Articles

Building and engineering contractors J & S McKee Ltd, who have undertaken a complete sub structure package of works on a prominent new twelve story student accommodation development in Belfast, appointed Groundforce to provide a ground retention solution during the sub structure phases.

Groundforce has supplied its KD6 steel sheet piles and modular hydraulic Mega Brace frames to support a deep excavation for housebuilders Ballymore.

Groundforce are using KTC Safety, a long established, independent training centre, as a base in Ireland to offer their accredited EUSR training courses.

YourSolution, Groundforce Shorco’s interactive design tool, upgrades to 1.3

Groundforce has supplied specialist shoring equipment to support three deep excavations on a flood alleviation project in Northern Ireland.

Irish contractors will save time and money using Groundforce’s new side-grip piling hammer.

Groundforce are pleased to confirm their support for this year’s Machinery Movers Industry & Operator Awards for which they will be sponsoring the Health & Safety Standard category.

Specialist supplier Groundforce is further expanding its product offering with the launch of a new division, Groundforce Safety.

Modular hydraulic propping equipment from Groundforce is proving a highly efficient support solution for a series of major basement excavations in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Karlastaden (Karla City) development, in the Lindholmen district of the city, will comprise a total of nine high-rise buildings and includes the 245m-tall Karlatornet (Karla tower) residential block which was completed in 2020, and is the tallest building in the whole of Scandinavia.

Groundforce props are the perfect accessory for Dublin’s latest retail destination Groundforce has supplied propping equipment to support a large basement excavation during construction of Dublin’s new shopping destination, Project Kells. The equipment includes the latest heavy duty hydraulic struts to be introduced into the company’s fleet.

Main contractor Murphy International, is currently undertaking a €40m contract, to upgrade the Lee Road Water Treatment Plant (WTP) in Cork city, on behalf of Irish Water. The Lee Road WTP provides approximately 70% of Cork City’s total treated water supply and the upgraded plant will provide a more safe and secure water supply for the rapidly growing city.

Groundforce Shorco launches YourSolution an interactive design tool aimed at saving customers the time and effort involved in obtaining temporary works designs

Octagonal cofferdams star in Co Sligo. Octagonal-shaped cofferdams provided by specialist construction supplier Groundforce have helped save space, time and money on Irish Water’s €9.9 million upgrade of two sewage treatment works.

Groundforce through to the finals of prestigious construction industry awards in Ireland. Groundforce have been shortlisted as finalists in the category of ‘Best Tech & Innovation’ in the Machinery Movers Industry & Operator Awards 2020.

Paul Donovan joins Groundforce U.K. & Ireland from sister Vp plc company TPA.   Specialist construction solutions supplier Groundforce has appointed Paul Donovan as its new managing director for the U.K. and Ireland

Depot Foreman John Collins. John talks more about his role, customer service, the day-to-day challenges he faces and the importance of team work.

Groundfcore Shorco supplied a complex shoring solution to a three-level basement construction as part of the redevelopment of Amberwood House in Knightsbridge, to transform it into one of London’s most unique and palatial private residences.

Groundforce, part of the Vp plc group, has been shortlisted in the prestigious 2020 Construction News Specialist Awards - the only national awards to recognise the outstanding achievements of specialist contractors in the UK.

Groundforce has teamed up with Construction Safety Partnership Advisory Committee (CSPAC) to take part in their Construction Safety Week initiative

As part of further growth and expansion of their range of equipment, Groundforce Ireland has added 4 new pile croppers to its range.

Award winning construction equipment rental specialist Groundforce have relocated to a new, larger premises in Co. Laois to facilitate further growth and expansion of their range of equipment.

Modular hydraulic shoring equipment and sheet piles from Groundforce have been used to install a floodwater attenuation system in challenging ground conditions at a recycling yard near Dublin Port.

A shopping mall in Berlin with a chequered history was the subject of a complex propping project involving the use of Groundforce’s largest propriety MP750 struts incorporating the latest hydraulic nut technology.

Groundforce bring home prestigious industry award Groundforce Shorco are celebrating after winning the award for ‘Specialist Geotechnical Supplier of the Year’ at this year’s GE Awards.

A next-generation data logging system from specialist construction services supplier Groundforce is helping to get pressure tests and certification for a major water main network refurbishment completed in double-quick time.

A Contemporary review of the use of modular hydraulic propping systems for the temporary support of deep excavations.  
 

Groundforce supplied its Super Mega Brace hydraulic frame and 500 tonne capacity MP500 hydraulic props to main contractor BAM Civil to support a deep cofferdam during construction of the cooling water system on the Dublin Waste to Energy project in Poolbeg, Dublin.

Groundforce supplied an excavation support solution for a new marina at the port of Dover, part of £250m Dover Western Docks Revival (DWDR) development. Part-financed by the European Union, it will transform Dover’s famous Western Docks into a bustling new waterfront.

