SHORING
• Definition: Shoring is a temporary construction technique used to support a building,
structure, trench, or excavation to prevent collapse during construction, repair, or when
the structure has become unstable.
• Primary Purpose: To provide lateral (sideways) and sometimes vertical support to
ensure safety and stability.
• Key Applications:
o Supporting adjacent buildings during excavation or demolition.
o Providing temporary support for walls, floors, or roofs where structural members
are being altered or removed (e.g., installing new windows, doors, or creating
open-plan spaces).
o Stabilizing structures that have been damaged or are unstable due to settlement,
impact, or other failures.
o Bracing the sides of deep trenches to prevent soil cave-ins (a critical safety
function).
PARTS OF A SHORE
While the specific components vary by system, a typical shore consists of the following
fundamental parts:
• Rakers (or Inclined Struts): Sloping members that transfer the load from the wall or
structure being supported down to a stable bearing point.
• Wales (or Wallings): Horizontal beams (often steel or timber) that run parallel to the
face being supported. They act as a continuous beam to distribute the load from the wall
to multiple rakers.
• Sole Plates (or Footings): Large plates or timber pads placed at the base of rakers or
posts. Their function is to distribute the concentrated load over a larger area of the
ground or floor to prevent sinking or punching through.
• Needles: Strong, horizontal members that are inserted through holes in a wall to
transfer the wall's load to the vertical or inclined supports on either side.
• Cleats: Small timber or metal plates fastened to joints to prevent slipping and to
strengthen the connection between members.
• Bracing: Diagonal members used to connect and stabilize the shoring system itself,
preventing it from buckling or swaying.
3. Materials Used in Shoring
The choice of material depends on the load to be supported, required durability, and reusability.
• Timber (Wood):
o Advantages: Readily available, easy to cut and fit on-site, cost-effective for small-
scale projects.
o Disadvantages: Lower load-bearing capacity compared to steel, susceptible to
rot, fire, and insect damage, less reusable.
• Steel:
o Advantages: High strength-to-weight ratio, very durable, reusable many times
(common with proprietary systems), fire-resistant.
o Disadvantages: Higher initial cost, heavier, requires specialized equipment for
handling.
• Aluminum: Used in some modern, lightweight proprietary systems (like hydraulic
shoring) for its high strength and corrosion resistance.
• Hydraulic & Pneumatic Systems: These are high-tech shoring systems that use fluid or
air pressure in cylinders to provide support. They are quickly adjustable and are often
used in emergency stabilization and trench shoring.
THREE SYSTEMS OF SHORING
There are several systems, but these three are fundamental and widely used.
1. Raking Shore (or Flying Shore)
• Description: This is one of the most common and traditional methods. It involves using
inclined members (rakers) to prop up a wall from the ground outside the building.
• Components: Rakers, wall plate, sole plate, and needles.
• Application:
o To support the external wall of a building, often when an adjacent structure is
being demolished or when the wall is leaning.
o Commonly arranged in a set (or "system") of multiple rakers at different levels
along the wall.
• Key Feature: The load is transferred diagonally downwards to a stable ground point
away from the structure.
2. Dead Shore (or Vertical Shore)
• Description: This system uses vertical members (dead shores) to support vertical loads,
essentially acting as temporary columns.
• Components: Vertical posts (dead shores), horizontal needles, sole plates, and head
plates.
• Application:
o To support the entire load of a wall, beam, or slab above while making an
opening in the wall below (e.g., creating a new doorway or window) or while
rebuilding a lower part of the structure.
o The needles are inserted through the wall, transferring the load down to the
vertical dead shores on either side.
• Key Feature: It supports vertical loads during structural alterations at a lower level.
3. Flying Shore (or Horizontal Shore)
• Description: This system provides horizontal support between two parallel walls or
structures, without any support from the ground beneath it—it "flies" between the two.
• Components: Horizontal strut (the flying shore), wall plates, and cleats.