New hydraulic shoring products offer industry-leading load capacity

Coates’ new MP375 strut and HW500 waler are already delivering value for customers

From securing ground anchor rights to supporting high structural loads, constructing basements in urban environments presents a variety of design challenges for engineers and building contractors. As a highly experienced provider in the design and installation of internal shoring systems for complex excavations, Coates has launched two new hydraulic shoring products – the MP375 strut and HW500 waler – that offer unbeatable load capacity and greater flexibility for customers in the construction industry.

Here David Dragicevich, National Technical Engineering Manager at Coates, introduces the two new additions to the company’s hydraulic shoring range and explores the benefits they bring to Coates customers.

Introducing the new MP375 strut and HW500 waler

Coates has grown its fleet to include the new MP375 strut – the highest capacity double-acting hydraulic strut ram in Australia – and the proprietary HW500 waler, which offers double the load capacity of its existing waler beams.

The super heavy-duty MP375 offers a level of support in basement-type excavations that exceeds the capacity of all other hydraulic struts currently available in Australia. “With a maximum safe working compression capacity of 375 tonne, the MP375 allows us to design and implement even more efficient and cost-effective temporary works solutions, with the assurance and ease of using components that have been tested and proven in real-world construction applications,” David explains.

In partnership with Monash University and Van Der Meer Consulting Engineers, Coates engineers also recently developed the HW500 waler, a high-capacity hydraulic ground support system that complements Coates’ temporary works offering.

“This system can be used with sheet piling or concrete piled walls to create a standalone perimeter beam bracing solution,” says David. “It can also be supported by hydraulic strutting when there is a significant structural load, or when support for particularly large excavations is required.”

What makes these products different?

Both the MP375 and HW500 combine the compressive strength of steel with the ease of hydraulic actuation for length adjustment and pre-loading. Unlike fabricated structural steel shoring solutions, these systems are also reusable, improving cost efficiencies and helping customers to reduce their carbon footprint.

These additional features also set the MP375 and HW500 apart:

MP375

• Australia’s largest capacity double-acting hydraulic strut
• Modular design for ease of transportation, installation and removal
• Wireless load and movement monitoring through telemetry sensors, with alerts if conditions change

HW500

• Twice the capacity of the current industry-leading proprietary waler, Mega Brace
• Features beam segments joined with interconnecting blades, pinned with proprietary, engineered connections
• Adjustable unit to make light work of fine-tuning waler dimensions

The MP375 strut connected to the HW500 waler system

How construction customers can benefit

So, what’s in it for Coates customers?

Flexible excavation spaces

Without access to high-capacity struts like the MP375, construction firms can opt for a greater number of smaller struts to support the same load, but there are some technical and practical reasons why this approach isn’t always feasible, or preferable.

“Designing shoring solutions with smaller struts requires a lot more engineering to achieve the right distribution and load sharing between the different props. It also limits excavation space, which can restrict construction activity,” says David. “The MP375 strut supports high structural loads with fewer components, creating more space for excavation and construction, and in many cases Coates customers will find this approach more efficient.”

Easy to scale and customise

The MP375’s tubular component-based design allows us to tailor the load capacity and spanning capability of a shoring solution, by coupling it with appropriately sized tubular extensions. This design allows the MP375 to support diverse applications, from small spans where space is tight, right up to extremely large and highly loaded applications with the use of the 1.2m diameter Super Tube extensions.

David describes the HW500 waler as equally flexible and scalable. “The HW500 system is compiled by joining together beam segments, or extensions, using proprietary engineered connections,” he says. “Once the extension pieces are assembled, an adjustable hydraulic unit is fitted to allow for fine tuning, giving customers a great degree of precision and flexibility.”

Less disruption

The use of proprietary, engineered connections removes the need for special tooling and welding during installation, and makes installation much safer and less complex than fabricated structural steel. Using fewer, high-capacity struts also cuts down on the time it takes for customers to get started on site.

“We can install a single MP375 hydraulic strut much faster than a collection of smaller struts, and the less time this process takes, the more time it gives back to the customer,” says David. “The fewer the struts, the less customers are restrained in what they can do on site, which means their productivity can also increase with this innovation.”

Fewer surprises

“Having used these types of products hundreds of times, Coates has tested their effectiveness. But with fabricated steel each application is essentially the first try, so it’s difficult to identify design issues until installation begins,” says David. “It’s also much less engineering and design-intensive to work with pre-engineered and pre-rated components, which allows the design process to be radically accelerated without compromising design quality or safety .”

Innovation in action

The MP375 and HW500 have already been utilised in internal hydraulic shoring systems for basements under construction in NSW and the ACT. See how Coates Engineering Solutions designed an internal shoring solution using the MP375 for Empire Global that ensured construction work could continue safely and on schedule, and stay tuned for more customer case studies.

To find out how Coates can support the delivery of your next temporary works phone 13 15 52 or email engineeringsolutions@coates.com.au