How to Construct Raker Shores

05/01/2009
By Tom Pendley

Phoenix is not exactly the structural collapse capitol of the world, but because
Phoenix has both a FEMA urban search-and-rescue (USAR) task force and an
Urban Area Security Initiatives (UASI) Rapid Response program, we’re able to
frequently practice shoring. I imagine most departments in the country are like us
in that we seldom use shoring, but like all departments, we must always be ready to
use it.

In this article, I’ll cover the steps to building raker shores and review the most
current changes in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers USAR Shoring Operations
Guide, Second Edition (February 2009).

What Are Raker Shores?

Raker shores are diagonal shores used to give stability to walls and sometimes
entire structures; the concept is used every day in modern construction (tilt slab,
for example). A raker can be as simple as a post leaned up against a wall and
wedged into position or as elaborate as sets of rakers laced together and anchored
into position to effectively stabilize large sections of wall (see illustration, p. 75).
Note: Nail patterns and number of nails are important and are represented
accurately in all illustrations.

There are three main types of rakers: flying, split-sole and solid-sole. Each type
features a wall plate, a diagonal raker post and some type of sole plate. If there’s
no debris or obstructions at the base of a wall, a solid-sole raker is preferred;
otherwise, a split-sole raker is your next choice. The flying raker is considered a
very temporary shore used only until a more substantial set of rakers can be put in
place.

How Raker Shores Work

The diagonal post gives varying support to the structure based on the post’s angle
to the ground. When walls exert outward force, rakers tend to slide up the wall if
not properly angled, so the smaller a raker’s angle to the ground, the more support
it will give.

Any angle between 30 and 60 degrees usually works, but you’ll rarely build a 30-
degree raker because of space limitations; it takes much longer posts to create a 30-
degree raker shore. A 60-degree raker is more common, because they don’t require
as much space as a 45-degree raker, but a 45 is ideal as it has a greater load
capacity than a 60.

Besides the greater or lesser capacity resulting from the angle of the raker, how the
shore components are anchored will play a key role in the rakers’ strength and
stability, which I will talk more about.

In general, the designed load capacity of a braced pair of full triangle 4 x 4 rakers
is in the neighborhood of 5,000 lbs., which is enough to support most masonry or
low-rise concrete walls built up to about 20 feet high. The capacity of a flying
raker is about 1,000 lbs.

Where to Place Rakers

All types of construction materials can become compromised as a result of
structural collapse, but non-reinforced masonry is a good example of a material
that typically needs support. With this type of masonry, the raker should be
designed so that the raker post inserts or makes contact with the structure at floor
level or roof line or within a 2' area below that point. (Important: For unreinforced
masonry, there must be sheeting behind the wall plate to distribute force.)

Most single-story insertion points will be less than 10 feet off the ground. Of
course, there are cases where the insertion point is at the second-story level, but
rakers longer than 20 feet enter the realm of the structural engineer and often
require placement by crane.

Raker Length & Angle

Determining the length of a diagonal raker post is crucial. To do this successfully,
measure the distance from the ground to the insertion point (go to the nearest foot
that is at or above the floor or roof line.)

As I discussed earlier, the angle of the raker has a lot to do with how much it can
support. A 45-degree raker that inserts 8 feet up from ground level will end up
being 11 ½ feet long (for a solid-sole). To arrive at this measurement, take the
height of the insertion point (8 feet) and multiply it by 17, then add 2 inches to that
number. For a 60-degree raker, multiply the insertion point by 14 and then add 3
inches. Note: Add 1 foot for a flying raker or a split-sole with U-channel footing.
(The extra foot accounts for the dug-in anchor point.)
Once you’ve cut the raker post to the needed length, make your angle or relief cuts.
For a 45-degree raker, measure 3 ½ inches up the raker post, and then draw a line
from that mark to the corner. Draw Xs on the material to be removed (see figure,
left.)

After you draw the first diagonal line, slide a 2 x 4 down toward the corner and
draw a line at 90 degrees to the first line. Make these two cuts to end up with an
angled end cut that should fit nicely up to the wall plate cleat.
The Wall Plate
For both a 60-degree split-sole raker and a 60-degree solid-sole raker, you need a
wall plate that extends from the ground to 30 inches above your insertion point.
And in most cases, you’ll need at least two rakers. (Remember: You can simplify
by cutting two of everything.)

After cutting the wall plates, nail a 30" 2 x 4 cleat above the insertion point on each
using only 20 16d nails. Note: A 45-degree wall plate can have a 24" cleat with 14
nails.

