CONSTRUCTION OF SOIL NAILING WALLS Presented by: Student’s Name

Contents Subsoil considerations Design consideration Construction considerations Construction and installation steps Advantages Disadvantages

Subsoil Considerations Favorable Conditions Soil should be stiff or hard with fine grains Grains should have low plasticity Soil should have natural cohesion provided by either capillary water of natural cementation Subsoil with weathered rock should be uniformly weathered

Subsoil Considerations Unfavorable Conditions Dry and poorly grained soils Soils lacking natural cohesion or cementation Soil with a lot of ground water Soil with a lot of cobbles and boulders Soil that is not uniformly weathered Highly corrosive soils

Design Considerations Drainage considerations Use of geo-composite drain strips along the excavation walls to allow water to be discharged through weep holes at the bottom of the wall Use of drain pipes to control ground water pressure. Designing ditches behind the walls to prevent surface water from infiltrating behind the walls

Design Considerations Other considerations They should be designed to resist damage caused by frost action by increasing thickness of soil wall be using porous material The wall should be designed in a way that it can withstand both external loads such as highways and the weight of the temporary facing.

Construction Considerations The state of the construction material should be in good physical conditions and as per the design specification Check to ensure the excavation walls are stable and that the nails are properly installed with the right length size and spacing Check to ensure the completed soil wall is not tampered with during excavation of the next phase

Construction Considerations The contractor should ensure that the soil nail drilling is done as per the specifications The amount of time the drill holes remain open to avoid caving Materials are properly handled to avoid damages Ensure nails are properly grouted in the grouted column with no gaps left

Construction and Installation Steps Excavation is done to a level the walls can support themselves for 2 days. It is made about 6feet and wide enough for equipment Drilling the nail holes according to the design specifications Installing the nails using centralizers together with pipes filled with grouting cement. Geo-composite walls are also installed in this phase.

Construction and Installation Steps 4. Construct temporary facing to support the open cut soil using a reinforced layer of welded wire mesh between the facing thickness Construction of subsequent levels by repeating steps 1- 4 Finally construct a permanent facing using reinforced concrete and fabricated panels

Advantages of Soil Nail Walls Construction advantages Doesn’t disrupt the flow of traffic as compared to other methods It provides a less congested excavation bottom It has a rapid construction schedule The design can be easily adjusted without creating safety issues

Advantages of Soil Nail Walls Performance Resultant wall are very flexible The structures have very small deflections The walls can withstand seismic activities Cost Overall cost is lower than other methods Uses cheaper materials such as shortcrete

Disadvantages of Soil Nail Walls Can be implemented by highly trained and experienced contactors only. It is not favorable in areas with a lot of ground water The presence of different utilities pose a challenge in terms of inclination and length of the soil nails during construction in the upper rows

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