Rockfall Scaling – Why It's Essential for Public Safety

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ROCKFALL MItITGATION SOLUTIONS

Why It's Essential for Public Safety

Rockfall scaling is a common technique used in rockfall mitigation. Learn about this process to reduce the risk of rocks falling onto roads, buildings, or people.

What is Rockfall Scaling?

Rockfall scaling is a technique used to remove loose rocks and boulders from steep slopes or cliff faces to reduce the risk of rockfall. Rockfall is a natural process in which rocks or boulders break away from a slope or cliff face and fall to the ground below. Rockfall can be caused by a variety of factors, including weathering, erosion, seismic activity, and human activity.

Rock scaling involves identifying loose rocks and boulders on a slope or cliff face and removing them using manual or mechanical techniques. This process can help to reduce the risk of rockfall by stabilizing the remaining rocks and boulders on the slope or cliff face.

Scaling is often used in areas where there is a risk of rockfall, such as near roads, railways, buildings, and other infrastructure. The process can help to improve safety and prevent damage to property and infrastructure caused by rockfall. At GeoStabilization International®, we offer a range of rock scaling techniques to meet the unique needs and challenges of every project.

Types of Rockfall Scaling

At GeoStabilization International^®, we offer a range of rock scaling techniques to meet the unique needs and challenges of every project. Our services include:

Manual scaling: Our skilled RRTs utilize scaling bars, airbags, or hydraulic jacks to manually remove loose rock and debris from cliffs and slopes.
Mechanical scaling: Our team utilizes specialized machinery to remove loose rock and debris from cliffs and slopes, including rock drills and excavators.
Remote scaling: Our team utilizes cutting-edge technology, such as drones or robotic equipment, to access and remove loose rock and debris from difficult-to-reach areas.
Blasting: We offer blasting capabilities, including the innovative Autostem technology, to remove loose rock and debris and enhance safety and infrastructure stability.

No matter the technique used, our team ensures that all rock scaling is performed safely and effectively, with minimal disturbance to the environment and surrounding areas.

Benefits of Rockfall Scaling

Rockfall scaling is a process used to remove loose rocks and boulders from a steep slope or cliff face to reduce the risk of rockfall. Here are some benefits of rockfall scaling:

One of the primary benefits of rock scaling is improved safety. By removing loose rocks and boulders, the risk of rockfall is reduced, which can prevent injuries or even fatalities in areas where people work or travel.

Rockfall can cause significant property damage, including damage to buildings, infrastructure, and vehicles. Scaling a slope can help to reduce the risk of such damage by removing unstable rocks and boulders.

Scaling can also help to increase the overall stability of a slope or cliff face. By removing loose rocks, the remaining rocks are less likely to move, which can help to prevent future rockfall events.

By proactively removing loose rocks and boulders, scaling loose rocks can help to reduce maintenance costs associated with repairing damage caused by rockfall.

Rockfall scaling can help to protect the environment by preventing rocks from falling into streams or rivers, which can have a negative impact on aquatic ecosystems. It can also help to prevent erosion and protect habitats of endangered species.

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855.579.0536

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Rockfall Assessment/Analysis/Design

Our Rockfall Mitigation team is committed to responding within 24 hours after receiving a notification call. Then utilizing the latest technology, including UAVs and 3-D Photogrammetry, our personnel will evaluate a site objectively and recommend the best approaches for remediation, even if they don’t include our proprietary equipment or technologies. This philosophy assures our clients that we will address every rockfall event with a context-sensitive solution designed specifically for a given site.

GeoStabilization’s rockfall engineers will analyze the collected data to determine the slope’s potential failure areas and mechanisms. Then, using software packages including RockPack, RocPlane, SWedge, RockFall, Dips, CRSP, SplitFX, Slide, and Plaxis, our geologists and engineers can create solution designs, remediate current rock slopes and rockfall failures, and prevent future occurrences.

Step 1

Assessment

No-obligation site visit by a qualified geotechnical engineer.

Step 2

Analysis

Fixed-cost proposal developed from available geotechnical and site visit information.

Step 3

Design

In-house engineering team assists or completes the design.

