Aerial cableways to Laura Ski and Biathlon Complex (SBC) (the length of each cableway is approximately 2.9 km) are situated on the height of 460 – 1440 m above the sea level.
Aerial cableways to Laura Ski and Biathlon Complex (SBC) (the length of each cableway is approximately 2.9 km) are situated on the height of 460 – 1440 m above the sea level.
The mountain and touristic center, which includes 2 ski resorts, belongs to PAO Gazprom. The total area of the complex is 800 ha.
Laura SBC is located on the mountainous plateau Psekhako. Except for dozens of ski runs Laura SBC includes ski and biathlon complex and hotel compound, a health care center, Olympic Athletes village, the longest cableway in the world, and a man-made lake.
In winter, in the Western part of the South Caucasus, a few avalanches fall from the mountain. There are single avalanche collapses as well as multiple ones. During avalanche fall, snow capacity can reach 1.5 mln cu m.
GEOIZOL Project specialists had the task to develop a project of supports protection against the impact of snow on the cableways A and A1, which are located on the Psekhako mountain range.
The designed avalanche protection measures had the following requirements:
- toprovide the necessary level of protection against avalanches, that is to avoid their impact on the protected object;
- toensure minimal impact on the environment;
- toprovide the possibility for further operation of the installed structures: replacement of elements and repair.
The construction area is a part of the territory where the formation of snowslides is highly possible. Six areas pose a potential threat to the formation of snowslides. GEOIZOL Project engineers made a calculation of snow-retaining structures for these territories.
As a design conception, engineers chose rigid snow-retaining barriers “Tokyo Rope” fixed with ground anchors.
In total, 319 rm of rigid snow-retaining barriers were designed and installed.
Customer: Gazprom sotsinvest Ltd
General Designer: Rosengineering project LLC
Designer: GEOIZOL Project Ltd
Implementation year: 2012
