It’s hard to imagine a well-functioning construction site without an access road. However, the role of temporary roads doesn’t end there. On the contrary—their surface can also be used for many other purposes.
Prefabricated temporary roads made from slabs—where should they be laid?
If no permanent road reaches the construction site, delivering materials to the site, a temporary storage area, parking, or a warehouse can be difficult. An alternative solution is to use prefabricated slabs and surfaces, which are most often made from:
- reinforced concrete,
- rubber,
- wood,
- aluminium,
- composites.
Types of temporary roads and their properties
Choosing the right structural materials for building temporary roads should depend not only on the type and material of the load-bearing deck, but also on the type of ground and its cohesion. Wooden boards won’t work, for example, on ground that is heavily damp. Otherwise, they may gradually degrade. On the other hand, reinforced concrete structures offer high load capacity, but they are also difficult to transport. As a result, moving them across a much more uneven area may be challenging and costly. An alternative is aluminium and rubber, but— as is commonly known—both materials have completely different load capacities and are intended for specific applications.
Building a temporary road from road slabs vs. what to expect from it
A good temporary surface should provide not only access that allows building materials to be stored, but also appropriate conditions for the safe driving of cranes, trucks, and other machinery. In addition, it should be wide enough to prevent a collision between two vehicles approaching from opposite directions. That’s not all, because the connector (temporary road) should also be completely neutral for the environment. From a logistical point of view, it’s also crucial that its surface provides the right level of traction regardless of weather conditions.
What should be considered when designing temporary access roads for a construction site?
The first thing to pay attention to is how a given surface will perform when in contact with heavy equipment. It’s no secret that excavators, backhoe loaders, as well as cranes and other heavy devices can gradually deform it. That’s why it’s important that the slabs have fastenings that prevent them from shifting. Another issue is determining whether the road should be one-way or two-way. The standard is the second option, as it generally offers more safety—therefore the width of the temporary road slab should be at least 4 meters. This is enough to ensure safety when vehicles pass each other in a limited space.
What else should be considered when designing surfaces for heavy equipment and internal transport?
When organizing and designing one-way and two-way access roads, it’s also worth considering:
- the layout of ground roads, including proper visibility,
- safe slab installation, taking into account space for stacking and storage,
- drainage—especially for roads where the slab is installed on heavily damp ground,
- road construction, its slope, and how water will be directed away,
- the location of turns, because temporary construction site roads must ensure safe travel in those areas as well.
It’s also important that the temporary road doesn’t interfere with construction work, scaffolding, or other installations where people are working. The same applies to areas for storing materials for the future build.
The structure of a temporary access road makes it possible to use road slabs made from plastic, rubber, concrete slabs, and many other materials. Renting prefabricated slabs with installation and dismantling service for pedestrian traffic and vehicle traffic allows planning and installing high-strength surfaces that heavy machinery can drive on—regardless of the local geological conditions or weather conditions.
