09/24/2026
What keeps an entire hillside from pushing a retaining wall over? đź‘€
The answer is buried deep underground!
Here's a behind-the-scenes look at GSI installing engineered soil nails on one of our retaining wall projects.
So, what exactly are soil nails, and how do they work?
Using an excavator-mounted drilling rig, hollow steel bars are drilled deep into the hillside at a carefully engineered angle.
Here's where it gets interesting…
As the drill advances, a specialized cement-based grout is continuously pumped through the center of the hollow steel bar and out through the drill bit. This helps flush soil cuttings from the hole while filling the space around the steel reinforcement.
Once the grout hardens, it creates a strong bond between the steel and the surrounding ground, effectively reinforcing the soil mass behind the retaining wall.
Unlike traditional tieback anchors that are hydraulically tensioned during installation, soil nails are considered passive reinforcement. As the ground attempts to shift, the nails develop resistance through their bond with the surrounding soil, helping prevent further movement.
Think of it like reinforcing concrete with rebar, except we're reinforcing the earth itself!
What looks like a finished retaining wall on the surface is actually an engineered system working together beneath the ground.
On this project, Haack's Excavation Solutions LLC worked alongside GSI, handling excavation, material movement, and site preparation.
Just another example of why proper excavation and ground preparation are so important to the success of a project!
đźšś Haack's Excavation Solutions LLC
đź“Ť Proudly serving Southeast Michigan
Excavation | Site Development | Drainage | Demolition | Retaining Walls
