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Prevent Slope Failure with Soil Stabilization in Houston, TX

Soil Nails

Anchors

When conducting soil stabilization in Houston, anchors are used in rock formations or earthen formations to increase shear, tensile, and load-bearing strength to protect from slope failure. The more common areas for anchors are to secure retaining walls, bulkheads, and rock formations. A variety of anchors systems may be used. For example, steel bars grouted into drilled holes or cable strains anchors (made up of cables wound together) are common types of soil stabilization systems. There are also anchors with designed drill bits for self-drilling where hole failure may occur during placement of traditional anchors.

Anchors are more substantial than sod nails. Anchors are used to brace retaining walls, bulkheads, and rock faces. They may be steel bars or twisted cables grouted into boreholes, or rods with rudimentary drill bits where the borehole may collapse during placement of a traditional anchor. Some anchors may also use a steel pipe to drain the interior of the rock mass.

Soil Stabilization

Chemical grouts and cementitious grouts are used below grade for soil enhancement, for repairs such as building, bulkheads, and open cuts pits/tanks. Soils can be modified to increase compaction, tensile and shear strength. The injection of grouts to stabilize soil formations is very useful in projects around waterways where forming and pouring concrete is not possible. Grouts vary in performance from rigid, gel or elastomeric to allow for adhesion and cohesion capabilities. Traditional applications are commonly used in open cuts for tanks, collection pits, building and bulkheads.

Soil Nails

Soil nails are steel rod or cable grouted in boreholes, anchoring potential slide masses. Short soil nails may also be used to anchor shotcrete or reinforced gunite walls.

For below grade structural repair in or around buildings, bulkheads, pits or tanks.

Grouts can increase compaction, tensile and shear strength. Injection of rigid, gel or elastomeric grouts with adhesive and cohesive properties can allow excavation after soil stabilization.

Slurry walls/Trenches

Slurry walls are used to control the lateral or vertical movement of gasses or fluids in a strata formation. Mixing bentonite (expansive clay) with cement and placing it in an excavated cut controls fluids for a cutoff wall. Use of a poly liner in the open cut can also enhance performance.

Slurry walls are most appropriate when full penetration from the surface is required in a groundwater barrier. Expansive bentonite clay is mixed with soil or cement and emplaced in an excavated cut. Poly liners (HDPE) can be placed in the cut to enhance its performance.

Subsurface Barriers

Applications for subsurface barriers can range from landfills, waste sites, or migrations of contaminants through soil formulations. Subsurface barriers can be constructed from open cut slurry walls, compaction, permeation or jet grouting. Where applications vary for choosing the most effective method of containment or locking up is the permeability of the soil mass.

Safety

Arguably, the most important service we provide is our dedication to safety. You can learn more about our safety record and the extra steps we take on our safety page. Please contact us at 713.869.7632 with any questions you may have.