Soil Nailing
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Soil Nailing

Soil nailing stabilizes steep soil slopes, excavations, embankments, and cut faces by installing steel bars (nails) into the ground and securing them with shotcrete or mesh. The result is a reinforced soil mass capable of resisting sliding, sloughing, and long-term movement.

75+ ft
Max Wall Height
75-100 yr
Design Life
Design-Build
Single-Source Delivery
Overview

Design-Build Soil Nail Systems

Soil nailing provides a fast, economical alternative to retaining walls, reduces excavation footprint, performs extremely well in granular and cohesive soils, and creates structurally reinforced soil without major site disturbance.

Common applications include roadway cuts, rail corridors, commercial and industrial excavation support, failing embankments, and slope reconstruction after landslides.

Our capabilities include track, truck, and rope-access drilling, shotcrete finish options (temporary or permanent), integrated drainage for hydrostatic pressure control, and high-production soil nail installation.

You need soil nailing when you have deep cuts or excavations, slope failure remediation needs, bulging or cracking slopes, or when retaining walls are too costly or invasive.

This service supports our solutions for:

Landslide Remediation icon Landslide Remediation Slope Stabilization icon Slope Stabilization
Soil Nailing
Equipment

Tools & Technology

We deploy specialized equipment matched to project requirements and site conditions.

Track-mounted drill rigs
Low-headroom drilling equipment
Grout mixing and pumping systems
Shotcrete pumps and robotic arms
Hydraulic testing equipment
Centralizers and corrosion protection systems
Techniques

How We Do It

Proven methods and specialized techniques that deliver reliable, long-lasting results.

Micropiles
Micropiles icon

Micropiles

Micropiles are small-diameter, high-strength deep foundation elements used to transfer loads into competent ground. Their versatility makes them ideal for underpinning, slope stabilization, and situations with limited access or difficult geology.

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Pressure Grouting
Pressure Grouting icon

Pressure Grouting

Pressure grouting injects fluid grout into soil pores, rock fractures, or open voids to densify loose ground, seal water pathways, fill cavities, and lift settled foundations. Compaction, permeation, fracture, and chemical grouting variants address different host-ground conditions.

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Structural Shotcrete
Structural Shotcrete icon

Structural Shotcrete

Structural shotcrete is pneumatically applied concrete engineered to carry computed structural loads, used for soil nail wall facings, tunnel primary and final linings, dam and spillway rehabilitation, and permanent retaining walls. ACI 506 family specifications govern design, placement, and acceptance testing.

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Why Us

Why Choose Rock Supremacy

Experienced design-build soil nail installers
High-precision drilling even in challenging soils
Rapid mobilization for emergency stabilization
Soil Nailing project
Trusted by
Industry Leaders
Gallery

