Pit Slide Rail System Provides Lift Station Shoring

A contractor along the Gulf Coast of Florida had been contracted with the addition to a water treatment plant.  As part of the project, the contractor needed to install a precast concrete lift station.  The contractor’s competent person had identified the soil as a Type C soil composed of sand and clay which would need to be excavated to a depth of 16′.  The lift station required the excavation to be at least 16′ in both directions to provide the crew with adequate working room once the eventual system would be installed.

The composition of the soil was a unique factor in this project.  This particular area of Florida is typically very conducive to various installations of steel sheeting, however, the presence of the clay created some concern that the sheets could be pushed to grade without damage using an excavator.  The lift station phase of this project would be relatively quick, so the contractor did not want to incur the expense associated with a vibratory hammer rental. The contractor turned to Sam Manna with NTS to see what other shoring options could be considered for the project.  Sam discussed the project and a few different possibilities of shoring the excavation with the contractor.  After careful consideration, the contractor elected to use a pit slide rail system due to the system’s ability to handle the poor soil conditions while also being more resistant to damages while passing through the clay than standard steel sheeting.

The pit slide rail system was ideal for this project as it can be installed within a day allowing the contractor to focus more time on productive work.  Removal of the system is also quick and efficient and in very poor soil conditions, NTS has a proprietary hydraulic panel puller that can remove lodged panels while minimizing damage and lost productivity.The contractor was very satisfied with NTS and the performance of the pit slide rail system.