We developed this website to provide information about engineering and land use planning issues pertaining to snow avalanches. Our goal is to address basic questions that arise for planners, engineers, developers, owners and residents of mountain communities. East Riverside Avalanche Path and 180 foot long Snowshed on US Highway 550, SW Colo.
At least six lives have been lost at this site. Art Mears provided avalanche design criteria and recommended a length of 400 feet. The avalanche has an 80 acre starting zone and descends 3250 vertical feet to the highway.
At least six lives have been lost at this site. Art Mears provided avalanche design criteria and recommended a length of 400 feet. The avalanche has an 80 acre starting zone and descends 3250 vertical feet to the highway.
Services
Mears and Wilbur is a partnership of civil engineers specializing in natural hazards in alpine environments, including avalanches, debris flows, and rockfall. We combine our technical experience and resources to provide clients with high quality mapping, risk assessment, mitigation strategies, and engineering design parameters to protect people and infrastructure.
In partnership with URS Corporation and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), we provided avalanche design criteria for a six-lane clear span snowshed to replace the existing two-lane snowshed. Due to its length, the proposed snowshed would function similarly to a tunnel, requiring lighting, ventilation, fire protection and monitoring.
A long history of well-documented observations provides a data set that proves where avalanches have occurred and can be used to deduce potential runout distances by applying statistical methods. Many locations in Europe have historic records dating back hundreds of years. In North America, records are limited to just over 100 years, and are often incomplete.
In 1992, the Colo. Geological Survey published Snow-Avalanche Hazard Analysis for Land-Use Planning and Engineering by A.I. Mears. This document has served as the standard reference in the U.S. for almost 20 years, and is still relevant. However, time, technology and knowledge advance. Some of the more important changes since 1992 are described below.
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