Laboratory study on pullout capacity of helical soil nail in cohesionless soil

Abstract

Helical nails are a new alternative to conventional soil nails or tie-backs for stabilization of slopes, excavations, and embankments due to ease of installation, minimal site disturbance, and immediate loading capability. Pullout capacity of helical nails is a critical parameter for their design. This study investigates the pullout behaviour of helical soil nails installed in dry dense sand through a series of laboratory tests. The tests were performed on seven different types of helical nails in a displacement-controlled manner. The paper describes the test procedure, results and highlights the influence of different parameters on the pullout capacity. Results show that roughness of the nail shaft significantly influences the peak pullout capacity of helical soil nails. A linear relationship between peak pullout force and overburden pressure is observed for different types of helical soil nails, indicating that it satisfies the Mohr–Coulomb failure criteria. A helical soil nail having a double helix of unequal diameter and the same interspacing shows higher pullout capacity than a helical soil nail having a double helix of the same diameter. The position of the helix and spacing-to-diameter ratio of the soil nail with a double helix of unequal diameter plays a significant role on the peak pullout capacity.