FORS Gold & ISO 9001 Certified 
Hire Steel Road Plates
Steel road plates provide a convenient solution for bridging open excavations and trenches, including those dug for cables, gas mains, water mains, and drainage.
Maltaward offers road plates in various sizes for hire, with popular options available for next-day delivery:
- 2500 x 1250 x 12mm plates, which are ideal for pedestrian and light vehicle access
- 2500 x 1250 x 20mm and 25mm thick plates, better suited for heavy-duty vehicle traffic
Road plates can be used for multiple purposes, including:
- Road maintenance
- Repairs
- Temporary covers for potholes
- Temporary covers for pavements
With nationwide delivery, hiring steel road plates from Maltaward couldn’t be easier. View delivery options or get in touch with our team to discuss your road plates hire requirements.
Features & Specifications
When hiring steel road plates from Maltaward, you benefit from a versatile range manufactured from durable mild carbon steel. Our plates come in different thicknesses of 12mm, 20mm, and 25mm to suit various usage requirements. The 12mm option is typically used for pedestrian access and lighter vehicles, while the 20-25mm variants can handle standard to heavy vehicle traffic loads.
Though often utilised for maintaining traffic flow, our road plates are not limited to just that application. They can be employed across numerous construction projects and demolition works too.
All our standard hire road plates feature profiled corner holes, known as lifting eyes, to allow fixing with chains for easier positioning and removal. Please note that due to their substantial size and weight, multiple personnel or machinery is generally required for transportation and installation.
To enhance traction, we offer road plates with anti-skid and anti-slip coatings on hire. Bespoke sizing or drilled holes can also be arranged if you have specific, non-standard requirements.
For specialist airside projects at major UK airports like Heathrow and Gatwick, we provide specialist anti-slip coated road plates complete with bevelled edges, counter-bored fixing holes, and built-in locking lift systems for efficient, safe handling which are frequently supplied for use in airports. As an approved contractor, we offer airside and landside delivery and collection services.
Our capable team at Maltaward is happy to advise if a hired steel road plate is suitable for your upcoming project requirements. Simply get in touch, and we’ll ensure you secure the right specification.
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Road Plate Loading
When using steel road plates, it’s crucial to conduct specific design calculations for the expected loadings, evaluated by a qualified professional. We do not provide loading data specifications, so it is the customer’s responsibility to validate sufficient load capacity for their intended application. If there is any uncertainty around the suitability of the hired road plates’ load capacity, we recommend consulting a structural engineer prior to finalising your order.
While the following loading information cited by Tony Gould (2015) serves as a general guide, no liability is accepted for reliance on it.
A simplified load model aiming to satisfy safety conditions per codes of practice like EN1991-2 and EN1993-2 has been applied. Certain elements like the patch load spacing to represent tyre forces are taken from EN1991-2.
For standard 1220mm x 2440mm x 19mm thick road plates, assumed to be S275 grade steel, the plate is modelled as an equivalent beam per EN1993-1-7:2007 5.2.3.4.2 (1) for verification purposes.
Allowable Loading on a Road Plate
The load model, outlined in the figure above, shows how the bending effect is calculated for varying trench widths, treating the road plate as simply supported with knife edge supports at the overlap mid-width to account for bedding material. Refer to the DoT’s Traffic Advisory Leaflet 6/14 for recommended minimum bedding and overlap widths of 500mm.
For scenarios involving multiple adjacent plates due to vehicle size, the load is spread across two plates with only a half-axle load applied to each.
Watch Road Plates Video
Frequently Asked Questions
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What are road plates, and what are they used for?
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Can road plates have a treated surface?
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Do you provide loading data for road plates?
Contact Us
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Why Choose Maltaward Barriers?
- Fast and Friendly Service
- 30 Years Experience with Proven Track Record
- FORS Gold Certified
- ISO 9001 Certified
- Local Authority and Major Property Managers Approved
- Heathrow & Gatwick Airport Approved
- Range of Solutions to Suit Your Budget
What Our Clients Think Of Us
We are really grateful for you guys organising these barriers, the driver was early, took no time at all and we are now properly secure. We will only use you for this sort of stuff in future, 10/10 service.
Multiple compliments from staff and patients – I have been taking full credit.
Chaps did an excellent job – quick and efficient and spelling perfect!
I just express our thanks for the short hire of the blockers and the gate and the services provided by Del yesterday.
We have had excellent feedback, not only internally but from our Customer who was holding the event and it would not have gone so smoothly if Del did not play his part so efficiently and professionally.
Everything ran so smoothly. His Majesty would not have known the amount of work that went into making the event possible not only by the SEGRO team but all of our service partners.
It is not often that feedback is positive but it is important for you to know how grateful we are to you and the team and ask that you thank Del from SEGRO, Felix and personally from myself.
Superb job done by you guys and Hal! She was very happy!
Thanks to all the team and everyone involved! Great job as always!!
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