How to Lay Down Highway Road Plates

Road Plates are used to cover shoring holes on roads when a road is excavated usually for utility work. Covering the shoring holes allows drivers to continue to use a road when direct work is not being performed. Structural Steel providers either sell or rent out road plates to construction crews or contractors. Steel road plates can vary in size from 8’ x 4’ through 8’ x 20’ with a load weight from approximately 1300 pounds though 6600 pounds (Mabey, 2008, http://www.mabey.com/ProductsServices/ExcavationSupport/RoadPlates/tabid/76/Default.aspx). Steel plates are usually 1 inch thick and custom sizes are often available (Shoring, 2004, http://www.shoring.com/rplates.html; American Shoring, 2003, http://www.americanshoring.com/RPlates.html)

1. Road Plates are moved using a front end loader. Lifting lugs are screwed into a lifting hole on the plate. An eye lug is attached to the lifting lug (see graphic).
2. The front end loader lifts the road plate and moves it over a shoring hole where a worker uses a shovel to guide the plate. The worker also uses the shovel to remove excess material around the shoring hole.
3. The front end loader lowers the road plate above shoring hole while the worker uses a shovel to guide it. Once aligned, the front end loader pulls the plate back until it aligns correctly with the road plate next to it.
4. The front end loader creates slack in the pull line, the worker release the eye lug from the lifting lug and then unscrews the lifting lug from road plate. Both the front end loader and the worker move to the next road plate that needs to be moved.

Tips & Warnings

• The worker and driver need to continually observe and communicate since one misstep can result in injury
• Drives should slow down and use caution when driving over road plates