252472886.xls.

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FHWA Design and Analysis of Soil-Nail Walls

Abdulrahman Alhabshi
Texas Tech University

This spreadsheet was developed based on the FHWA Method presented in Publication No. FHWA A-SA-96-069R
Please use this spreadsheet along with Charts provided in the above report

Prepared by:

hybridwall

Title

Example from FHWA-RD-89-193

Date

January 3,2006

Units

EN

Soil Parameters
Soil Type
Ultimate Bond Stress (pullout), Qu
Select Qu
g
fu

Medium dense sand and silty sand/sand silt

7.0 - 11.0
psi
21.7
psi
=
4090
120
pcf
0
36

Cu

180

psf

Back Slope, b
Broken Slope

0
No

lbs/ft

10

for DGC = 5

in

10

Wall Parameters
H
Face Batter, h
SV

40
0
5

SH

ft

15
5
8
No

Soil Nail Inclination, a

Drill Hole Diameter, DGC
Bar #
Surcharge Load

ft
0

ft

in

D [in]
1

A [in2]
0.79

Step 1: Set Up Critical Design Cross-Section

1- Simplified design-charts for preliminary design
Load Combination (AASHTO)
Ff
FC

Group I
1.35
1.35

fD = tan-1(tanfu/Ff)

28.3

CD = CU/(FC gH)

0.028

2- Determine the required nominla nail strength, TNN

TD (check Figs. 4.27-4.34) pg176-183
TNN = TD [gHSVSH) / aNN

0.24
52364

lbs

60

ksi

0.87
8

in2

tanfD

CD

0.54

0.03

D [in]
1

A [in2]
0.79

3- Select Bar #
Grade (FY)
Area required (AB) = TNN/FY
Bar #

1/5

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4- Compute the dimensionless nail pullout resistance, QD

QD = aQQU / (gSVSH)

0.682

5 - Determine nail length, L

TD / QD
L/H (check Figs. 4.27-4.34) pg176-183
L

tanfD
0.54

0.35
0.75
30.0

CD
0.03

Step 2: Compute the Allowable Nail Head Loads

Wall Type
Shortcrete Facing Thickness, hc
fc '
Reinforcement
Vertical Bearing bars
Bar No.
Spacing
Horizontal Waler bars
Bar No.
Spacing
Bearing Plate Dimension [W x L]
Bearing Plate Thickness [t]
Stud Diameter

Temporary
4
4
6x6 - W2.9xW2.9
Yes
3

in
ksi

Yes
3
8
1
7/8 x 5 3/16
22

A [in2/ft]
0.058

Wt. [lbs/ft2]
2.05
A [in2]
0.22

2x

3
300

2x

3
300
where; W = L

in
in

D [in]
0.375

A [in2]
0.22

1- Determine the nail head strength

A - Facing Flexure
A-1 Compute negative and positive nominal unit moment, m v,neg and mv,pos
mv,neg

0.98

in-kip/in

Asneg

0.510

in2

mv,neg

0.57

in-kip/in

Aspos

0.290

in2

CF

2.0
A-2 Determine the critical nominal nail head strength, T FN
(Table 4.2 pg 104)

TFN

25

kips

B - Facing Punching Shear

D'c
B-1 The nominal shear stress, VN

12

in

VN

38.1
CF (Table 4.2 pg 104)
2.5
Dc
16
B-2 The critical nominal nail head strength, TFN

kips

TFN

kips

44

Ac [in2] AGC [in2]

2.01E+02 1.96E+01

in

C - Headed-Stud Tension
The nominal nail head strength associated with headed-stud, TFN
TFN
91
Shortcrete Facing
Failure Mode
Facing Flexure
Facing Punching

Nominal Strength

TFN
25
44

Allowable Load

TF
17
29

kips
kips
ASTM A 325 Bolt

2/5

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Step 3: Minimum Allowable Nail Head Service Load Check

KaC

0.260
tF
15.6
<
17
OK - The estimated nail head service load does not exceed the allowable nail head load
Step 4: Define the Allowable Nail Load Support Diagam
1- Allowable Pullout Resistance, Q
2- Allowable Nail Tendon Load, TN

2.0
26.1

kips/ft
kips

3- Allowable Nail Head Load, TF

16.6

kips

Allowable Nail Load Support Diagram

27kips
3kips/ft
3kips/ft
17kips

Step 5: Select trial spacings and lengths

Use varying nail lengths

QD/(L/H)
R
No. of soil nails (n)
Nail No
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

No
0.91
0.31

2.2

1.72

Trial Length
30.0
30.0
30.0
30.0
30.0
30.0
30.0
30.0

ft
1
2

X
37.8
32.8
27.8
22.8
17.8
12.8
7.8
2.8

Rx
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
0.92
0.75
0.58
0.41

ft
L Dist.
30.0
30.0
30.0
30.0
30.0
30.0
30.0
30.0

45
40
35
30
25
H

20
15
10
5
0
-5 0

10

20

30

-10

3/5

40

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Step 6: Tension ditribution along nails

T2
T3

T1

Q(X3)

Q(X1)
T0

X3

X2

X1

x
L = X1+X2+X3

Nail #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

X (ft)
14.8
16.4
18
18.8
20.8
22
24
26.4

T (kips)
26.1
26.1
26.1
26.1
26.1
26.1
26.1
24.0

Step 7: Check the upper cantilever

d = (2/3) f'
KaC
Sheat Check
Shear force v1 (due to soil above 1st nail)
Nominal one-way unit shear strength, VNS
Allowable one-way unite shear, V = aFVNS

24.0
0.235

62.31
1000.0
670.0

lbs/ft
lbs/ft
lbs/ft

50.022
657.77

lbs-ft/ft
lbs-ft/ft

v1 < V, the desing for shear is adequate

Flexure Check
ms = 1/3 (H/cos(h)) v1
Allowable one-way unit moment, M=aFmv,NEG

ms < M, the desing for flexure is adequate

4/5

T1 (kips)
26
26
26
26
26
26
26
26

T2 (kips)
26
26
26
26
26
26
26
26

T3 (kips)
17
17
17
17
17
17
17
17

X1 =

b=

h=

H=

SV =

a=

X2 =

g=
f=
c=