Groundforce have provided a temporary propping solution to main contractor Eiffage for the construction of a new underpass to allow easier access for traffic to the town of Molsheim in the Bas-Rhin region of France.

Groundforce celebrates after winning prestigious industry award in Ireland.  Specialist equipment supplier Groundforce was among the big winners at the recent annual Plant & Civil Engineer Awards in Northern Ireland. 

Modular shoring equipment from Groundforce has helped the Murphy GMC joint venture install a new gas main under the Colebrooke River at Maguiresbridge, Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland.

Groundforce, the UK’s leading equipment hire specialist, continues to lead the way when it comes to introducing innovations in excavation support equipment, with the launch of the MP750 and hydraulic nut technology.

Groundforce has introduced a new wireless remote condition monitoring system that simplifies real-time measurement of static loads and monitors potential movements in sensitive structural support applications. The new wireless system, known as FlatMesh™ from Senceive, uses wireless nodes with the Groundforce load pins, which pass their signal from one to another, meaning that only one of the nodes needs to have clear contact with the 3G gateway module, in order for all readings to be taken.

Excavation Safety involves the removal of materials (usually soil) to dig into the ground, creating space for a variety of construction works. This ranges from installing building foundations, to creating trenches that allow pipework and other utilities to be laid. Excavations carry a variety of health and safety risks, ranging from cave-ins to falls, and these dangers must be mitigated accordingly.

Modular hydraulic props and braces from Groundforce have helped civil engineering contractor Roadbridge install a number of underground pumping stations on a major leisure development in County Longford.

First CPCS course to be run by the company will be for Appointed Persons on July 30th. Groundforce Training Services has gained CPCS accreditation and the first course it will be offering is the five-day A61 Appointed Persons (lifting operations) course which will take place on July 31st.

Groundforce Germany has supplied a total of 100 MP150 hydraulic props for the construction of a new discharge channel, part of the new Mur-hydroelectric power station on the outskirts of Graz.

The training division of Groundforce is helping Solent CEGA with men and materials. Groundforce Training is supporting a pioneering apprenticeship scheme.

Groundforce Shorco has supplied cost effective, time saving propping solutions to Barrhead-based civil engineering specialist George Leslie for the King’s Inch CSO project.

Groundforce celebrates winning Health and Safety Company of the year award Groundforce have won the coveted Health and Safety Company of the Year Award at the Machinery Movers Operators and Construction Awards 2018.

The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Scotland. It is being delivered by Transport Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government in partnership with Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council.

The Smart Pressure Testing Equipment from Stopper Specialists enables you to carry out your pressure testing quickly and easily, with data captured in real time. The app works with your Bluebox-enabled pressure logger to give you an instant pass or fail on-site. Key features also include failure analysis, recommendations, GPS location data and images.

The multimillion pound quayside development at Dundee’s Prince Charles Wharf Extension is on track for delivery with a bit of help from the piling arm of leading specialist hirer Groundforce.

Groundforce Bridge fly in their temporary bridges to provide an eco-friendly access solution for pylon construction in Ireland.

SheetMaster is a revolutionary composite, non-hydraulic, sheet handling and installation attachment developed to undertake the three dig and push operations of pitching, driving and extraction for the Groundforce Shorco range of trench sheets. Reducing the need for manual intervention and keeping operatives clear of the slewing excavator, means SheetMaster introduces greater safety by assigning much of the control to the excavator driver.

Groundforce supplied its Super Mega Brace hydraulic frame and 500 tonne capacity MP500 hydraulic props to main contractor BAM Civil to support a deep cofferdam during construction of the cooling water system on the Dublin Waste to Energy project in Poolbeg, Dublin.

Groundforce Shorco supplied a full complement of piling, trench support and safety equipment to specialist contractor Clumber Construction for use on a wastewater improvement project in Beeby, Leicestershire. Watch our time lapse video of the installation here.

Groundforce MP60 is a modular format medium-duty mechanically adjustable strut, combining the compressive strength of steel tube with the convenience of mechanical length adjustment. Watch our typical installation video.

Take a journey through our digital case study which highlights how our propping solutions can assist with your deep excavation projects.

Groundforce Shorco hydraulic propping equipment is once again helping to streamline construction of a large basement in Scandinavia. Working for the first time for main contractor Skanska, Groundforce has supplied its MP150 modular hydraulic props in a raking configuration to support the large basement excavation on the Valand Quarter 6 project in Kungsbacka, a few kilometres south of the Swedish city of Gothenburg.

Stopper Specialists Director John Wilson takes us through the terrifying event of being buried alive and surviving to tell the tale.

Groundforce Drag Box is lightweight designed for use with small capacity machines and excavators.

The Mega Brace is a high load capacity modular hydraulic bracing system designed to support square, rectangular or multi-sided excavations ranging from 3.0m to 20.0m in plan.

Hydraulic struts comprise of a series of extensions with a hydraulic unit at one end.

There are many design and analytic techniques at the disposal of engineers when it comes to determining the most effective installation methods of sheets and piles.

