12.

0 SOIL NAILS AND ROCK BOLTS

12.1 GENERAL

(a) The installation of soil nails and rock bolts, including drilling, installation, grouting and
stressing shall be carried out in accordance with the requirements contained herein this
Specification, BS 8081. 1989 British Standard Code of Practice for Ground, Anchorages
and all other relevant British Standards.

(b) Unless specifically defined otherwise the definition of terms used in this Specification
are those in B.S. 6100: Glossary of Building and Civil Engineering Terms or B.S. 892
Glossary of Highway Engineering Terms where it has not been superseded by B.S. 6100.
Abbreviations are in accordance with the recommendations given in B.S. 5775.

(c) All British or other Standards and Codes of Practice, etc. shall be deemed to be the
editions current at the time of Tender. Current editions may have the same numbering
system as previous editions or renumbered. Should the Contractor wish to propose
compliance with Standards or Codes of Practice different from those stipulated in the
Specification then such alternative standards of Codes of Practice shall only be
considered by the S.O. if in the opinion of the S.O. they are equivalent or superior to the
Standards or Codes of Practice stipulated in the Specification.

(d) No permanent work shall be undertaken without the S.O.’s approval and the Contractor
shall give a minimum 24 hours notice prior to the commencement of any part of the
works such that the S.O. may make any arrangements necessary for inspection.

(e) Excavation and installation of soil nails shall be so sequenced that at any time instant
and location the difference in height between toe of excavation and the lowest row of
completed soil nails shall not exceed 3m.

12.2 SOIL NAILS AND ROCK BOLTS

(a) The terms Soil Nails and Rock Bolts shall mean the complete assembly and comprise nail
bars of either Mild Steel or High Tensile Steel bars which shall be stressed.

(b) The position, inclination, orientation and length of the soil nails shall be as shown on the
Drawings or as determined on site by the pull out trial testing, or as directed by the S.O.

(c) The Contractor shall submit to the S.O. for approval the detail of the soil nail and
fixtures together with the proposed method of installation and testing the soil nails.

(d) The information to be provided shall include full details of manufacturing arrangement
galvanization, spacer; centralizers, grouting arrangements and grout characteristics.
The requirement contained herein for materials and all system components shall apply
whenever relevant to materials used for the soil nail or rock bolts except when
otherwise agreed by the S.O.. The handling storage and use of materials shall comply
with manufacturer’s instruction.

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(e) The Contractor shall install trial soil nails and rock bolts and carry out Pull-out Tests prior
to the installation of any permanent soil nails. These Pull-out Tests shall demonstrate
that the Contractor’s equipment and proposed method of working are consistent with
the requirements of this Specification. Final acceptance of the system shall be based
upon the outcome of on-site Pull-out Tests as directed by the S.O..

12.3 DRAWINGS

(a) The Works shall be constructed in accordance with the Drawings and such other details
and drawings as may be issued or approved by the S.O. in accordance with the Contract.

(b) Prior to fabrication and in ‘good time’, the Contractor shall be required to submit to the
S.O. for approval shop drawings covering all items to be fabricated off the Site including
all structural steelwork, sheeting, ducting, etc.

(c) The Contractor shall prepare and submit to the S.O. for approval working drawings
indicating his proposed methods of construction of the soil nails and rock bolts or such
other operations for which the S.O. may require working drawings. All drawings
prepared by the Contractor, subcontractor or suppliers must be approved by the S.O.
before the work to which they refer starts.

(d) The Contractor shall maintain one accurately marked up set of A1 size drawings with all
the additions that are necessary to show the work actually carried out and relevant
dimensions levels and changes from the Contract Drawings.

(e) On or before the completion of the Works, these drawings, together with any other
information requested shall be used in the preparation of the as-built drawings by the
Contractor.

12.4 NAIL BARS AND BOLTS

(a) The nail bars shall comprise steel reinforcement of the strength, diameter and length as
finally determined from the trial testing or otherwise determined as specified by the S.O.

(b) The position, inclination, orientation and length shall be as shown on the Drawings, or
as directed by the S.O.

(c) The nails bars shall comply with B.S. 5950, and where required shall be of sufficient
length, as approved by the S.O., to facilitate fixing of nuts and for stressing.

