Tiebacks/Anchors
& Soil Nails
Tom Richards, PE
Chief Design Engineer
Nicholson Construction Company
12 McClane Street
Cuddy, PA 15031
Anchors & Nails
Design Intro
Materials
Construction
Testing
Anchor Basics
Tieback = Anchor
An anchor is a tension support, which
limits movement from subsequent
excavation by providing a pre-loaded
condition to the supported ground.
Tensile load is transmitted by a steel
tendon made of individual strands or
bars. The tendon is bonded to
competent rock or soil by cement
grout.
Applications for Anchors
retaining walls
temporary excavation support (replace
struts or rakers for improved working
space)
anchored marine bulkheads
landslide control
rock cuts
dam stabilization
Sales Pitch for Anchors
Using comprehensive corrosion protection
systems, rock and soil anchors achieve
reliability, longevity, and economy.
In both temporary and permanent retaining
applications, ground anchor systems have
proven to be a viable economic alternative
to conventional retaining walls -- especially in
instances where excavation is undesirable.
Stressing tests every anchor to greater
than design load
High capacities in rocks and soils
Versatility of Anchors
Can be permanent if installed with
appropriate corrosion protection
Can be installed at any inclination through all
types of overburden and rock
Can be hundreds of feet deep.
Compatible with the construction of all types
of wall systems including sheet piles, soldier
piles and laggings, drilled shafts, soil mixed
walls and diaphragm walls.
Nicholson Anchor Experience
In 1969 Nicholson constructed the 1st permanent
anchored wall installed in the U.S.
In 1990 we installed the longest (318 ft.) and largest
(58-strand) dam anchors installed to date in the U.S.
and tested over 2700 kips.
In 1992 we installed ~4,000 anchors to support
the largest anchored retaining wall in North
America in Steubenville, OH.
In 1997 we installed 55-strand double corrosion
protected anchors using 10-in. ID corrugated
sheathing 1st application of this process in the U.S.
In 2002, installed 61 strand anchors in corrugated
sheath at 45 degree angle = largest in US
Anchors
and
Anchored
Wall
Design
Traditional Braced Cut Pressure Diagrams
Updated
Pressure
Diagram
for
Granular
Soil = 33%
more load
than active
wedge
Updated
Pressure
Diagram
for Stiff
Clay
Free Length Determination
Typical Anchor Design Loads in Soil
Assumes 30 to 40 Bond Length
Soft clay - 60-150 kips*
Hard clay - 100-250 kips *
Sandy Silt/Silty Sand - 125-250 kips
Clean Granular - 175-420 kips
Till - 200-420 kips
* With Post-Grouting
Typical Anchor Design Loads in Rock
150-2000 kips
See PTI Values
Limited by claystones and/or practical
structural limitations
Recommended Ultimate Bond
Values for Rock in psi per PTI
Granite and Basalt
Dolomitic Limestone
Soft Limestone
Slates and Hard Shales
Soft Shales
Sandstone
Concrete
250-450
200-300
150-200
120-200
30-120
120-250
200-400
Anchor
Design,
Materials,
Fabrication,
and Testing
Benefits of Polystrand
Assured Corrosion Prevention
*Corrosion-inhibitor-encased
strand
*Seamless-inert-polymersheath
Guaranteed Force
Transmission
*Coefficient of friction of 0.05
or less
*Longer or curved tendons
*Consistency of elongation and
testing
Multistrand anchor
ad re
e
r h uctu
o
h tr
steel cap
c s
An ed
d
loa
wedge plate
anchor plate
gth ta
n
le tra
anti-corrosion compound
ee e d s
r
F in
ta
re
gth trata
n
e s
dl g
n
Bo carr
d
loa
seal
greased & sheathed strand
yin
spacer
cement grout
Double Corrosion Protected Strand DCP
Dywidag Systems International, USA, Inc.