Groundforce is finalist in the Laois Environmental Business of the year category

Groundforce shortlisted in the Construction Product of the Year and Innovation in Construction categories.

Poor ground conditions, shallow rock profile and a confined site called for an imaginative excavation support solution during construction for a new university library extension.

An intricate cofferdam solution provided by Groundforce, proved to be the backbone for safety and the success of a sensitive water scheme for Irish Water.

Groundforce’s engineers helped Irish Rail and main contractor SIAC Construction lower the risk of water ingress whilst providing a significant time saving for the client through the use hydraulic props instead of ground anchors at Cork City’s Kent Railway Station extension.

Groundforce Shorco have made a small but significant contribution to CIRIA’sGuidance on embedded retaining wall design (C760). The recently issued document replaces the previous C580 guidance, and will provide a comprehensive Eurocode compliant design manual for embedded retaining walls.

Groundforce has supplied an intricate cofferdam solution to allow the construction of a new pumping station on the River Clodiagh near Holycross, County Tipperary.

Props supplied by Groundforce Shorco have enabled a large excavation to be carried out in very difficult ground conditions at a water treatment works in Wales.

Groundforce hydraulic propping equipment is once again helping to streamline construction of a large basement on Olso’s ambitious “Fjord City” project.

Groundforce offer pipe bursting solution for cast iron replacement scheme at Station Road, Portmarnock

Groundforce are pleased to report a successful September launch of the SheetMaster: an exciting new product which continues to generate a great deal of interest from temporary works contractors, health and safety personnel and the construction industry press.

As 2017 approaches we take a look back to some of the great jobs that the Major Projects team have carried out over the last couple of years. No two projects are the same and each one comes with its own set of obstacles to overcome. Luckily the team at Groundforce Major Projects never shy away from a challenge which is demonstrated in the plethora of complex schemes completed in the UK and Europe.

Groundforce has been recognised for its many achievements within the construction industry at the 2016 Plant & Civil Engineer’s ‘Plant, Construction & Quarry’ Awards. Company representatives were presented with the much coveted ‘High Achiever’ award, sponsored by Terex and Sleator Plant, at a glittering ceremony at the Ramada Hotel in Belfast.

A summary of Excavator Mounted Vibrators (EMVs) and ancillary equipment from Piletec. EMVs are a quick and cost-effective way to install and extract sheet piles.

This sequence explains the various equipment available to provide safe access to an excavation. The products include: Maxi LadderSafe, Mini LadderSafe, Mega LadderSafe, Premier LadderSafe and StepSafe.

Every deep excavation in Cork City presents a challenge. The area is underlain by a series of alluvial deposits with highly permeable sands and gravels. This coupled with a tidal water table gives rise to significant dewatering and excavation support challenges.

Groundforce design expertise has contributed to a successful solution on a major water quality improvement scheme in Glasgow. The ground support specialist used its extensive experience to help re-design a cofferdam being built on the south side of the river Clyde in Glasgow.

Groundforce unveils SheetMaster, another first in construction site safety Handling and installing trench sheets is now quicker, more controllable and safer thanks to SheetMaster, the new three-in-one revolutionary trench sheet handling tool from Groundforce Shorco.

SheetMaster is a revolutionary composite, non-hydraulic, sheet handling and installation attachment developed to undertake the three dig and push operations of pitching, driving and extraction for the Groundforce Shorco range of trench sheets. Reducing the need for manual intervention and keeping operatives clear of the slewing excavator, means SheetMaster introduces greater safety by assigning much of the control to the excavator driver.

Groundforce Training has become the first to offer accredited training on EMVs and Pre Augers. A safety-critical course, believed to be the first of its kind, on the dangers of EMVs (Excavator Mounted Vibrators) and Pre Augers has been launched by Groundforce Training. As an EEIAS approved product successful delegates will receive an industry recognised photo id card registered under the popular Energy & Utility Skills (EUSR) scheme.

Firstly, apologies for plagiarising and modifying the post WW2 “export or die” slogan which was generally associated with the motor industry, in the days that we had we actually had one, and the need for foreign money to keep Britain afloat. However, in this fast paced digital age, I can’t help feeling that the principal of the adage applies as strongly now as back then.

This sequence explains the method for installing a Hydraulic Waler System, complete with optional End Bearers within a trench. Waler frames provide 2-way support to trenches and are used in conjunction with trench sheeting.

Hello and welcome back to the drawing board with me, Steven Lloyd. A few months ago I talked to you about the design of hydraulic struts and I mentioned that at the end of the strut there’s always this hydraulic unit now the reason it's there is so you can pump some fluid in and adjust the length of the props so they will always meet the size requirements.

Today we are going to take a look inside the hydraulic cylinder and see how that works. I’m going to start simple talking about single acting cylinder. This basically means that you can pump it out but you can’t pump it back in, strictly speaking.

Dublin-based Howard Building Contractors found itself facing a delicate problem when employed to build a new house on a vacant plot in Blackrock, Co. Dublin.

