Use of Launched Soil Nails to Stabilize Shallow Slope Failure on Urban Access Road 172

In the transportation industry there are many methods of slope and embankment stabilization. Traditional soil nailing is one such method, which employs inserting nails into pre-drilled holes, then grouting them into place. A variant of this procedure, Launched Soil Nails (LSN), uses compressed air to accelerate a 6 m long 40 mm diameter steel nail or rod into the ground at over 350 km/hr. Research has indicated that at this high velocity a shock wave is generated ahead of the nails that elastically deforms the soil which subsequently rebounds and bonds to the nails (i). LSN was used on an Alberta Transportation (AT) project site near the village of New Sarepta about 40 km southeast of Edmonton on Urban Approach Road 172. The failed area was a shallow slope failure approximately 130 m2 in size. The LSN solution was ideal for site specific considerations such as a nearby high pressure oil pipeline, fibre optic cables crossing the failed area, 1200 mm diameter culvert immediately beneath the failed area, high road fill, and limited access. LSN is not a broad replacement for traditional methods of slope stabilization. However, in cases where slope failures can be compared, LSN has its advantages over traditional methods of slope stabilization. LSN reduces cost, saves time, reduces public disruptions, reduces environmental concerns, and is a flexible and viable option for stabilizing slopes.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)

  401-1111 Prince of Wales Drive
  Ottawa, Ontario  Canada 
• Authors:
  • Smith, J
  • GRAPEL, C
  • PROSKIN, S
  • OAD, S
• Conference:
  • 2009 ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION OF THE TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION OF CANADA - TRANSPORTATION IN A CLIMATE OF CHANGE
• Publication Date: 2009

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 11 p.
• Monograph Title: 2009 Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Transportation Association of Canada - Transportation in a Climate of Change

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Conferences; Evaluation; Slope stability; Slopes; Soil stabilization
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Subject Areas: Geotechnology; SOIL MECHANICS;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01149405
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transportation Association of Canada (TAC)
• Files: TAC
• Created Date: Jan 29 2010 11:56AM