ABSTRACT
This chapter concerns civil slopes because the high cost of failures means that stabilization programs are often economically justified. It discusses the cause of rock falls, and the planning and management of stabilization programs. The chapter also discusses stabilization measures, categorized according to rock reinforcement, rock removal and rock fall protection. In order to minimize the cost of falls, rock slope stabilization programs are often a preferred alternative to relocation or abandonment of the facility. The State of California made a comprehensive study of rock falls that occurred on the state highway system to assess both the causes of the rock falls and the effectiveness of the various remedial measures that have been implemented. The other major cause of rock falls in the California study is the particular geologic conditions at each site, namely fractured rock, adverse planar fractures, and soil decomposition.
