Road Plate Lifting
in Melbourne
Trench Plate Placement, Shifting and Removal
We place, shift and remove steel road plates across Melbourne. Over trenches, excavations, pits and driveways, on utility works, civil projects and roadworks where traffic has to keep moving while the hole stays open.
Plenty of companies hire out plates. Far fewer will turn up at six in the morning to lift them off so your crew can start, then come back at knock-off to put them down again.
Plates Are Heavier Than They Look
A steel plate lying flat on a road gives no clear sense of its weight, which is why these jobs are often underestimated. At 25 mm thick, a 2400 × 1200 mm plate weighs around 565 kg, a 3000 × 1800 mm plate about 1,150 kg, a 4000 × 2400 mm plate nearly 1,900 kg, and a 6000 × 2400 mm plate around 2,800 kg. Plates at 32 mm or 50 mm thick weigh even more, so they should not be moved with an excavator bucket and chain or dragged across the surface. Safe lifting also depends on whether the plate has a centre lifting point, welded corner eyes or only pinning holes, which are not lifting points. Tell us the plate sizes and quantities, and we will bring the right lifting gear across Melbourne, Geelong, Bacchus Marsh and Western Victori.
Placement Is the
Part That Matters
Dropping a plate over a hole is not the job. Bedding it so it stays put is.
- Placing the plate is only the first step. Plates need firm, level bearing on both sides of the trench, seated on ground that will not deform under repeated traffic. Where the surrounding road is broken or soft, the bearing gets prepared first; otherwise, the plate settles at one end and starts to rock.
- Corner holes are provided for a reason. Deck pins or road spikes through those holes stop the plate from wandering under braking and turning loads, which on a busy road happens faster than people expect. Unpinned plates walk, open gaps at the joints, and generate both a safety issue and a stream of noise complaints from anyone living nearby.
- Edges matter too. A plate sitting proud of the road surface is a trip hazard for pedestrians, and a jolt for vehicles, so ramping or edge treatment is usually needed, particularly on longer-term installations.
- None of this is complicated. It is just the difference between a plate that sits quietly for three weeks and one that gets complained about on day two.
Placement Is the
Part That Matters
Dropping a plate over a hole is not the job. Bedding it so it stays put is.
Placing the plate is only the first step.
Corner holes are provided for a reason
Edges matter too
None of this is complicated
Where We Place Plates
Utility Trench Works
Water, gas, power, telecommunications and drainage trenches covered between shifts so the road reopens overnight.
Roadworks and Civil Projects
Excavations, pits and work areas plated to maintain traffic flow through staged construction.
Driveway and Property Access
Access maintained to homes, businesses and loading docks while works cross the entry.
Pit and Manhole Covering
Open pits, maintenance holes, service chambers and shafts covered where permanent covers are removed or awaited.
Ground and Surface Protection
Plates laid to protect finished surfaces, verges and services from tracked and heavy plant crossing.
Crane and Plant Support
Larger plates positioned to spread outrigger and track loads where ground bearing capacity is marginal.
Call us now at 0457 000 637.
How it Works
How it Works
Four steps, one phone call. Start yours now.
Four steps, one phone call. Start yours now.
Send the details
Plate sizes, thickness, quantity, what lifting points they have, the location, and whether it is a one-off or a daily cycle.
Send the details
Plate sizes, thickness, quantity, what lifting points they have, the location, and whether it is a one-off or a daily cycle.
Method and truck confirmed
Vehicle matched to the plate weights, lifting gear specified, traffic management requirements identified, and a quote issued.
Method and truck confirmed
Vehicle matched to the plate weights, lifting gear specified, traffic management requirements identified, and a quote issued.
Scheduled
Operator assigned, SWMS and lift plan prepared, rigging gear loaded. The crane drives to your site ready to work on arrival.
Scheduled
Operator assigned, SWMS and lift plan prepared, rigging gear loaded. The crane drives to your site ready to work on arrival.
Placed and managed
Plates positioned, bedded and pinned, then shifted, lifted and returned as the program requires.
