2.

Introduction to the Requirements for Soil Nails and

Equipment for Drilling and Grouting of Soil Nails
2.1 Typical design for soil nails

Soil nails are normally installed in 75 to 150 mm diameter drillholes of 10o - 20o, 450
and even 900 (vertical) downward inclination and with 20 to 40 mm diameter
galvanized high yield deformed bars. For typical details of soil nail and soil nail
head, see Figures 1 to 3 (for reference only).

2.2 Material Specification for soil nails

(1) Soil nail bars shall be Grade 500 high yield deformed bars complying with
CS2:2012. (Some of the existing soil nail works still using Grade460 high
yield deformed bars complying with CS2:1995 will be faded out gradually.)

(2) Nuts shall comply with British Standard (BS4190:2001) and relevant
documents. (e.g. Grade 4 steel specified in General Specification which may be
subject to review.)

(3) Connectors shall comply with updated relevant documents such as British
Standard, General Specification, Particular Specification …etc. (e.g. The
tensile strength of reinforcement connectors in tension\joints shall exceed 540
MPa for grade 500B and 575 MPa for grade 500C reinforcement in General
Specification.)

(4) Bearing plates shall be Grade 43A steel and comply with British Standard
(BS4360:1986) and relevant documents.

(5) Soil nail bars, bearing plates, nuts and connectors shall be hot-dip galvanized to
the requirement as stipulated in British Standard and relevant documents ( e.g.
BS EN ISO 1461:2009 with a min. local thickness of 70 µm and a mean
coating thickness of 85µm.)

(6) Centralizers shall be made of non-corrodible materials and shall be capable of

ensuring an even annulus of grout around the steel bar.

(7) Wire and ties for fixing packers, centralizers and grout pipes shall be made of
non-corrodible materials.

(8) Cement grout for soil nailing works shall comply with the General
Specification and relevant documents. (Water cement ratio shall not exceed
0.45.)

(9) The permitted deviation of drillholes for soil nails shall be ±2° to the specified
vertical and horizontal alignments.

(10) Conducting wires, where specified, shall be at least 2.5 mm diameter solid
wires with insulation.

(11) Corrugated sheathing for soil nails with double corrosion protection shall be

Quality Supervision of Soil Nail Construction 2-1 Chapter 2

 proprietary type. It shall be made of high density thermoplastic material with
wall thickness of at least 1 mm.

(12) Heat-shrinkable sleeve is a proprietary product with water resistant mastic to

provide the connection for better water resistant.

2.3 Method statement for soil nailing works to be submitted by Contractor shall
include:

(1) Detail design of working platform.

(2) Safety measures, dust and noise suppression measures to be implemented
during the construction of soil nails.
(3) Details and samples of soil nail bars, nuts, washers, plates, connectors,
corrugated sheathing, centralizers, grout pipes and packers for isolating the
bond length and the free length of the steel bars for pull-out tests.
(4) Details of the specialist galvanizer to be employed for galvanizing the steel
components.
(5) Method of drilling and details of drilling equipment.

(6) Details of cement grout including results of compressive strength of grout

cubes, flow cone tests and bleeding tests carried out on the proposed mix in the
presence of the Engineer’s site staff.
(7) Method of grouting and details of grouting equipment.
(8) Details of equipment for testing soil nails, including test and calibration
certificates.
(9) Details of testing assembly including details of datum for deformation
measurement and bearing pad.

2.4 Construction sequence of soil nails

(1) Erection of safe working platform and access ladders/stairways.

(2) Setting out of the positions of soil nails, including the temporary soil nails for
pull out tests, on slope face for Design Engineer's site inspection and
verification.

(3) Carrying out pull-out tests (Pull-out tests for soil nails are normally required
to be completed prior to the installation of the respective group of soil nails.
The Design Engineer may adjust the length and no. of soil nails after reviewing
the design with the pull-out test results).

(4) Construction of permanent soil nails

(i) drilling of holes.

(ii) steel bar fabrication and installation.

Quality Supervision of Soil Nail Construction 2-2 Chapter 2

 (iii) grouting of drillholes with bar inserted.

(iv) construction of soil nail heads.

2.5 Equipment involved in soil nailing work :

(1) Materials for working platform (steel tubes, plywood, plank … etc.)

(i) Steel tubes for guard rails, transoms, ledgers, rakers and braces are
usually galvanized, 3 mm thick with an external diameter of 49 mm.

(ii) Plywood boards for platforms are usually 20 mm thick, 600 mm wide
and 2400 mm long with a non-slip surface.

(iii) Planks for toe board are usually 25 mm thick and 200 mm high.

(2) Chain blocks and wires

(i) Chain blocks and tie wires used should be good in condition and
regularly tested in accordance with Construction Sites (Safety)
Regulations.

(ii) If fixing point is involved. It should be tested and certified by RPE.

(3) Air compressor

It should be a sound muffling type to avoid excessive noise being created (the
acceptable sound level is usually lower than 75 dBA measured from nearest
building).

(4) Drilling machine

It should be rotary or percussive-rotary drill with air

(5) Drill bit

The diameter should be at least the same as the specified drill hole diameter.

(6) Drill rod

The total length should be at least the minimum length of the drill hole.

(7) Grouting machine

(i) Grouting machine, which consists of grout mixer, holding tank and
grout pump shall be kept clean and in good working order.
(ii) Grout mixers shall be high speed colloidal mixers having a rotor speed
of at least 1000 revolutions/min. and capable of producing a colloidal
grout mix. Mixers shall be fitted with a water volume measuring
device for batching purposes.
(iii) Holding tanks shall be fitted with an agitator to provide continuous

Quality Supervision of Soil Nail Construction 2-3 Chapter 2

 agitation of the grout at 100 revolutions/min. The tank shall be fitted
with a dipstick to allow continuous measurement of the volume of grout
in the tank. A 2.36 mm removable screen shall be provided between
the tank and the pump or grout lines.
(iv) Grout pumps shall be positive displacement type. Pumps shall be
fitted with bypass valves to allow a standby pump to be brought into
operation.
(v) Working pressure gauges shall be accurate to within 3% and shall be
calibrated against a test gauge before grouting starts and at weekly
intervals. A test gauge with accompanying calibration certificates
shall be kept on the Site for the purpose of calibrating working gauges.
Working gauges shall be numbered and a record shall be kept of gauge
number, shifts worked, calibration dates and repairs undertaken; records
shall be kept on the Site and shall be available for inspection by the
Engineer at all times.
2.6 Checklist for soil nailing working platform

(1) The working platforms should be erected safely and in accordance with the
submitted method statement. (rusty or deformed steel tubes shall not be used in
the supporting frame of working platform.)

(2) The working platforms must be inspected and certified by a competent person
in accordance with the legislation before use.

Quality Supervision of Soil Nail Construction 2-4 Chapter 2

 TYPICAL DETAILS OF SOIL NAIL
(For Reference)
FIGURE 1

Quality Supervision of Soil Nail Construction 2-5 Chapter 2