Avalanche risk mitigation by means of a reinforced earth embankment: The Ludrigno case study

Zusammenfassung

The village of Ludrigno, located in the lower part of the Seriana Valley (Bergamo, Italy), is known to be exposed to a significant avalanche risk. The first historical information about avalanches affecting the village dates back to the 17th century and throughout the years the avalanche events have repeatedly caused loss of goods and lives. The article intends to present the design process followed to identify the optimal defense strategy within a cost-benefit analysis framework. The design choice fell on a geogrid reinforced avalanche protection embankment 140 m long and 10 m high, as it was found to be the best solution both in terms of cost-effectiveness ratio and environmental integration. The stability analyses carried out on the embankment due to the avalanche impact are presented and the choice of the reinforcing geogrids, based on their long-term design strength, is discussed. The article aims to highlight the relevance of this topic, which involves the safety of population living in mountain areas and several issues related either to design or quality control of materials and construction.