Xtreme engineered reinforced Earth Retaining-wall 1

[hetgen]

Hi Good People, can someone explain how the retaining wall shown on link below works?

the only explanation that I got is a voodoo engineering were you put the parts together on sketch and this doll will somehow control the massive retaining wall

Link

 

[bridgebuster]

It's soil nailing; although the nail lengths look too short to me.

 

[hetgen]

Thanks Bridgebuster,

I agree the nails are too short to get to the resistance zone; can we really call these soil nails? these nails are just steel rods driven with hummer no coring, grouting etc... to achieve bond length.

 

[BUGGAR]

Simple. It doesn't. Where did you get that?

 

[oldestguy]

I suspect this is merely a "facing" on a cut into the weathered granite that has great soil strength properties, making it "self supporting". I've seen this stuff in southern California stand nicely with near vertical face for significant heights and no protection, something like cuts in mid-west USA loess. I kinda question how the "backfill concrete" will get down to the bottom, unless it is soup consistency, making it a heavy liquid that will then cause the wall to fail, due to the rods having little to no grip.

 

[hetgen]

@BUGGAR its one of these design and build sub contracts, they take full responsibility.

@oldestguy the soil is residual granite soil. Not self-supporting, but competent soil with a phi 35-40 as they note on the sketch.

 

[hokie66]

"Full responsibility", but what happens in a few years time when the company has failed, and so has the "wall"?

 

[oldestguy]

Hetgen: In giving the scoop about the weathered granite, you missed the most important one that really controls the stability.

 

[emmgjld]

The drawing appears similar to a 'launched nail' system, but may not be as effective if it is driven into place. The high velocity placement is a big plus for stabilization.

http://www.geostabilization.com

 

[hetgen]

Thanks emmgjld,

We don't have 'launched nail' around here, but this may sure be the explanation. I will read through the technical documentation.