Interaction between a snow mantel and a flexible structure: a new method to design avalanche nets

The search for improvement of protective techniques against natural phenomena, such as snow avalanches, continues to use classic methods for calculating flexible structures. This paper proposes a new method for designing avalanche protection nets based on the mechanical balance of cable structures, inspired by the mechanics of solids. This has led to the development of computational software so that avalanche nets can be easily designed. Numerical and experimental results have been compared, yielding elements to validate this new approach. Finally, several future research perspectives are discussed that will add to the modeling of interactions between flexible structures and complex geomaterials, such as a snow mantel.