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Soil Nail Walls

Drill Tech has innovated soil nail design and construction for over 20 years. On average, we construct approximately 1,000,000 square feet of soil nail walls each year, and our engineers have designed over 1,000 individual soil nail walls. The process involves reinforcing existing soil by installing closely spaced steel bars (soil nails) into a slope or excavation face at a slight incline. These walls are typically constructed top-down in staged excavations.

Construction Process

Soil nail walls are constructed top-down in stages; steel bars are installed in rows at descending heights to reinforce the soil. The facing can then be finished in a variety of ways using shotcrete; our technicians often sculpt and stain facings to resemble natural rock or smooth the shotcrete down for a trowel flat finish. Soil nail walls are feasible in virtually any dewatered ground condition and can be used for permanent retaining walls as well as temporary shoring. Drill Tech has experience installing soil nail walls ranging between 5 and 130 feet in height.

Benefits of Use

Soil nail walls are highly versatile and can be installed in almost any ground condition. Drill Tech’s engineers and project managers have working relationships with countless cities, counties, developers, and government agencies, so the review and approval process is expedited for our projects. Our custom-built drill rigs consistently outperform our competition, which allows for quick, cost-efficient design and construction.

Applicable Projects

Bridge Abutment Retaining Walls

Reinforced structures that retain earth around bridge entrances and ensure foundation stability.

Seismic Retrofits of Existing Structures

Strengthening and upgrading aging or underperforming retaining walls for improved safety and performance.

Road & Highway Retaining Walls

Engineered walls that prevent soil erosion and support roadways on slopes or unstable terrain.

New Construction Site Walls

Retaining wall systems designed to support new developments and manage soil elevation.

Slope & Landslide Stabilization

Ground stabilization techniques to prevent slope failure and control landslides.

Excavation Shoring

Temporary structural support systems to safely stabilize soil during deep excavations.

Tunnel Portal Shoring

Tunnel Portal Shoring TBD.