Choosing capacity and platform size.
How to choose weighbridge capacity (MT) and platform length for your trucks: gross weight, headroom, axle layout, platform width and load-cell count.
Choose weighbridge capacity at about 1.2 times the heaviest loaded truck you expect, rounded up to a standard size (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 or 100 MT). Choose the platform length so every axle of the longest vehicle is on the deck at once: 16–18 m suits most multi-axle trucks in India; for long road trains in Africa we build 24 m and longer.
Two numbers decide a weighbridge: capacity (the heaviest total weight it can weigh) and platform length (how long the deck is). Get both right and every truck is weighed in one go, accurately, for many years.
1. Start from your heaviest vehicle, loaded
Write down the heaviest truck that will ever cross the deck and its maximum loaded weight (gross weight). Use real loads, not the legal limit: overloaded trucks are common and the weighbridge must handle them.
| Vehicle | Typical gross weight | Typical length |
|---|---|---|
| Tractor-trolley / small tipper | 10 – 15 t | 7 – 9 m |
| 2-axle truck (6-wheel) | 16 – 25 t | 8 – 10 m |
| 3-axle truck / tipper (10-wheel) | 25 – 35 t | 10 – 12 m |
| Multi-axle truck (12–14 wheel) | 40 – 49 t | 12 – 14 m |
| Trailer / articulated | 50 – 60 t + | 16 – 18 m |
2. Add headroom to get the capacity
We size capacity at about 1.2 × the heaviest gross weight, rounded up to a standard size (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 or 100 MT). Headroom protects the load cells from shock loads when trucks brake on the deck and leaves room for heavier vehicles later. Larger capacities are built to order: we have delivered 120 MT.
3. Choose the length so every axle is on the deck
All axles of the longest vehicle must stand on the platform at the same time. Weighing a long trailer axle by axle on a short deck is slower and less accurate. Standard lengths in India run from 7.5 to 18 m; 16 m and 18 m suit most multi-axle trucks and trailers. For Africa and other export markets, where road trains are longer, we build 24 m and longer platforms to order.
4. Width and load cells
The standard width is 3 m; wider decks are available. The number of load cells follows the length: typically 6 cells up to 12 m, 8 cells at 16 m and 10 cells at 18 m.
5. Accuracy
Trade weighbridges are Class III under OIML R76. For a 60 MT bridge, the display step is usually 10 or 20 kg; the exact value is on the stamping certificate.
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