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Optimization methods for the evaluation of the parameters of a rockfall fractal fragmentation model

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Abstract

In rockfall events, the falling blocks impacting the slope can experience fragmentation due to their kinetic energy. This process produces new blocks, smaller than the initial ones, moving along independent trajectories. As a result, the in situ block size distribution (related to the slope face of the source area) and the rockfall block size distribution (related to the deposit) differ. The present paper proposes and compares two optimization procedures for choosing the parameters of an iterative fractal fragmentation model based aimed at describing the rockfall fragmentation process on the base of source and deposit block distributions. To discuss the effectiveness of each approach, the two distributions are considered free of uncertainties. The influence of the number of iterations and optimization approach are discussed in terms of easiness of interpretation of the results.

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Acknowledgements

The authors kindly acknowledge Prof. D. Peila for his precious support and suggestions and H. Grange for his help during the in situ surveys.

Funding information

This work has been supported by Regione Autonoma Valle d’Aosta under the framework of RED – Risk Evaluation Dashboard project and by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research in the framework of the PRIN 2015 project “Innovative Monitoring and Design Strategies for Sustainable Landslide Risk Mitigation.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Turin, Italy

    Maddalena Marchelli

  2. Department of Structural, Geotechnical and Building Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, Turin, Italy

    Valerio De Biagi

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  1. Maddalena Marchelli
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  2. Valerio De Biagi
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Correspondence to Maddalena Marchelli.

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Marchelli, M., De Biagi, V. Optimization methods for the evaluation of the parameters of a rockfall fractal fragmentation model. Landslides 16, 1385–1396 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10346-019-01182-y

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