Completed Tendons
photo courtesy of Lang Tendons
Dywidag THREADBAR
ASTM 615 & ASTM 722
Sizes #6 through #20 Grade 60 & 75
5/8, 7/8, 1, 1-1/4, 1-3/8, 1-3/4, 2-1/2 GR 150 / 160
Dywidag Systems International, USA, Inc.
Double Corrosion Protected Bar DCP
Dywidag Systems International, USA, Inc.
Anchor Installation
1. Drill hole
2. Set tendon
3. Grout via Tremie Tube ( may be
before tendon)
4. After grout cures; stress, test, and
lock-off anchor
Drilling
Anchor Testing
Anchor Testing
Local Anchor Projects
Rockcliff Bikeway Slide,
Rocky River, OH
In 2002 Cleveland Metroparks noticed that its
existing Rockcliff Bikeway retaining wall was failing
at a rate of 1-inch outward every 10 days over a threemonth period.
Nicholson designed and installed a semi-continuous
reinforced drilled shaft soldier pile retaining wall with
tieback anchors, which relieved pressure on the
existing wall and stabilized the slope.
Angles were installed between the caisson/anchor constructs and
the existing soldier pile retaining wall to provide support.
U.S. 22/S.R. 7 Interchange
Steubenville, Ohio
Worked for ODOT District 11
Anchoring 3 retaining walls with 4,000
permanent soil and rock anchors
ranging from 40 ft. to 120 ft. in length.
One of the walls, over 130 ft. high, is the
largest anchored wall in North America.
Garrett Morgan Waste Water
Treatment Plant, Cleveland, Ohio
Worked for the City of Cleveland
Installing 400 temporary tieback anchors
100 to 220 kip working load = 3 to 7 strands
Bonded in lacustrine clay
Postgrouting
lengths ranging from 60 ft. to 120 ft.
250 to 300 bags of cement routinely mixed
per shift.
Postgrout Tubes
Soil Nails
Soil Nail
Manual
Soil Nail
Process
Ref: FHWA-SA-96-069R
Soil Nail Wall for
Temporary Shoring
Ref: FHWA-SA-96-069R
Ref: FHWA-SA-96-069R
Soil Nail Wall as Permanent Wall
Soil Nail
Wall for
Roadway
Widening
under
Bridge
Ref: FHWA-SA-96-069R
Soil Nail
Wall
Failure
Modes 1
Ref: FHWA-SA-96-069R
Sliding is normally covered by
internal wedge analysis methods
Soil Nail
Wall
External
Failure
Modes
Ref: FHWA-SA-96-069R
Ref: FHWA-SA-96-069R
Soil nails (threadbar)
Levels of protection
Plain bar (grouted)
Epoxy coated
Galvanized
Double corrosion protection (DCP)
hex nut
anchor plate
lock
nut
cement grout
Plain
spacer
corrugated sheath
cement grout
DCP
Ischebeck / Titan Bar Options MAI Similar
Photo Courtesy of Con-Tech Systems,
Vancouver, BC
Photo Courtesy of Con-Tech Systems,
Vancouver, BC
Soil Nail Tests
VERY IMPORTANT
Real Proof Test Setup
Shotcrete
Gunite
Facing
Options
and Nail
Head
Corrosion
Protection
Options
Ref: FHWA-SA-96-069R
Facing Reinforcement
Shotcrete
Shotcrete Nicholson Method
Finishing Shotcrete as final face
Soil Nail Case Study
Tunica Riverfront Park
Tunica County, Mississippi
Installed 964 soil nails & 42 tiebacks for riverboat facility.
Tunica Soil Nail Specifications
Soil Nail Design Load = 24 kips ????
Design Bond = 0.86 kips/ft = 24 k/28
feet
Nail Length 60 ft
Proof Test (1.5 D.L.) -32 required
Verification Test (2.0 D.L.)- 10 required
DK-90 & Hutte 505
Chemco 2 Grout Plant
Installing Test Nails
Flushing Grout from Test Anchor
Setting up Verification Test
Testing Soil Nail
Drilling Nails on D Row
Grout Bulb in Clay
Flooding of Site
January Flood - South View