(d) No splices shall be allowed except where indicated in the Drawings or where approved
by the S.O. Couplers shall be of strength not less than that of the bar.

(e) Nail bars temporarily left projecting from sprayed concrete, grout, etc shall not be bent
out of position, and if left exposed for some time shall be painted with cement grout or
other means approved by the S.O..

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12.5 GALVANISATION

(a) Soil nail and rock bolt’s nuts and steel bearing plates shall be galvanized. Steel for
galvanizing should have a silicon content of not less than 0.25 per cent and not more
than 0.4 per cent.

(b) Galvanizing should comply with BS729: 1971 Specification for hot dip galvanized
coatings-on iron and steel except that the average zinc coating weight shall not be less
than 100g/m2.

12.6 CEMENTITIOUS GROUT

(a) Cement shall be Ordinary Portland cement complying with M.S. 522, unless otherwise
approved by the S.O.

(b) The cement shall not contain by weight more than 0.02% chlorides or 0.10% sulphides.

(c) The total sulphate content shall not exceed 4% (m/m) SO3 of cement in the grout. For
this purpose, the sulphate content expressed as SO3, should be calculated from all
sources as determined by the tests described in B.S. 1047, B.S. 3681, B.S. 3892 and B.S.
4550 where applicable. For hardened grout, sampling and chemical analysis shall be
carried as described in B.S. 1881: Part 6.

(d) The total chloride content of the grout derived from all sources shall not exceed 0.1% of
cement.

(e) Water for mixing shall not contain substances or ingredients harmful to steel or cement
grout, oil or organic matter and shall be in accordance with Appendix A of B.S. 3148:
1980. Water shall not contain more than 500 mg of Chloride ions per litre. The water
shall be subjected to chemical analysis as directed by the S.O..

(f) No admixtures shall be used unless otherwise approved by the S.O..

(g) The water/cement ratio by weight shall not exceed 0.45 and not be less than 0.40.

(h) The grout mix shall not be subject to bleeding in excess of 0.5% by volume 3 hours after
mixing or 1% maximum when measured at 20oC in a covered glass or metal cylinder of
100mm internal diameter and with a grout depth of approximately 100mm. In addition
the water shall be reabsorbed within 24 hours.

(i) The minimum cube strength of the grout shall at 7 days be 21 MPa and at 28 days be 30
MPa.

(j) Before grouting the following properties shall be established.

(i) details of manufacture of the cement.

(ii) water/cement ratio by weight.

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 (iii) flow reading from viscometer, flow cone or flowmeter.

(iv) unconfined compressive strength development at 3 days, 7 days, 14 days and 28 days
based on 150mm x 150mm x 150mm cubes in accordance with B.S. 1881 or as directed
by the S.O.

(k) The mix shall be retested if there is change in either the type or origin of any of the
constituents.

12.7 SPACERS AND CENTRALISERS

(a) Spacers shall be provided to ensure proper separation between individual components
and shall generally be positioned uniformly over the cross-section of the drill hole.

(b) Centralisers shall be provided at suitable intervals, to a maximum of 2.0m centre to

centre, and shall be of a form to permit the free flow of grout and minimize potential
debonding at the grout/nail bar interface.

12.8 SEATING PADS

(a) Seating pads shall be provided as shown in the Drawings, unless otherwise directed by
the S.O., for the fixing of the soil nail and rock bolt head fixtures including bolts, washers,
bearing plate, etc. and the transfer of forces during stressing.

(b) The surface of all works in contact with the seating pads shall be wire brushed, scraped
or otherwise cleaned in a manner approved by the S.O..

(c) The slope of the seating pads shall be such that adequate transfer of stresses can be
provided. The surface in contact with the bearing plane shall be prepared to a plane
normal to the nail bar bolt axis, as directed by the S.O..

(d) The seating pads shall either be of epoxy or cement mortars. In the case of a cement
mortar bed, stirrups or spiral reinforcement shall be installed as directed by the S.O..

12.9 ANCHOR HEADS AND BEARING PLATES

(a) Where specified the entire head assembly shall be encased in gunite.

12.10 DRILLING

(a) The hole for the soil nails and rock bolts shall be drilled with rotary equipment, unless
otherwise approved by the S.O..

