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In-situ concrete flooring

Concrete hardstanding.

Heavy-duty external concrete hardstandings engineered for exceptional loads, abrasion and the weather, for yards, service areas, lorry parks and plant bases.

The work

External slabs that take what's thrown at them

External hardstandings carry the heaviest loads on a site, from HGVs and plant to stacked materials, in all weathers. They need the right thickness, reinforcement and falls to last.

We design the build-up with the engineer, place to falls for drainage, and finish for grip and durability. Everything is laid by our own crews with our own plant, including our own line pumps where the pour face cannot be reached directly.

An external slab fails differently from an internal concrete floor. Water, frost, turning HGVs and point loads from trailer legs and stabilisers all attack it, and most failures trace back to three things: too thin for the actual loading, joints in the wrong place, or water sitting on the surface because the falls were an afterthought.

On site

Reinforced, placed and finished for the duty.

Concrete placed over reinforcement mesh during a night pour.

The comparison

Where hardstanding differs from an internal floor

Estimators pricing both on the same project should treat them as separate problems.

Loading is heavier and worse behaved

A warehouse floor sees forklifts on a predictable route. A yard sees articulated vehicles turning under load, trailer legs punching down through a small contact area, and shovels working against the slab.

Drainage is structural, not cosmetic

Falls, gradients and drainage positions have to be designed in from the start. Water that ponds will find the joints, and in this country it will then freeze.

The weather is on the slab from day one

Placing, finishing and curing all happen outdoors. Wind and sun accelerate surface drying and cause plastic shrinkage cracking if the pour is not protected, and cold weather changes the finishing window entirely.

Flatness matters less, durability much more

Nobody surveys a yard like a warehouse floor. They do notice when the surface ravels out under a loading shovel after eighteen months.

Scoping

The decision you are actually making

Five questions set the design, the price and how long the slab lasts. Answer them at tender and the yard runs clean.

  • What is the actual loading, not the assumed loading? Design for the vehicle that will really use it, including the worst case. Trailer leg point loads and the outriggers on plant are what break yards, and they are routinely left out of the brief.
  • How thick, and reinforced how? Slabs for exceptional loads such as commercial yards and lorry parks are substantial, and normally need a properly designed sub-base beneath them. Reinforcement is either steel mesh or structural fibres, and the choice affects crack control, joint spacing and the pour method.
  • What concrete grade? External hardstanding specifications commonly adopt grades in the C32/40 and RC40 range for durability and freeze-thaw resistance, and the Britpave Concrete Hardstanding Design Handbook is the usual reference document.
  • Where do the joints go? Joints in the wheel path of turning HGVs are where a yard starts to fail. Layout should follow the traffic and the drainage, not the convenience of the pour.
  • What surface texture? A brushed or tined finish gives grip. A power floated finish gives density and cleanability. The duty should decide.

Applications

Where hardstanding fits

The highest-wear external areas on a site. We delivered heavy-duty external work for Veolia at Southampton.

Application

Yards & service areas

Loading yards, bin stores and service areas need a slab that takes turning HGVs and point loads without cracking or ponding. These are the highest-wear areas on most industrial sites and they justify the design attention.

Application

Lorry parks & circulation

Continuous heavy vehicle movement, braking, turning and standing loads. Joint detailing and surface durability carry the slab here rather than flatness.

Application

Plant & equipment bases

Set out and poured to tight tolerances against the supplier drawings. Holding-down bolt positions and levels come off the supplier's drawings, and getting them wrong is expensive to correct.

Sector

Waste & energy facilities

Tipping halls, transfer floors and external areas take some of the most aggressive wear in UK construction, with abrasion from loading shovels a recognised failure mode. Build-up, concrete grade and surface finish are specified for that duty rather than for a normal yard.

Read more
Trent concrete line pump truck in the depot

Capability

Plant and crews, self-delivered

Our own operatives, our own power floats, our own concrete line pumps, and our own track-mounted placing booms, rare kit in this country.

External work often has access problems that internal work does not. Live yards that cannot close, gates too tight for a ready-mix truck to reach the pour face, existing surfaces that cannot take plant, and buildings in the way. Our own pumps and booms mean the concrete gets to where it is going without the yard having to shut down for a week.

Because the placing is ours, it is planned as part of the works. Pump positions, hose runs, delivery routes and wash-out are agreed before we mobilise, which matters more on a live yard than anywhere else.

Programme

Output, programme and constraints

Output on external work is set by access, weather and how much of the yard can be closed at once. We programme around the operation rather than assuming it will stop, and curing and access times for vehicles are given honestly, because putting HGVs on a slab too early is a good way to ruin it.

  • Live yards. Phased so the yard keeps functioning. Sections released, poured, cured and handed back, with vehicle routes agreed for each phase.
  • Restricted access. Line pumps and placing booms reach pour faces that ready-mix cannot. See concrete pumping.
  • Working operations. Waste transfer stations, distribution yards and industrial sites that cannot stop. The phasing is designed around their movements.
  • Weather. External pours need protection and a realistic finishing window. We plan for wind, sun, rain and cold rather than hoping for a good week.
  • Existing drainage and services. Surveyed and worked around, with falls tied into what is already there.

Proof

Evidence and documentation

  • Concrete cube results for compressive strength
  • Levels and falls survey confirming drainage design
  • Pour records: date, bay, area, volume, mix and conditions
  • Joint layout as constructed
  • Curing method and durations
  • RAMS issued and agreed before mobilisation
  • Sign-off pack at handover

Constructionline Gold registered. Avetta and SSIP accredited. Member of the Nuclear Industry Association.

FAQs

Common questions

How thick does external hardstanding need to be?
It depends on the loads and the ground conditions. We design the build-up and reinforcement with the engineer to suit the HGV and plant loadings, over a properly designed sub-base. Slabs for commercial yard and lorry park duty are substantially thicker than internal floors.
What concrete grade should be specified?
External hardstanding commonly adopts grades in the C32/40 and RC40 range for durability and freeze-thaw resistance. The Britpave Concrete Hardstanding Design Handbook is the usual reference.
Will the hardstanding drain properly?
Yes. We lay to falls with the correct gradients so surface water runs to drainage rather than ponding. Falls are designed in from the start rather than chased afterwards.
Can you pour around live yard operations?
Yes. We phase the works so the yard keeps functioning where possible, releasing and handing back sections with agreed vehicle routes.
How soon can HGVs use it?
It depends on the mix, the thickness and the weather. We plan curing into the programme and give realistic access times, because trafficking a slab early causes damage that shows up later.
Can you handle heavy abrasion, like a waste transfer floor?
Yes, and it needs designing for specifically. Abrasion from loading shovels is a known failure mode in that sector, and the build-up, grade and finish have to be chosen for it.

Got a flooring or screed project coming up?

Send us the drawings and the specification, and we'll tell you straight whether we can deliver it, and how.

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