Hire Steel Road Plates

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.

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.