Site essentials

Lightweight trench shoring

On the left, aluminium panels held by struts support the walls of the narrow trench. On the right, without shoring, a wall of the same trench has collapsed into the excavation. Computer-generated image. — **Left:** aluminium panels held by struts support the walls of the narrow trench. **Right:** without shoring, a wall of the same trench has collapsed into the excavation. Computer-generated image.

Two panels facing each other, linked by struts.
They hold the walls of a utility trench,
and the mini-excavator sets them and takes them out without another machine.

Other names for this product: aluminium shoring, lightweight trench box, excavation shoring, shoring panels, trench support, utility trench shoring.

The essentials

Family: Site essentials
Material: Aluminium, panels and adjustable struts
Laying: By mini-excavator, as an assembled box or panel by panel
Carrier machine: None, the mini-excavator sets it and takes it out

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01 Use

What it is for

**Left:** aluminium panels held by struts support the walls of the narrow trench.
**Right:** without shoring, a wall of the same trench has collapsed into the excavation.
What sets it apart:
it is carried and set by the mini-excavator, where heavy shoring would need a much bigger machine.
Computer-generated image.

Trench shoring is a set of panels placed against the walls of an excavation, and held apart by struts.
It retains the soil:
the walls do not cave into the trench while a utility is being laid.

The lightweight version is made of aluminium.
It is used for narrow utility trenches:
water, sewerage, gas, electricity, fibre, private connections.
The mini-excavator that digs the trench also sets the shoring, without bringing in a bigger machine.

French labour law (Code du travail) requires a trench to be shored beyond a depth it sets, according to its width, when its walls are not battered.
Lightweight shoring is lowered from the edge of the excavation, by the mini-excavator.

Lightweight does not mean universal. Lightweight shoring is chosen for a given depth, width and ground, and it does not suit every soil.
The permitted earth pressure depends on the model, the ground and the loads at the edge of the excavation, not on a generic figure.

02 What we check with you

On which machine?

It is not fitted to the machine: the mini-excavator sets it down and picks it up again.
It is installed as an assembled box or panel by panel.
The weight of one box, to compare with what the mini-excavator can lift: we calculate it with you for your machine.

What the tool does

It is made of aluminium, with panels and adjustable struts.
Depth, width and length of the excavation, panel size, permitted earth pressure: we calculate them with you for your site.

What is needed on the hydraulic side

It does not connect to the machine, which is only used to set it down and pick it up again.

Your study sets the exact value for your machine.

Don't have these figures?
A photo of the machine is enough to start.

03 Your study

Have your site checked.

Describe the trench, the ground and the mini-excavator digging it.
State whether a roadway, a building or a stockpile of soil borders the excavation.

What we need to answer you

The trench Its depth, its width and the length open at the same time.
The ground Soil, sand, fill, clay, and the presence of water in the excavation.
The edge of the excavation Roadway in use, building, nearby utilities, stockpiled soil.
The mini-excavator Its make, its type and what it lifts at the required reach.
The utility being laid Its type and the diameter of the pipe or duct.

Without these details, the study still begins: we will ask you for them.

Send my photos

or describe your need

Book an appointment with the specialist

Or call 01 84 16 55 49 · our lines are open 7 days a week, from 7h to 22h.

Written study within 3 working days, once the file is complete.

04 Choice

What determines the choice

01 — Depth and width Shallow connection or deeper trench:
the height of the panels and the length of the struts are chosen with them.
02 — The ground Cohesive soil, sand, fill, presence of water:
the type of shoring and the permitted earth pressure are chosen with it.
03 — Box or panels Assembled box or panels set separately:
the choice depends on the length to open and the utilities that cross the excavation.
04 — The mini-excavator Its type and what it lifts:
the weight of a box is chosen with the machine that sets it and takes it out.

05 Check

What is checked before ordering

The permitted earth pressure It is checked against the actual ground and the loads at the edge of the excavation, not against a figure read on its own.
Lifting The weight of a box is compared with what the mini-excavator actually lifts, at the required reach, with an attachment point designed for lifting.
Crossing utilities The utilities that cross the trench decide where the struts go and the choice between box and panels.
Transport The number of boxes and their size decide the vehicle that delivers them and collects them.

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