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An illustrated formwork glossary.

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Glossary sorted by category,
Formwork | Scaffolding | Shoring-Underpinning |
Glossary alphabetically sorted
0-9  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z    "  


A
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Arch Centering
Temporary framework or formwork, usually timber that masonry or concrete arches are built on top of.;
Auger Underpinning
The underpinning of foundations by drilling a series of auger holes under the foundations. By part filling with concrete it is possible to lift the foundation with hydraulic jacks, before totally filling with concrete.;
B
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Back Propping
The technique of stripping the formwork in a suspended slab while still keeping it supported.;
Bamboo Scaffolding
Scaffolding made out of natural bamboo;
Beam Formwork
Formwork for beams. This particular page shows a low tech all timber method of forming a perimeter beam to a suspended slab.;
Boom Hoist
Access equipment. A mobile scaffold platform that is raised and moved by an articulated boom Also known as a Cherry Picker.;
Box Crib
A layout of squared timbers or similar concrete beams used as the lining of a shaft in mining and excavation work.;
Brace
An angled member working in compression only. Used to stiffen, straighten or support shutters etc.;
C
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Cantilever Needle Beam
In underpinning. A cast in situ concrete beam, usually sat on piles or concrete piers that passes through and supports a wall, or foundation from one side of the wall only.;
Cat Ladder
In Scaffolding and while working on steep roofs. A ladder that lays on top of the roof surface as an aid to walking and working on a roof surfaces. Also known as a crawling board.;
Chamfer
Usually a 45deg. bevel to a 90deg.(both internal and external) corner in concrete.;
Column Clamps
Various methods of clamping and holding column formwork in position. ;
Column Formwork
Timber, steel or other materials used to form concrete columns. ;
Concrete Formwork
The materials that are used to keep wet concrete in the correct position until it has set. After a period of time it is usually removed.;
Continuous Flight Augering
In basement excavation and shoring. Know also as CFA. A machine driven auger that drills holes and when withdrawn, grout or concrete is pumped into the hole through a hollow center. When withdrawn fully A rebar cage is inserted into the wet concrete. The process is repeated many times to form a continuous shield or secant pile wall.;
Crane Loading Platform
In high rise work. A temporary platform, usually cantilevered out from an upper floor, to enable a crane to land and remove material to the floor.;
Cribbing
Squared timbers or concrete members used to provide support or used in a retaining wall. ;
D
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Double Raking Shore
A shore with two raking members, either steel or timber to support a larger and higher section of wall.;
E
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Earth Auger
An auger used for drilling circular holes in the ground. Usually machine mounted and hydraulically driven.;
F
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Fabric Formwork
Formwork that is formed out of various plastic and fabric materials. Not reusable, but cheap and quick to erect.;
Fillets
Triangular lengths of timber or plastic used to form chamfers in concrete. ;
Flying Shore
A horizontal shore between two buildings to give temporary support to one or both of them;
Form Oil
A generally low viscosity oil that is easily sprayed onto ply or steel form surfaces to stop the concrete sticking to the forms. Also called release oil or release agent.;
Formply
Usually in 2400 x 1200 (8ft x 4ft) and either 12mm, 16mm or 18mm (1/2", 5/8", or 3/4") thick this plywood is made by various manufacturers with strength, water resistance and finish being the main criteria. Both sides are usually coated with a hard smooth resin finish.;
Formwork Bearers
Heavier sections of steel or timber supported on props or shores, used to support the joists in suspended slab construction.;
Formwork Cleats
Short lengths of timber used to join other timbers together.;
Formwork Joists
Horizontal members sat on top of the bearers in suspended slab formwork.;
Formwork Soldier
A vertical structural support member in formwork.;
Formwork Waler
A horizontal structural support member in formwork. Also called Wales or Waling. The same term carries over into timbering for trenches.;
Fox Wedges, Folding Wedges
Pairs of timber wedges used for adjusting timber props and many other wedging and tightening operations.;
H
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Hydrostatic Pressure
Wet concrete, especially under vibration acts like a liquid. In simple terms the pressure on the formwork is greater as the concrete gets deeper.;
K
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Kicker
A member parallel to the shutter being supported, hard up against the shutter and fixed to the support. A member parallel to the shutter being supported but offset from the shutter to allow for the fixing of braces.;
L
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Ladder Access
In Scaffolding. The provision of spaces and ladders to allow access to the different levels of the scaffold.;
Ladder Hoist
A ladder frame used to hoist materials into upper floor windows and onto roofs.;
Ledger
A horizontal member supported on standards, on which the transoms are laid in tube and coupler work. In modular systems they perform the function of stiffening the standards and maintaining the correct bay widths. Also they are used as hand rail and guard rail supports.;
M
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Modular Panel Formwork
Various steel, steel and ply panels to simplify erection and to save material costs. The many more cycles of use than simple timber systems.;
Modular Scaffolding
A system that uses prefabricated sections to make up modules of standard sizes. Strong but compact for transport.;
N
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Needle
1.) A short strong piece of timber which goes through a hole in a wall and which, via props or shores on either side of the wall supports the wall for further work.
