Define strut load and braced cut

Braced cut: an excavation with vertical or nearly vertical sides whose walls (sheet piles, or soldier piles with lagging) are held in place by horizontal bracing members (wales and struts) installed as the excavation proceeds, so the sides do not collapse.

Strut load: the compressive force carried by a strut, equal to the reaction per metre of the sheeting at the strut level multiplied by the horizontal (centre to centre) spacing of the struts: $P = R \times s$.