In the winter of 2011, the Department of Transportation (DOT) of a Western U.S. state contracted GeoStabilization International® to contain three separate active landslides along a major interstate highway in the state’s northern part.
GeoStabilization deployed its proprietary Soil Nail Launcher™ to the emergency locations and used it to rapidly launch soil nails into the ground to stabilize and strengthen the slope.
The company’s crews then installed a combination of shotcrete facing systems, high-strength mesh, and other soil stabilization innovations for additional slope protection, which enabled the DOT to build earthen buttresses along the affected sites at a later date.
Originally created by the British army to launch chemical weapons, GeoStabilization’s Soil Nail Launcher™ is among the crown jewels in the world of soil stabilization innovations. This compressed air cannon is capable of accelerating 20-foot-long steel or fiberglass soil nails into the ground at speeds reaching 250 miles per hour.
Launched soil nails have many advantages over traditional drilled, driven, or vibrated nails. Studies show that launched rods achieve up to ten times higher pull-out capacities than alternative technologies.
Unlike open-hole drilling, which loosens the soil prior to the installation of the nails and may negatively affect bond capacity, soil nail launching immediately increases soil density in the treated area. To further increase bond capacity, launched nails can be pressure grouted and fitted with epoxy-coated inner bars to create high-strength, corrosion-resistant SuperNails®.
Alternatively, GeoStabilization’s crews may perforate the launched nails to enable horizontal drainage and pore water pressure relief in sites with groundwater or drainage issues. That makes launched soil nails the only technology on the market capable of providing continuous axial capacity as well as drainage with the same element.
The Soil Nail Launcher™ is also lightweight and highly portable. GeoStabilization’s technicians can mount it on various vehicles and limited-access equipment, such as modified tracked excavators, long-reach excavators, and crane basket frames. This makes the Soil Nail Launcher™ ideal for soil retention projects in remote and hard-to-access sites.
A 1992 study sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Forest Service, and three state DOTs showed that in many cases soil nail launching was faster and more cost-effective than alternative soil nail installation methods.
GeoStabilization International® is one of the few soil stabilization companies that can maintain a 24/7 emergency response capability across the United States and Canada.
In most cases, the company can send an engineer or representative to the emergency site for a no-cost, no-obligation visit within 48 hours of the original call. The crews often commence the remediation work two days after the emergency or less.
With experience mitigating over 5,500 landslides, GeoStabilization International® is a global leader in geohazard mitigation, slope failure stabilization, erosion control, and soil improvement. To learn more about the company’s soil stabilization innovations or seek assistance with your project, Contact GeoStabilization today.
If you are interested in a no-obligation site visit to determine if our services fit your geohazard mitigation needs, call us at 855-579-0536 or fill out our contact form.