(b) The drilling equipment and procedure employed shall be capable of forming a stable
hole that is of the dimensions within the permitted tolerances specified herein and free
of obstructions or major protrusions in order to accommodate easily the soil nail or rock
bolt.

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(c) Temporary drill casing shall be used and shall extend throughout the full length in soil
material.

(d) During the drilling operation all changes in ground type and in the drill operation details
shall be recorded in a format approved by the S.O.. In the event of the drilling
encountering any unexpected obstructions this shall be recorded and reported to the
S.O. without delay and prior to soil nail or rock bolt installation.

(e) The drill hole entry point shall be positioned within 75mm of the designated location,
unless otherwise approved by the S.O..

(f) Temporary drill casing shall be to the net diameter of the borehole at the entry point
and to the casing clearance required.

(g) At the entry point of the drill hole, the hole shall not diverge from the required line by
more than 2.5 degrees. The overall drill hole deviation shall not be more than 1 in 30,
unless otherwise approved by the S.O..

(h) After each hole has been drilled to the length approved by the S.O., the hole shall be
cleaned to remove any loose material and the drill hole shall be probed to ascertain
collapse of material and that the hole is satisfactory for complete installation of the soil
nails and rock bolts. The drill hole shall be checked for compliance by the S.O. prior to
installation of the nail bar.

(i) If the drill hold is not in compliance with the Specification contained herein, the S.O.
may direct remedial works to be carried out. Any such remedial work shall not be
measured for payment.

12.11 INSERTION OF NAIL BARS AND ROCK BOLTS

(a) The Contractor shall provide all necessary means for the S.O. to carry out the checking
for compliance of the drill hole and the S.O. shall be given every assistance in-his
inspection of the drill hole and be provided with the records of drilling prior to the
Contractor seeking his approval for insertion of the nail bars.

(b) The soil nail or rock bolt components shall be inserted the same day as the drilling
operations.

(c) The soil nail or rock bolt shall be installed at a controlled rate to avoid damage to the
drill hole. The soil nail or rock bolt shall be centrally located by spacers specified herein
and other measures as approved by the S.O. to ensure that all components are centred
in the drill hole. The soil nail or rock bolt shall be secured to prevent movement during
the grouting operations.

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12.12 GROUTING

(a) Grouting operations shall be carried out and completed on the same day as the drilling
operations, as soon as possible after insertion of the soil nail or rock bolt. Cementitious
grouts shall be used in accordance with the requirements contained herein this
specifications unless otherwise approved by the S.O..

(b) The grout shall be free from segregation shrinking and bleeding of water and fine
materials during and after placing.

(c) High-speed colloidal mixers, unless otherwise approved by the S.O. shall be used to mix
and prepare the grouts, until a uniform consistency is obtained.

(d) Unless specifically instructed otherwise, water shall be added to the mixer before any
cement. Mixing shall be carried out mechanically for a minimum of 2 minutes after
adding the cement until a uniform consistency is obtained. Following completion of the
mixing, the grout shall pass through a nominal 5mm sieve to remove lumps.

(e) Grout shall be kept in continuous movement that is slow agitation in a storage tank.

(f) The grout shall be placed in its final position as soon as possible and in not more than
one hour after completion of the mixing operations. Unless otherwise approved by the
S.O. in no instance shall the grout be used, after a period equivalent to the initial setting
time.

(g) The grout shall be injected into the drill hole in one continuous operation, and shall
continue until the consistency of the grout return is the same as that of the injected
grout. In case of the tremie method being employed, the end of the tremie tube shall
remain submerged in the grout at all time during the injection operation.

(h) The grout shall be injected through grout tubes into the lowest part of the drill hole with
an air release tube provided to the highest part of the hole.

(i) If, for any reason, the grouting is interrupted or delayed beyond the setting period, the
soil nail or rock bolt assembly shall be removed from the drill hole. The grout shall then
be removed by flushing or redrilling and stages of soil nail or rock bolt insertion and
grouting repeated.

(j) A record in an approved format, giving full details of the grouting operation for each soil
nail and rock bolt shall be submitted to the S.O.

(k) The injection of grout can be carried out using pumps of the positive displacement type.

(l) Before grouting, all air in the pump and connection lines shall be expelled. The suction
circuit of the pump shall be airtight. During grouting, to prevent injection of air into the
system, the level of grout in the supply tank shall not be drawn down below the crown
of the exit pipe.

