation and representation of avalanche risks
Planning of permanent avalanche protection measures
Protection systems and construction types
Design of permanent avalanche protection
Execution and maintenance management
Protection of buildings
Temporary avalanche protection and operation
Avalanche monitoring and event documentation
Summary, Outlook
References
