Rockfall protection barriers play a crucial role in mitigating the risk associated with rockfall events in mountainous areas. However, their long-term performance can be significantly affected by material degradation due to environmental exposure, mechanical stress, and corrosion processes. This thesis investigates the degradation mechanisms that compromise the structural integrity and efficiency of rockfall barriers over time. A comprehensive review of existing studies and degradation models is provided, highlighting current limitations in predicting long-term behavior, in addition an overview on the principal's protection solution, zinc coatings, is presented. To support the analysis, a series of photografic real-world case study of safety devices are presented, aimed at illustrating the visible manifestations of material degradation.