Runoff Water Management on Karstic Terrain and Stability of Slopes and Foundations in Northern Spain

This communication analyzes the latest experiences in slope and foundation drainage and runoff water management to improve resilience in roadway infrastructures. The actions resulted from temporary rain and adverse weather conditions during the months of January and February 2012 and 2013, which caused singular damage to several road slopes in Northern Spain. The objective of the repair was to restore road safety and road stability. Regarding runoff water, heavy rains cause loose and scattered stone movements along the slopes of the La Hermida Gorge and in the limestone rocky massifs that make up the Gorge. There are also many karst caves exiting that load their levels to the fullest and produce impressive waterfalls on the road. The energy of these waterfalls was dissipated, and the water curtain was channeled into the Deva River through an innovative solution. With regard to the drainage of slopes and foundations, the action carried out on the slope of the A-8 motorway includes its stabilization by biological engineering. All the actions presented in this article have proven to be valid throughout the last year of road operation. Furthermore, the monitoring system used in full-scale tests for dynamic barriers according to ETAG-27 is reliable to better understand the force transmission mechanism and also for future design purposes.