Use of Very High Tensile Strength Soil Nails for Stabilization of a Bouldery Fill Slope in Hong Kong

C.M. Ho, M. Wright, K.C. Cheung, W.T. Cheung, N.L. Ho

Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Ltd, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China

ABSTRACT: Soil nailing by means of high yield steel bars installed into pre-drilled holes at typical 1m to 2m horizontal and vertical spacing has been widely used as an effective slope stabilization measures in Hong Kong since 1990s. More recently the technique has also been applied to upgrade loose fill slopes. In some sites consisting of fill with large-boulder content, advantages of this conventional soil nailing technique is often largely offset by potential redundant and abortive works due to excessive grout loss, hole collapse and equipment wear and tear. A slope feature identified to have such problems with a maximum 8.5m thick bouldery fill layer has been selected for upgrading under a recent Landslip Preventive Measures Contract. The slope feature is a bouldery man-made fill slope and is located immediately below a strategic route, Stubbs Road on Hong Kong Island. It has a maximum height of 20m comprising a maximum 8.5m thick bouldery fill layer overlying a succession of bouldery colluvium, completely to highly decomposed granite and moderately decomposed granite. The fill slope comprises two portions, namely northern and southern slope portions. One of the major geotechnical challenges is to upgrade the slope portion with presence of an active bouldery streamline, which is a discharge point of the uphill catchment. The streamline runs along the centerline of the northern slope portion from the crest to the toe. In addition, other site constraints, such as the presence of congested utilities running along the slope crest and restriction on road closure, further limit the site access and hence restrict the possible choice of stabilization measures in design stage. In view of potential excessive grout loss and hole collapse related to the problematic bouldery fill layer, conventional soil nailing system was considered less preferable in term of works efficiency and reliability. Having reviewed the particular site situation, various engineering options including conventional soil nailing with reinforced concrete grillage system, raking mini-piling with reinforced concrete tie beams system, massive rock filling and high strength soil nail associated with proprietary high strength wire mesh & reinforced concrete grillage system were reviewed. The high strength soil nailing system is a modification of conventional soil nailing with reinforced concrete grillage system. The key features of the system include the innovative use of soil nail steel bar of 1030MPa tensile yield strength associated with high strength nail head nuts, washers and mechanical couplers (equivalent to MACALLOY 1030 FN50, FSQ50 & FC50) and the use of the high strength proprietary wire mesh (TECCO 3mm wire diameter wire mesh of 1770MPa tensile strength). To overcome the potential excessive grout loss/ hole collapse, the soil nails were designed to be socketted into Grade III or better rock and permanent steel casing down to the rockhead level were provided. By adopting the high strength products, the soil nail spacing could be greatly reduced from 1m to 2m centreto-centre spacing to about 4m to 5m centre-to-centre spacing. This scheme was eventually adopted for the merits of significant reduction in drilling works, less requirement on heavy machinery and more flexibility to suit the physical constraints on site. In construction, conventional pneumatic drilling plant and equipment were used for installation of the high strength soil nailing system. The drilling and installation of high strength soil nailing system were successfully completed in an acceptable construction rate. Nevertheless, local high grout loss was encountered and pregrouting was adopted to mitigate the situation. In conclusion, the use of very high strength soil nails associated with the high tensile steel wire mesh and reinforced concrete grillage system has been successfully installed and upgraded a boundery fill slope. The system overcame construction difficulties created by constraints on site access and adverse ground conditions which make the drilling of closely spaced soil nails impractical. This paper describes the developments of this innovative soil nailing technique and its application in Hong Kong. Some suggestions are made regarding possible future applications and improvement to this type of soil nail construction.