Snow Retention Barriers

1. Can be installed on slopes of any gradient.
2. Modular design ensures quick and easy installation.
3. Resistant to rockfall impacts.
4. Can be installed in any soil type; only the foundation type varies.
5. Capable of retaining snow masses up to 4.5 m deep perpendicular to the slope.
6. No complex technical equipment is required for installation.
7. Conform to the terrain profile, reducing the need for earthworks.
8. Do not detract from the aesthetic appearance of the landscape.

Avalanche Protection

There are many ways to protect against snow avalanches. The simplest solution is to select avalanche-safe areas at the initial stage of land development. Operational measures for the timely warning of the population about natural disasters are also employed.

Preventive active and passive measures to artificially eliminate the avalanche threat have become the most widespread. Among avalanche control structures, snow retention barriers are one of the most cost-effective methods of protection.

Operating Principle

Snow retention barriers are installed in the avalanche starting zone and withstand static loads across the entire depth of the snow cover. The ring net forms a plane perpendicular to the direction of the snow mass sliding on the slope. As a result, the snow mass is retained in the starting zone, preventing the formation of a snow avalanche.

The height of snow retention barriers is determined based on the maximum possible snow depth for a specific area.

Placement on the Slope

In avalanche catchment areas where snow accumulation occurs due to wind transport, snow retention structures can also function as snow accumulation barriers. This leads to an increase in snow depth compared to the calculated or observed values.

Snow retention barriers are installed in lines across multiple rows from edge to edge of the avalanche starting zone. The distance between rows depends on snow depth, slope steepness, and the sliding factor of the underlying surface.

Geo-Barrier Design

The main element of the Geo-Barrier snow retention barrier is trapezoidal panels made of rope-woven ring nets with an inner ring diameter of 250 mm. The panels are hinged to the top of the posts and tensioned with guy ropes to the anchor heads. The hinged connection between the post and the base plate provides flexibility and elasticity to the entire structure.

The design of the Geo-Barrier snow retention barrier incorporates the best global practices and meets the requirements for avalanche mitigation systems in the starting zone according to most criteria. Geo-Barrier snow retention barriers have successfully proven themselves in various mountainous regions of Russia.