Snow crack arresters
A NEW CONCEPT OF DEFENCE STRUCTURES
Fracture propagation in crown
(MODE I)
HYPOTHESIS:
Mode II fracture propagation
at the weak layer interface
is fully occurred
(Foto Dal Molin)
SNOW CRACK ARRESTERS
to arrest the crack propagation
Artificial discontinuities
in snow continuum
to split a large avalanche into smaller events
…smaller avalanches with less catastrophic effects
Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering
POLITECNICO di TORINO
Snow crack arresters
DYNAMICAL LEFM
(2)
(1)
(3)
y
x
Griffith’s
Energy Balance
(0)
a
NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS
z
x
FRANC 2D
b
(CORNELL University)
Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering
POLITECNICO di TORINO
Snow crack arresters
z
x
z
x
B
C
A
D
Bibliography
Department of Structural and Geotechnical Engineering
POLITECNICO di TORINO
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Press.
Carpinteri, A. 1992. Meccanica dei Materiali e della Frattura. III Ed. Pitagora Editrice, Bologna.
McClung, D.M. 1981. Fracture mechanical models of dry slab avalanche
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Res., 86, B11, 10783-10790.
McClung, D.M. 1987. Mechanics of snow slab failure from a geotechnical perspective. IAHS
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fracture mechanical approach, Cold Regions Science and Technology, 53(2008), 170-178.
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l’innesco delle valanghe di neve, GEAM, Anno XLIV, n. 1 Gennaio-Aprile 2007, pagg. 25-36.
Chiaia, B.M., Cornetti P., Frigo B. and Luisi A., Triggering of dry snow slab avalanches and a
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