Next, lay the wall plate on its side on a flat surface, and place the raker up against
the cleat. Then nail a 1' x 1' x 3⁄4" plywood gusset plate to the raker to hold it in
place. One trick of the trade: Using your foot, nail the raker to the wall plate first to
keep it in position while you nail on the first gusset plate. Remember: Raker
attachment to the wall plate is the same for both split-sole and solid-sole.

Finish As Solid-Sole
A solid-sole raker forms a full triangle, with the sole plate resting firmly against
the wall plate for a tight fit. The sole plate on a 45-degree raker will measure 1 foot
longer than the wall plate; on a 60-degree raker, the sole plate will be shorter than
the wall plate. Technically, you add 7 inches for every foot from the insertion point
to the ground, so with an insertion point that’s 8 feet up a wall, the total distance
equals 56 inches, but then you need to add 3 feet for the cleat and wedges. That
comes to 92 inches, but you can round it up to an even 8 feet.

To finish the solid-sole raker, position the sole plate so that it rests firmly against
the wall plate. Then nail the gusset plate on with the proper number of 8d nails.
Nail the front gusset plate onto the raker post, leaving 1 inch of the raker foot
exposed. Note: Only put one nail in the gusset plate to the sole plate at this point.
Now, flip the shore over and repeat the same process for the gusset plates on the
other side. Complete the other raker shores and then place each one in position
with a maximum distance of 8 feet on center. When each raker is in position,
remove the tack nails on the gusset plate that attaches to the sole plate. This will
allow you to adjust the raker position to the out-of-plumb wall. You must stop here
and complete the anchor for the sole plates because without it, the raker will tend
to push away from the wall when you tighten it.

The Anchor
All rakers must have a sole plate anchor that should ideally measure 6 x 6, but a 4
x 4 can work in a pinch. Place the sole plate anchor in position with 2 x 4 wedges
to pressurize the raker. Then drill in the anchor plate and pin with rebar or concrete
stakes.

At this point, nail the sole plate cleat onto the top of the sole plate with the proper
number of nails (not too many), and leave about a 1" gap for wedges. Fill any gaps
between the wall and the wall plate with shims or wedges to give even pressure,
and then pressurize each raker with the wedges. Once each raker is secured tightly,
lace the three rakers together with 2 x 6 bracing as shown in the illustration on p.
75; you can use X bracing or V bracing. Finally, check the tightness of the wedges,
and nail the gusset plates to the sole plate.

Finish As Split-Sole
We use split-sole rakers when debris and rubble (or another obstacle) are close to
the wall, preventing us from making a solid-sole. In this example, I’ll make two
45-degree split-sole rakers with 8' insertion points. First, cut the wall plates, and
nail on the 24" 2 x 4 cleats (14 nails). Remember: Size the wall plate so it sets into
the rubble as low as possible. The raker will measure 132 inches (8 x 17 + 2
inches). Lay each wall plate and raker, and apply an upper gusset plate in the same
manner as discussed for the solid-sole raker.

Now, use 2 x 6 lumber to make the split-sole. The first raker should be nailed onto
the wall plate and high enough to just clear the rubble. You can run them wild in
length to get them nailed on and then cut off the extra material. Note: Try to angle
them downward if possible, to provide more strength, and add 2 x 6 mid-bracing to
any raker that’s longer than 11 feet.

You can dig a base for the split-sole raker and use a U channel, but the hot ticket
these days is to make a trough to anchor the raker. The trough for each split-sole is
then anchored with an anchor plate in the same way you would anchor a set of
solid-sole rakers.

Finally, lace the split-sole rakers together the same as you would the solid-soles,
and pin the wall plates to the wall with 6" red head bolts or bolt pins.

2009 Changes in Raker Shores

The Army Corps of Engineers changes its Urban Search and Rescue Shoring
Operations Guide pretty often, but here are some of the most recent updates:

 Nail patterns have always been a big deal, and a bigger pattern isn’t any
better than a smaller pattern. In fact, less is more, so to speak. They found
that fewer nails hold just as well and result in less splitting, so the 24" cleat
needs only 14 nails (16d), and a 30" cleat needs only 20 nails.
 The trough is sort of new for the split-sole raker and is now the hot ticket
because you don’t need to be digging an anchor hole in the hazard zone.
(See illustration.)

For more information, check out www.disasterengineer.org. There, you can

download the most current Corps of Engineers Guide for free, and there are some
really cool videos of destructive tests of shoring.
Conclusion
That’s the quick and easy way to construct a set of split-sole or solid-sole rakers.
The goal: to assemble temporary emergency shoring to protect us, not the building.
So remember to minimize your time spent near an unstable wall. Prefabricate
shoring in the safe area and move it into place with a coordinated effort while a
lookout watches for problems.

Questions to Ask