2.) A short timber or steel member which passes through a hole in the wall to support a scaffold etc. ;
Needle Beam
In underpinning. A cast in situ concrete beam, usually sat on piles or concrete piers that passes through and supports a wall, or foundation.;
Needled Raft Slab
In underpinning. An integrated raft slab and cantilever reinforced concrete needles sat on micro piles.;
P
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Permanent Formwork
Formwork that is left in place after the concrete is set. Examples are metal pan systems like "Bondek" that simply the forming of suspended slabs and because of their thickness and keying into the concrete also contribute to the strength of the slab, reducing rebar costs. Go to - Permanent Formwork page. ;
Poling Boards
In trench shoring. Vertical boards to the side walls of an excavation. ;
Preventive Shoring
The fixing of shoring and braces to building undamaged, but that could be put at risk by nearby excavation and other construction work.;
Puncheons
In trench shoring. Short sturdy vertical lengths of timber that support the walers. Similar pieces in old timber framed buildings.;
Putlog
In scaffolding. A horizontal member used for fixing a scaffold to a wall or other part of a buildings structure to brace the scaffolding.;
Putlog Scaffold
A scaffold that is half supported by the building structure, saving on standards etc. The horizontal equivalents of the transoms are known as putlogs and the are attached or built into the structure as the work progresses. Rarely used in modern construction.;
R
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Raking Shore
A shore that is leaning at an angle (on the rake) to support the side of a building or other structure. The shore takes any thrust from the walls to the ground. ;
Raking Shore Details
Details of the setting out and construction of timber rakers.;
Rebar Cage.
A made up cage of reinforcing steel main bars held in place by smaller bars. ;
Roof Edge Protection
In roofing the provision of temporary scaffolding edge guardrails to protect workers from accidentally stepping off the edge of a roof.;
S
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Safety Mesh
Various forms of mesh, steel or fabric that is designed to stop tools or materials falling off the platforms;
Scaffold Brace
Sloping angled tubes that provides sideways and lengthways bracing.;
Scaffolding
A temporary work platform inside or on the face of a building to allow worker and materials access to work areas above the ground. ;
Scaffolding Stairs
In modular scaffold systems, flights of stairs at normal ratios and wide enough to give access to different levels for a few workers at a time.;
Scissor Lift
Access equipment. A mobile scaffold platform. Also known as a scissor hoist because of the method of raising the platform.;
Screw Jacks
Steel course square threaded fittings that fit into shoring systems or scaffold pipes to adjust the height and to distribute the load of the frames or scaffolding through large steel flat plates. ;
Secant Pile Wall
Also known as Tangent, Soldier and Contiguous pile walls. A grout or reinforced concrete retaining wall made by the CFA system..;
Semicircular-Arch Centering
Larger centering for a semicircular arch.;
Settlement Bolts
Large diameter bolts,iron bars or straps that pass though a building in order to support it against settlement or to secure it due to damage.;
Shore
A single prop or brace that is used to support temporary work or an unsafe part of a structure. They are often subdivided into the following categories:- Dead shores acting vertically, raking shores at an angle and flying shores bracing horizontally.;
Shore Frames
Shoring systems for formwork to support suspended slabs etc.;
shoring
Using a number of shores to support a temporary construction element or to support an unsafe building or to temporarily support adjacent buildings when new construction is carried out.;
Shutter
A made up reusable section of formwork or shuttering that could consist of timber and ply, or any number of steel, steel and ply, or other material. It is made once and used many times.;
Single Raking Shore
A shore with only a single raking member, either timber or steel, aimed at a specific portion of a wall.;
Sole Plates
