A Brief Account of the Impact Of Soil Nails On Retaining Walls

Now this might seem quite difficult for you since it is the first time you are reading about soil nail walls, objects that have completely geotechnical references. Yes! Soil nail retaining walls have a variety of applications which range from slope stabilisation on highway embankments, tunnelling, levee constructions and temporary excavation support especially for permanent establishment retaining walls. The strong soil nail retaining walls are a breakthrough in geo-technical advancements. They come in a wide array of grades and sizes in order to suit any given construction project.

What are meant by soil nails?

Soil nails are exceptionally beneficial. They comprise threaded steel bars which are placed into holes and pre-drilled to keep the grouts in place. The soil nails are most of the times placed horizontally into soil for providing support to any soil mass by means of transferring tensile load throughout a ground area. The bond stresses take place along the “nail grout-to-ground interface”. When properly configured, the nail systems would reach out to a resistance level needed for retaining the specific soil nail retaining walls in Perth.

The soil nail retaining walls are regarded as passive reinforcing elements where the soil nails are simply not pre-stressed unlike the tieback rods. They are mostly 20–30 ft in length and have smaller diameter sizes. The soil nails are adaptable to different drilling patterns which are required for supporting the height of the retaining wall. With the soil nails right in place it becomes easier to provide adequate level of tensile resistance along with pull-out resistance as a result of which the ground will tend to remain stable till the time the soil resisting walls are created.

The soil nails are mostly used in a combination of steel grid covers and shotcrete. Basically, it all works as a system and this system comprises a variety of things like:
a)Soil nail
b)Grid cover
c)Shotcrete

Together they help make for coherent elements with adequate strength for resisting an overburdening pressure of the surrounding earth along with the surcharge pressure. The soil nails constitute of bars which are installed within the slope or excavation for providing reinforcement to the earth retention structure. They vary from tie-backs and are considered to be passive elements which are not loaded in tension.

Using soil nails is a flexible construction approach which also allows simplified on-site modifications. Furthermore, soil nail retaining walls in Hamilton Hill are installed to gain some significant benefits such as the following:

a)Top-notch manufacturing processes eliminating any chances of material loss
b)Left- or right-hand thread configuration for optimising the threading flexibility
c)Numerous grade options which offer flexibility for yielding strength
Vast variety of sizes
d)Completely threaded bars for providing the ability for cutting bars into desired lengths
e)Ability for supplying single bar that can extend up to 60 feet
f)A wide range of accessories in order to complement the threaded bars
Variety of options for corrosion protection

Soil nail applications

a)Permanent construction of retaining wall
b)Reconstruction of retaining wall structures and their repair
Erosion control
c)Non-permanent excavation shoring
d)Roadway cuts
e)Landslide prevention
f)Slope stabilisation especially meant for tunnelling
g)Bridge abutment support

How soil nailing contributes to construction of a retaining wall

The soil nails form a significant part of structurally sound retaining walls while providing an increased level of reinforcement during the construction. Construction engineers pick soil nails for the reasons below:

a)Minimal “right-of-way” requirement along with lesser traffic obstructions
b)Can be easily installed around tight spaces with application of fewer equipment
c)Demands less materials
d)Versatility and flexibility to fit around multiple types of projects or soil conditions
e)Quieter installation because of compact equipment
f)Lower level of load requirements
g)Minimal shoring
h)Demands less materials
i)Unrestricted wall height

These are some significant aspects considered vital for soil nail retaining walls.

Author-bio: the author runs a company offering soil nail retaining walls in Hamilton Hill. In recent times the author has been shedding light on key aspects related to the subject.