Report No. : GEO Report No. 265

Report Title : Study of Nail-soil Interaction by Numerical Shear Box Test Simulations (2012), 42 p.

Author : W.M. Cheung & G.W.K. Chang

Abstract

Soil nailing has been commonly used as a structural support to enhance stability of existing and newly formed slopes. Its performance is generally satisfactory, however, the current design approach has made little account for the nail-ground interaction in particular if new materials other than steel are used for soil-nail reinforcement. A study using simulated direct shear box and zone shear box has been carried out to investigate the behaviour of steel soil-nail reinforcement subject to shearing with and without contrast in soil stiffness between the two shear zones.

The results indicate that axial force, shear force and bending moment were mobilised when the soil nail was subject to shearing. The distributions of axial force, shear force and bending moment generally resemble those determined theoretically. The degree of mobilisation increases as the width of shear zone decreases, and as the contrast in soil stiffness increases. Among the mobilisation of axial force, shear force and bending moment, the latter is the highest irrespective of the width of shear zone and the contrast in soil stiffness.

This report presents the details and findings of the study.

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