A design method for the ‘reticulated pile structure’ for the stabilization of slopes and excavations

Sliding slope stabilization can be carried out adopting the so-called “reticulated-pile structure”. This design solution is also adopted to support high excavations, when no other “traditional” solution is applicable (e.g. anchored diaphragm walls). The soil is reinforced by micro-piles both owing to the formation of a continuous “nucleus” of improved characteristics and by the presence of the piled structure which reacts to the applied loads. The accurate design of the reticulated-pile structure is a very difficult task, owing to its statically indetermination and to the difficulty in the soil-piles interaction analysis. The paper reports a rational approach to design such a structure, already used in many real applications. The method allows to evaluate the stress-strain states of the whole structure and of the single elements which compose it. Analyses have been performed with the aim of pointing out the effects of design factors on the general behaviour of this structure.