Lengths of timber used as the base of rows of props and formwork shoring systems. Essential on the ground and the wider and heavier the better of soft ground. Used to fix the base of props etc. and also to spread the load.;
Stair Formwork
The formwork for stairs is usually ply on timber, apart from jobs that have many repetitions or curves, in which case purpose made steel forms are used.;
Standard
A long vertical tube or a shorter tube with welded fitments in modular systems. The main load bearing members.;
Steel Props
First made by the "Acrow" company these items are used for supporting mainly formwork in a vertical position but can be used raked and even horizontally. They consist of one steel tube sliding into another with a course screw and collar for adjustment. The have square steel plate on each end to distribute the loads.;
Stripping Formwork
The removal of the formwork.;
Strongback
1.) In Stair Formwork. A timber or steel member sat on top of and bracing the riser forms in wide flights of concrete stairs.
2.) In Formwork. Any type of large stiffening member on the outside of formwork.
3.) In Tilt Slab Construction. Temporary steel or timber stiffeners as extra support to panels during erection. e.g. around openings or as legs to "L" shapes. ;
T
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Temporary Fencing
Fencing around a construction site or work area.;
Tie Bolts
High tensile steel threaded rod system for tying wall forms etc. together. Consisting of a course, rounded thread for speed of use and easy cleaning. Large wing nuts, plate washers, spacer tubes and polythene cones. allows the rods to be completely removed from the wall and re-used many times. ;
Tie Wire
A malleable black wire that is used mainly for tying rebar, but has many other uses in formwork. The basic principal of tie wire is that when it is twisted in a tournequet (tightening) fashion it does not untwist but remains tight even under load.;
Tilt Edge Form
Purpose made extruded aluminium section suitable for tilt slab construction.;
Tilt Props
Purpose made steel props or braces that temporarily hold tilt panels until they are secured.;
Tilt Slabs
A form of concrete wall construction where flat slabs are made on site and lifted into position when the concrete has become strong enough to lift.;
Timber Props
Vertical timber supports, posts or shores.;
Timber Scaffolding
Scaffolding made out of sawn timber of lumber.;
Toe Boards
Timber or steel boards fitted to a work platform to stop people slipping off the platform, or tools or materials being kicked off the platform. Also known as kicker boards;
Transom
A horizontal member supported on standards, on which the scaffold planks are laid. Also used as safety rails to end bays.;
Transom Beam
In scaffolding. A beam spanning a wider gap between standards than normal. Usually where wider access is required at ground level for vehicles and equipment.;
Transom Truss
In scaffolding. A beam spanning a wider gap between standards than normal. Usually where wider access is required at ground level for vehicles and equipment. In modular systems they are deeper than transom beams and so have two attachment points at each end to the standards.;
Trench Shoring
Usually steel or aluminium frames braced with adjustable struts to support the sides of excavations during pipe laying etc.;
Trench Timbering
The provision of timber supports in excavations and trenches to prevent the collapse of the earth sides. A method of making trenches safe to work in. ;
Tube And Coupler
In Scaffolding. An assembly of heavy walled scaffold tubes used as verticals, horizontals and angled braces held together by purpose made bolted couplers.;
U
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Underpinning
Strengthening sub-standard or weak foundations.;
Underpinning Pressure Grout
The stabilisation and adding new support to weakened foundations by pumping at high pressure a grout mixture under the footing to fill up voids in the subgrade.;
W
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Wall Formwork
Methods of formwork for walls can vary from proprietary steel/steel frame with ply, aluminium and all timber.;
Wall Ties
There are various methods of tying wall forms together. Snap Ties, She Bolts, Tie Bars and even Tie wire.;

Formwork

Back Propping
The technique of stripping the formwork in a suspended slab while still keeping it supported.
