Excavations are a common technique used in construction and the build of new resources. OSHA defines an excavation as any man made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in the earth?s surface formed by earth removal. A trench, on the other hand, is defined as a narrow underground excavation that is deeper than it is wide, and is no wider than 15 feet (4.5 meters). OHSA also specifies and requires specific safety and build requirements with both excavation shoring materials and large excavation shoring methods.

Materials used in excavation shoring
Both excavating and trench building require the use of specific materials, mostly for safety and sturdiness. Also, depending on the type of land where excavation shoring methods are used, there may be limitations on depth allowances. For example, trenches 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep or greater require a protective system unless the excavation is made entirely in stable rock. Trenches 20 feet (6.1 meters) deep or greater require that the protective system be designed by a registered professional engineer or be based on tabulated data prepared and, or approved by a registered professional engineer.

These requirements are for the safety of both the trenchers and the local residents. Other important tools may require regulations on things like ladders, excavating tools, ramps, steps, and even excavation shoring boxes. If the excavating will lead to the design and build of either a permanent or portable bridge, there will also be safety regulations surrounding the specific materials used and the heights that are allowed.

Environmental changes
Since excavating requires removing parts of the earth, it can be considered bad for the environment. For this reason, OSHA must approve all shoring excavation methods. In addition to the safety of the excavation, they will also look at any possible reactions as a result of the shoring excavation. If the earth will be damaged too badly, or the earth?s natural resources will be negatively affected, then the project may not be approved.

Any excavation project that has a negative impact on the condition of the environment will take a lot of debate. Minimum excavation shoring methods into small parts of the earth generally do not have to be approved. However, any project that goes deeper than normal will require multiple approvals. Earth excavation to a depth of 2 feet (0.61 m) below the shield is permitted, but only if the shield is designed to resist the forces calculated for the full depth of the trench and there are no indications while the trench is open of possible loss of soil from behind or below the bottom of the support system.

Excavation shoring methods requirements
There are a few acceptable methods for shoring excavations. Some of these methods are riskier than others. Some are better for certain types of land conditions, while others are worse for the environment overall. Excavation shoring requirements are often set by OSHA in terms of methods used. They may require safer methods to be used in deeper waters. They may also require that specific land saving methods be used in particularly protected areas of the planet. Other methods may be established simply based on the type of land and the specific slope of it during the excavation process. It will also depend what type of fixture will be placed into the trench, if any. Bridges, for example, require more strength for safety and may have to be deeper built trenches.

Excavation is the process of digging into the Earth to build. It is a common method used in the new build of a large bridge. Since bridges are used to transport over large bodies of water, this often means that parts of the ocean need to be dug into. OSHA is an important regulating factor for shoring excavations, with the goal to protect both excavating employees, and the earth.