Once again welcome back to the drawing board. In the last couple of videos we talked about the design of equipment and the resistances of that equipment. We looked at the props and we looked at the wailers. Now we will have a look a bit at the other side, where the forces come from. 

Groundforce has taken its training capability to a whole new level with course additions and accreditations, one of which makes the company the only provider to offer such. Less than two years after opening the purpose-built training centre in Worksop, the company has won EUSR (Energy and Utility Skills Register) accreditation for its one-day course “Appreciation of Excavation Safety”. This is the course that only Groundforce can offer.

Welcome back to the drawing board and today are we talking about the design of walers as well as the combined effects that act upon them.  When I say combined effects I’m talking about axial force, bending moment and shear forces all acting on the waler at the same time. I won’t be talking about torsion because you don't usually see torsional effects on the kind of walers that we do. 

Groundforce has used 3D modelling to assist in the design and installation of props supporting a large basement excavation in the heart of London’s West End. The two storey basement is being constructed as part of the redevelopment of London’s famous Leicester Square by main contractor Brookfield Multiplex.

Renowned for leading the way when it comes to new and innovative ideas within the ground engineering sector, Groundforce has introduced another ’first’ with the launch of a series of innovative engineering discussion videos aimed at showcasing its commitment to knowledge sharing throughout the industry.

Welcome to the very first “Back to the Drawing Board” with Steve Lloyd at Groundforce Shorco technical offices in Leeds. Today Steve will be explaining how we design our hydraulic props and the kind of actions and effects that act upon it.

The latest trench support product from Groundforce - a new Drag box extension has helped contractor Morrison Construction complete a sewer improvement project safely and quickly as part of Scottish Water’s investment programme.

Tony Gould, who celebrates 30 years with Groundforce this year, has been appointed chairman of BSI committee B/514/29, the UK representation on WG9 - the CEN (Comité Européen de Normalisation) working group for standardisation of trench lining and hydraulic shoring systems.

Groundforce has announced it will be exhibiting and presenting at this year’s ICE Engineering Underground Space Conference, which takes place on the 15th March in London. The objective of the one-day conference is to raise the profile of the specialist skills sets required within underground engineering, and to share best practice across the industry.

Groundforce Shorco are always striving to develop ancillary equipment to enhance their product offerings. Demonstrated in this video are the associated products that can be used in conjunction with boxes and braces to improve safety and access in and around excavations.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a real nuts and bolts engineering entry in the blog and thanks to Mr. Garford-Tull for providing some comments to previous blog entries. I’ve been inspired to write a technical entry about a few of the more complex issues surrounding thermal effects.

Heading into 2016, Groundforce has added 4 new products to their already extensive product offering. With an increasing requirement for enhanced box capability and capacity, larger boxes have been introduced into the Groundforce fleet to cater for large pipe and chamber installations. Utilising telescopic, pinned struts for quick width adjustment, their introduction augments the existing wide range of boxes and allows greater choice to facilitate most trench applications.

Groundforce Ireland has sponsored the senior first team, who play in the Senior Division 1 of Leinster Senior Football League.

Joseph Lenihan has been appointed as the new Manager in Ireland

Groundforce Box Systems comprise a simple, robust, two-sided mechanical excavation support system. Each box is designed as a temporary earth retaining structure allowing the sides of the excavation to be cut vertical or near vertical. This quick and easy method ensures ground stability within a trench and helps minimise the excavation area to avoid damage to neighboring structures and utilities in the ground.

MP125 hydraulic props installed by LMC Contracts Ltd on a basement in Totteridge. The props were connected to a steel upstand post fixed into the capping beam to allow the ground floor slab to be cast prior to prop removal.

Well summer has been and gone and judging from the persistent fog hanging around for the last couple of days, we must be well in to Autumn. Two of my colleagues are over in Sydney this week providing technical training for our Australian partner Coates Rental; I am hoping that they have not thrown away the return portion of their ticket!

Groundforce Bridge has successfully completed its first installation in Ireland. A 12.6m x 3.5m Mega Vehicle Bridge was installed in just two hours and has provided an eco-friendly solution for site traffic accessing works on a £17 Million major road improvement scheme in Co Derry.

Groundforce recently hosted not one but two Depot Open Days in July at the Portlaoise & Lisburn depots. Products on display included shoring, piling, utility and confined space equipment provided ESS Safeforce.

Groundforce has designed and supplied an excavation support solution for a major road improvement scheme in Galway.

Groundforce has played an important supporting role in the installation of a new display screen for a Hawk-Eye ball-tracking system at Semple Stadium, Thurles, Co Tipperary.

Groundforce will once again be supporting this year’s Ground Engineering Basement & Underground conference, which take place at London’s Olympia on the 6th & 7th October, as sponsors of the Temporary Works Seminar.

 Following on from an earlier entry about the humble road plate, I thought I’d make a showcase of the often abused, manhole shutter. It may seem like a simple, primitive piece of equipment but even these simple tools have a raft of technical data and calculations to back them.