Beam Formwork
Formwork for beams. This particular page shows a low tech all timber method of forming a perimeter beam to a suspended slab.
Brace
An angled member working in compression only. Used to stiffen, straighten or support shutters etc.
Chamfer
Usually a 45deg. bevel to a 90deg.(both internal and external) corner in concrete.
Column Clamps
Various methods of clamping and holding column formwork in position.
Column Formwork
Timber, steel or other materials used to form concrete columns.
Concrete Formwork
The materials that are used to keep wet concrete in the correct position until it has set. After a period of time it is usually removed.
Fabric Formwork
Formwork that is formed out of various plastic and fabric materials. Not reusable, but cheap and quick to erect.
Fillets
Triangular lengths of timber or plastic used to form chamfers in concrete.
Form Oil
A generally low viscosity oil that is easily sprayed onto ply or steel form surfaces to stop the concrete sticking to the forms. Also called release oil or release agent.
Formply
Usually in 2400 x 1200 (8ft x 4ft) and either 12mm, 16mm or 18mm (1/2", 5/8", or 3/4") thick this plywood is made by various manufacturers with strength, water resistance and finish being the main criteria. Both sides are usually coated with a hard smooth resin finish.
Formwork Bearers
Heavier sections of steel or timber supported on props or shores, used to support the joists in suspended slab construction.
Formwork Cleats
Short lengths of timber used to join other timbers together.
Formwork Joists
Horizontal members sat on top of the bearers in suspended slab formwork.
Formwork Soldier
A vertical structural support member in formwork.
Formwork Waler
A horizontal structural support member in formwork. Also called Wales or Waling. The same term carries over into timbering for trenches.
Fox Wedges, Folding Wedges
Pairs of timber wedges used for adjusting timber props and many other wedging and tightening operations.
Hydrostatic Pressure
Wet concrete, especially under vibration acts like a liquid. In simple terms the pressure on the formwork is greater as the concrete gets deeper.
Kicker
A member parallel to the shutter being supported, hard up against the shutter and fixed to the support. A member parallel to the shutter being supported but offset from the shutter to allow for the fixing of braces.
Modular Panel Formwork
Various steel, steel and ply panels to simplify erection and to save material costs. The many more cycles of use than simple timber systems.
Permanent Formwork
Formwork that is left in place after the concrete is set. Examples are metal pan systems like "Bondek" that simply the forming of suspended slabs and because of their thickness and keying into the concrete also contribute to the strength of the slab, reducing rebar costs. Go to - Permanent Formwork page.
Screw Jacks
Steel course square threaded fittings that fit into shoring systems or scaffold pipes to adjust the height and to distribute the load of the frames or scaffolding through large steel flat plates.
Shore Frames
Shoring systems for formwork to support suspended slabs etc.
Shutter
A made up reusable section of formwork or shuttering that could consist of timber and ply, or any number of steel, steel and ply, or other material. It is made once and used many times.
Sole Plates
Lengths of timber used as the base of rows of props and formwork shoring systems. Essential on the ground and the wider and heavier the better of soft ground. Used to fix the base of props etc. and also to spread the load.
Stair Formwork
The formwork for stairs is usually ply on timber, apart from jobs that have many repetitions or curves, in which case purpose made steel forms are used.
Steel Props
First made by the "Acrow" company these items are used for supporting mainly formwork in a vertical position but can be used raked and even horizontally. They consist of one steel tube sliding into another with a course screw and collar for adjustment. The have square steel plate on each end to distribute the loads.
Stripping Formwork
The removal of the formwork.
Strongback
1.) In Stair Formwork. A timber or steel member sat on top of and bracing the riser forms in wide flights of concrete stairs.
2.) In Formwork. Any type of large stiffening member on the outside of formwork.
