Are their standards for soil nail installation design?
Answer There are no set standards for nail coverage. The design requirements for soil nails are dependent on the soil mechanical properties, ground water conditinos, slope geometry, and any surcharge loading. The soil nail requirements are usually supported by the results of an explicit analysis, most commonly supported by computer programs such as SNAIL or GOLDNAIL. In straightforward cases the analysis can be performed by hand but in the case of complex soil stratigraphy a computer program is preferred. The soil nail pattern and coverage depends in large part on the length and capacity of each individual nail, but also on the capacity of the facing to be applied. I have not heard of a viable soil nail design addressing only the crest area of a slope. That would be unusual, but I can see how it might work in some cases if the nail capacities are sufficient. The rationale would be that the driving force on the slide (coming from the upper part) would be lessened. However you should be
