Engineer’s Corner: Fundamentals of Construction Cost Estimating
At National Trench Safety we are in the process of developing useful shoring cost estimating information for construction managers and estimators. In the process, I am developing a series of articles about the estimating…
Read MoreSlide Rail Proves Optimal for Pipeline Maintenance Project
The owners of two petroleum pipelines were preparing for the addition of new rail infrastructure and commissioned a contractor to reinforce the existing lines. The contractor would be excavating approximately 180-ft of pipeline to…
Read MoreSite Specific Engineered Trench Shield Application Proves Effective for Contractor
Due to increased traffic congestion around a large airport, a Midwestern municipality had initiated a project to create a new toll road into the airport to ease traffic congestion. The project would require the…
Read MoreThree Sided Trench Shield Configuration Used During Pier Structure Foundation Pour
As part of an ongoing project at a large Florida airport, a contractor needed to pour pier structures to support the transit system that would move travelers from the parking garage to the terminals. …
Read MoreTrench Shields Used to Provided Four-Sided Protective System
A contractor was installing footings for what will become a five-story parking garage to support a new ten-story building being built approximately 75 yards from the parking garage site. The contractor had classified the…
Read MoreEngineers’ Corner: Water, Dewatering, Considerations and the Impact Upon Shoring System Selection and Design
Water has an undeniable impact on the selection of shoring systems. The presence of water can have a significant impact on soils, which is why water is commonly mentioned in most manufacturers ‘ tabulated…
Read MoreEngineer’s Corner: Advantages of Using Site Specific Engineering
A site-specific plan begins by using the actual soil condition from the job site, whether from a soil report from the project or in the absence of a formal soil report, visual observations, and…
Read MoreModular Aluminum System with Aluminum Handrails Meets Contractor’s Shoring and Fall Protection Needs
A contractor would be setting two electric vaults and running the supporting duct banks, which required a 10-ft deep excavation. The vaults and supporting infrastructure would need to be set on a relatively small…
Read MoreTrench Shield Adaptation Provides Protection for Large Excavation
A Gulf Coast, Florida municipality was upgrading its airport infrastructure with the addition of a new monorail to allow for better distribution of travelers at the airport. In constructing the new monorail, the contractor…
Read MoreGround Mats Provide Necessary Access for Gas Line Project
A contractor was performing a directional drill project on an existing gas line and would need to cross privately owned land as part of the project that was currently being used as a pasture….
Read MoreSlide Rail System Enabled Deep Tunnel Excavation For Safe Storm Sewer Installation Beneath Busy Roadway
A Denver, Colorado based utility contractor recently completed construction and installation of a new 30-inch storm sewer line beneath an existing roadway in an extremely busy section of Westminster, Colorado. Ensuring the stability of…
Read MoreEngineer’s Corner: Providing Clarity for OSHA Requirements for Protective Systems 20 Feet or Deeper
One of the more interesting questions I receive from contractors well versed in both the excavation standard and manufacturer’s tabulated data regards the application of OSHA’s 20-ft depth requirement for site-specific engineering. Quite often…
Read MoreNational Trench Safety Announces Opening of New Orlando, Florida Operation
HOUSTON, T.X.—National Trench Safety, LLC (NTS), a Houston-based company specializing in the rental and sales of trench and traffic safety equipment, trench and traffic safety engineering, and OSHA-compliant training classes, announced today the opening…
Read MoreAluminum Trench Shields Provide Lightweight Solution
A golf course in the Nevada area was undergoing restoration, which would include work on an existing water line. The contractor would need to excavate around that line to repair and upgrade it, requiring…
Read MoreSlide Rail System Provides Solution to Poor Soil Condition and Adjacent Structures
A development company in Eastern North Carolina was preparing a site for what will eventually become a waste disposal site. As part of the project, the contractor had to install the supporting infrastructure for…
Read MoreEngineer’s Corner: Contractor, Project Manager Convicted in Wrongful Death: What It Means for the Underground Industry
I recently served as an expert witness in a wrongful death (involuntary manslaughter) case in California related to a trench collapse. In this particular case, the court held the prime contractor and project manager…
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