Our Work in Action

Questions

Soil Nailing FAQ

Soil nail walls typically range from $40 to $90 per square foot of wall face, driven by wall height, soil conditions, nail length and spacing, corrosion-protection class, and finish requirements. Walls under 20 feet with standard shotcrete facing fall toward the lower end. Tall walls, hybrid soil-nail-plus-anchor systems, sculpted shotcrete finishes, and projects with difficult access drive cost upward. As a general benchmark, soil nail walls run 25 to 50 percent below soldier pile walls and 30 to 50 percent below cast-in-place concrete walls of equivalent height. Firm pricing depends on borings, wall geometry, and corrosion-protection requirements.
Construction proceeds in lifts of 4 to 6 vertical feet, with each lift cycle including drilling, nail placement, grouting, drainage strip placement, mesh, and shotcrete facing. Total schedule depends on wall area, soil conditions, drill production, weather, access, and number of crews. Moderate walls of 25 to 35 feet typically install over several weeks, with additional time for proof testing, cure, and any architectural finish. Schedule is set during preconstruction once the wall geometry, soil profile, and access conditions are defined.
Both delivery models work. On design-build projects we partner with geotechnical engineers to deliver a sealed design covering nail length, spacing, corrosion class, drainage, and facing, all to FHWA NHI-14-007 and AASHTO LRFD requirements. On design-bid-build projects we install per the engineer of record's plans and provide constructability and value-engineering input. We can also do peer review during the design phase if your engineer wants a builder's perspective before documents go out for bid.
Permanent soil nail walls are designed for 75 to 100 years of service life under FHWA criteria. Longevity comes from corrosion-protected nails (epoxy-coated bars, double-corrosion-protected encapsulated bars, or galvanized hollow self-drilling bars) combined with a properly designed shotcrete or concrete face, integrated drainage, and verification testing during construction. Temporary soil nail walls are designed for shorter service lives, typically 18 to 36 months, using uncoated bars and lighter facing. Corrosion-protection class is matched to the design life, the soil's electrochemical conditions, and the consequence of failure.
Soil nailing performs well in stiff to hard cohesive soils, dense sand and gravel, weathered rock, and residual soils with at least short-term cut-face stand-up time. It is the dominant earth-retention method for highway cuts in clayey silt, glacial till, decomposed granite, and competent fill. Soil nailing is challenged by clean loose dry sands without cohesion, where the cut face will not stand up between lifts, soft clays with low shear strength, organic soils, and saturated soils below the water table without dewatering. Pre-design borings and soil testing identify these conditions before installation begins.
Yes. Soil nail walls are constructed top-down without excavating or working behind the wall face, which is the key reason they are specified for tight urban excavations and lots where buildable area must be maximized. Property-line construction does require permission to install nails extending into adjoining property, usually handled through a temporary subterranean easement coordinated with survey and title teams. For sites where no easement is possible, soldier pile walls with tieback anchors confined to the parcel are a common alternative.
Verification follows FHWA proof- and verification-test protocols. Verification tests are run on dedicated sacrificial nails before production, loaded incrementally to 200 percent of design capacity to confirm bond strength assumptions. Production proof tests are run on a percentage of installed nails, typically 5 percent, loaded to 150 percent of design load with measured deflection at each load increment. Test data is documented in a daily QC log and submitted to the engineer of record. Test acceptance criteria, frequency, and reporting are specified in the project documents.
Stand-alone soil nail walls are typically built to 30 to 40 feet of total height. Above 40 feet, hybrid systems are common: tieback anchors at the upper part of the wall carry concentrated load while soil nails through the rest of the face provide distributed reinforcement. Hybrid soil-nail-plus-anchor walls can be designed to 75 feet and beyond. Tall walls are often tiered with a vegetated bench between lifts to break up the visual face and improve drainage.
Testimonials

What Our Clients Say

We take pride in building lasting relationships with our clients through exceptional service and results.

"It amazes me how quick these guys adapt to challenging and seemingly overwhelming construction situations in the best, and most creative approach. Very smart, dedicated, hardworking group of brave workers in hazardous work sites. Not the type of work just anyone can do! Keep up the good work!"
A
Anthony Laitta
Google Review
"We've been doing business with Rock Supremacy for many years now. Rowan and the whole staff are true Professionals with highly skilled employees and specialty equipment. Highly recommend Rock Supremacy!"
D
Derrick Hough
Google Review
"We engaged Rock Supremacy for a very challenging cliffside project that involved the stabilization and reinforcement of a retaining wall which ultimately required a total of ten drilled horizontal rock anchors, multiple vertical stabilization pilings and encapsulation with concrete structural reinforcement. Even though my residential project, as large as it was to me, was of a much smaller scale than the company often deals with, it approached the task with all of the consideration and professionalism I could hope for. Notably, they were not hesitant to take on a challenging terrain even with its limited access. From the outset, Corey Muir was very engaged in the project and with finding workable solutions. He was eager to explore alternative options for accomplishing the goals and worked diligently with my engineering consultants to tweak the design for a practical, affordable solution. Throughout the planning process, he maintained excellent communications with myself and our structural engineers. Corey was careful to make sure, prior to our final agreement, that all details were fully understood. The company began the project exactly when anticipated. The on-site crew, David, Nate and Jules proved to be the "A" team. They are very skilled and professional. I found them considerate, easy to interact with, and flexible with regard to change possibilities. The team showed careful concern for my property and all possible avoidance of collateral damage while completing a job that involved some very heavy equipment. When the concrete supplier was unduly delayed, they took it in stride and made the best of the situation. The job was actually finished a little ahead of schedule. Definitely a five star rating for this group, I would be happy to further discuss my experience with anyone contemplating the use of Rock Supremacy's services."
D
David Stellway
Residential Client
Residential Slope Stabilization
Contact

Deploy Us

Ready to discuss your soil nailing needs? Our team can assess your site conditions and provide a custom solution.

Emergency (24/7)

(541) 383-7625

Bidding & Estimates

Info@RockSupremacy.com

Headquarters

Western Division (HQ)
65147 N Hwy 97
Bend, OR 97701
Eastern Division
915 Millennium Ct
Blountville, TN 37617

Licensed in CO, UT, WY, ID, MT, CA, WA, OR, TN, VA

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Our experienced crews are ready to mobilize. Contact us to discuss your project requirements.

Request Site Assessment Call (541) 383-7625