Effect of Nail Arrangement on the Behavior of Convex Corner Soil-Nailed Walls
Majid Moradi, A. Pooresmaeili Babaki, Mohsen Sabermahani
Abstract
Four centrifuge model tests were conducted to investigate the effect of convex corners on the deformation of soil-nailed walls and evaluate the influence of the soil-nail layout on wall behavior. Excavations with equivalent convex geometries, but different soil–nail arrangements including a perpendicular pattern and parallel pattern, were considered, and the results were compared to those of a two-dimensional plane strain model. The results indicate that the deformational pattern of the convex corners was affected by the soil nail horizontal inclination angle and that the wall facing plays a major role in controlling wall deformation in models with a three-dimensional geometry. Three-dimensional finite element limit analysis was used to verify the validity of the observations. The results can be used to determine the appropriate soil–nail horizontal splay at the convex corners to improve the performance of the soil-nailed reinforcing system.