ABSTRACT
Severe rockbursts occurred during the construction of a complex hydroelectric plant in the Andean region of Chile, causing severe support failures and prohibitive work conditions. Consequently, a technical solution had to be found and fundamental safety issues achieved by completely automated support installation. A very accurate seismic monitoring was implemented, permitting the collection of basic information for understanding the seismic events associated with the rockbursts. Although extremely severe rockburst occurrences persisted, also in relation to the high natural seismicity, the close collaboration among Owner, Contractor and Designer allowed for a satisfactory damage control using effective support systems.
