Log Crib Check Dam Performance under Multiple Debris-Flow Loadings – East Gate Landslide, British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

Check dams are used in gullies to prevent vertical downcutting of the thalweg. Check dams built as log crib structures are common in steep creeks prone to floods or debris floods. Recent experience with performance of log crib check dams subject to debris flow loadings is less common, as those check dams are often made from reinforced concrete, steel or masonry. This paper summarizes our experience with six log crib check dams built in a gully at East Gate Landslide, between Revelstoke and Golden, BC, Canada. The log crib check dams are subjected to multiple debris flow events every year. The project started as a pilot study and the design is adjusted before the next construction season, based on performance experience with previously built structures.