The Birmingham North team designed and delivered a specialist excavation support solution that kept the project moving safely from start to finish, and marked the first installation of the new Terra Brace 550 system on site.
The excavation at Netherton Lane was 50m long, 5.6m wide and 4m deep. Works ran over a six week programme starting in March 2026, with five tanks to install
While the project progressed smoothly on site, careful planning was required during the design stage to accommodate the installation of five tanks within the excavation. The temporary works design had to position every cross strut so it was positioned between the tanks during installation, without compromising stability or safe access at any point in the build.
The two stage construction added another layer of coordination. The team installed the initial excavation support, then cast and cured a 300mm concrete base before removing sections of the lower frame and cross struts to open up the next phase of works.
To support the excavation safely and efficiently, Altrad Generation Birmingham North supplied Terra Brace 550 with 6m L602 Sheet Piles. The installation used two frames, with three cross struts in the bottom frame and two in the top.
The Terra Brace 550 gave the team the flexibility to adapt the arrangement around each stage of the tank installation without losing excavation stability. The system uses five leg extension lengths and an adjustable hydraulic ram unit that pin together at the joints. It works with Trench Sheets or sheet piles, handles large coffer dams, and supports chambers and deep shafts up to 28m clear span in both directions.
Its twin pin joint arrangement delivers near full moment capacity along the span and includes an integral shear stop for knee brace props. Frames sit on support brackets and restrain vertically throughout. The system is fully compatible with Terra Brace 254 and 390 equipment, so different brace sizes can meet at the corners of rectangular excavations without additional adapters.
The result was a practical, adaptable solution that kept excavation, tank installation and concrete works running safely and on programme throughout.
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