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Keywords

Soil-structure interaction, numerical modelling, embedded beam element, geogrid element, plate element, PLAXIS

Document Type

Research Article

Abstract

Soil nailing is an in-situ ground reinforcement technique widely used for excavation support and slope stabilisation. Finite element modelling of soil-nailed structures fundamentally represents a three-dimensional (3D) soil-structure interaction problem. Traditionally, nails are simplified into equivalent rectangular elements (“smeared” technique) using geogrid or plate elements in 2D simulations. The introduction of embedded beam elements in PLAXIS has provided a new avenue for simulating discrete circular soil nails placed at designated spacings. This study evaluates three finite element modelling approaches: geogrid, plate, and embedded beam, for simulating a soil-nailed wall in PLAXIS 2D and 3D. Results are compared in terms of nail forces, wall displacements, and stability trends. The findings indicate: (i) 2D and 3D analyses using embedded beams show strong correlation in nail force prediction; (ii) wall displacements increase with nail spacing, with 3D embedded beam models predicting the largest movements; and (iii) factors of safety obtained from embedded beam models demonstrate a logical reduction with wider spacing. The contribution of this study is to clarify the implications of adopting different finite element modelling approaches for soil nails, highlight their limitations, and recommend embedded beam elements as the most reliable representation.

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Publication Date

30-9-2025

First Page

34

Last Page

47

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