Custom Shoring Solution Ensures Safe and Efficient Soil Removal at Contaminated Site

An environmental services company was tasked with removing heavily contaminated soil from the site of a former battery recycling plant. Among the challenges: One of the contaminated areas sat very close to a building that housed soil testing equipment, and the contamination ran as deep as 30 feet.

The company turned to United Rentals for help designing a shoring system that would encapsulate the soil hot zones. The excavations would remain open while the soil was removed, treated and replaced. This approach was much more cost-effective than hauling in clean soil to backfill the holes.

The shoring system needed to protect the building so work could continue inside. In addition, because of the depth of the soil, the design needed to allow small equipment such as mini excavators, skid steers and trackhoes to enter the excavation from the bottom to remove soil that larger equipment would not be able to reach from the top.

The right design the first time

United Rentals representatives listened carefully to the customer’s needs and gathered detailed information about the site, allowing its in-house shoring engineers to develop a custom solution. At multiple points throughout the design process, various members of the United Rentals team traveled to the site to meet with the customer, project owner and property owner to keep the lines of communication open and ensure that everyone was on the same page.

Thanks to this level of research and collaboration, United Rentals was able to get the design right the first time, which potentially saved the customer weeks of work.

Two pits were constructed. The smaller, two-sided pit measured 45’x72’20’. The larger pit measured 40’x82’30’. The pits were secured with multiple 30’ and 40’ shoring sheets, which United Rentals was able to provide, eliminating potential delays due to late equipment arrival. The larger pit was further secured with multiple 150-tonne hydraulic struts, also supplied by United Rentals.

The design provided enough clearance between the bottom of the excavation and the struts to allow the customer to drive equipment in.

Tight partnership provided peace of mind

United Rentals was a beginning-to-end partner, guiding the shoring project from design to completion. Instead of simply dropping off the sheeting, bracing and struts, United Rentals provided a shoring adviser to help crews install the system efficiently and cost-effectively.

The customer commented that the shoring advisor was “worth his weight in gold.” They gained peace of mind knowing they could contact United Rentals and get multiple questions answered with just one phone call.

“The ability to provide peace of mind is really our competitive advantage,” said Parker Rikard, an outside sales representative involved in the project.

The customer was pleased with the solution, which performed exactly as planned.

Were it not for United Rentals’ custom shoring proposal, the environmental services company may have thought twice about bidding the job. “The proposal was clear, the drawings were clear and the costs were clear. Partnering with United Rentals early on let them feel confident they could get the project done right the first time while ensuring employee safety and keeping the project on schedule,” said Rikard.