3.) In Tilt Slab Construction. Temporary steel or timber stiffeners as extra support to panels during erection. e.g. around openings or as legs to "L" shapes.
Tie Bolts
High tensile steel threaded rod system for tying wall forms etc. together. Consisting of a course, rounded thread for speed of use and easy cleaning. Large wing nuts, plate washers, spacer tubes and polythene cones. allows the rods to be completely removed from the wall and re-used many times.
Tie Wire
A malleable black wire that is used mainly for tying rebar, but has many other uses in formwork. The basic principal of tie wire is that when it is twisted in a tournequet (tightening) fashion it does not untwist but remains tight even under load.
Tilt Edge Form
Purpose made extruded aluminium section suitable for tilt slab construction.
Tilt Props
Purpose made steel props or braces that temporarily hold tilt panels until they are secured.
Tilt Slabs
A form of concrete wall construction where flat slabs are made on site and lifted into position when the concrete has become strong enough to lift.
Timber Props
Vertical timber supports, posts or shores.
Wall Formwork
Methods of formwork for walls can vary from proprietary steel/steel frame with ply, aluminium and all timber.
Wall Ties
There are various methods of tying wall forms together. Snap Ties, She Bolts, Tie Bars and even Tie wire.

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Scaffolding

Bamboo Scaffolding
Scaffolding made out of natural bamboo
Boom Hoist
Access equipment. A mobile scaffold platform that is raised and moved by an articulated boom Also known as a Cherry Picker.
Cat Ladder
In Scaffolding and while working on steep roofs. A ladder that lays on top of the roof surface as an aid to walking and working on a roof surfaces. Also known as a crawling board.
Crane Loading Platform
In high rise work. A temporary platform, usually cantilevered out from an upper floor, to enable a crane to land and remove material to the floor.
Ladder Access
In Scaffolding. The provision of spaces and ladders to allow access to the different levels of the scaffold.
Ladder Hoist
A ladder frame used to hoist materials into upper floor windows and onto roofs.
Ledger
A horizontal member supported on standards, on which the transoms are laid in tube and coupler work. In modular systems they perform the function of stiffening the standards and maintaining the correct bay widths. Also they are used as hand rail and guard rail supports.
Modular Scaffolding
A system that uses prefabricated sections to make up modules of standard sizes. Strong but compact for transport.
Putlog
In scaffolding. A horizontal member used for fixing a scaffold to a wall or other part of a buildings structure to brace the scaffolding.
Putlog Scaffold
A scaffold that is half supported by the building structure, saving on standards etc. The horizontal equivalents of the transoms are known as putlogs and the are attached or built into the structure as the work progresses. Rarely used in modern construction.
Roof Edge Protection
In roofing the provision of temporary scaffolding edge guardrails to protect workers from accidentally stepping off the edge of a roof.
Safety Mesh
Various forms of mesh, steel or fabric that is designed to stop tools or materials falling off the platforms
Scaffold Brace
Sloping angled tubes that provides sideways and lengthways bracing.
Scaffolding
A temporary work platform inside or on the face of a building to allow worker and materials access to work areas above the ground.
Scaffolding Stairs
In modular scaffold systems, flights of stairs at normal ratios and wide enough to give access to different levels for a few workers at a time.
Scissor Lift
Access equipment. A mobile scaffold platform. Also known as a scissor hoist because of the method of raising the platform.
Standard
A long vertical tube or a shorter tube with welded fitments in modular systems. The main load bearing members.
Timber Scaffolding
Scaffolding made out of sawn timber of lumber.
Toe Boards
Timber or steel boards fitted to a work platform to stop people slipping off the platform, or tools or materials being kicked off the platform. Also known as kicker boards
Transom
A horizontal member supported on standards, on which the scaffold planks are laid. Also used as safety rails to end bays.
Transom Beam
In scaffolding. A beam spanning a wider gap between standards than normal. Usually where wider access is required at ground level for vehicles and equipment.
Transom Truss
In scaffolding. A beam spanning a wider gap between standards than normal. Usually where wider access is required at ground level for vehicles and equipment. In modular systems they are deeper than transom beams and so have two attachment points at each end to the standards.
