Trench Support Systems
Application
Which trench support system does your project need?
Different excavation projects present different challenges. Factors such as excavation depth, ground conditions, surrounding infrastructure and site access will all influence the most suitable trench support system for your project.
Long, repetitive runs for water, gas, power, or telecoms need support that keeps pace with the dig without slowing the work down. Trench boxes and shields drop straight in and move forward with the excavation, and where runs get deeper or the ground is poor, trench sheets and sheet piles hold the faces securely.
Check out: Trench Boxes, Trench Sheets & Sheet Piles
Deep basements, pumping stations, and shafts carry high ground loads and often need bracing on several levels. Our bracing frames and large-span systems, including Shaftbrace and Supershaft Plus, support excavations well beyond routine depths while keeping enough clear working room inside.
Check out: Bracing Frames, Walers & Struts
Tight city-centre sites, limited craneage, and work over live services call for support that can be handled without heavy lifting gear. Lightweight aluminium shoring, including the Aluminium Trench Shield and MAP Box, installs quickly by hand or with smaller plant and adapts to awkward spaces.
Check out: Lightweight & Aluminium Shoring
Digging close to foundations, party walls, or dense buried services brings a real risk of ground settlement affecting what’s around the excavation. We can work closely with you on on a bespoke design and pair this with real-time monitoring. Any movement will be picked up early and neighbouring assets stay protected.
Check out: Bespoke Designs, Structural Monitoring
Complete range of trench support systems
Our groundworks range spans every element of trench support. Allowing you to hire a complete system from a single supplier and keep everything compatible on site.
Get a quote
Click the link below and fill out our enquiry form. Our friendly experts will get back to you as soon as they can.
Get in touchHow can we support your project?
Our groundworks range includes a comprehensive selection of trench support systems designed to support excavation projects of varying sizes and complexities.
From trench boxes and lightweight shoring systems to sheet piles and bracing systems, our solutions help support safe and efficient excavation activities across infrastructure, utilities and construction projects.
Proven trench support systems
Access to a range of trench support systems suitable for excavation, utility and infrastructure projects of varying sizes and complexities.
Engineering expertise
Technical knowledge and practical project experience to help identify suitable trench support solutions for challenging site conditions.
Tailored solutions
Working collaboratively to help customers identify solutions designed around project requirements, ground conditions and project constraints.
FAQs
Trench support is required wherever there’s a risk of collapse, and that risk exists at any depth. There’s no depth threshold that removes the need for it: the old 1.2m rule came from prescriptive 1966 regulations and no longer applies. Instead, the HSE requires the risk to be assessed on every excavation, based on ground and soil conditions, weather, and nearby loads, structures or services. Because collapses have proved fatal even in shallow trenches, support should be planned in from the start.
Our health and safety systems are certified to ISO 45001, and we hold RISQS, CHAS and Constructionline accreditations. We work within the CDM 2015 framework and provide the calculations, certificates and documentation your temporary works process needs for sign-off.
Both. We can quote for a simple hire of standard kit, or bring us in for as much as you need: planning, design, supply, installation and monitoring. Low-risk jobs can use pre-engineered MyConstruct designs and complex sites can request a bespoke design from our engineers.
There are four main types: trench boxes and shields for straight trenches, lightweight and aluminium shoring for restricted access, trench sheets and sheet piles for deeper or higher-load digs, and bracing frames, walers and struts for shafts and large excavations. Many projects combine them.
Straightforward, lower-risk excavations in stable ground usually suit standard equipment or a pre-engineered MyConstruct design. Deeper or complex ground, heavy nearby loads, or work close to existing structures needs a bespoke design. Reach out to us using the form below with as much information around the depth, dimensions, and ground conditions, and we will advise.
Standard equipment is stocked across our nationwide depot network, so simple hires can reach site quickly. This will depend on your location and the availability of products. Equipments for complex sites will take longer, as this involve design and, where needed, installation. Reach out to us as early as possible and we will plan this with you.
Give us a call
For all project specific design and technical enquiries, please contact your local service team
Send us an email
If you want to talk to us about your project, send us an email and a brief outline of how we can help and we’ll be in touch
info@mh.international