Considering that the shutter is, for the most part, just a 2mm thick sheet of steel, they are deceptively strong. This is primarily down to the way in which they carry the load from the fresh concrete within. 

Safety and survey equipment specialists, ESS Safeforce Ireland, have supplied confined space rescue teams and equipment for refurbishment work at the Aghada Power Station at Cork in Ireland.

The Click Stick is a mechanical alternative to manual hammers and Podger Bars, designed to break or crack redundant metal pipes safely and with controlled flexibility around other utilities. This video shows how easy it is to use the Click Stick in comparison to the Podger Bar.

Market leaders in the hire and sale of trenchless technology equipment Groundforce, has added a new ground breaking product to its portfolio - The Grundomat 'N' Generation Mole.

For what now seems like an age, we have been operating a load monitoring service with pre-calibrated electronic swivel pins to measure the force acting within a hydraulic prop. An important part of this system is the test rig that we use to calibrate the load cells.

Since opening a depot in Dyce last year, the company has experienced considerable growth in the region, and to accommodate further expansion has moved to significantly larger premises at Mugiemoss.

Groundforce will be exhibiting at France’s leading bi-annual geo-technical exhibition Solscope, which takes place at the Eurexpo Exhibition Centre in Lyon on the 24th and 25th of June.

Nine of Groundforce’s 250 tonne capacity MP250 hydraulic props have been used to support the basement excavation for Canada House, a new office development with MB McNamara Construction as main contractor, on the corner of Earlsfort Terrace and St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin.

Groundforce has launched its most technically integrated and user-friendly website. Groundforce’s newly redesigned website will provide visitors to their site quick and easy access to all essential product information, and for the first time will include fully integrated technical literature.

Groundforce training services has been awarded the status of Gold Provider by The Energy and Efficiency Independent Assessment Service (EEIAS) having met a threshold level of good quality as a provider of training, offering the necessary reassurances to employers that this brings.

Returning this month to a more technical theme I have unashamedly plagiarised one of my colleague’s recent technical notes concerning the long serving (and suffering) trench crossing plate. These are one of the less glamorous pieces of kit in our hire fleet generally cut out of old ¾” thick boiler plate in 8’ x 4’ (apologies for the imperial units) size. To comply with current safety regulations they are generally coated with some sort of non-slip or anti-skid coating with a lifting hole burnt into each corner; and that is just about as sophisticated as they get.

Groundforce has achieved industry recognition for their innovative design and technical expertise in excavation support, having been shortlisted in the 2015 Ground Engineering Awards, category for Technical Excellence.

Once again I have managed to embarrass myself in that this is the first time I have posted in 2015. January and February have vanished already and here we are getting on for a quarter of the way through the year already. Anyway let me bring you up to speed with what has been going on in the technical department over the last couple of months.

The first 3D Animation for Groundforce Shorco has been created by the Groundforce Technical department.

This 3D Animation shows pre-driven shoring methodology using Groundforce Shorco shoring equipment.

Groundforce Shorco has used its new Super Mega Brace support system with integral hydraulic rams for the first time on a major project for the renewable energy sector.

Having successfully established itself in mainland Europe, Groundforce is now looking at new markets and further expanding its reach in the Middle East.

To celebrate reaching 2,000 users of the Groundforce Technical Library (www.gftech.co.uk) a competition was launched for all users to be in with a chance of winning an iPad Mini.

U Mole provided specialist expertise and portable rope bursting equipment, which saved time and cost on a tricky sewer replacement job in Trowbridge.

Groundforce announce partnership with UIS (Utility Innovations Solutions Ltd) in the UK and Ireland. Groundforce will offer for both hire and sale a range of exciting new innovations from UIS, which will enable their customers to save time and reduce costs and significantly remove risk to their workforce.

Groundforce are hoping they can increase their collection of industry awards after again being shortlisted in the Construction News Specialist Awards.

It’s difficult to believe that the end of another year is fast approaching. I thought that this was an ageist thing but talking with the guys in the office, everyone seems to feels the same. As usual the festive season gives us chance to reflect on the year departing and look forward at the same time. 2014 has been another good if challenging year for both Groundforce and the technical team, highlights include, in no particular order.

Stopper Specialists, a division of Groundforce, has introduced Tool Box Videos - a new online training resource to further support its growing customer base.

The technical file houses the most up to date, technical specifications of all our excavation support products and accessories.

Groundforce has completed its second contract for joint venture contractor Team Van Oord (TVO) on the Molesey Weir replacement project on the River Thames at Hampton Court.

A step by step user guide for using the Multitest Stopper from Stopper Specialists. This product assists in overcoming ovality and irregular sized pipelines.

Firstly, rather sheepish apologies for not posting a blog since September. Today’s 11/11 date seems an appropriate day for me to commit pen to paper again so to speak, as apart from the more obvious and poignant anniversary remembered on this day, it is also the date I started out in the shoring industry, way back in 1985. 

