Weighbridge FAQ's
WEIGHBRIDGE FAQ’S
Overground or Pit? Rule of Thumb: Always 'Overground' unless you have no option!
Overground weighbridges are cheaper to install and easier to maintain.
Pit weighbridges require more Civil Works, a Steel Surround with Man-Hole Covers, and a Pit that is hard to keep clean and requires drainage.
Pit weighbridges are unobtrusive. They take up no space and are generally fitted where space is at a premium, such as in an enclosed yard.
Conversely, you need lots of space, such as a Lay-By, to accommodate an Overground weighbridge.
What Size?
The most popular size for a road weighbridge is 15 metres long.
15 metres is long enough to accommodate an articulated truck.
Most manufacturers make their weighbridges 15 metres long and 3 metres wide.
At Gravitation, we make our standard weighbridge 15 metres long and 3.6m (12 ft.) wide.
The extra two feet in width, at no extra cost, is safer and more versatile. For example, a dump truck or a tractor with wide wheels can fit easily.
18 metre weighbridges are also popular and make provision for possible developments in the future.
Finally, because of our method of manufacture, we can readily design and build a weighbridge to your exact specification. This can be very useful if, for example, you have to replace an existing weighbridge deck.
What About an Axle-Weigher?
An Axle-weigher gives a very good indication of weight but is not a substitute for a weighbridge.
An axle-weigher usually measures 3 metres wide x 1 metre long. It captures the weight on each axle individually then adds them up to get the total weight.
In-motion axle weighing is fast and efficient and can ensure that, not only is the overall weight of a truck within the legal limit but that each individual axle is under the allowed limit.
