Abstract. This paper addresses the response of rockfall protection embankments when exposed to a rock impact. For this purpose, real-scale impact experiments were conducted with impact energies ranging from 200 to 2200 kJ. The structure was composed of a 4 m high cellular wall leaned against a levee. The wall was a double-layer sandwich made from gabion cages filled with either stones or a sand-schreddedtyre mixture. For the first time, sensors were placed in different locations within the structure to measure real-time accelerations and displacements. The test conditions, measurement methods and results are presented in detail. The structure's response is discussed in a descriptive and phenomenological approach and compared with previous real-scale experiments on other types of embankments.

Cellular structures are efficient technological solutions for rockfall protection. A multi-scale approach is used to develop a cellular rockfall protection structure model for engineering purposes. The macroscopic structure is composed of mesoscale individual layers made up of rocky particles contained in wire netting cages, fine granular material, and a reinforced embankment. Simple constitutive models were developed for the different mesoscale layers of the structure. Information is gathered from experiments at the layer scale to calibrate the parameters of the constitutive models. The capacities of the model are evaluated by comparisons between simulations and impact experiments on small structures. Despite quantitative differences, the comparative analysis highlights that the structure model can account for the main physical mechanisms occurring during the impact on sandwich structures. This analysis also emphasizes the model’s applicability for engineering purposes.