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Numerical Analysis of Soil Nailed Walls under

Seismic Condition for Different Geometry of the
Nails

Conference Paper · January 2012

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 Numerical Analysis of Soil Nailed Walls under Seismic Condition
for Different Geometry of the Nails

Siavash Zamiran1, Hamidreza Saba2

1
PhD Candidate, Instructor, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Southern Illinois University Carbondale,
Carbondale, Illinois, USA, Email: zamiran@siu.edu, zamirans@gmail.com, Website: www.zamiran.net,
Phone: +1 (618) 334-4572
2
Assistant professor, Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, hr.saba@aut.ac.ir

Second International Conference on Geotechnique, Construction Materials and Environment, Kuala

Lumpur, Malaysia, 2012
Postprint version
Citation: Zamiran, S., & Saba, H. (2012). Numerical Analysis of Soil Nailed Walls under Seismic
Condition for Different Geometry of the Nails. Presented at the Second International Conference on
Geotechnique, Construction Materials and Environment, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

ABSTRACT
In this paper, numerical simulations of soil nail walls under simulated vibrational input have been carried
out and the results are compared with the function of soil nail walls under ordinary statistical loading. The
behavior of geometry of nails is mentioned under static and seismic analysis. The analysis is carried out
with finite difference software called FLAC. The results are prepared as lateral displacement of the walls
and normalized maximum tensile forces for nails. These results can demonstrate the behavior of external
and internal resistance of soil nail walls under dynamic and static analysis. The deformation of wall under
static and dynamic manner varies in a wide range. On the other hand tensile loads that are produced in nails
under static manner are namely 50% less than the dynamic manner.
Keywords: Soil Nailing, Seismic Analysis, Finite Deference Analysis, FLAC

1. Introduction
The behavior of soil nail walls is the function of soil and nail strength parameters, geometry of wall, etc.
Numerous investigations are carried out to demonstrate the static and seismic behavior of soil nail walls.
However, with respect to different parameters that influence on the behavior of these systems, more
investigations about soil nail walls are necessary. In this research, deferent geometry parameters of soil nail
walls are mentioned in static and dynamic behavior of soil nail systems. The strength function of the wall
under Manjil earthquake acceleration (Iran 1990) loading condition is mentioned by wall deformation and
vibration of soil nail forces.
Mohr-Coulomb constitutive model is selected for numerical study in this research. The strength function of nail and
shotcrete is considered as elastic. The finite deference software called FLAC is used for numerical study. FLAC can
model the interaction between nail and soil properly as static and dynamic analysis in the soil medium.

2. Verification of the finite deference model

Thompson and Miller (1990) investigated the Seattle’s first nailed walls. For this vertical soil nail wall, nails were
mostly installed at 1.8m spacing horizontally and vertically. The nail length is 10.7m, except for the length of the top
row which is 9.8m. The diameter of the drilled holes is 203mm. Nail bars are installed at an inclination of 15 degrees,
though the first row on the high wall was installed at 20 degrees to avoid utilities. A typical section of the high wall is
shown in Fig. 1, [1]. In this research, the stability of this soil nailed vertical cut is analysed by FLAC.

Thompson and Miller measured the highest nail forces by inclinometer and calculated the values by the
finite-element method. A comparison of maximum nail forces in measured values and finite-element
calculations in each row is shown in Fig. 2 with the values that gain from finite deference method, FLAC.
The results show reliable convergence among calculated values, FEM and FDM. Fig. 3 shows the reliable
convergence of the places that maximum tensile loads occur through the nail lengths.

