Soil

Nailing
 INTRODUCTION
• Soil nailing is a technique used to reinforce and strengthen existing ground.

• Soil nailing consists of installing closely spaced bars into a slope or

excavation as construction proceeds from top down.

• It is an effective and economical method of constructing retaining wall for

excavation support, support of hill cuts, bridge abutments and high ways.

• This process is effective in cohesive soil, broken rock, shale or fixed face
conditions.
 Nails
• Driven Nails

• Grouted Nails

• Corrosion Protected Nails

• Jet grouted Nails

• Launched Nails
 Driven Nails
• Generally small-diameter nails (15-46 mm) with a relatively limited
length (to about 20 m) made of mild steel (about 50 ksi) that are
closely spaced in the wall (two to four nails per square meter).

• Nails with an axial channel can be used to permit the addition of

grout sealing.

• Driven nails are the quickest (four to six per hour) and most
economical to install (with a pneumatic or hydraulic hammer).
 Grouted Nails
• Steel bars, with diameters ranging from 15 to 46 mm, stronger than driven
nails (about 60 ksi).

• Grouted nails are inserted into boreholes of 10-15 cm and then cement-
grouted.

• Ribbed bars are also used to increase soil adhesion.

• Corrosion-protected nails

• For aggressive soils as well as for permanent structures.

 Jet-grouted Nails
• A composite of grouted soil and a central steel rod, up to 40 cm thick.

• Nails are installed using a high-frequency vibro percussion hammer,

and cement grouting is injected during installation.

• This method has been shown to increase the pullout resistance of the
composite, and the nails are corrosion-resistant.
 Launched Nails
• Nails between 25 and 38 mm in diameter and up to 6 m or longer are
fired directly into the soil with a compressed-air launcher.

• Used primarily for slope stabilization.

• This technique involves the least site disturbance.

Typical soil nail wall arrangement
 Design
• After a preliminary analysis of the site, initial designs of the soil nail
wall can be begin.
• This begins with a selection of limit states and design approaches.
• The two most common limit states used in soil nail wall design is
strength limit and service limit states.
 Limit States
• The strength limit state is the limit state that addresses potential
failure mechanisms or collapse states of the soil nail wall system.

• The service limit state is the limit state that addresses loss of service
function resulting from excessive wall deformation and is defined by
restrictions in stress, deformation and facing crack width under
regular service conditions.
 Design Approaches
• The two most common design approaches for soil nail walls are
limit state design and service load design.
• Initial design considerations include wall layout (wall height and length),
soil nail vertical and horizontal spacing, soil nail pattern on wall face, soil
nail inclination, soil nail length and distribution, soil nail material and
relevant ground properties.
• The next step is to use simplified charts to preliminarily evaluate nail
length and maximum nail force.
• Nail length, diameter and spacing typically control external and internal
stability of the wall.
 Machineries Used For Soil Nailing
• Drilling Equipments

• Grout Mixing Equipments

• Shotcreting / Guniting Equipments

• Compressor
 Drilling Equipment
• Rotary air-flushed and water-flushed

• Down-the-hole hammer

• Tri-cone bit

• It is important to procure drilling equipment with sufficient power

and rigid drill rods.
 Grout Mixing Equipment
• In order to produce uniform grout mix, high speed shear colloidal
mixer should be considered.

• Powerful grout pump is essential for uninterrupted delivery of grout

mix.

• If fine aggregate is used as filler for economy, special grout pump shall
be used.
 Advantages
• With the right soil and site conditions, a rapid and economical means of
constructing earth retention support systems and retaining walls.
• Creates less noise and traffic obstructions.
• Less impact on nearby properties
• Allow in-situ strengthening on existing slope surface with minimum
excavation and backfilling, particularly very suitable for uphill widening,
thus environmental friendly.
• Allow excellent working space in front of the excavation face,
• Can be used for strengthening of either natural slope, natural or man-
made cut slopes,
• Grouting only once is required, saving time and labor.
• The technique is flexible, easily modified.
 Disadvantages

• Nail encroachment to retained ground rendering unusable underground space,

• Generally larger lateral soil strain during removal of lateral support and ground
surface cracking may appear,

• Tendency of high ground loss due to drilling technique, particularly at course

grained soil,

• Less suitable for course grained soil and soft clayey soil, which have short self
support time, and soils prone to creeping,

• Suitable only for excavation above groundwater

 Conclusion
Soil nailing is an accepted technology, the theoretical aspects of which
are well understood and well reported in technical literature.
However, research indicates that there are few practical guidelines
available that offer a comprehensive, experience-based insight into the
construction considerations that should be addressed before a soil nail
system design is finalized and implemented.