What are the Benefits of a Beam and Plate Shoring System?

Excavation work can be hazardous to laborers, and cave-ins have been known to take place even after safety precautions are taken. Beam and plate shoring can be used to reinforce trench walls and prevent cave-ins during excavations, while simultaneously enabling efficient, low-cost pit excavation work. Furthermore, these systems cause little to no vibration, are easy to remove, come with minimal liquidation costs, and can be repurposed for other uses after a project is complete.

Beam and Plate System Components: Steel Plates, H-Pile and Wide Flange Beams

Beam and plate shoring systems have excavation applications that utilize steel plates and beams such as H-pile and wide flange beams. These systems are engineered as an alternative for vibratory sheet pile, and they are often used to install tanks, linear shoring walls, and more.

Steel Plates

Steel plates (also known as shoring plates) are large, flat plates made of steel that is commonly at least one inch thick, though their thickness can vary depending on the project. They sometimes feature engineered lifting devices (such as lifting rings) for easy installation. Beam and plate shoring systems utilize steel plates as part of their composition. Specifically, they are used along with steel beams to provide excavation wall protection.

H-Pile

H-piles are a type of steel piling. They’re as wide as they are deep and have the same thickness in the flange and web. Typically, their flange size ranges from 12” to 16”, i.e. HP12 through HP16. Beam and plate shoring systems utilize steel H-pile as part of their composition.

Wide Flange Beams

Wide flange beams are a type of support material that include a central web connecting two parallel end units, known as “flanges.” They are very similar to h-pile beams, but do not have the same thickness in flange and web. They have a very high capacity while also being light in weight, which is what makes them a popular choice in construction and foundation projects. Beam and plate shoring systems utilize steel wide flange beams as part of their composition.

Beam and Plate Shoring System Benefits

Enhanced Safety

Shoring systems, including beam and plate shoring systems, are used during excavations in order to reinforce trench walls and prevent cave-ins. Without the use of a shoring system, cave-ins and worker injury would be more commonplace, as would the potential risk of injury for pedestrians and those in nearby structures—if the cave-in is large enough, it has the potential to impact wider zones, upsetting the integrity of nearby buildings or disrupting traffic near the construction site. Each of these things can lead to more damage and injury, either at the moment of the cave-in or later down the line. Worker safety is a top priority on any construction site, but especially during excavations, as these are some of the most dangerous work zones for laborers. By utilizing beam and plate shoring, common excavation setbacks can be avoided and worker injury circumvented.

Little to No Vibration

Due to the limited number of pieces, beam and plate shoring installation causes little vibration. If a project requires zero vibration, the H-beams can be pre-auger-drilled to eliminate vibrations entirely.

Fast and Easy Removal

The beams and shoring plates of a beam and plate system can be removed by an excavator as backfilling takes place, making removal fast and easy.

Minimal Liquidation Costs

Liquidation costs incurred from cutoffs and damaged sheet piling is minimized with beam and plate shoring systems.

Dual Uses

The steel shoring plates used to construct beam and plate shoring systems can also be used as trench covers or for steel road plates in other areas after the project is complete. In addition, steel h-pile beams and steel wide flange beams are a structural steel used for many temporary applications, meaning they can be used for many different project types. As a bonus, the components of beam and plate systems can also be resold during project demobilization. There is a hot market for used steel plates, used h-pile beams, and used wide flange beams!

Additional Benefits

In addition to the above benefits, beam and plate shoring offers large free-span work areas and can remain in the ground for an extended period of time. These systems also have a wide range of excavation applications and are typically used as an alternative to side rail and tight sheeting. Beam and plate shoring is usually cheaper than other, similar systems.

Buy and Sell with Eiffel Trading

Eiffel Trading is a trusted source for used and surplus structural steel! Our inventory includes used h-pile beams, used wide flange beams, used steel plates, and more. In addition, we also offer brand new options, including brand new w-beams, brand new h-pile beams, and brand new steel plates.

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