Fig. 1) Typical section of Seattle’s wall [1]

Fig. 2) Comparison of maximum nail forces

 Fig. 3) Places that maximum tensile loads occur through the nail lengths

3. Numerical modeling considerations

In this study, a 9 meters soil nail wall is considered. 9 rows of nails with the length of 9 meters are selected
for stabilizing the wall. The selection of the first geometry is based on the FHWA design booklet. Nail
inclination in the first model is 10 degrees, and the horizontal and vertical space between nails is 1 meter.
Static equilibrium of the wall is obtained with step by step excavations. Soil mass is modelled in the
software by popular constitutive model, Mohr-Coulomb. Elastic modulus of soil is 20 MPa; Poisson's ratio
is 0.3; unit weight is 17.6 kN/m3; internal friction angle is 31 degree and cohesion strength is 20 MPa.
Cable structural element is used to modeling the nail. Also beam structural element is used to simulate
shotcrete in numerical models.
According to some researchers like Wei and Cheng, a thin layer of material with a thickness of 4.0 mm
surrounding the nail is used to model the shearing zone between the nail and the soil that is shown in Fig.
4. [2]
The shear stiffness of the shear zone (grout), Kg, can be estimated in Eq. (1).
2 G
Kg 
10ln(1  2tD) (1)
Where G is shear modulus of the shear zone and identical to shear modulus of soil. D is drilled hole diameter
and t is annulus thickness of the shear zone and is considered equal to 0.004 m. The shear zone cohesive
strength (slider) per unit length can be estimated as Eq. (2).

cg   c( D  2t )
(2)
Where c is cohesion of soil. Shear zone friction angle is nearly equal to friction angle of surrounding soil.
The properties of cable and beam elements for nail and shotcrete is shown in Table 1.
Earthquake loading is based on shear stress history that is applied to the base of the model. Quiet boundary
should adjust for bottom boundary of the model. To avoid rejection of the earthquake wave to the model,
free field boundary is used for left and right side of the model.

Fig. 4) Idealization of the soil nail system.

Table 1) Cable parameters for simulation of nail

parameter value unit

Nail diameter 20 mm
Drill hole diameter 100 mm
Young’s modulus of nail 200 GPa
Young’s modulus of grout 22 GPa
Young’s modulus of grouted nail 29.12 GPa
Annulus thickness 0.004 m
Nail shear zone cohesive strength 6.28 kPa
Nail shear zone friction angle 31 degree
Nail shear stiffness of the shear zone 219.6 MPa
Compressive yield strength of the 30 MPa
grouted nail
Tensile yield strength of the grouted nail 30 MPa
density of grouted nail 2200 kg/m3
Young’s modulus of shotcrete 24.5 GPa
Poisson’s ration of shotcrete 0.3
Density of shotcrete 2200 kg/m3
Rayleigh damping is used in the seismic analysis of soil nail walls. Rayleigh damping is specified in FLAC
with the parameters fmin in Hertz (cycles per second) and ξmin. For geological materials, damping (ξmin)
commonly falls in the range of 2 to 5% of critical; for structural systems, 2 to 10% is representative. [3]
The idea in the dynamic analysis is to adjust fmin of the Rayleigh damping so that it is 3:1 range coincides
with the range of predominant frequencies in the problem. The “predominant frequencies” are neither the
input frequencies nor the natural modes of the system, but a combination of both. The idea is to try to get
the right damping for the important frequencies in the problem. [4]
Numerical distortion of the propagating wave can occur in a dynamic analysis as a function of the modeling
conditions. Both the frequency content of the input wave and the wave-speed characteristics of the system
will affect the numerical accuracy of wave transmission. Kuhlemeyer and Lysmer (1973) show that for
accurate representation of wave transmission through a model, the spatial element size, l, must be smaller
than approximately one-tenth to one-eighth of the wavelength associated with the highest frequency
component of the input wave [5]. In this research, finite element mesh size is considered for accuracy of
wave transmission.
4. Influence of nail length in static and dynamic analysis
The numerical model that is described in part 3 is used to investigate the influence of nail length during
static and dynamic analysis. The only exception is the variation in nail length that is varied in 5, 7, 9 and
11 meters. The dynamic analysis is carried out by Manjil velocity history. Fig. 5 shows lateral displacement
of the wall during static and dynamic analysis. As shown in Fig. 5 displacement behavior defers in the static
and dynamic analysis. The maximum displacement of the wall in the dynamic analysis happens on the top
of the wall. Other than the displacement of the wall in the static analysis happens on the one-third height of
the wall. The variation of nail length effects on the stability of the wall in the dynamic analysis more than
static stability of the wall.
Fig. 6 shows maximum normalized axial force of the nails during static and dynamic analysis. As shown
in Fig. 6 mobilized axial force behavior nearly is same in the static and dynamic analysis.
6. Influence of nail inclination angle in static and dynamic analysis
The same numerical model is used to investigate the influence of nail inclination angle during static and
dynamic analysis. The only exception is the variation in nail inclination angle that is varied in 0, 10, 20 and
30 degrees. The dynamic analysis is carried out by Manjil velocity history. Fig. 7 shows lateral displacement
of the wall during static and dynamic analysis. As shown in Fig. 7 displacement behavior defers in the static
and dynamic analysis. The maximum displacement of the wall in the dynamic analysis happens on the top
of the wall. Other than the displacement of the wall in the static analysis happens on the one-third height of
the wall. As shown in Fig. 7 minimum displacement of the wall occurs in the models with 10 and 20 degrees
of inclination angle. Otherwise walls with 0 and 30 degrees of inclination angle have larger displacement.
This situation shows that there is an optimum inclination angle in both static and dynamic manners between
10 and 20 degrees.
Fig. 8 shows maximum normalized axial force of the nails during static and dynamic analysis. As shown
in Fig. 8 there is similar function of nail axial force in both dynamic and static analysis. In the upper nails,
lower inclination of nails causes lower axial force. Otherwise in the downer nails, lower inclination of nails
causes higher axial force.
 Fig. 5) Lateral displacement of the wall in static and dynamic analysis

