## 2 Overview on Published Contributions  
In the article entitled _A New Characterization Method for Rock Joint Roughness Considering the Mechanical Contribution of Each Asperity Order_[1], insights on the rock discontinuity characterization are provided with the aim of establishing a formula for the joint roughness characterization by considering the mechanical contribution of each asperity order. Laboratory shear tests were performed on sandstone samples crossed by joints affected by different roughness degrees and asperity orders. In particular, three types of joint specimens with different asperity orders (flat, the standard JRC profile, and the profile containing only waviness) were considered. The mechanical contributions of waviness and unevenness were studied, as well as the relationship between the mechanical contribution and the morphology contribution of waviness and unevenness. Achieved results showed that, as normal stress increases, the influence of the joint surface morphology on its shear strength gradually decreases, and the relationship between the mechanical contribution ratio and the statistical parameter ratio of the waviness and unevenness can be described by a power function. Finally, the authors provide a formula for the accurate characterization of the joint surface roughness and the evaluation of its shear strength. The article _Semiautomated Statistical Discontinuity Analyses from Scanline Data of Fractured Rock Masses_[2] focuses on the determination of basic statistical discontinuity parameters through open-source high-level language. The proposed workflow provides a semiautomated statistical discontinuity analysis of raw scanline data for determining (a) the normal set spacing probability density distribution and the mean of individual discontinuity sets; (b) the mean linear frequency of sets; (c) the mean and the distribution of trace lengths of each set; and (d) the termination index. The study was based on the assumptions that the discontinuities are plane surfaces in 3D models and straight lines (traces) in 2D models, and that the discontinuities of a set are aligned in parallel for the normal spacing calculation. Despite these assumptions, and some limitations summarized in the paper, the presented workflow represents a tool for objective data acquisition and analysis compared to the conventional sampling in the field. The paper _Modified \"Rockfall Hazard Rating System for Pakistan (RHRSP)\": An Application for Hazard and Risk Assessment along the Karakoram Highway, Northwest Pakistan_[3] examines the application of the internationally acknowledged Rockfall Hazard Rating System (RHRS) [4] in a version specifically modified to take into account some peculiarities characterizing Pakistan's roads, where the animal activity is acknowledged as a rockfall triggering cause. Grazing altitude, road shoulder width, animal tracks and slope steepness were chosen as parameters to quantify animal activity. The modified rating system was tested along the Karakoram Highway for hazard mapping purposes, supported by rockfall inventory, rock mass surveys and kinematic analysis. The results of the case study showed that roads characterized by narrow width, limited shoulder width and insufficient protection measures returned the highest hazard conditions. In the article _Interaction between Rockfalls and Vehicles Studied for Speed Limit Zonation along Mountainous Roads_[5], the RHRS, modified for Italian road standards [6], was applied along a mountainous road segment with a specific focus on traffic and vehicle speed limit zonation. The authors iterated the risk estimation by considering five scenarios assuming different vehicle speed limits posted along the road (10 to 50 km/h), with the aim of shedding light on the implication of this parameter when dealing with rockfalls along linear infrastructures. Results show that the rockfall risk increases as the vehicle speed increases, although for very low speeds (10 and 20 km/h) no significant difference was highlighted.