TECHNIQUE

Walers & Bracing

Steel bracing and whalers are provided for in ground structures to transfer load that could not be provided by other means.

Steel bracing used mostly act in compression to restrain two opposing structures below ground level. The bracing can either be,

Diagonal supports between right angle walls,

Perpendicular between opposing walls or

Diagonally inclined between a vertical wall and ground.

Steel walers act differently and are provided with the interaction of ground anchors at certain spacing along a retained wall, generally where secant or contiguous piled walls are installed the waler acts as a beam to distribute the load evenly along the retained wall.

QPS most commonly utilise structural steel walers for earth retention systems for sub surface excavations to metro projects, however large civil projects such as tunnelling often require walers of reinforced concrete in permanent applications to distribute loads between anchors.