The following post was provided by B-TEK Scales, our featured manufacturer this month. From load cells to truck scales, B-TEK has you covered. B-TEK’s multi-generational, highly trained staff of sales professionals, distributors and manufacturing professionals are here to assist you with all your weighing needs.
B-TEK Truck Scale Challenge | Calculating the Steel
When it comes to truck scales, most manufacturers produce a quality scale weighbridge with a lot of steel, that will last for years … and all boast that they are the strongest, toughest and longest lasting one available. In a market with so many options, how can you actually determine who backs up that statement? The simplest way to do this is to determine who uses the most steel to construct the scale. To do this, we simply determine the weight.
The structural components of a truck scale consist of two primary categories – beams and plate. Steel beams run the length of the scale and vary in thickness and quantity. Steel plating then covers the full area of the scale, varying in thickness.
Beams
There are two types of beams primarily used in truck scale manufacturing:
- Tall, thin beams – Require 12 beams, weighing 14 lb per linear foot
- Short, thick beams – Require 8 beams, weighing 22 lb per linear foot
A B-TEK truck scales uses short, thick beams.
Plate
There are two thicknesses of plate primarily used in truck scale manufacturing:
- 5/16” thick deck plate weighs 13.81 lb per square foot
- 3/8” thick deck plate weighs 16.37 lb per square foot
A B-TEK truck scale uses a 3/8″ thick deck plate.
Click on the image to enlarge
Adding it All Up
Our example uses a 70’ long by 11’ wide truck scale (770 sq/ft)
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Calculate the steel in the beams:
- Tall, thin beams – 14 lb/ft x 70 ft x 12 beams = 11,760 lb
- Short, thick beams – 22 lb/ft x 70 ft x 8 beams = 12,320 lb
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Calculate the steel in the deck plate:
- 5/16” thick deck plate – 13.81 lb/ft sq x 770 sq/ft = 10,633 lb
- 3/8” thick deck plate – 16.37 lb/ft sq x 770 sq/ft = 12,604 lb
This shows that a 70 x 11 scale with short, thick beams and 3/8” deck plate comes is constructed using 11.3% more steel than a scale with tall, thin beams and 5/16” deck plate – 24,924 lb vs 22,393 lb.