Increase site safety and boost productivity while using the Cone Pipe Stopper from Stopper Specialists. Step by step guide and best practice when using this product in a range of pipe shape profiles.

The Cylindrical Stopper is ideal for air testing, water testing and flow stopping. This videos provides a step by step user guide when inserting, using and removing this product.

Stopper Specialists, a division of Groundforce has opened a new drive-in trade centre in the Northwest, offering customers immediate access to an extensive range of flow control stoppers and pipe testing equipment.

Designed for use when air testing drainage pipes to a standard air test of 100mm of water over air. Milltest Air test stoppers are very light and easily transported, making them ideal for testing awkward to reach locations. This video is a user guide for installing, testing and removing the Milltest Stopper.

Two of Ireland’s largest windfarm projects have been constructed on behalf Bord na Mona, Ireland’s leading producer of peat based products and now renewable energy and recycling, at its Bruckana peat bog site in Tipperary and Mount Lucas site in County Offaly.

One of Groundforce Bridge’s temporary modular bridges has helped competitors complete the running course at the Macmillan Brownlee Tri North event, hosted at Harewood House, one of Yorkshires most impressive stately homes and estates.

New Trench Crossing Units from Groundforce Bridge have had their inaugural installation at one of the UK’s most prestigious golf tournaments – The Men’s Open Golf Championship, at Royal Liverpool Golf Course, in Hoylake.

After a bit of a summer break its time to put pen to paper again on the technical aspects of shoring equipment. The last two blogs have focused on trench box design, so to complete the picture; I will go through the basic design principals of the increasingly popular rolling strut box and slide rail products that we supply.

Groundforce are celebrating following the announcement they have been shortlisted for their joint submission with main contractor Costain Skanska JV (CSJV), for Technical Innovation of the Year, in the International Tunnelling & Underground Space Awards 2014.

Groundforce recently invited the local community to join them and their neighbours Bann Hire, for a family fun day and BBQ at their newest depot in Lisburn, Northern Ireland.

Designing a bespoke support system for a major excavation requires experience and ingenuity. But it’s not only the big jobs that test the engineer’s skill.

U Mole, a division of Groundforce will be exhibiting at this years No Dig Live exhibition, which will be held at the Peterborough Arena from 16th – 18th September.

No fewer than 22 of Groundforce’s massive MP250 hydraulic props have been installed as part of one of the UK’s most delicate and challenging redevelopment projects.

Groundforce Shorco (Major Projects) will be once again be Diamond sponsors of this year’s Ground Engineering Basement and Underground Structures conference, which will take place from the 30th September to 1st October.

Groundforce’s technical department has expanded its operations with the opening of a new dedicated office in the south.

There may not have been a hole in one, but competition was still fierce at Groundforce’s recent Diamond Anniversary Golf Day at The Belfry.

Groundforce Technical Director Tony Gould has been appointed a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (FICE) in recognition of his contribution to the profession.

Equipment from two specialist Groundforce divisions has combined to provide a turnkey solution to a challenging task for NAMRC, the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

Struts or spindles as they are sometimes known perform the understated but essential task of transmitting the forces exerted by the ground between opposing box plates.

A difficult ‘pipe eating’ project was undertaken recently for the replacement of a 300 mm diameter sewer with a 600 mm diameter pipe. The work was required because the existing sewer was under capacity for its present requirements and was causing flooding upstream.

Groundforce Shorco’s Major Project Team designed a complex basement propping solution for one the UK’s most delicate and challenging redevelopment projects in London - 5-7 St Helen’s Place, the residence for The Worshipful Company of Leathersellers, one of the City of London’s Livery Companies.

One of the many projects we are desperately trying to complete at present is the launch of our new technical file. Whilst drafting out some guidelines relating to the design of trench boxes, it struck me that this would make an ideal technical yet easy going blog submission.

Groundforce will be demonstrating how its structural support and bracing systems designs work in a project-wide Building Information Model environment at this year’s BIM Show Live.

Ground engineering hire specialists Groundforce, has opened a new purpose built training facility to help improve health and safety standards, and raise awareness on the dangers of excavation construction.

A range of energy efficient dewatering pumps supplied by Groundforce, Ireland’s leading specialist rental company, helped to save time and costs on the construction of two of Ireland’s largest windfarm projects.

Groundforce Bridge, the temporary bridge division of hire specialist Groundforce, has supplied a 10m x 6m Vehicle Bridge, and 7m Vehicle Bridge to allow contractor Babcock, reach and remove an electricity pylon in North Wales, under critical scheduling and site conditions.

Shorflo, the pump-hire division of equipment hire specialist Groundforce, has supplied Four of its Super-silent diesel pumps to help contractor Dyer & Butler underpin bridge foundations in the River Gade at Watford.

More and more engineers are turning these days towards computer numeric modelling and FEA. I have to admit that I am a bit ambivalent about it all. On the one hand, these are powerful tools capable of modelling complex scenarios and achieve incredibly accurate results in rapid timescale.

