Gents, I've seen you guys in the USA use pipe bedding skips on pipelines, i assume to stop wasting materials. We have been using skips for concrete however are considering fabricating something simialar for pipe bedding, which can be pulled along. We would be using them with 13 and 20 tonne machines. What size? What hieght? Do / can you tip trucks into them or feed via loader? What thickness of materials are they made from? Design? Anything else i need to know?? Thanks
Forgot to say to post your Photos, as they would help alot.!! Thanks
I rented a pipe laser from this company last week, their website has some detailed spec's - http://www.improvedconstructionmethods.com/bedding_box.htm Also here's GME's (the manufacturer) website - http://www.gme-shields.com/products/steel/bedding-box I don't own a gravel box but have been around many. Some models you can dump a truck directly into but usually it's stocked with a loader from one stockpile. A few more reference sites - http://www.burchlandgravelbox.com/gravel_box.php http://www.americanshoring.com/website/pdf/AS-Steel 2011/Steel 2011 Pg 15.pdf
eamon, I can't comment on the thickness of steel for the skid (box) itself but I would recommend that the pipe you use for the two spreader bars be extremely significant in thickness or double-walled. A large excavator can bend them to the point of "useless" in short order when lifting or positioning a loaded skid. I've seen in happen too many times and the result isn't pretty. Then again a lot has to do with the excavator Operators experience however I always suscribe to the "build it tougher and stronger than it has to be" mentallity...
seen normal 6 yard skips used in the uk
Oops, I have to edit my original reply. There's only one (1) spreader bar on a bedding skid, I had a brain fart and was visualizing a trench box while typing, my bad.
i would keep them on the smaller side if you are only using 13-20 ton hoes. they get heavy fast and with stone in there they might be to much to move. i would stay between the 5-7yrd range.we mostly use the 12-15 yrd boxes and once you start putting stone in the get tough with the 336 and 345.
Thanks to all replys, D4C24A, we use 6 yd skips also for concrete, as we don't like bending dumper skips, and then no waste, we have talked how best to use the skips with pipe bending in, as we are tracking up and down from stock pile, making slurry, as for summer we have had our wettest time for years. any tips on what works and how, experiance makes a good idea, great.
thanks for the links CM 1995, it's great to see photos of the "gravel box", never thought of putting that into google. How do you use them most efficent, behind you keeps them out of the way and square to the machine, however next to the trench and pull them seems quickest and easlier, however you have to keep repostioning to keep it away from the trench,? if you all can expand on the rest of my questions that would be great.
The best way to use a gravel box, fill it with the amount of material needed at your current dig. use all the material there. Move the box to the next move, while it is EMPTY. refill with the same amount of material for this next move. This way you are always pulling, pushing or carrying an empty gravel box You can also position it 2 moves behind you, but then you will need to track back and forth to get materials. It all depends on how busy the loader is to load materials in the box. I prefer it behind me and at an angle, easier for the loader to load. The thing is the material is there while the loader is busy elsewhere, speeds up production when you aren't waiting on a loader for material to bed under or over a pipe. After you move he refills it ,