Hydraulic Bracing Equipment and Shoring Systems
United Rentals’ hydraulic bracing systems are engineered for efficiency, sustainability and safety on large excavation projects. Designed to eliminate the need for cutting or welding and to minimize onsite waste, our temporary and reusable modular systems promote a safer and more sustainable jobsite.
Hydraulic Bracing Solutions and Services
United Rentals offers custom, innovative shoring system solutions to support major excavation projects, including hydraulic bracing systems and monitoring services.
Mega Brace
Our mega brace is a high-load capacity modular hydraulic bracing system designed to support square, rectangular or multisided excavations with a clear span of up to 50 feet.
Super Mega Brace
Our super mega brace is a heavy-duty modular hydraulic bracing system engineered to support square, rectangular or multisided excavations with a clear span of up to 80 feet.
Hydraulic Struts
Our hydraulic struts are designed for excavation support in horizontal, raking or knee brace applications and come in four sizes: MP150, MP250, MP375 and MP750.
Senceive Monitoring Services
United Rentals has partnered with Senceive®, the world leader in wireless data monitoring, to simplify real-time measurements of in situ loads and monitor potential movements during excavation projects.
Our Innovative, Effective Hydraulic Bracing Alternative
With rapid installation and removal, our hydraulic bracing solutions offer a modern, cost-effective alternative to traditional welded steel frames and tieback systems—supporting your timeline, budget and the environment. Our just-in-time delivery model reduces jobsite clutter and maximizes available working space, helping contractors stay efficient and organized. At United Rentals Trench Safety, we’re doing excavation work differently—providing a truly temporary bracing system that will create jobsite and budget efficiencies for your excavation project. We’ve designed our hydraulic solutions to seamlessly integrate with a wide assortment of Support of Excavation (SOE) walls, including:
- Sheet piles
- Soldier piles – Beam & plate or lagging
- Diaphragm (slurry) walls
- Secant pile walls
- Cast-in-place (CIP) concrete retaining walls
Hydraulic Bracing Equipment
United Rentals’ hydraulic bracing and shoring equipment helps maintain safety and efficiency for a wide range of excavation projects.
Mega Brace
This high–load capacity modular hydraulic bracing system supports excavations with clear spans up to 50 feet, and it has pinned joint and corner connections for quick assembly. It also has double-acting hydraulics with integral mechanical lock-off valves for installation and removal with zero fluid loss.
Super Mega Brace
This heavy-duty, modular hydraulic bracing system has exceptional load capacity across clear spans up to 80 feet. Each leg of the system includes a hydraulically adjustable unit, modular fixed-length extensions and a pinned telescopic rough adjuster for flexible onsite configuration.
MP150 Medium-Duty Modular Hydraulic Strut
This versatile, medium-duty modular hydraulic strut system features a hydraulically activated ram with a 43-inch stroke for precise, fine adjustment. Swivel-end bearings allow for a wide range of alignment options, with or without the use of waler beams.
MP250 Heavy-Duty Modular Hydraulic Strut
This high-capacity modular hydraulic strut combines the compressive strength of steel tubing with the convenience of hydraulic adjustment and preloading capabilities. Swivel-end bearing units allow for flexible alignment and multi-angle use, with or without waler beams.
MP250 Hydraulic Strut Super Extensions
This heavy-duty hydraulic strut consists of a hydraulic ram unit with a 41-inch stroke for fine length adjustment. For higher load or longer span needs, combine the hydraulic unit with extensions using adaptor pieces. Swivel-end bearing units allow for various strutting alignments, with or without waler beams.
MP375 Heavy-Duty Modular Hydraulic Strut
This modular heavy-duty hydraulically activated strut consists of a hydraulic ram unit with a 51-inch stroke for fine length adjustment. Swivel-end bearing units allow for various strutting alignments within an excavation, with or without waler beams.
MP750 Heavy-Duty Modular Hydraulic Strut
This high–load capacity strut can resist loads up to 11,000kN and consists of a central low-pressure hydraulic ram unit with a 19.7-inch stroke for fine length adjustment. It has a high-pressure hydraulic nut system to aid installation and subsequent removal of the strut under residual load.
Working on a Major Project?
For longer-term, extensive projects requiring high levels of planning complexity, United Rentals provides dedicated, on-site support and integrated solutions for excavations, dewatering and pumping, power generation and more. Learn more about how United Rentals can support projects like major infrastructure, transportation, airport and rail construction work.
