Installation Method

The installation of ropenet for rockfall protection involve the following steps:

1. Site Preparation :

Remove all surface vegetation including trees & shrubs in the cutting where
ropenetting has to be done. Loose boulders have to be removed in block
condition on the slope of the rock cutting including removing of loose
rock/undulations & dressing the side slope to facilitate spreading of
bouldernet.

2. Top anchoring of Ropenet :

A top trench of 1.0 m depth & 0.6 m width has to be excavated at a

distance of approximately 5.0 m from the edge of the cutting for the top
anchoring of the ropenet. The ropenets are available with eyes or loops in
the vertical chords for anchoring.

In case of steel wire ropenet a precast RCC beam of 0.15 m x 0.15 m x 2 m

of M15 concrete is used for top anchoring. The RCC beam is inserted through
the loops of the chords & the beams are placed inside the excavated trench.

The precast beam along with the anchoring chords are embedded inside the
trench by M10 concrete of 0.3 m depth. After the curing of the concrete the
trench is filled with the backfill muck with moderate compaction.

In case of polymer ropenet a dowel bar of 1.0 to 1.5 m depth & 16 mm dia.
is used for top anchorage. The dowel bars with the hook at the top for
anchoring the vertical chords of the polymer ropenets are driven inside the
anchor trench. The trench is backfilled with the excavated material.
2. Lacing of adjacent ropenets : After the top anchoring of the ropenets
the adjacent nets are laced so as to form a continuous net.

In case of steel wire ropenets specially designed galvanized steel spiral locks
are used for lacing. One spiral lock for each mesh of net is used.

Incase of polymer ropenets the nets are overlapped for 300 mm & laced with
polymer lacing twine of 3 mm.

4. Spreading of ropenets on the cutting slopes : Once the adjacent

nets are laced together the continuous nets are rolled from the top to the
bottom of the cutting so as to cover the cutting.

5. Intermediate anchoring on the cutting slope: The nets are

anchored on the cutting slope using anchor bolts/ fasteners of 10 –12 mm
dia & 110 mm length. For every 3 Sq.m. of the surface area one anchor
bolts is fixed with epoxy coated M.S. plate of 200mm x 200mm x 6mm as
washer. Intermediate anchoring is required so that the nets take the shape
of the cutting profile & hug the rock surface. The anchor bolts are fixed by
drilling a hole for the anchors & applying a torque of 65 to 70 Nm after the
washer plates are places over the ropenets.

6. Bottom Anchoring of the ropenets : HYSD bolts of 1 m depth & 16

mm dia. having a thread of 200 mm on the top are used for bottom
anchoring of the ropenets. The bottom anchoring is done in a staggered
manner such that each vertical cord of the ropenet is anchored.

A drill hole of 20 mm dia. is made with the help of a jack hammer upto a
depth of 1 m in a staggered manner. Each hole is filled with 3-4 cement
capsules & the bolts are driven to the desirable depth. The nuts are
tightened on the threaded portion of the anchor bolts after the epoxy coated
washer plate of 200 mm x 200 mm x 6 mm are placed over the ropenet.

(ANCHOR DETAILS AT BOTTOM USING 16mm O ANCHOR BARS)

@ 0.90 m. in 2 ROWS

Some alternate methods of top & bottom anchoring can also be adopted so
as to suit the site conditions.
Reference Installations

 Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd.

 Steel Wire Ropenet - 50,000 Sq.m at Various Cuttings
between Mangaon to Kankawali Rly. Station.)
 Polymer Ropenet – 1,20,000 sq.m. at various cuttings
between chiplun to Madgaon.

 Southern Railway
 Steel Wire Ropenet - 3500 Sq.m. in Trivandrum Section

 Tata Power Company

 Polymer Ropenet – 2000 Sq.m. at Jojobera Power Project
plant, Jamshedpur