Soil Nails

Soil nails are part of our geotechnical service offering and are a highly versatile method for slope, embankment, and landslide stabilisation. Soil nails are a cost-effective ground stabilisation technique that can be used in a wide range of ground conditions with low environmental impact.

Soil nails are one of the geotechnical engineering techniques we specialise in.

We offer a complete range of hollow bar and self-drilling soil nails and strands, solid bar and double corrosion protection ground anchors, installed using tracked or wheeled Soilmec and Casagrande drilling rigs.

Key rig capabilities:

  • Rig loadings: 1.5–34 tonnes
  • Bore diameter: 50–300mm (nails)
  • Maximum depth: 35m (nails)
  • Working load: 10–500kN (nails)
  • Maximum depth: 25m

What are the advantages of Soil Nails?

  • Lightweight and corrosion resistant
  • Can be stressed accurately to required capacities
  • Minimal soil disturbance with low environmental impact
  • Ideal for sites with difficult and restricted access because the rigs that are utilised are usually smaller
  • Temporary works and platforms requirements are reduced
  • Often a more cost effective and faster solution for temporary excavation support
  • Soil installation and excavation can progress concurrently

Common Uses

  • Soil nailing uses grouted steel bars to reinforce in-situ soils to create a gravity retaining wall for permanent or temporary excavation support allowing soils to stand at steeper angles than they would naturally.
  • To treat slope failures or slip circles.
Soil nail installation by Van Elle

In-situ soils are stabilised with soil nails, which are an array of grouted bars, made from steel, stainless steel, or glass fibre. Soil nails are installed using a wide range of methods where access and restricted working dictate the method adopted. Drilling and grouting is the most common technique adopted as it is suited to a wide range of ground conditions.

Solid steel bars are drilled into slopes with grout flush or inserted into pre-drilled holes and grouted into place. Hollow bar self-drilling soil nails are screwed into the ground with grout pumped down their center to fix them into place. A steel plate is attached to the end of the nail and mesh attached to hold the slope face.

Soil nails are more suited to cohesive soils. Soil nails tend to work best when installed in granular materials but are also commonly employed in soft rocks and stiff clays. They are ideal for sites which are difficult to access because the rigs that are utilised are usually smaller.

Van Elle Soil Nails
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