Soil Nails are a construction technique that is used in slope remediation as well as new construction. Soil Nails are passive elements
made of solid or hollow stem bar that are installed into the slope face at an angle slightly below horizontal. Soil Nails are encased in
grout to bond them to surrounding soil and to provide a level of corrosion protection. The most common application of soil nails is in
Shotcrete-Soil Nail retaining walls. Shotcrete-Soil Nail retaining walls are constructed from the top down using five foot vertical cuts.
It is commonly believed that with the introduction of soil nails to slopes, this new combination of elements possesses higher shear
strength than the original soils. In the context of Rankine’s active state, soil nailing serves to provide horizontal restraint to guard
against active failure.
Designed to be installed horizontally or at a slight angle (20-25°), soil nails provide reinforcement for earth retention structures
within excavations and on slopes in top-down construction. Installed into a drilled hole and used in combination with plate washers and
shotcrete, soil nails are effective as temporary or permanent geostructural solutions.
Soil nails are installed in applications such as bridge abutments to stabilize the embankment and provide structural support for a
shotcrete wall. In a permanent application, each soil nail is triple corrosion protected.
Soil nails are often combined with a rock netting and geotextile revetment to complete the soil protection and encourage the establishment
of ground vegetation often enhanced by Hydroseeding.
It is especially useful for sites with difficult access as the drilling and grout-ing equipment is typically compact and light.