• Journal of the Korean GEO-environmental Society
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.49-60
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• 2009

In order to develop a new rockfall protection fence using high carbon steel wire rod (HSWR) material instead of the conventional wire rope material, the author has conducted the laboratory strength tests of both materials and their connections, and carried out evaluation of absorbing rockfall energy through the vertical field rockfall tests. The vertical filed rockfall tests showed that the new rockfall protection fence with 12 rows of the HSWR could absorb more rockfall energy than 50 kJ which stands for the typical design criteria. In addition, when the quantity of HSWR was increased up to the 16 rows, the capacity of absorbing energy was greatly improved. The new rockfall protection fence was successfully applied to the highway rock-cut slope. As a result of the filed application, its constructability was similar to the conventional fence, but its total image was improved as simple and clean. The total construction cost was saved up to 20% in comparison with the conventional one.