Slide Rail System Conquers Water and Alligators

A contractor was tasked with upgrading an existing gate valve and upsizing the existing 18-inch drain to a 36-inch drainpipe. The project required a system that could hold back  4 to 6-ft of water while the crew completed the work. The project required a 16-ft square pit excavated to a depth of 12-ft in what the contractor had classified as Type C-80 soil due to the presence of water.

The lake where the project occurred was home to alligators and the contractor wanted a solid system that would protect employees and prevent alligators from entering the pit. Additionally, there was a state road located approximately 12-ft from the excavation. Removing these two factors, the largest obstacle for this project was the water and the risk of water infiltrating into the excavation.

The contractor called National Trench Safety to discuss potential shoring options for this project and determined that a slide rail system paired with a guide frame would address the contractor’s concerns. The slide rail system was to be installed 4-ft into the shoreline with three solid panel walls. The fourth wall was composed of a sheeting guide frame parallel to the shoreline. The steel sheeting was inserted into the guide frame channels and pushed to the required embedment depth. Once the guide frame and steel sheeting were in place, the crew quickly removed and replaced the existing 18-inch drainpipe. The contractor utilized sandbags throughout the project and used a 4-inch double diaphragm pump to remove and keep the water out of the pit. The contractor was pleased with the performance of the site-specific shoring system in the harsh soil conditions while it provided a safe barrier that kept the alligators at bay.