From Research to Reality: New Algorithms Revolutionise Geotechnical Design
Dr Davide Guccione and Rocscience integrate cutting-edge fragmentation modelling into RocFall2, transforming industry practices.
Groundbreaking algorithms developed by Dr Davide Guccione through his ARC Early Career Industry Fellowship are now shaping global engineering practices. This achievement stems from a successful collaboration with Rocscience, a leading geotechnical software company.
When rocks strike a slope, they often shatter into fragments that scatter unpredictably, creating complex hazards for engineers to model. This chaotic process, known as fragmentation, has long been one of the most defining aspects of rockfall behaviour, and one of the hardest understand, predict, and therefore capture in simulation. Without accurate modelling, engineers face oversized safety margins and costly designs.
Dr Guccione’s research tackled this challenge head-on. As part of his fellowship, he and the University of Newcastle Research Team partnered with Rocscience to develop a fragmentation module integrate it into RocFall2, a widely used software tool for rockfall analysis and mitigation. The new feature simulates how breakage affects runout distance, dispersion, and impact energy, giving engineers unprecedented realism for safer, more efficient design.
This integration delivers a significant achievement and real industry–research impact. Engineers worldwide can now incorporate rock fragmentation considerations into their design processes, enhancing safety and efficiency in projects ranging from transportation corridors to mining operations.
Professor Anna Giacomini, fellow civil engineer, praised the achievement as “a remarkable accomplishment and a clear example of successful industry–research integration.”
To learn more about the update and its implications for geotechnical design, visit Rocscience’s article on Rocfall’s new update.
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