Trench - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.

org/wiki/Trench

Trench
A trench is a type of excavation or depression in the ground that is
generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a wider gully, or
ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple
hole).[1]

In geology, trenches are created as a result of erosion by rivers or by

geological movement of tectonic plates. In the civil engineering field,
trenches are oen created to install underground infrastructure or
utilities (such as gas mains, water mains or telephone lines), or later
to access these installations. Trenches have also oen been dug for
military defensive purposes. In archaeology, the "trench method" is
used for searching and excavating ancient ruins or to dig into strata
of sedimented material.

A gas main being laid in a

Contents trench

Types and uses

Geology
Civil engineering
Military engineering
Archaeology
See also
References
External links

Types and uses

Geology
Some trenches are created as a result of erosion by running water or by glaciers (which may have long since
disappeared). Others, such as ri valleys or more commonly oceanic trenches, are created by geological movement
of tectonic plates. Some oceanic trenches include the Mariana Trench and the Aleutian Trench. e former geoform
is relatively deep (approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi)), linear and narrow, and is formed by plate subduction when
plates converge.[2]

Civil engineering

1 of 4 28/12/2017, 21:18
Trench - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trench

In the civil engineering field of construction or maintenance of infrastructure, trenches play a major role. ey are
used to place underground easily damaged and obstructive infrastructure or utilities (such as gas mains, water
mains or telephone lines). A similar use for higher bulk would be in pipeline transport. ey may also be created
later to search for pipes and other infrastructure that is known to be underground in the general area, but whose
exact location has been lost ("search trench" or "search slit"). Finally, trenches may be created as the first step of
creating a foundation wall. Trench shoring is oen used in trenchworks to protect workers and stabilise
embankments.

An alternative to digging trenches is to create a utility tunnel. e advantages of utility tunnels are the reduction of
maintenance manholes, one-time relocation, and less excavation and repair, compared with separate cable ducts for
each service. When they are well mapped, they also allow rapid access to all utilities without having to dig access
trenches or resort to confused and oen inaccurate utility maps. One of the greatest advantages is public safety.
Underground power lines, whether in common or separate channels, prevent downed utility cables from blocking
roads, thus speeding emergency access aer natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and tsunamis. For a
comparison of utility tunnels vs. direct burial, see the article referred to above.

In some cases, a large trench is dug and deliberately preserved (not filled in), oen for transport purposes. is is
typically done to install depressed motorways, open railway cuings, or canals. ese large, permanent trenches
are significant barriers to travel, and oen become de facto boundaries between neighborhoods or other spaces.

Military engineering

The Boer trench at the Battle of

Magersfontein contributed to
the surprise defeat of the
Highland Brigade on 11
December 1899 during the
Soldiers in a trench during the
Second Boer War.
Gallipoli Campaign of World War
I
Trenches have oen been dug for military purposes. In the pre-
firearm eras, they were mainly a type of hindrance to an aacker of a
fortified location, such as the moat around a castle (this is technically called a ditch). An early example of this can
be seen in the Bale of the Trench, one of the early Bales of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad.[3]

With the advent of accurate firearms, trenches were used to shelter troops. Trench warfare and tactics evolved
further in the Crimean War, the American Civil War and World War I, until systems of extensive main trenches,
backup trenches (in case the first lines were overrun) and communication trenches oen stretched dozens of
kilometres along a front without interruption, and some kilometres further back from the front line.

2 of 4 28/12/2017, 21:18
Trench - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trench

Archaeology
is is used for searching and excavating ancient ruins or to dig into
strata of sedimented material to get a sideways (layered) view of the
deposits – with a hope of being able to place found objects or
materials in a chronological order. e advantage of this method is
that it destroys only a small part of the site (those areas where the
trenches, oen arranged in a grid paern, are located). However, this
method also has the disadvantage of only revealing small slices of
the whole volume, and modern archeological digs usually employ
combination methods.[4] Archaeological trench on an
English farm site

See also
Cut and fill Trench mouth
Cut (earthmoving) Tunnel
Ditch Underground city
Gully Underground living
Trench coat Utility tunnel
Trench foot

References
1. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 29, Volume 8, Page 374
(http://www.complianceregs.com/29cfr/1926/subP/1926-650.html) (Code revised as of July
1, 2003, via Compliance Magazine's website) Archived (https://web.archive.org
/web/20070602050133/http://www.complianceregs.com/29cfr/1926/subP/1926-650.html)
June 2, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
2. Ocean trench (http://college.hmco.com/geology/resources/geologylink/glossary/o.html)
(glossary from Student Resource Center website, Houghton Mifflin college division)
3. Sa'd, Ibn (1967). Kitab al-tabaqat al-kabir (https://books.google.com
/books?id=_vnXAAAAMAAJ&q=jandal). 2. Pakistan Historical Society. pp. 82–84.
ASIN B0007JAWMK (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007JAWMK).
4. Archaeology (http://www.haydid.org/archeology.htm) – People! Magazine, Winter 1998

External links
Trenching and Excavation (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/trenching/) (a NIOSH Safety
and Health Topic, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Trench Safety Awareness (https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2006-133D/) (a NIOSH
Publication, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Trench&oldid=801021246"

This page was last edited on 17 September 2017, at 05:28.

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms

3 of 4 28/12/2017, 21:18
Trench - Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trench

may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is
a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

4 of 4 28/12/2017, 21:18