Weighbridges are one an essential equipment used in a wide range of industries, wherever goods are bought and sold throughout the world. The scrap metal industry is one of the significant users of weighbridges.
When it comes to choosing weighbridges for weighing vehicles filled with scrap metal, you need to have a clear understanding of the types and materials used in these products. So, to help you out with the choice, here’s a brief overview of the different kinds of materials and types found in the weighbridges.
Surface mounted weighbridges
Just as the name suggests, this kind of weighbridges sits on the top of a road surface and minimises the amount of foundation work that is needed. The design is usually selected based on whether it is a temporary installation or if it needs to be moved. As the weighbridge is kept over the road surface, either off or on ramps are placed at every end of the scale to make it easy to access.
The overall height of the weighbridge is one of the most important factors when buying a surface mounted weighbridge. Large decks require long ramps which increases the overall footprint of the weighbridge and the turning circle for the vehicles coming to the bridge. For safety purposes, the weighbridge has heavy duty guide rails bolted in place to offer an effective way to keep the vehicles centrally positioned on the weighbridge.
Pit mounted weighbridges
The pit mounted weighbridges get installed in pits, which keep them flush to the roads. As these bridges do not need ramps, the surface area that they take is way less than surface mounted weighbridges. This makes them suitable for small sites or areas where vehicle flows may change directions. The initial foundation and civil work might make the installation of pit mounted weighbridges expensive, but many of the bridges can be easily placed in the existing pits. This reduces the requirement of costly changes in the foundation due to the replacement of earlier bridges.
The materials used for weighbridges
You will get both concrete and steel weighbridges, and each of these come with their own benefits. Well painted and shot blasted steel weighbridges can offer a hard-wearing finish to keep the elements of weather at bay. But, when the environment is highly corrosive, the concrete weighbridges offer more excellent traction.
Another good thing about steel weighbridges is that these are faster and more cost effective to install. Concrete is durable enough for compression but does not work too well in contraction, and the steel weighbridges work well on both counts.
Regardless of whether you choose the pit weighbridge, surface mounted weighbridge, make sure to check that its specifications are all in accordance to the needs of your business.
