The Shore Brace 400 is the only Australian-made and engineered hydraulic bracing system used in construction to provide lateral support for a vertical wall or excavation. The system is hot-dip galvanized by Galserv to give the for-hire product a long and robust life.
The Shore Brace 400 is a modular system of individual sections in various lengths and configurations. Since launching the fleet totals approximately 250 tonnes. The R&D process commenced in 2018 with Galserv providing technical design support regarding drain placement, correct orientation of items and best practices to eradicate galvanizing build up and was launched in 2023.
The system is unique in its design and for being manufactured in Australia, enabling Shore Hire to grow their market share with several successful high-profile projects completed since launch.
Galserv was involved very early in the process, providing technical, durability and performance advice to Shore Hire, who was comparing their concept to iteration examples with painted finishes.
Due to the environmental conditions in excavation projects and the high repeat use of these items, galvanizing was the preferred choice of surface coating for Shore Hire upon consultation with Galserv due to its longevity as a product.
The highly engineered items required significant technical and design work to ensure a successful outcome, as every item in the fleet must meet exacting specifications to ensure the system can be interconnected, operational and protected from the damp working environment. The added value of hot dip galvanizing was noted as:
Internationally, similar systems are typically painted, produced as one-offs or made in smaller sizes where additional bracing is required. With multiple accidents and unfortunate deaths every year linked to workers standing in unshored trenches, it’s clear that shoring practices and equipment are essential for providing a safe place for operators to work.
The Shore Brace 400 was engineered to meet a growing market need for a reusable hire system suitable to substantially large projects, eliminating the need for multiple cross struts or additional complexity in installation and extraction sequence.
To achieve this, the Shore Brace 400 had a complex design with exacting specifications, leaving no room for quality issues - and the coating must be durable enough for repeat wear and tear from the excavation and hire process.
Each component in the Shore Brace 400 range is designed with a highly complex connector point with holes for pins and interlocking fingers, along with internal crossbar sections for strength. With consideration of the design and tight tolerance for the pin, meticulous planning, development and testing of the hot-dip galvanizing process was undertaken.
Over the course of 5 years, a specific process was formulated to achieve the required finish when components are assembled. Each batch of bracing follows this process consistently, with Galserv testing and quality checking throughout the project, to ensure technical, logistical and quality aspects are delivered each time.
The Shore Brace 400 system is made from steel and has been specifically galvanized for longevity and product design life, creating a unique for-hire system. This enables the system to be re-hired many times across multiple projects, greatly reducing the carbon footprint associated with this product when compared to single-use bespoke steel walers, which generally get scrapped after use and as a minimum, generate material wastage in the form of offs.
