Infrastructure Projects - Construction Technology
A Practical Guide to Construction Techniques and Practice
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Welcome to class number two on the subject of support of excavation (SOE). Before we get into the new material, I want to recap some of the methods covered in class one. The first one is a trench box that is certainly the quickest and simplest device you can use, but it has some obvious shortcomings. It requires a good deal of space, and also it requires a space which is completely free of utilities. Therefore, it's use is somewhat limited. You will rarely see it out in a typical Suburban Street. The next method is Timber sheeting. This is perhaps the most widely used method. It's extremely versatile, and it can be installed in almost any shape any configuration, and works very well around existing utilities. This makes it extremely useful and helpful in many, situations. You can also use tight board sheeting to get a very tight installation, which limits the amount of water entering the excavation.it can even be extended somewhat below the water table. This is an excellent solution for a wide variety of excavation problems.
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Finally, if you're in an area with some obstructions, you can shift the soldier pile, and very often avoid the obstruction or muscle your way through an obstruction. This is an excellent system. You'll find that this is a very useful tool for you to have. The last method is steel sheet piling. That is the method you go to when you're operating below the water table. Steel sheet piling gives you a continuous uninterrupted surface, which is substantially watertight. Of course, all of the utilities must be cleared before hand to use steel sheet piling. Again and again, I mention utilities. This is an often neglected subject, but it is well worth investing a good deal of time in exploring what utilities exist and how they need to be accommodated. Early in the project, you should perform preliminary excavations test pit excavations to confirm the actual locations of the utilities. That advanced work will help you achieve successful projects.
You should also lay down a horizontal member as a guide to ensure that the sheets are aligned and remain in place, and the finished product winds up exactly where you want it. |