Purpose. The study aims to optimize the design and reduce soil nail length in deep excavations with a soil nail system in fast-draining soils. Additionally, it investigates the parameters influencing slope stability in fast-draining soils. Methods. Integrating field and lab data with soil nail properties and advanced modeling, this study investigates how fixed nail length, inclination and spacing affect the stability of a 20 m-deep excavation in fast-draining soil. Findings. The study findings reveal that optimal parameters, such as nail spacing and inclination angle, have been identified for reinforcing deep excavation walls, ensuring stability with minimal nail length. Notably, the stability of excavation walls can be achieved without the need to increase the length of the soil nails. The recommended parameters are characteristic of an 8-meter-long soil nail system, a 30-degree inclination angle, and a spacing of 1.5×1.5 meters. Originality. This study presents a novel perspective on the structural characteristics of soil nails by determining emphasizing nail spacing, inclination angle, and fixed nail length. It offers a comprehensive framework for designing soil nail walls in fast-draining soils during deep excavations, contributing to advancements in open-cut excavation practices. Practical implications. The study offers practical implications for designers involved in deep slope earthworks, enabling the development of efficient and rational design solutions that ensure excavation stability and prevent displacement during excavation while reducing costs and project duration.

This article presents the fundamentals of an analytical method for determining the stress–strain state of a railway subgrade reinforced with geosynthetic material. The reinforcement described is a combined system where the geosynthetic material forms an open shell containing a layer of compacted crushed stone. The overall stress–strain state is proposed to be viewed as a superposition of two states of the subgrade. The stresses and displacements in the first state refer to the unreinforced subgrade (matrix), while the stress–strain state of the reinforcement element is determined using analytical constructs from composite theory. The dependencies of the overall stress–strain state are applied in a numerical analysis, which confirms the positive effect of reduced subgrade deformations. A small-scale experimental model further validates the accuracy of the analytical approach.

THE BASING OF STABILIZATION PARAMETERS OF A FORTIFIED RAILWAY BED