Dynamic stability evaluation of nail stabilised vertical cuts in various site classes

The soil nailing method entails the utilisation of nails to reinforce and stabilise a zone of soil mass. This is widely used for various applications due to its effective performance under various loading conditions. The seismic response of 6m high vertical soil-nailed cut in various site classes under dynamic excitations has been investigated in this study considering various lengths and inclinations of nails. The influence of frequency content of dynamic excitation on the response of structure has been assessed through finite element analysis using time history data of three different earthquakes. The seismic stability of the nailed cut in retaining soil in various sites under El Centro, Kobe and Trinidad earthquake ground motion is evaluated based on maximum acceleration response, maximum horizontal deformation, earth pressure distribution on the wall and maximum axial force mobilised in nails. The optimum nail inclination is identified as 15 and a minimum nail length ratio of 0.7 is essential for a stable vertical cut under dynamic excitations.