Soil Nailing
A leading Geostructural Design & Construction contractor, Schnabel has the expertise to provide the right soil nailing solutions for dependable excavation support in the most difficult settings.
Soil Nailing uses a combination of passive inclusions or nails and a pneumatically applied shotcrete facing to reinforce soils in-situ. In the right conditions, soil nailing can be the fastest and most economical solution for excavation support.
A premier earth-retention and specialty foundation contractor, Schnabel has the expertise to help you select the best support solution for your project.
SOIL NAILING SOLUTIONS
Soil nailing is an in-place reinforcement of the existing soil/rock at a site that utilizes steel tendons grouted into drilled holes to create a stable block. Shotcrete, reinforced with wire mesh and/or reinforcing steel, is applied to the face of the excavation to secure the soil between the nails. Soil nailing is installed from the top down as an excavation is made in 4 to 6-foot lifts.
Soil nailing is used for the temporary support of excavations, construction of permanent retaining walls, and for the control of landslides. One of America’s most accomplished soil nailing contractors, Schnabel has successfully constructed soil nail walls in a variety of different soil conditions. Soil nailing is not recommended in cohesionless soil, organic soil or cuts below the water table.
Soil nail walls are usually built with smaller, easily mobilized equipment and without extensive steel fabrication. This minimizes the start-up time and makes soil nailing the best application for congested sites.
Soil nailing can also be used where there are overhead restrictions, such as bridge abutments and power lines, as there are no vertical elements to install. Soil nails are typically shorter than tiebacks for the same height of cut and thus may be preferable where there limited right-of-ways or property lines. In the proper soil and groundwater conditions, soil nail walls can be constructed faster and more economically than other retaining wall systems.
One of America’s most accomplished soil nailing contractors, Schnabel has successfully constructed soil nail walls in a variety of different soil conditions. While it can be effective for many projects, soil nailing is not recommended in cohesionless soil, organic soil or cuts below the water table.
To learn more about Schnabel’s soil nailing installation and leading-edge earth retention capabilities, contact one of our regional offices today.
Consistently delivering positive outcomes for our clients.
SOIL NAILING CASE STUDIES
Debbie Smith CTE Academy | Reno, NV
As part of this project, a permanent soil nailing wall covering an area of 9,500 square feet was constructed. This structure served both as excavation support and the final building wall for a career and technology training high school facility spanning 200,000 square feet.
725 Ponce | Atlanta, GA
To facilitate excavation depths of up to 50 feet, Schnabel designed and constructed both permanent and temporary earth retention systems. These were put in place to support not only the Beltline pathway but also the adjacent city streets and residential structures. The earth retention systems comprised 50,000 square feet of soil nail walls.
The drilling on this job was tough – nested cobbles and gravels with some boulders mixed in. We punched it out with multiple drill rigs and a steady supply of tooling. The tough conditions meant our field crews could not have done it without support from our equipment division. They rose to the occasion and kept the machines working and tooled up.
