This paper gives information about the results of three years Snow Net Project at the Hafelekar at 2250m a.s.l. above Innsbruck/ Tyrol, performed by the Federal Service for Avalanche and Torrent Control (WLV) in cooperation with the Federal Research and training Center for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape (BFW) in Innsbruck. At present in Austria snow net systems as an avalanche protection measure are very rarely in use. Therefore a test site at the Hafelekar above Innsbruck was installed to analyse the systems of different companies. Especially the difference between the triangle net types and the rectangular net types was one of the major points of interests. On this test site extensive measurements of the forces in the snow nets are installed to obtain extensive information of the forces in the different net systems. Based on the experiences in France and in Switzerland with the snow net measurements this project provides additional and further data of the forces on the snow nets systems. Measurement data comprise time series of the pressure on the poles, the tension forces in the wire-ropes and the change of the geometry during the winters. Additionally tests with the anchors and the analysis of the materials in terms of corrosion protection have been performed and will help to estimate the durability of the different systems. Up to now measurement data of three winters with different snow heights have been collected. The measurements showed no major problems with the distribution of the forces in the measured systems. These findings from the test site at the Hafelekar should help to define an Austrian guideline for snow nets.