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12.13 STRESSING OF SOIL NAILS AND ROCK BOLTS

(a) Stressing and recording shall be carried out by experienced personnel under the control
of a suitably qualified supervisor.

(b) All stressing equipment shall be calibrated by an approved laboratory prior to use and
the calibration certificate made available for inspection at all times during the works.

(c) The soil nail or rock bolt may be stressed by means of torque wrenches approved by the
S.O. In case where torque wrenches are used, the Contractor shall undertake all the
necessary measures and preventions to satisfy the requirements that the applied
torques from the wrenches are effectively transferred into the nail bars. The personnel
and calibration procedural requirements specified herein shall be applied to use of such
torque wrenches.

(d) The soil nails and rock bolts shall not be stressed until the grout has attained a crushing
strength of at least 20MPa, as verified from cube tests in accordance to B.S. 1881 or as
directed by the S.O.. The soil nails and rock bolts shall be stressed to their working load
or as approved by the S.O..

(e) All Soil Nail and Rock Bolt shall be stressed to a working load of not less than 80 KN, or
as otherwise determined from the testing results.

12.14 TESTING

(a) The Contractor shall provide all torque wrenches, jacks and other equipment required
to test the soil nails and rock bolts.

(b) The Contractor shall also present up to date test and calibration certificates to the S.O.
for the equipment that is proposed for testing.

(c) Trial soil nails and rock bolts will be installed prior to installation of any permanent soil
nails and rock bolts. The trial soil nails and rock bolts shall be subjected to Pull-out Tests.
The Contractor shall submit a proposed testing procedure to the S.O. for approval
before commencing any test.

(d) All trial soil nails and rock bolts for the Pull-out Test shall be tested to destruction and
the mode of failure recorded. Modifications required as a result of Pull-out Tests shall
be approved by the S.O. before the Contractor commences the drilling for the working
soil nails and rock bolts. In no case shall drilling for the working nails or bolts commence
until the S.O. has accepted and approved the results of the Pull-out Tests.

(e) Soil nails and rock bolts shall be subjected to Proving Tests, as directed by the S.O..

(f) Proving Tests to the soil nail / rock bolt working load, of not less than 80 KN or as
otherwise determined from the testing, shall be carried out at location determined by
the S.O..

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 (g) The Contractor shall submit a proposed test procedure for the Proving tests for approval
by the S.O. before the test commences.

12.15 RECORDS

(a) The Contractor shall submit to the S.O. a full report on each soil nail and rock bolt and
this shall include details of the nail or bolt, its installation and the results of all tests.

12.16 ADJACENT ACTIVITIES

(a) The Contractor shall ensure that any activities in the immediate vicinity such as blasting,
piling etc. operations shall not affect the installed and permanent soil nails and rock
bolts.

12.17 SEQUENCE OF EXCAVATION, GUNITE, SURFACE DRAINS AND INSTALLATION OF SOIL

NAILS / ROCK BOLTS

(a) At any stage, the depth of excavation shall be sufficient only for the installation of the
soil nails/rock bolts. Subsequent excavation beneath the lowest row of installed soil
nails/rock bolts shall not be permitted until the at least 7 days after completion of the
soil nails/rock bolts and until cube strength tests show cube strength of at least 15 MPa.

(b) Gunite over the slope faces and surface drains shall be installed progressively with the
excavation of the slope. Excavation shall not proceed below each berm until all gunite
and drainage works above that berm have been completed to the satisfaction of the
S.O..

13.0 GUNITE SURFACING WITH SOILS NAILS

13.1 GENERAL

The specification covers the requirements for materials proportioning and

application for gunite. The term ‘gunite’ refers to the concrete produced by the
projection of the wetted sand/cement mixture onto an area by means of air
pressure applied through a continuously feeding devise called a ‘gun’.

All materials used shall be of the best quality and new unless otherwise stated,
the workmanship shall be of the best standard. Unless otherwise stated, the
British or American Codes of Practice and specification are used herein to
determine the minimum standard of practice where they do not conflict with
Local Codes of Practice. Where they do, the local codes shall take precedence.

The Engineer will call for all testing deemed necessary by him to be carried out.