Tube And Coupler
In Scaffolding. An assembly of heavy walled scaffold tubes used as verticals, horizontals and angled braces held together by purpose made bolted couplers.

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Shoring-Underpinning

Arch Centering
Temporary framework or formwork, usually timber that masonry or concrete arches are built on top of.
Auger Underpinning
The underpinning of foundations by drilling a series of auger holes under the foundations. By part filling with concrete it is possible to lift the foundation with hydraulic jacks, before totally filling with concrete.
Box Crib
A layout of squared timbers or similar concrete beams used as the lining of a shaft in mining and excavation work.
Cantilever Needle Beam
In underpinning. A cast in situ concrete beam, usually sat on piles or concrete piers that passes through and supports a wall, or foundation from one side of the wall only.
Continuous Flight Augering
In basement excavation and shoring. Know also as CFA. A machine driven auger that drills holes and when withdrawn, grout or concrete is pumped into the hole through a hollow center. When withdrawn fully A rebar cage is inserted into the wet concrete. The process is repeated many times to form a continuous shield or secant pile wall.
Cribbing
Squared timbers or concrete members used to provide support or used in a retaining wall.
Double Raking Shore
A shore with two raking members, either steel or timber to support a larger and higher section of wall.
Earth Auger
An auger used for drilling circular holes in the ground. Usually machine mounted and hydraulically driven.
Flying Shore
A horizontal shore between two buildings to give temporary support to one or both of them
Needle
1.) A short strong piece of timber which goes through a hole in a wall and which, via props or shores on either side of the wall supports the wall for further work.
2.) A short timber or steel member which passes through a hole in the wall to support a scaffold etc.
Needle Beam
In underpinning. A cast in situ concrete beam, usually sat on piles or concrete piers that passes through and supports a wall, or foundation.
Needled Raft Slab
In underpinning. An integrated raft slab and cantilever reinforced concrete needles sat on micro piles.
Poling Boards
In trench shoring. Vertical boards to the side walls of an excavation.
Preventive Shoring
The fixing of shoring and braces to building undamaged, but that could be put at risk by nearby excavation and other construction work.
Puncheons
In trench shoring. Short sturdy vertical lengths of timber that support the walers. Similar pieces in old timber framed buildings.
Raking Shore
A shore that is leaning at an angle (on the rake) to support the side of a building or other structure. The shore takes any thrust from the walls to the ground.
Raking Shore Details
Details of the setting out and construction of timber rakers.
Rebar Cage.
A made up cage of reinforcing steel main bars held in place by smaller bars.
Secant Pile Wall
Also known as Tangent, Soldier and Contiguous pile walls. A grout or reinforced concrete retaining wall made by the CFA system..
Semicircular-Arch Centering
Larger centering for a semicircular arch.
Settlement Bolts
Large diameter bolts,iron bars or straps that pass though a building in order to support it against settlement or to secure it due to damage.
Shore
A single prop or brace that is used to support temporary work or an unsafe part of a structure. They are often subdivided into the following categories:- Dead shores acting vertically, raking shores at an angle and flying shores bracing horizontally.
shoring
Using a number of shores to support a temporary construction element or to support an unsafe building or to temporarily support adjacent buildings when new construction is carried out.
Single Raking Shore
A shore with only a single raking member, either timber or steel, aimed at a specific portion of a wall.
Trench Shoring
Usually steel or aluminium frames braced with adjustable struts to support the sides of excavations during pipe laying etc.
Trench Timbering
The provision of timber supports in excavations and trenches to prevent the collapse of the earth sides. A method of making trenches safe to work in.
Underpinning
Strengthening sub-standard or weak foundations.
Underpinning Pressure Grout
The stabilisation and adding new support to weakened foundations by pumping at high pressure a grout mixture under the footing to fill up voids in the subgrade.

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Please Note! The information on this site is offered as a guide only!  When we are talking about areas where building regulations or safety regulations could exist,the information here could be wrong for your area.  It could be out of date!  Regulations breed faster than rabbits!
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