Step 4

Installation

Crews can mobilize within 24 hours; designs optimized in real time.

The Importance of Rope Access Safety

At GeoStabilization International^®, safety is our top priority. That’s why our Rockfall Remediation Technicians (RRTs) are some of the most highly trained individuals in the industry, holding S.P.R.A.T. (Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians) rope-access certifications. Our Rope Access Program has earned the Association of Geohazard Professionals’ Safety Recognition as a geohazard industry best-in-class safety program annually since 2018.

We understand that working at height poses unique safety challenges, especially when performing rock scaling on steep cliffs and slopes. That’s why our team of RRTs undergoes rigorous safety training and adheres to strict safety protocols to ensure that all rock scaling is performed safely and effectively. We also use cutting-edge safety equipment and techniques, such as fall arrest systems and redundancy systems, to mitigate the risk of falls and ensure that our team can work safely and efficiently.

Our Solutions

Soil Nail Launcher

Earth Retention

How-to-fill-a-sinkhole

Ground Improvement

Rockfall Netting as Rockfall Containment Solution-min

Rockfall Mitigation

Casing Drill on Bridge Rehabilitation

Bridges

Our Emergency Response Solutions

From landslides and rockfalls to flooding and wildfires, unexpected geohazards demand immediate action. Our emergency response team is ready 24/7 to deploy specialized equipment and proven techniques, delivering fast, engineered solutions that restore access and stabilize critical assets when it matters most.

Broken road.

Natural Disasters

Roadway collapse due to embankment failure, with workers assessing damage and erosion near a steep slope.

Transportation

Collapsed retaining wall with exposed soil and drainage pipe failure

Commercial/Utility

Client Reviews

Rockfall Mitigation and Scaling for Mining Operations in Canada

Hey Trevor, I gotta [sic] admit, I was a little worried after our progress on the first day of scaling. I wondered if I’d missed something in analyzing that slope! However, on day two, the guys were able to get the bulk of the loose material down in the two areas I was concerned about. They also installed two prisms into the blocks adjacent to the areas scaled so we can monitor any changes in the slope.
The team who came to site were the epitome of professional, not to mention a lot of fun to work with. There was never any point where I felt they were working unsafely. I am most impressed with the entire operation.
I think we were able to remove 100% of the immediate hazard for that area, and 75-80% of the overall hazard. Job well done!

Rockfall Mitigation in Virginia

I wish I had been smart enough to let you design the rock mitigation. You and your team turned in an excellent performance. The work ethic of your team impressed everyone on our side of the table. Most companies print a slogan on their company clothing. However, your folks demonstrated every hour that they “Work Hard or Go Home”. You sent us a world class construction team – thanks!

Rock Scaling for Mining Operations in Georgia

Mr. Aguirre, I want to personally thank you for all the effort you and your crew on site at [the quarry] did for me. You were very accommodating. Special point needs to be given to GSI's safety program and its employees for following them strictly. I would honestly say that your organization is one of the top in safety that I have seen in every rope access industry. Please give a couple extra kudos to Fred and Courtney for putting up with me and observing me in order to keep me out of harm’s way. There is no doubt I slowed down their progress. I wish I could remember the whole crews name for they all deserve praise for the jobs that they do. After only two half days of peeling rock, my back is killing me from pushing that bar around. This is a really hard and dirty job (not to copy Rowe) and its workers deserve the utmost respect from the rope access community. I seriously believe you have one of the nastiest. Right up there with the oil industry. This time spent observing and hands on gave me a plethora of information and understanding. I, of course need to see a few other aspects of your industry, not limited to, but to include: drilling (especially horizontally), rigging and lifting (cranes, helicopters, etc.), explosives, and installations of the final products. I hope that with your efforts and others in your industry we can accomplish this soon. In conclusion, thank you again for all your hard work.

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No matter the technique used, our team ensures that all rock scaling is performed safely and effectively, with minimal disturbance to the environment and surrounding areas. Contact us today to learn more about how our rock scaling services can enhance public safety and infrastructure durability. Contact us today for a professional assessment. Call us at 855.579.0536 or fill out our contact form.

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