Based on stress-strain relations, when the angle of soil nails below the horizontal (angle b in the figure below) is small, the soil nails intersect the normal to the potential slope failure surface at a relatively large angle. Tensile stresses can be readily developed in the soils nails. However, if the angle of soil nails below the horizontal is large, the soil nails intersect the normal to the potential slope failure surface at a small angle and little or no tensile stress would be mobilized in the soil nails. In this case, it is ineffective in utilizing its tensile strength to prevent slope failure. In the worst scenario, the soils nail would under the state of compression for even steeper soil nails.
This question is taken from book named – A Self Learning Manual – Mastering Different Fields of Civil Engineering Works (VC-Q-A-Method) by Vincent T. H. CHU.
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