Sensitivity of a reinforced concrete protective gallery under a snow avalanche load

This paper focuses on avalanche protection galleries. Horizontal and vertical structurally reinforced concrete elements are modelled herein using the finite element code (FE), under both static and dynamic avalanche loads. The variability of these loads is modelled using lognormal random variables, taking into account experimental data. A sensitivity stochastic FE analysis characterises the variability of the vulnerability indicators: maximum displacements or stresses in the concrete and reinforcement rods, showing that the variability of transient load components have a great impact on the variability of the indicators. These results confirm, contrary to current building codes, the need to take the dynamic behaviour of these galleries into account, in the design.

▸ We study the transient behaviour of a protective structure under avalanche loading. ▸ We present the variability of the avalanches loading. ▸ We develop two finite elements models for the dynamical loading behaviour. ▸ We compare the behaviour under static loading and dynamic loading. ▸ Sensitivity studies show the consequences in order to improve design rules.