What is a Deep Excavation?

Excavation projects come in all different shapes and sizes, ranging from long and shallow to focussed and deep. The length and depth of an excavation is entirely dependent upon the purpose for which the excavation is being carried out. Laying electrical wires, for example, requires a much shallower excavation than would be required for the foundations of an office block.

Shallow excavations are defined as being anything less than 1.5 metres deep, which really is not very deep at all; a relatively short person could comfortably see over the top. Deep excavations, on the other hand, are defined as being any excavation which is more than 4.5 metres in depth – a considerable height indeed. Deep excavations are trickier to plan and implement than shallow excavations, for a variety of reasons, which is why they tend to only be carried out by trained professionals. Nevertheless, they serve a variety of purposes and have become a vital part of the modern construction industry.

Carrying Out a Deep Excavation

There are numerous ways to carry out a deep excavation, most of which require in-depth knowledge of specific construction principles. These include:

• Mechanical excavating
• Reinforcement – e.g. through sloping, shoring or boxing
• Site assessment – soil type, hazard identification, air contaminant testing etc.

In addition to being able to correctly and safely carry out a deep excavation, a project of this nature also needs to be planned and overseen by a qualified person who is capable of assessing the specific needs and risks of this type of construction task. Since excavation is so risky, proper preparation is considered to be as important, if not more so, than the actual act of excavation.

Shoring up Your Safety Standards

The most important aspect of a deep excavation is reinforcement. Retaining walls and support systems play a much more vital role in maintaining the integrity of a deep excavation than do the tools by which it is dug. Reinforcement is also additionally necessary when one considers the health and safety concerns inherent in carrying out a deep excavation. Although excavation has become much safer than it used to be, it is still the case that injuries and even deaths occur every year as a result of improperly reinforced excavations. This risk is further compounded when working in an urban area, or in loose or unevenly composited soil. Health and safety checks and procedures during deep excavation, which poses a greater number of risks than almost any other type of construction project, are therefore of even more vital importance than they would be if dealing with a shallow excavation.

Groundforce have a training division in order to ensure that anyone working in excavations is trained to a safe level of competancy. View available courses