Portable Weighbridges vs Static Weighbridges

For businesses across the country – spanning a huge range of different sectors – weighbridges are a critical piece of technology.

By ensuring weighing is completed to the highest degree of accuracy, weighbridges help businesses to maintain full compliance, maximise their operational efficiency, and unlock significant cost savings.

These benefits can be further enhanced by ensuring that you choose the best fit weighbridge for your specific context.

 

In this article, our expert team has outlined the difference between the two main categories of weighbridges: portable weighbridges and traditional static weighbridges (pit mounted or surface mounted).

Jump to section:

• Why use a Portable Weighbridge?
• Benefits of Portable Weighbridges
• Uses of Portable Weighbridges
• Why use a Traditional Weighbridge?
• Benefits of Traditional Weighbridges
• Uses of Traditional Weighbridges
• Choosing the Correct Weighbridge

 

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Both of these weighbridge types offer their own specific advantages, and are optimised for weighing in specific use cases.

Keep reading to find our guidance for choosing the right type of weighbridge for your business, based on what you’re weighing, frequency of use, and the planned location for the weighing.

Why use a Portable Weighbridge?

A portable weighbridge is designed to be flexible in its use cases, thanks to its portable nature.

 

See Portable Weighbridges

Unlike classic static weighbridges, portable weighbridges aren’t built in place. As a result, they can be easily moved whenever needed (for example, if operations move location).

Benefits of portable weighbridges:

• Being moveable
• Modular and surface-mounted
• Quick and easy to dismantle and re-install
• Faster installation (compared to static weighbridges)
• Reduced initial civil engineering requirements
• Great flexibility, making them ideal for short-term or multi-site projects

Portable weighbridges are ideally suited for use where:

• The location for required weighing isn’t permanent
• The business has temporary weighing requirements (e.g. if weighing needs to be done seasonally)
• Space for weighing is limited
• Ground conditions can vary (so the weighing’s location will need to be moved)
• If access will change (e.g. if weighing needs to take place in a temporary depot)

As a result, portable weighbridges are widely used in construction projects, quarries (or other sites where the layout frequently changes), and remote locations (where a weighbridge can’t be permanently installed), to name a few.

Why use a Traditional (Pit / Surface Mounted) Weighbridge?

Traditional weighbridges are permanent installations, which are designed to be static. As a result, they are intended for long-term weighing, and contexts where high-frequency use is required.

They are widely used in sites where there are consistent weighing needs.

There are two main types of traditional weighbridge:

Pit Mounted Weighbridges

These are installed so that they sit flush with the ground. They are designed for vehicles to drive onto the platform from any direction.

 

See Pit Mounted Weighbridges

Surface Mounted Weighbridges

These are positioned above the level of the surrounding ground (are accessed via ramps). Compared to pit mounted weighbridges, these are typically easier to install and maintain.

While both types are static, permanent installations, the best fit for a business will depend on traffic requirements, maintenance preferences, and the space available.

 

See Surface Mounted Weighbridges

Benefits of traditional weighbridges:

• Fantastic durability
• A long lifespan, even with heavy and continuous use
• Excellent accuracy
• The ability to weigh heavy vehicles and other challenging items
• Facilitating efficient and dependable weighing processes, as a permanent feature of the site

Traditional weighbridges are ideally suited for use in:

• Sites where weighing needs are a core and long-term part of the business’s operations.
• Common examples include logistics and distribution centres, manufacturing sites, agricultural sites, waste transfer stations and recycling plants.

Choosing the correct Weighbridge for your site

If you’re deciding between a portable and a traditional weighbridge, you’ll need to assess how often weighing will be required, whether weighing will be a permanent part of your operations, and the degree of flexibility that you need.

At Weightron, we are one of the UK’s leading suppliers and installers of weighbridges. Our product range includes pit mounted weighbridges, surface mounted weighbridges and portable weighbridges to suit all site types, sizes and requirements.

To find out more about different weighbridges and their advantages, or to get site-specific advice from one of our specialists, don’t hesitate to get in touch.