Types of weighbridge

Know the various types of weighbridges available

When deciding that you need a truck scale, another factor to consider is the construction material. There are fully metallic and mixed weighbridges (steel / concrete). Both solutions must offer the same guarantees in terms of performance when weighing, as they must be built according to the same design specifications. There are, however, some differences that could make a product more advantageous for you. The metallic truck scale has a steel tread surface and the mixed one has a steel structure and a concrete slab inside the structure. Both can be installed in just one day, in the case of the mixed one, if it is already concreted at the factory. On the other hand, if you choose to pour the concrete on site, you will have to wait up to about a month until the concrete is completely dry. Metallic truck scales are undoubtedly the most portable due to their much lower weight, also making their transportation more affordable. Moreover, even at the time of assembly, bear in mind that you need special means for the assembly of a mixed concrete truck scale. The supplier will give you all the necessary details.

Another important factor to consider is the type of installation for your truck scale. Traditionally, there are two types of installation: pit-mounted or above ground.

As the name implies, a pit-mounted weighbridge presupposes the excavation of a pit, according to the civil work plan provided by your supplier. At the end, the truck scale is levelled with the ground around it. In addition to the depth indicated in the civil work plan for the support foundations for the support points of your truck scale, you can consider giving it greater depth to facilitate cleaning operations, since the maintenance operations on the Barbal ® truck scales are carried out from the top of the equipment. On the other hand, the lack of space for the ramps and the necessary maneuvers for the truck to enter and exit the scale safely can be reasons to choose this type of installation.

Weighbridges installed above ground with ramps offer another type of advantage. Provided you have the necessary space, the truck scales installed above ground, with the sides visible, allow easier access to its underneath for cleaning and maintenance operations. Another advantage is the elimination of rainwater evacuation routes. Moreover, there are safety issues for accessing the pit of a truck scale. Being it installed above ground, these issues are much simpler to deal with. In addition, rodents are less likely to be housed under a weighbridge installed above ground, which are one of the main causes of breakdowns in this sort of equipment, especially if your scale does not have metallic anti-rodent protected cables.

Barbal ® also offers metallic portable mounting structures, which make the weighbridge easily transportable. These structures eliminate the need to carry out civil works with foundations, you just need to have a concrete slab, or even compacted soil. Find out about the type of installation best suited to your needs and what repercussions there will be on your activity.

Contact us and we will gladly help through this process.