Using steel plates for Ballast - Test Weights - Kentledge Blocks
Steel is more than 3 times more massive than concrete at comparable volumes. For instance, a block of concrete 8 feet x 4 feet x 4 feet will weigh 8.52 tonnes in concrete, but a much greater 27.86 tonnes in steel.
See the table below for comparisons showing both footprint area and overall volumes:
Material | Length (m) | Width (m) | Footprint (sq/m) | Height (m) | Volume (cu/m) | Mass - tonnes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Concrete | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.40 |
Steel | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 7.85 |
Concrete | 2.50 | 1.25 | 3.13 | 1.00 | 3.13 | 7.51 |
Steel | 2.50 | 1.25 | 3.13 | 1.00 | 3.13 | 24.57 |
Concrete | 3.00 | 1.50 | 4.50 | 1.00 | 4.50 | 10.80 |
Steel | 3.00 | 1.50 | 4.50 | 1.00 | 4.50 | 35.32 |
This means that if you're short of space, or if you need to get a really big mass for testing, soil analysis, kentledge or ballast, you'll more than get triple the amount in the same area with plates.
Having them equipped with SALLY sockets makes safely handling such weights a breeze.
Plus they are available on all sorts of quantities and sizes and can be broken down into different configurations. E.g for crane testing at different radii.
Case study: WWTW, Kent – Large masses in small spaces