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Permafrost rocks and high‐alpine infrastructure: Interrelated, interconnected, interacting
Author(s) -
Pläsken Regina,
Keuschnig Markus,
Krautblatter Michael
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
geomechanics and tunnelling
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.317
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 1865-7389
pISSN - 1865-7362
DOI - 10.1002/geot.202000028
Subject(s) - permafrost , geology , subsoil , creep , climate change , geotechnical engineering , earth science , soil science , materials science , oceanography , composite material , soil water
Over the last few decades, pronounced changes of mountain environments during exceptionally warm summers have raised strong awareness towards changing cryospheric conditions in high mountain areas. Alpine regions are considered particularly sensitive to climate change, observations as well as projections report a significantly higher temperature rise in comparison to lowland areas. Rising sub‐zero temperatures were demonstrated to alter rock‐ and ice‐mechanical strength, namely compressive and tensile intact rock strength, friction, ice creep and fracturing of rock‐ice interfaces as well as elastic moduli. So far benchmark studies have only investigated the impact on rock masses irrespective of the interaction with high‐alpine infrastructure. This study investigates the interconnection between a high‐alpine cable car station and its permafrost‐affected surroundings. For engineering applications, the understanding of the state of natural systems is combined with numerical modelling of interactions between constructions and their frozen subsoil. This enables an improved design of high‐alpine infrastructures in the long run.