Modified braced wall system with pre-stressed wale for excavation in urban areas

Excavation works in soft clay require the installation of a retaining wall together with a means of holding the retaining structure in position. However, the traditional braced wall system (TBWS) used for that purpose unfortunately narrows the spacing between struts during excavation works. To address the issue, this paper introduces the modified braced wall system (MBWS) for widening the horizontal intervals between struts. Case studies were performed to validate the MBWS by comparing its costs, schedules, constructability, and safety to those of the TBWS. The results showed that the MBWS was more effective than the TBWS.