With the construction awards season well underway, Groundforce is hoping they can make it two wins in row at this year’s Ground Engineering awards, after being shortlisted in the prestigious category of Best International Project.

Early design input and a problem-solving attitude has won Groundforce Shorco a contract to provide specialist ground support for a micro-hydroelectric scheme in the heart of Durham.

Leading excavation support rental company Groundforce, has kicked off 2014 with a firm show of intent by expanding its operations and national coverage across the UK, with the opening of two new dedicated hire depots, in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

When main contractor, Babcock, needed an immediate and effective temporary bridge solution to enable access to undertake both the emergency demolition and replacement of an electricity pylon in the Dwyryd estuary, North Wales, they contacted Groundforce Bridge, who were able to meet both their technical criteria and deadline.

U Mole is pleased to announce the delivery of a new MTS CitySucker to Brenchley Civil Engineering Ltd of Farlington, near Portsmouth.

Prior to the adoption of Eurocodes in the UK, all the load capacity verifications and charts for our standard CHS struts were determined from BS 5950; EC3 although on the face of it, being a limit state code, is a natural progression from BS5950 however numerous detail changes exist within the document. 

To celebrate the Diamond Anniversary of Vp plc, Groundforce launched a competition to all readers of their seasonal e-newsletter.

For many years, Groundforce has been supporting young engineers by providing employment, training and education in many forms. Over the last five years in particular, we have sponsored a steady stream of budding engineers through university on a part time basis.

Following on from last month’s blog regarding preparations for the annual Ground Engineering Basement Conference; now this has been and gone and the dust settled, perhaps it is time to reflect on the event and to assess whether it has all been worthwhile.

After the summer’s “blog holiday” I am pleased put pen to paper again so to speak and report on our preparation for our headline marketing event; that is Ground Engineering’s Sixth Annual Basements and Underground Structures Conference; which is incredibly and rather worryingly less than a week away. 

In April’s technical blog I touched upon some of the basic principles of BIM and then started to look at what this could mean for our industry in general. 

When groundwater is likely to be encountered within and below an excavation, this generally means bad news for the designer at least due to a number of undesirable effects, including increased loads on supports, flow of material, boiling (see photo opposite) or heave of the formation etc.

Constructing a new building in a city centre requires a great deal of expertise if disruption to nearby residents and businesses is to be minimised. Speed and efficiency are key to getting the job done with the minimum of fuss and are essential to delivering the project on time and to budget.

This month I thought I would add a small introductory piece of the very topical subject of Building Information Modelling otherwise known as BIM. Grateful thanks to my colleague Dan Cuthbert for penning this blog.

British standards may come and go as do the latest industry trends and buzz words but how much has really changed in shoring in recent years? 

Apologies once again for not posting for a while; the best laid plans and all that. At least it’s good to be busy, or so they say! 2013 has already seen quite a few changes to the Groundforce Technical Department. A makeover of our main office, which has been looking a bit tired of late, has just been completed. 

User guide for the assembly, installation, use, and dismantling of the Trench Box and Backhoe Box from Groundforce Shorco.

Temporary bridge installation video for use on construction sites, events and anywhere that requires quick temporary access.

An unusually treacherous journey into work this morning reminds me that yet another year has flown by and the well earned and looked-forward to Christmas break is fast approaching.

Apologies for not posting for a while, poor excuse I know but the months just seem to fly by. For something a bit different from my usual offering, I have asked one of my technical colleagues Helen Aird to put something together along the lines of “a day in the life of a Technical Sales Engineer”. 

Following problems identified by the HSE regarding single pin connections to quick hitches, Piletec has worked with Miller UK to develop the best possible solution to the problem when working with Excavator Mounted Vibratory Piling Hammers. This research and development has taken some considerable time as Piletec considered that many of the "quick fix" fabrications offered by other suppliers actually create as many safety risks as they avoid.

After the brain ache sessions of the last two months blogging on thermal effects in struts, I thought it better to provide perhaps a gentler themed blog commensurate with the holiday season being in full swing. 

Last month we looked at the basic theory behind calculating thermally induced load effects in steel props. This month we’re going to attempt to bring this more into Groundforce’s arena by applying these theories to one of our modular hydraulically operated props.

Continuing last month’s technical theme, this month’s blog discusses another old chestnut; the effect of ambient temperature change (thermal effects) on hydraulic struts. 

Why do we so often apply the 45° rule of thumb for the influence that surcharges have on the design of excavation support?

Miller Piling needed to install a total of 1500 concrete piles on two major high profile projects in the centre of London, one residential and one mixed use. Although in close proximity to each other, both projects had different and equally challenging ground conditions to contend with. Having worked with Piletec previously on a number of projects, Miller chose to hire two Free Suspended Vibratory piling hammers.

Apologies for not posting for a while but an exceptionally busy end of year placed great demands on the technical team. It’s nice to be busy or so they say!