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13.2 MATERIALS

(f) Cement

The cement used for gunite shall be approved manufacturer and shall be
ordinary Portland cement conforming to British Standard 12. Where
gunite will be exposed to soil and groundwater containing a high
concentration of dissolved sulphate, sulphate – resisting cement should
be used.

(g) Aggregate

Materials used as aggregates shall be chemically inert, strong, hard,

durable, of limited porosity and free from adhering clay lump, coal or coal
residue and organic or other impurities that may cause corrosion or the
reinforcement or impair the strength and durability of the gunite.

The aggregates shall be taken from an approved source and shall consist
of naturally occurring sand, gravel or stone, crushed or uncrushed or
combination thereof. They shall not contain water-soluble sulphur-
trioxide (SO3) in excess of 0.1%. All aggregates are to be obtained from a
source approved by the Engineer.

Sand for gunite shall comply with the requirements of a fine aggregate for
B.S. 882, generally a ‘5mm to fine’ zone 2 grading aggregate shall be
preferred. The approval of the S.O. shall be obtained if the contractor
intends to use coarser sands.

Aggregates which from tests prove unsatisfactory shall either be replaced

or shall be washed with further such tests prove satisfactory and all costs
and expenses incurred to comply with this requirement be borne by the
contractor. Rejected aggregates shall be removed from the site.

Sieving and re-mixing of aggregates whose gradings fall outside the

specified limits may be permitted at the sole discretion of the S.O. and at
no extra cost to the client.

(h) Water

Water for mixing and curing shall be cleaned and free from substance
which may be injurious to concrete or steel. It shall comply with the
requirements of B.S. 3148 and contain no staining colouring. The water
pressure must be sufficient to ensure adequate hydration at all times.

(i) Admixtures

No admixtures shall be used without the approval of the S.O..

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 (j) Reinforcement

Steel reinforcement rod used shall comply in all respects with B.S. 4449
and fabric reinforcement shall comply with B.S. 4483. The reinforcement
provided shall be adequate to withstand structural and temperature
stresses.

13.3 PROPORTIONING

(f) The shotcrete shall have a minimum cement content of 400 kg per cubic metre
as discharged from the nozzle, a maximum water-cement ratio of 0.4 by mass
and shall have a minimum compressive strength of 25MPa at 28 days when
tested by means of 100mm cubes taken from test panels and by 100mm
diameter cores taken from in-place shotcrete or from tests panels. If other size
or shape specimens are used for testing, correction factors in accordance with
B.S. 1881 will be applied.

(g) The relative proportions of fine aggregate, coarse aggregate, cement, set
accelerating admixture, and the moisture content of the ingredients when
mixed shall be as approved. The fine and coarse aggregates shall be thoroughly
mixed in an approached mixer and fed with the cement and admixtures, if used,
at the correct rate to achieve the required portions and shall enter the
shotcrete machine in such a way as to achieve proper mixing.

13.4 EQUIPMENT AND WORKMANSHIP

(f) Prior to applying any shotcrete, the Contractor shall submit for approved
drawings showing his proposed plant arrangement together with a general
description of the equipment he proposes to use, the method of operation and
the mix proportions. Mixing of ingredients by hand will not be allowed.

(g) At least 30 days before application of shotcrete, the Contractor shall prepare at
least three test panels in the presence of the S.O. for each admixture to be used.
The test panels shall be made by applying at least 150mm thickness of shotcrete
to hardboard panel approximately 750mm square. The shotcrete shall be
applied to the panels in the same manner, using materials including reinforcing
fabric where applicable, equipment and pressures that will be used in the works
and shall be cured in accordance with Clause. The panels shall be submitted to
the S.O. for examination and for test in sufficient time to obtain and test the
cores.

(h) No shotcrete shall be applied to the works until the quality of workmanship and
the compressive strength of the shotcrete as determined from the test panel
meets the specified requirements.