Fig. 6) Maximum normalized axial force of the wall in static and dynamic analysis
 Fig. 7) lateral displacement of the wall during static and dynamic analysis

Fig. 8) Maximum normalized axial force of the nails during static and dynamic analysis.
7. Conclusion
In this paper static and dynamic analysis is carried out on a soil nail model. Manjil earthquake acceleration
is selected for the dynamic analysis. Two main geometry parameters of soil nail walls are considered for
comparison between dynamic and static behavior of soil nail walls: nail length and nail inclination angle.
 The results are gained by lateral displacement of the wall and maximum axial nail force. These two
parameters can explain the external and internal response of the system respectively.
The results show that the maximum displacement of the wall in the dynamic analysis happens on the top of
the wall. Other than the displacement of the wall in the static analysis happens on the one-third height of
the wall. The variation of nail length effects on the stability of the wall in the dynamic analysis more than
static stability of the wall. In the upper nails, lower inclination of nails causes lower axial force. Otherwise
in the downer nails, lower inclination of nails causes higher axial force.

Reference
[1] Thompson, S. R., and Miller, I. R ., “Design, Construction and Performance of a Soil Nailed wall in
Seattle, Washington”, Design and Performance of Earth Retaining Structures, Geotechnical Special
publication, No. 25, ASCE, 1990, pp. 629-643.
[2] W.B. Wei, Y.M. Cheng, “Soil nailed slope by strength reduction and limit equilibrium methods”,
Computers and Geotechnics journal, 2010.
[3] Biggs, J. M. Introduction to Structural Dynamics. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1964.
[4] Itasca Consulting Group, Inc. , “Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua in 2 Dimensions, FLAC2D”
Dynamic Analysis, 2005, pp 13
[5] Kuhlemeyer, R. L., and J. Lysmer. “Finite Element Method Accuracy forWave Propagation Problems,”
J. Soil Mech. & Foundations, Div. ASCE, 1973, 99(SM5), 421-427.

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