Investigating the Nail Walls Performance in Jointed Rock Medium
Evaluation of the excavation-induced ground movements is an important design aspect of support systems in urban areas. Geological and geotechnical conditions of an excavation area have significant effects on excavation-induced ground movements and the related damage. This paper is aimed at studying the performance of excavation walls supported by nails in jointed rock medium. The performance of nailed walls is investigated based on evaluating the excavation-induced ground movements. For this purpose, a set of calibrated 2D finite element models are developed by taking into account the nail-rock-structure interactions, the anisotropic properties of jointed rock, and the staged construction process. The results of this paper highlight effects of different parameters such as joint inclinations, anisotropy of rocks and nail inclinations on deformation parameters of excavation wall supported by nails. Keywords—Finite element, jointed rock, nailing, performance.
Geological Engineering
Geological engineers work on a variety of projects that involve the earth and its resources. For example, a geological engineer may be involved in the design of a project to protect wetlands. A geological engineer may be involved in the cleanup of lead contaminated soil which threatens peoples' homes. Geological engineers may develop safe drinking water supplies in parts of the world where infant mortality is many times higher than it is in the United States. Geological engineers work on protecting infrastructure like bridges, buildings and utilities from earthquake damage. Geological engineers evaluate the use of naturally-occurring materials like clay to prevent the spread of subsurface contamination. Geological engineers are interested in the development of renewable energy resources to conserve traditional sources of energy. Geological engineers work with the environment to improve conditions for everyone and the world around us.
Retaining structures: displacement and design
The quest for rational methods of designing retaining structures has been pursued for many decades. The existing British code of practice was first published in 1951 and a committee attempting to revise it has been sitting for about 20 years; the record of other European countries is little better. A major reason for the difficulty lies in the importance of soil-structure interaction to the behaviour of retaining walls, and in particular the significance of displacement in governing the acceptability of a particular design. The Eurocodes, which are currently under development will adopt a partial factor method for establishing safety and, incidentally, serviceability. At the same time, an editing group working on the British code has concentrated attention on serviceability, but its recommendations for calculations are rather similar to those of the Eurocode. The approaches proposed by both these groups will lead to some differences in the designs adopted for construction, when compared with conventional ...