Soil Nail Walls

Soil nail wall

Soil nail walls are retaining walls which are built from the top downwards in cut situations where the soil has enough apparent cohesion that it can stand up on its own during construction. The walls consist of soil nails spaced approximately 5 ft. (1.5 m) on center with a shotcrete facing which is often covered with a permanent cast-in-place concrete facing.  Soil nailing is not appropriate at sites consisting of clays which creep, clean sands which will not stand up or areas below the water table.

Design and Analysis:

  1. Design Criteria

  1. FHWA-SA-96-069, "Manual for Design & Construction Monitoring of Soil Nail Walls"
  2. FHWA-SA-93-068, "Soil Nailing Field Inspectors Manual"
  3. FHWA-SA-93-026, "Recommendations Clouterre 1991 (English Translation)"

  1. Analysis Methods

  1. SNAIL Program developed by California Department of Transportation
  2. GOLDNAIL Program developed by Golder Associates

Other Resources:

  1. Pictures

  1. Interstate 10 Widening Project

Related Companies:

  1. Schnabel Foundation Company
  2. Drill Tech