With a welcomed boost in activity over recent weeks, I thought this month we would give you a whistle-stop update into what is going on within Groundforce`s European adventure, an overview of some of the projects we are working on at the minute and even show you some pictures of our equipment in the ground.

For those of you who have been on tenterhooks since the basic principals of hydraulic struts entry back in March, your wait is finally over as in this edition I intend to take it one step further and delve into more advanced workings of hydraulic struts.

Firstly apologies for not submitting a blog entry for a while, must be a sign of my age but the months seem to fly by particularly when you have to compile a monthly departmental report! 

Construction of a major new hotel on London’s South Bank has required the excavation of a large two-level basement in poor ground conditions in an extremely built up location. The main contractor is GTM, a joint venture between McGee and Galliford Try, which has taken the unusual step of eliminating the use of subcontractors wherever possible.

I know last month’s entry promised you more on the principals of hydraulic struts, however there has been so much going on in the technical camp since my last transmission that I thought it might be preferable to hear about that instead……. so you’re just going to have to wait a little longer before we get back on with the joys of pre-stress!

I thought that this month I would take the opportunity to go back to basics and give a brief insight into how Groundforce propriety equipment operates and to try and explain what is actually going on within the struts when you get to work on the hand pump, or when you simply flick the lever on the labour saving motorised pump.

The second Tyne Tunnel is a £260m scheme to alleviate traffic congestion through the existing single lane each way tunnel bore. It is one of the largest road infrastructure projects in the UK in recent years. The Tunnel, due for completion in 2011, is being constructed by French contractor Bouygues mainly using traditional cut-and-cover techniques on the North and South approaches and immersed precast concrete tunnel segments sunk into the river bed for the tunnel itself.

After a well deserved festive week off, followed by the usual slow first week back, construction sites are starting to make noises again and 2011 is underway, and at pace!

As the end of year fast approaches and the wind-down begins in earnest (hope the MD does not read this!), there is a definite change in the mood of the camp here in the technical department; the telephones ring less often, the number of new projects starts to dwindle, staff rush to use up their remaining holiday entitlement and the seemingly never ending supply of sweets and cake from kind suppliers becomes available.

Value engineering (VE) is a current buzz phrases within the industry. It is a systematic process which either identifies and eliminates unnecessary costs or increases utilisation.

The latest development in proprietary support systems is the ability to equip struts with integrated wireless load monitoring capability. 

The initials “SWL” are one of the most easily recognised and understood acronyms in the construction industry; you know that something marked “SWL 5 Tonnes” can safely support a maximum load of 5 tonnes in real terms.

Construction of an unusually wide basement box in poor alluvial soil requires exceptional lateral support for the piled retaining walls. The traditional method of bracing such an excavation is to install a specially designed framework of structural steel – a method which is both expensive and time consuming.

The Limerick Tunnel is a E570 million public-private partnership scheme for the Irish Republic’s National Roads Authority. Designed to carry four lanes of traffic under the River Shannon, it forms the centrepiece of a major by-pass project for the city.

Groundforce Shorco have provided a unique ground support solution to Barhale Construction for a flood alleviation scheme in Gloucester.

A.G.Wilson was among the big winners at the recent annual Construction, Quarry & Recycling Awards. It was presented with the prestigious Civil Engineering Company of the Year award, sponsored by Groundforce, during a glittering ceremony, compered by television and radio sports presenter Adrian Logan, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in South Belfast.

Groundforce Ireland will now offer new hydraulic attachments range

An Interview with Piling Operations Manager David O'Brien discussing how safe business practices are adopted to allow for better quality products and fully trained staff.

Covering the assembly, installation, use and dismantling of the equipment.

This Groundforce ToolBox Talks video guides you through the assembly, installation, use and dismantling of the Vertishore equipment.

This Groundforce ToolBox Talks video guides you through use of the single and double acting mega hand pump. Installation, Health and Safety, use and dismantling of the pumps are covered.

This Groundforce ToolBox Talks video guides you through the use of Groundforce Shorco Hydraulic Power Pump. This includes the Health and Safety surrounding the use of single and double acting hydraulic pumps. Installation, use, storage and dismantling of the pump is also covered.

This Groundforce ToolBox Talks covers the use of our Rolling Strut Box. Assembly, installation, use and dismantling are covered.

This Groudforce ToolBox Talks video covers the use of the Waler system in trenches. Light duty aluminium units and heavy duty steel units are covered.

The 1.2m diameter strut can be assembled in configurations up to 45m long and withstand axial loads up to 500t; hence the name MP500. The adjustable end unit, shown being installed here spanning between RC diaphragm walls, uses the versatility of hydraulic adjustment and the security twin mechanical locking screws to withstand these high loadings with complete safety and security.

This Groundforce ToolBox Talks video covers the use of a Mega Brace. Covering the assembly, installation, use and dismantling of the equipment.

Rolling Strut Double Slide Rail installation and user guide, excavation support available from Groundforce Shorco