Let’s take a closer look at how the application can be applied in projects with limited clearance. A recent project in the Seattle area needed to install new lift station pumps located in a utility room below an active vehicle ramp. The modular aluminum box design permitted the contractor to carry the panels of the box through the entrance of the pump room and build the box by hand in the enclosed structure. The contractor hand-assembled two 12-ft long, 12-ft wide, and 6-ft tall modular aluminum boxes. As the boxes were assembled, a Hydrovac truck would carefully position and lower each box using a stacking guide to pin the two boxes together, reaching the planned excavation limits to install the pumps.

Stacking and pinning modular boxes together can allow a contractor to safely extend the protective system’s operational reach to depths of 25-ft, while using a rubber tire or mini-excavator, keeping equipment cost down. While the list below is not exhaustive, it features a few key benefits that are understood among contractors and trench safety representatives.

Benefits of use:

• Low footprint: Lightweight, smaller carbon footprint
• Multiple configurations: Build to fit the site
• Easy installation: Built by hand with a small crew
• Low operational cost: Heavy machinery is not required; economical without sacrificing safety

If you have a limited work crew, environmental constraints, and an evolving job site with changing excavation protection requirements consider using the modular aluminum box as a solution. Contractors can benefit from lower operational costs, and in some states meet carbon emissions standards without sacrificing safety.