Problem
The installation of twin petrol tanks for a new service station in Ballina faced some challenges because of the surrounding site and ground conditions.
The tanks were being installed into sand overlying clay – soil that is loose, soft, and not very stable. Traditional shoring boxes couldn’t be used because the water table, the boundary between the water-saturated and unsaturated ground, was at one metre, meaning local drains would back up at very high tide.
The excavation site was also very small, so there was no room to bench or batter the excavation.
Solution
Our expert engineers and product managers created a solution that used our Australian Made Shore Brace 400 Hydraulic Bracing system, Shore Strut 400, and Sheet Piles ranging from 6 metres to 8 metres in length within the excavation, which measured 19m x 8.4m x 4m deep.
Due to the massive size of the bracing frames, they needed to be installed on-site, but because of the limited size of the site, the frames needed to be placed in an exact location with almost no room for error when they were delivered, a task which our dedicated transport team were more than ready for.
The equipment was installed over 1.5 days, but due to the excavation methodology being changed on-site, the frame was initially too big for the hole, and a few extensions needed to be adjusted to make it fit. Having a team of in-house engineers available for site visits, meant the design could be safely updated and account for the dynamic conditions of the job site.
The sheet & frame solution was pre-drived into the ground and then excavated out after the fact, this minimised any risk of potential cave-in and meant maximum space was available in the trench for the tank installation.
Overall, the success of this project demonstrates our ability to create innovative solutions for our customers, not only in terms of our products but also with our services, such as delivery, engineering, and installation.
Our commitment to providing on-site guidance and support to our customers ensures their projects are successful and are completed on time.
If you want to view our previous case studies, click here, or to learn how we can support your next project, request a quote today.
