Translated by Yue-Ting, Luo
Edited by Elaine Chuang
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University
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Last week, Taiwan experienced continuous heavy rainfall across the island, leading to the risk of landslides, road erosion, and slope failures in mountainous regions. The fragmented geological conditions in Taiwan have made slope-related disasters increasingly frequent. Among these, rockfall disasters have garnered significant attention due to their high-speed impact on mountain roads, resulting in casualties and road closures.

In order to elucidate the impact of these disasters, a multidisciplinary research team consisting of Professor Meng-Chia Weng, Associate Professor Terry Y.P. Yuen, and Associate Professor Weian Chao from the Department of Civil Engineering, along with the collaboration from National Taiwan University, National Taipei University of Technology, National United University, and Sinotech Engineering Consultants Inc., has made significant breakthroughs in the analysis and prevention of rockfall disasters.

Significant Breakthroughs in the Analysis and Prevention of Rockfall Disasters

Their research provides valuable insights into the damage caused by fragmented geology and extreme weather in Taiwan. These research findings not only serve as a reference for the Second Maintenance Office of the Highway Bureau, MOTC but have also been published in the prestigious journal “Engineering Geology,” receiving high acclaim.

Professor Meng-Chia Weng stated that the rapid acquisition of disaster information regarding crucial transportation routes after slope disasters is an urgent research priority. This information is crucial for devising disaster rescue strategies and regulatory project designs. With support from the National Science and Technology Council’s “Disaster Prevention and Rescue Technology Innovation Service Project,” the research team has developed a system called the “Slope Disaster Information Integration and Assessment System” (GeoPORT System).

This system can swiftly integrate disaster data, including landslide locations, areas, scales, rainfall, and seismic intensity, and subsequently simulate the post-disaster impacts. It aims to offer rapid assessments for disaster prevention and rescue units and recommendations for subsequent remediation by supervisory authorities, ultimately reducing the societal and economic impacts.

The Analytical Approach can be Tailored to Specific Rockfall-prone Locations, Customizing Protective Measures to Align with the Type of Rockfall Encountered

Associate Professor Terry Y.P. Yuen expressed that following the massive boulder impact on the Tayun Bridge of the Central Cross-Island Highway in February 2022, the research team collaborated with highway authorities to conduct an exhaustive investigation at the disaster site. The research team utilized technology, including optical radar and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to collect geological and rockfall data on-site, proposing an innovative high-fidelity simulation analysis and method known as the Hybrid Discrete Element-Finite Element Method (Hybrid DEM-FEM).

This method enables a comprehensive reconstruction of the causes of rockfall disasters, the three-dimensional trajectories of falling rocks, and the impact energy on the bridges. The simulation results closely matched the observed rockfall paths and bridge damage patterns on-site. The entire process seems to resemble a detective’s meticulous process of reconstructing the incident based on on-site evidence.

Associate Professor Weian Chao further explained that unlike conventional rockfall impact force design methods, this analytical approach can be tailored to specific rockfall-prone locations, customizing protective measures to align with the type of rockfall encountered.