Investigation of potential debris flows above the Koroška Bela settlement, NW Slovenia, from hydro-technical and conceptual design perspectives

Bezak, Nejc (author), Sodnik, Jošt (author), Maček, Matej (author), Jurček, Timotej (author), Jež, Jernej (author), Peternel, Tina (author), Mikoš, Matjaž (author)

Debris flows are one of the natural disasters that can occur in the alpine environment, cause large economic damage, and endanger human lives. This study presents an overview of recent research done in relation to the debris flow hazard assessment and conceptual mitigation at the Koroška Bela area in Slovenia. This includes fieldwork, lab experiments, modelling, and a conceptual design of hydro-technical measures to reduce the risk. The results indicate that multiple debris flows occurred in the past in the area but a relatively long period of more than 100 years without an extreme event led to urbanization and development of the area. Magnitudes of the most extreme events as the worst-case scenarios were estimated to be in the range between 100,000 and 400,000 m3, using debris flow modelling and geological information from research trenches. Based on the landslide volumes, such events could also potentially occur in the future in extreme conditions. Additionally, torrential floods could mobilize more than 15,000 m3 of material located along the stream network that can be regarded as potentially unstable. The existing check dam system does not have the capacity to capture this material. Thus, a new check dam and three flexible net barriers could help to reduce the risk due to torrential outbursts or debris flows.

• Language: English
• Keywords: debris flows, landslide risk mitigation, mathematical modelling, RAMMS, Slovenia
• Work type: Scientific work
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FGG - Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Author Accepted Manuscript
• Submitted for review: 19.03.2021
• Article acceptance date: 24.09.2021
• Publication date: 04.10.2021
• Year: 2021
• Number of pages: [16] str.
• Numbering: Letn. XX, št. okt.
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-131865
• UDC: 556.1
• ISSN on article: 1612-510X
• DOI: 10.1007/s10346-021-01774-7
• COBISS.SI-ID: 79100163
• Publication date in RUL: 05.10.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Landslides
• Publisher: Springer
• ISSN: 1612-510X
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2274913

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 04.10.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: drobirski tok, plazovi, matematično modeliranje, RAMMS, Slovenija

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P2-0180
• Name: Vodarstvo in geotehnika

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: Z1-2638
• Name: Napovedovanje dinamike globokih plazov z uporabo fizikalnega modeliranja in metod usmerjenih podatkov