Soldier piles and lagging

Speak to an expert

Soldier piles and lagging wall systems are proven earth retention and excavation support solutions that retain soil using vertical steel piles and horizontal lagging. Commonly used for temporary and permanent retaining walls, these systems are well-suited for open sites, constrained urban excavations, and low headroom conditions. Keller has the equipment and experience to design and construct soldier pile and lagging systems that meet project requirements for excavation support, wall performance, and site access.

Process

Typically, steel H-piles are drilled or driven at regular intervals along the planned perimeter of the excavation to form the retaining wall system. Drilled piles are typically backfilled with concrete, slurry, or gravel. In low headroom or difficult drilling conditions, micropiles may be used as an alternative to conventional soldier piles. As excavation progresses, lagging made of wood, steel, or precast concrete panels is placed behind the front pile flanges to retain the surrounding soil.

Additional contact lagging or shotcrete may also be applied based on site conditions and design requirements. The lagging resists retained soil loads and transfers them to the steel piles. Soldier pile walls can be designed as cantilever walls or receive additional lateral support from anchors or bracing, typically determined by a combination of excavation depths, soil conditions, adjacent surcharge considerations, and required deflection performance. These wall systems can be engineered for temporary or permanent use, with permanent applications often requiring additional measures such as epoxy-coated beams and architectural or structural wall facing. 

Common uses

  • Support excavations

Advantages

  • Fast installation for efficient excavation support and schedule-sensitive projects
  • Cost-effective retaining wall solution compared with sheet piling and concrete piled walls
  • Adaptable design that can use timber, steel, precast concrete, contact lagging, or shotcrete
  • Suitable for low headroom conditions with the use of micropiles and other specialized installation methods

Related techniques

Earth retention

Related solutions

Support of excavation
Background texture image

Related projects

Institutional

Saskatoon Central Library

Keller provides design-build excavation support and deep foundations for new library facility in downtown Saskatoon.

View project All projects
drilling on job site with yellow rig

Sports and entertainment

Highmark Stadium

Keller’s wide equipment fleet and extensive experience with multiple techniques provide a design-build excavation support solution for the future home of the Buffalo Bills.

View project All projects
construction site in front with distant football stadium in the background

Commercial

Parcel 12

Keller provides deep foundations and excavation support for the first air rights development project over the Massachusetts Turnpike since the 1980s. The project, Parcel 12, earned the 2025 DFI Outstanding Project Award.

View project All projects
construction site bordered by a highway and rail tracks

Institutional

Maine Medical Center

Maine Medical Center is northern New England’s largest hospital and a leading heart care, orthopedics, and pediatric care facility. To update the 150-year-old facilities, Maine Medical is undergoing the largest modernization project in its history, constructing new buildings for patient rooms and state-of-the-art surgical suites.

View project All projects
aerial of active construction site

Institutional

Texas State Memorial Railroad Redoubt Stabilization

Keller’s slope stabilization design and construction at the Vicksburg Military Park earned the 2022 Excellence in Construction award from the Associated Builders and Contractors of Georgia.

View project All projects
panoramic view of slope retaining wall construction
1

Related techniques

Earth retention

Related solutions

Support of excavation

Work with us

Talk to one of our experts to learn how we can help on your project.

Speak to an expert