A well-respected contractor in the Rocky Mountain region was tasked with constructing a 10-ft retaining wall near a very popular entertainment venue. Retaining walls serve many functions such as controlling erosion, reducing flooding, and in some cases add useable space. The project required an excavation cut of a 200-ft in length, 10-ft wide, and a depth of 10-ft, the Competent Person on-site classified the sandy soil as C-60. The contractor needed a protective system that could work around an active road while providing enough vertical clearance to construct the 10-ft tall retaining wall.
The contractor reached out to NTS to discuss their concerns about the project. After careful consideration, the contractor elected to use steel trench shields with arch spreaders. Trench shields can be assembled and lowered into a trench by an excavator, while arch spreaders provide increased vertical clearance compared to conventional round spreader pipes. The trench shields combined with arch spreaders provided a 
versatile solution that accounted for the height clearance needed and adequate protection for the workers entering the trench. The trench shields and arch spreaders were quickly assembled and placed in the open trench. NTS offers an extensive assortment of trench shields that can be stacked and paired with a wide range of arch spreaders normally used on projects where high clearance and maneuverability are required. After the retaining wall is fully constructed it will prevent erosion and direct stormwater away from the area. The contractor was pleased with the simple yet cost savings solution that the trench shields and arch spreaders provided.