Engineering and Setup Considerations
Every shoring project involving hydraulic bracing starts with a proper site evaluation and engineered plan. Our team handles the technical design and load calculations to ensure compliance with OSHA standards, jobsite safety, and project efficiency.
Site Evaluation
According to OSHA standards, a site evaluation for a large excavation project should include assessments of soil classifications, surface and groundwater conditions, overhead and underground utilities and the stability and proximity of nearby structures.
Load Calculations
A United Rentals registered professional engineer (RPE) will accurately calculate the load capacity and the applied load of the hydraulic struts to provide comprehensive load calculations for your team to monitor throughout the duration of the project.
Installation and Removal
Our dedicated onsite advisor will consult on how to best install and remove the hydraulic bracing systems in an efficient and safe manner. The advisor will ensure you have any required heavy machinery, such as cranes or excavators, to assist in the installation and removal process.
Bore Logs
Accurate geotechnical data, such as soil bore logs, is essential for designing a safe and efficient shoring system. This information helps engineers understand soil conditions, groundwater levels, and potential loading factors—allowing the design to be properly engineered for site-specific conditions. Reliable soil data ensures the system performs as intended, minimizes risk, and supports both safety and cost efficiency on the jobsite.
Industries We Serve
United Rentals provides modular bracing system support and expertise for excavation projects in a variety of industries.
Energy & Utility
Oil & Gas Refining
Civil & Infrastructure
Resources
If you’d like to learn more about our equipment and experience, our Resources page includes additional client success stories, educational blog posts, guides, technical spec sheets and more.
Other Engineered Systems Services and Solutions
In addition to hydraulic bracing systems, United Rentals offers other engineered systems to support large excavation projects, including slide rail shoring systems, beam and plate systems and sheeting guide frames.
Slide Rail Shoring Systems
We provide slide rail shoring systems with a patented open-track rail design and ground-level installation to keep crews out of the trench and clear of lifted loads during setup.
Beam and Plate Systems
We offer engineered beam and plate systems that include vertical beams and steel plates to provide a sturdy, temporary wall around deep excavation projects.
Sheeting Guide Frames
We carry sheeting guide frame systems (also called G3 systems) that provide a safe, efficient and versatile solution for excavations requiring trench protection with driven sheet piling.
Hydraulic Bracing Equipment FAQs
United Rentals provides unique hydraulic bracing systems as a quick, cost-effective alternative to traditional methods. Our dedicated experts and custom bracing systems can help your excavation project run safely, successfully, on time and on budget.
Learn more about bracing equipment in our FAQ section below.
Engineered systems are required when excavation conditions exceed the limits of standard tabulated data. This may include deep excavations, complex soil conditions, or when adjacent structures, utilities or surcharges add lateral loads. In these cases, OSHA mandates that the trench system be designed by a registered professional engineer (RPE). United Rentals’ engineered shoring solutions are custom designed to meet these safety requirements.
Fall protection is required when employees or equipment could fall into an excavation that is 6 feet or more in depth. OSHA mandates employers provide barriers, guard rails or other protective measures to prevent accidental falls when walkways, edges or access points are near an open excavation. Protective options include physical barricades, handrails, safety fencing or trench covers. United Rentals offers engineered fall protection systems and advisory services to help mitigate fall hazards around open excavations.
OSHA requires engineered systems like hydraulic bracing systems to be used in excavation projects with poor ground conditions, such as unstable, loose or waterlogged soil. These conditions have a higher risk of cave-ins that can be prevented with bracing equipment.
Loads due to stockpiled material, machinery, structures, roadways and other influences resting on the soil surface in the vicinity of the excavation increase the lateral pressures on the shoring wall. Surcharge loads have to be combined with lateral soil loads in order to determine the Total Load that will be applied to each shoring system.
Our Engineered Systems Team
At United Rentals, we back our engineered systems with the industry’s largest team of dedicated installation advisors and RPEs. Our branch teams maintain, assemble, and prepare every shoring system to meet project specifications, while our onsite advisors work directly with contractors to ensure safe and efficient installation in the field. Each advisor is equipped with hands-on knowledge of our full line of engineered solutions, ensuring that projects stay on schedule, crews remain safe and installations are completed to the highest standards.
Behind every project is our engineering department, staffed with RPEs licensed across the U.S. and Canada and ready to design customized, PE-stamped excavation plans for any site condition. What truly sets United Rentals apart is not only the size of our team, but the depth of experience, skill, and commitment our people bring to every project.
