Hydraulic Shoring Inspection & Safe Use
Vertical hydraulic shoring should be inspected before workers enter the protected area and monitored as work progresses so the protective system remains appropriate for changing excavation conditions.
Hydraulic shores can become loose, soil and groundwater conditions can change, surcharge loads can increase, and sheeting or other components can move or become damaged. The complete system should be evaluated throughout the job.
When Should Hydraulic Shoring Be Inspected?
The hydraulic-shoring system and the surrounding excavation should be evaluated before employees enter the protected area.
The manufacturer tabulated data currently referenced for Iron Lot's vertical hydraulic shores also calls for monitoring at the beginning and middle of the work shift, as well as when excavation or jobsite conditions change.
Inspect Before Work Begins
Confirm that the excavation and protective system remain appropriate before workers enter the shored area.
Check Current Conditions
Look for changes that may have occurred since the system was installed or since the previous work period.
Recheck the System
Continue monitoring for loose shores, water, soil movement, changed loads, or other conditions that can develop during the day.
Reevaluate as Needed
Rainfall, vibration, equipment movement, groundwater, excavation activity, and other changes can require additional evaluation.
Hydraulic shores left installed overnight should be checked again before workers reenter the excavation.
What Should Be Checked During an Inspection?
A hydraulic-shoring inspection should consider both the equipment and the excavation surrounding it.
What Should Be Done With a Loose Hydraulic Shore?
A hydraulic shore should remain firmly positioned against the opposing excavation walls. A shore that becomes loose should be addressed before workers continue working in the affected area.
The manufacturer instructions used for the referenced system call for loose shores to be removed and replaced. The surrounding excavation should also be evaluated to determine why firm contact was lost.
Find Out Why the Shore Became Loose
Loss of contact may indicate soil movement, changing excavation geometry, pressure loss, groundwater, changed surcharge loading, or another condition that requires the protective system to be reevaluated.
Monitor the Trench Walls
The excavation itself is an important part of every hydraulic-shoring inspection. Changes around the rails and cylinders can affect how the complete support system performs.
If sloughing or raveling develops, additional sheeting or reduced shore spacing may be required according to the applicable manufacturer's current tabulated data.
See the Hydraulic Shoring Sheeting Requirements Guide for more information.
Watch for Changing Soil Conditions
The soil classification used when a hydraulic-shoring system was installed may not remain appropriate for the entire project.
The Competent Person should reevaluate the excavation when conditions indicate that the original soil classification or protective-system layout may no longer apply.
For additional information, see the Hydraulic Shoring Soil Classification Guide .
Keep Workers Inside the Protected Area
Workers should enter, exit, and perform their work within the properly shored portion of the excavation.
The limits of the protected area depend on the position of the hydraulic shores and the complete protective-system layout. Workers should not move beyond the protected section simply because the surrounding excavation appears stable.
As pipe installation, repairs, bedding, backfill, or other work progresses, the shoring system should be advanced or modified as necessary to maintain protection where workers are located.
Maintain Safe Access and Egress
Access and egress should be coordinated with the hydraulic-shoring layout so workers can enter and leave the protected portion of the excavation without moving through an unprotected area.
Control Equipment and Loads Near the Trench
Equipment, stored material, traffic, and spoil near an excavation can add surcharge loads to the trench walls. Those loads need to remain within the conditions accounted for by the protective-system design.
If the actual surcharge conditions differ from those permitted by the manufacturer's tabulated data, the protective-system layout should be reevaluated. Reduced spacing or a site-specific engineered plan may be required.
Use Safe Handling Procedures
Vertical hydraulic shores contain moving components and can create pinch and crush hazards during folding, unfolding, installation, lifting, and removal.
Keep hands clear of hinge blocks and moving connections.
Control the shore while it is being lowered or retrieved.
Use appropriate lifting equipment when the shore cannot be safely handled manually.
Keep personnel clear of suspended shores.
Use appropriate rigging and handling procedures.
Maintain control of long or heavy shore assemblies.
Inspect Hydraulic Components Before Use
Before installation, inspect the hydraulic components and related tools for visible damage or conditions that could interfere with proper operation.
Damaged or improperly functioning equipment should not be returned to service until it has been evaluated and corrected in accordance with the manufacturer's requirements.
After a shore has been properly pressurized during installation, the hydraulic pressure should hold without an unexplained loss.
Use Proper Backfill and Compaction Procedures
Backfilling and compaction operations should remain coordinated with the hydraulic-shoring system. Compaction equipment can introduce vibration and additional loads that affect excavation conditions.
Where workers could otherwise be exposed to an unprotected portion of the excavation, remote compaction methods should be used.
Remove Hydraulic Shores Safely
Hydraulic shores should be removed from outside the excavation using the proper tools and an established removal sequence.
Removal should be coordinated with backfill, compaction, adjacent hydraulic shores, sheeting, worker location, and the continued need for excavation support.
Release Hydraulic Pressure Before Pulling the Shore
Do not attempt to pull or lift a hydraulic shore while it remains pressurized. Release pressure with the proper tool before removal. Pulling a pressurized shore can damage the equipment and create uncontrolled movement.
See the Hydraulic Shoring Installation & Removal Guide for the complete installation and removal discussion.
Stop Work When Conditions Become Unsafe
The fact that hydraulic shores remain standing does not by itself mean that the protective system remains appropriate.
Workers should remain out of an affected area until unacceptable conditions have been evaluated by the Competent Person and the protective system has been corrected as necessary.
Hydraulic Shoring Inspection Checklist
A practical inspection sequence can help the Competent Person and crew review the complete protective system consistently.
Inspect the excavation and confirm current soil conditions.
Confirm hydraulic shores remain at the required spacing.
Check each shore for firm trench-wall contact.
Look for loose or displaced shores.
Inspect cylinders, rails, fittings, hoses, and connections.
Check for sloughing, raveling, cracking, or soil movement.
Look for groundwater or new water seepage.
Inspect sheeting for movement or damage where it is used.
Evaluate spoil piles, equipment, traffic, and other surcharge loads.
Confirm workers can remain within the protected area.
Confirm safe access and egress.
Correct unacceptable conditions before work continues.
Repeat inspections whenever conditions change. The manufacturer's current tabulated data, instructions, and the Competent Person's evaluation should control the final inspection requirements.
Common Hydraulic Shoring Safe-Use Mistakes
Inspect the Complete Protective System
Safe use depends on more than checking the hydraulic shore itself. The excavation, soil, water, trench-wall contact, shore spacing, sheeting, surcharge loads, equipment condition, protected work area, access and egress, and changing jobsite conditions should all be considered as part of the complete protective-system inspection.
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