Ground Works
Sheet Piling, Shoring & Propping
Installation and extraction of sheet piles, pile-driving hazards, lifting and rigging, walings, struts, tie rods and anchors, monitoring and alteration control.
v2.1Updated 9 Aug 2026ADOSH-SF v4.1 (February 2026)Learning Objectives
- Prepare and verify a working platform for piling plant.
- Identify hazards of vibratory, impact and press-in driving methods, and of extraction.
- Apply lifting-operation controls to pile handling under ADOSH-SF CoP 34.0.
- Describe installation of walings, struts, tie rods, anchors and capping beams.
- Control alterations and monitor the installed support system.
Awareness Video
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1. Working Platform
Piling rigs and cranes need a designed, certified working platform: bearing capacity, granular thickness, drainage, level and edge stand-off from the excavation. A platform certificate is issued before plant tracks on and re-checked after heavy rain or plant repositioning.
2. Delivery, Storage & Handling
Piles stacked on level ground with timber bearers and end stops; no stacks near excavation edges; manual handling avoided using purpose-made clamps and pile lifting shackles; pitching controlled with tag lines, never by hand on a swinging pile.
3. Driving Methods
Vibratory driving generates ground vibration affecting adjacent structures and services — pre-condition surveys and vibration monitoring are required. Impact driving adds high noise (hearing protection zones, night-work restrictions). Press-in / silent piling reduces noise and vibration in sensitive areas. Exclusion zones apply around the leader and pile at all times.
4. Lifting & Rigging
Pile pitching is a lifting operation under ADOSH-SF CoP 34.0: lift plan, appointed person, certified accessories, trained slinger/banksman, no personnel under suspended piles, and wind-speed limits from the crane manufacturer.
5. Support Systems
Walings, struts, tie rods, ground anchors and capping beams are installed strictly to the temporary-works design, with connection details, torque/pre-load values and welding specifications followed. Anchors require proof testing before the next excavation stage.
6. Extraction & Cutting
Extraction can cause ground loss and settlement of adjacent structures — sequence and voids-filling are designed. Pile cutting and welding is hot work: hot-work permit, fire watch, gas test where flammable atmospheres are possible, fume control and eye protection.
7. Monitoring & Alteration Control
Inclinometers, settlement markers and strut-load monitoring with defined trigger, action and alarm levels. Sheet piles, struts and connections inspected by a competent person on a defined frequency and after piling vibration, impact or loading change. No shoring alteration without TWC approval and a revised permit.
Knowledge Assessment
1. Before a piling rig tracks onto site, the working platform must have:
2. Vibratory pile driving primarily risks:
3. Pile pitching is controlled as:
4. Swinging piles should be controlled with:
5. Cutting and welding sheet piles requires:
6. Ground anchors must be:
7. Pile extraction can cause:
8. Strut and settlement monitoring should have:
9. Altering an installed shoring arrangement requires:
10. Press-in (silent) piling is chosen mainly to:
Certificate
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Acknowledgement
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