Soil nailing is an in situ soil reinforcement technique that can be
used to enhance the stability of slopes, retaining walls, embankments,
and excavations. It involves installation of closely spaced, relatively
slender unstressed tension-carrying structural elements into the ground
to stabilize the soil mass. These elements, which are called soil nails,
comprise steel or other engineering materials such as fiber reinforced
polymer.
Soil nailing did not gain popularity until the 1970s when engineers
started to realize that the technique could offer an effective, robust,
and economical reinforcing system for a variety of ground conditions.
More importantly, the track record has been excellent in that no major
collapses have been reported in properly designed and well-constructed
soil nailed structures so far. Considerable experience and knowledge of
the technique have been gained in the past few decades through
systematic technical development work comprising laboratory tests,
numerical modeling, physical modeling, site trials and field monitoring
covering design, and construction practices.
Soil Nailing: A Practical Guide consolidates the experience and
advances made in the development and use of the soil nailing technique
and encourages a wider adoption of the technique by practitioners. The
book is intended for use by postgraduate students, researchers, and
practicing civil and geotechnical engineers, who wish to have a more
in-depth and fundamental understanding of the theory and practice behind
the technique. It presents the basic principles of the technique as well
as state-of-the-art knowledge and recommended standard of good practice
in respect of design, construction, monitoring, and maintenance of soil
nailed structures.
