Photo Credit: Alex Mead
Seen here is a textbook example of crosslot bracing of an excavation. Crosslot bracing is used when the horizontal soil pressure of an excavation is simply too high to retained by tiebacks or other method of wall support. One drawback, however, is the need to not hit the braces when working in the excavation. As can be seen at the top right of the excavation an excavator needs to be careful to lower its boom as to avoid striking the steel braces as it compacts fill in the future basement.