Braced Sheeting

Braced Sheeting are designed to provide four-sided soil support in coordination with a contractor’s selected sheeting material. Hydraulic excavation braces can achieve free span pit support in excavations up to 80’x80’ before the need for crossing struts is needed. NTS carries three different models of hydraulic excavation braces to balance the strength and weight requirements of each project.

Braced Sheeting can be composed of four main structures: hydraulic ram units, mechanical ram units, extension pieces, and corner braces. The hydraulic ram unit contains is a large steel sleeve with a chamber for a heavy-duty hydraulic cylinder. The hydraulic ram unit contains special “knuckle” connectors on one end which attach to matching knuckle connectors on the mechanical ram unit. The opposite end of the hydraulic ram unit contains a plate to which the extension pieces are bolted.

The mechanical ram unit is a similar large sleeve with a mechanical strut that can be pinned in place of the hydraulic cylinder. The mechanical ram unit is designed to have an operating range of approximately 4’ with the intent to allow the system to adapt to minor job site changes in pit size. The mechanical ram unit also has a plate to which the extension pieces are bolted.

Extension pieces are added to a hydraulic ram unit and mechanical unit to form one “arm” of the brace. The extension pieces help to extend the reach of the ram units to provide the length of support needed from the arm. The arms consisting of a hydraulic ram unit, mechanical ram unit and extension pieces are pinned together at the knuckle connectors to form a complete “ring.” Rings are typically four-sided although the knuckle connectors would allow for other polygonal shapes to be formed.

Corner braces are an accessory to strengthen the hydraulic rings for demanding applications. The braces are bolted into the corners of the ring and provide an additional point of support against pressure from the excavation’s walls.

Hydraulic excavation braces are versatile and can be used with a variety of sheeting methods including steel sheeting, beam and plate systems, and slide rail systems. The hydraulic excavation brace provides productivity and efficiency improvements over the welded-in-place beams that have conventionally been used. The large hydraulic excavation braces can also eliminate the need to carry a capital-intensive inventory of support beams to meet constantly changing project dimensions.