Placed and managed
Plates positioned, bedded and pinned, then shifted, lifted and returned as the program requires.
What the Job Includes
Six things covered:
- Crane truck for both jobs. The truck carries the plates and places them, so no separate delivery vehicle and crane are needed.
- Lifting gear matched to the plates. Hooks, chains, and clamps suited to the lifting points are fitted, or an alternative method is used where there are none.
- Placement done properly. Bearing checked, plates seated, pinned through the corner holes where the situation calls for it.
- Traffic management arranged. Road occupancy and traffic control organized where placement occupies the road, which on live roadworks is standard.
- Scheduled attendance. Fixed times on a daily cycle work so your crew is not standing around waiting for plates to come off
- Removal and return. Plates lifted, loaded and returned at the end of the works rather than left for someone else to sort out.
Plates already on site from a hire company? We can place and manage them regardless of where they came from. Call 0457 000 637.
What
the
Job Includes
Plates already on site from a hire company? We can place and manage them regardless of where they came from. Call 0457 000 637.
Six things covered:
How much does a road plate weigh?
More than most people expect. At 25mm thickness, a 2400 by 1200 plate is around 565 kg, a 3000 by 1800 is roughly 1,150 kg, and a 6000 by 2400 approaches 2,800 kg. Greater thickness increases those figures substantially.
How are road plates lifted?
Through whatever lifting provision the plate has. Many have a center lifting point designed for a hook, others have welded corner eyes, and some plain plates have neither. Corner pinning holes are for securing the plate to the ground, not for lifting it.
Can I move a road plate with an excavator?
It happens, and it is a poor idea. Dragging plates damages the road surface they are protecting, offers no control over placement, and the lifting arrangement is usually improvised. A crane truck lifts and places them properly in less time.
What thickness road plate do I need?
As general guidance, around 16mm suits pedestrians and light vehicles over narrow trenches, 20 to 25mm covers standard traffic loading, and 32mm and above suits heavy vehicles or plant crossing. Span matters as much as load, so an engineer should specify for anything critical.
Do road plates need to be pinned down?
On trafficked roads, generally yes. Braking and turning loads move unpinned plates, which opens gaps at the joints and creates both a hazard and a noise problem. The corner holes are provided for deck pins or road spikes.
Why do road plates rock and make noise?
Usually because the bearing is uneven, the ground beneath has deformed, or the plate is spanning too far for its thickness. Preparing the bearing before laying and pinning the plate solves most of it.
Can you come daily to lift plates on and off?
Yes, and it is common on live utility works. A standing arrangement with a fixed attendance time works out considerably better than booking each visit, and your crew is not waiting on the plates.
Do you supply the plates as well?
Our work is placement and management. Where plates come from a hire company or are already on site, we place, shift and remove them regardless of the supplier.
Do I need traffic management to place plates?
Where the work occupies the road or footpath, generally yes. On live roadworks, it usually forms part of the existing traffic management, and we coordinate with whatever is already in place.
Can plates be used under crane outriggers?
Larger plates are used for exactly that, spreading outrigger and track loads where ground bearing is marginal. The plate size and thickness needed depend on the machine and the calculated pressures.
What does road plate lifting cost in Melbourne?
Quoted on the plate sizes and quantity, the number of attendances, and whether traffic management applies. Daily cycle work is priced as a standing arrangement rather than per visit. Call 0457 000 637 with the details.
Which areas do you cover?
All Melbourne metro suburbs, with Maidstone, Werribee and Caroline Springs among the areas we attend most often, extending through Geelong, Bacchus Marsh, Melton and Ballarat, plus regional Victoria.
0457 000 637
Open 24 hours
25 Rowsley Station Rd, Maddingley VIC 3340
Contact Us
Trucks run from 25 Rowsley Station Rd, Maddingley VIC 3340 on the Western Freeway. On daily cycle work, the early start matters more than anything else, and being on the freeway corridor is what makes a six o'clock attendance across the western suburbs realistic. Maidstone is dense established housing with aging services underneath it. Water, gas and power renewal works run through those streets constantly, and narrow roads with parked cars on either side mean plates go down every night without exception.