(i) The Contractor shall employ only skilled nozzleman and before being permitted
to perform any production application of shotcrete, each nozzleman shall
demonstrate to the Engineer his ability to apply shotcrete to the required
standard, including the required water-cement ratio.
33
 (j) Air and water shall be provided in sufficient volume and under such pressure as
may be necessary for the best operating conditions. In applying the shotcrete,
the discharge nozzle shall be held so that the stream of material shall impinge as
nearly as possible at the optimum angle to the surface for minimum rebound,
and the velocity of discharge from the nozzle, the distance of the nozzle from
the surface and the amount of the water used in the minimum shall be
regulated so as to produce a coating with a minimum rebound of the material
and no sagging. Obstructions such as service lines shall be removed to enable
direct application of shotcrete to the surface. Rebounding material shall not be
used again but shall be removed from the work and disposed of by the
contractor as part of the work under this Clause. During the application of
shotcrete, the Contractor shall provide adequate ventilation facilities and take
such other measures as are necessary for the safety of his workmen, including
provision of face protection for nozzleman.

13.5 ADMIXTURE

Where the use of a set accelerating admixture is required in order to successfully apply
aggregate or to maintain safe conditions, the Contractor shall, not less than 60 days
prior to application of the shotcrete, submit details of the ingredients, including the
admixture, for the approval. The amount of the admixture used in any shotcrete shall
not exceed the amount approved by the S.O..

13.6 PREPARATION

(c) Fabric support shall be securely fastened with surface anchors and supported
with approved spacers to provide 50mm clearance between the fabric
reinforcement and the rock/soil surface. In addition to the surface anchors, the
fabric shall be securely anchored to the rock/soil, where directed, with rock
dowels or soil nails.

(d) Surface anchors are defined as devices used for fastening the fabric which do
not penetrate the rock/soil to a depth greater than 60mm and include nails,
staples, and embedded wire ties and expansion anchors.

(e) Wherever shotcrete is required the Contractor shall clean and prepare the
surfaces to receive the coating. Loose or shattered rock, rock debris, soil or
other loose material shall be removed from the surface. Material in clay seams
shall be cut back to a depth as directed to provide a key. After the loose
material has been removed, the surface shall be washed where required with a
strong air-water jet or by other approved means.

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13.7 APPLICATION

(e) Shotcrete shall only be applied in the presence of the S.O. and shall be built up
in successive layers, each layer generally not exceeding 50mm in thickness, such
that sagging and bleeding does not occur. Care shall be taken to ensure that
cavities resulting from cutting back to clay seams, as described in Sub-Clause
(1.6) of this Clause are completely backfilled with shotcrete. Where reinforcing
fabric support is used, the mortar shall cover the fabric to a depth of at least
30mm.

(f) All rebound and other loose material shall be removed by air jet or other
suitable means from the surface of each layer as work proceeds.

(g) During the application of shotcrete, any water flowing over or seeping through
the surfaces to which the shotcrete is to be applied, shall be diverted by the use
of panning, pipes, felt strips or other approved means. Where directed formed
holes or pipe outlets shall be provided in the coating to relieve water pressure
on the coating.

13.8 CURING

All shotcrete cured with water shall be kept continuously wet for at least 7 days
immediately following placement. Natural curing may be allowed if atmospheric
conditions surrounding the shotcrete are satisfactory, such as when the relative
humidity is at or above 85%.

13.9 SAFETY OF WORKS

The application of shotcrete as temporary or permanent support shall not be considered

as relieving the Contractor of his responsibility to maintain all portions of the works in a
safe condition.

13.10 TESTING AND REPAIRS

(d) The Contractor shall take 100mm diameter test cores from in-place shotcrete at
locations and at times directed by the S.O.. Core shall be drilled through the full
thickness of shotcrete at the rate of one suitable core from every 200mm sq. of
completed shotcrete. The S.O. will test the cores for compliance with the
Specification. The drill holes shall be backfilled with dry-pack mortar.

(e) Areas of shotcrete which are dummy, below strength or otherwise defective
shall be removed and repaired within 7 days or the S.O. informing the
Contractor that such repairs are required.

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14.0 HORIZONTAL DRAINS

(a) This work shall consist of furnishing, drilling and inserting small diameter drains into
slopes for the purposes of removing excess groundwater.

(b) The drain holes are drilled at an inclined angle of 1 vertical : 10 horizontal into
the slope.

(c) The drain holes are then to be lined with 75mm diameter perforated UPVC
pipes (Class B) and wrapped in geotextile filter fabric and the casing where
required for support during drilling subsequently withdrawn.

(d) Provisional drain locations, orientations and lengths will be directed by the S.O.
on site.

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