Key Differences Between On and Off-Road Water Carts
Whether you are looking to conduct a road construction project or you’re working on a construction site that is conducting demolition or earthworks, implementing a water cart into your equipment hire list is essential. Water carts can be utilised for multiple uses, from providing large qualities of drinking water where water isn’t accessible to suppressing dust on earthworks projects, water carts can do it all. Water carts can also conduct field irrigation, unsealed road suppression, soil compression assistance, fire prevention and protection and much more.
What are the Different Types of Water Carts?
Here in Australia, water carts and water trucks are available in multiple shapes and sizes, giving you the ability to hire a water cart that best suits your needs. Within the construction industry, there are 4 main water cart types which include:
- Off-Road Water Carts: Can virtually go anywhere and tackle all terrain types
- On-Road Water Carts: Come in a range of sizes and can only access roads
- Semi Water Tankers: Water tanks pulled on a trailer by a road truck or 4WD vehicle
- Skid-in Water Carts: Water tanks that slide onto the tray of a flatbed truck or inside the tray of a tipper truck.
Throughout Australia, you will find that many people that need to transport water or need water for their construction site will utilise a combination of these water transportation methods. This allows you to mix and match to suit your project needs.
Now that you understand the different types of water carts available, we can discuss the difference between on-road and off-road water carts.
What Are On-Road Water Carts?
On-road water trucks are commonly utilised when your project site is accessible by a paved road as the cart does not have the required modifications to tackle tough terrain. This makes them the obvious choice for medium to large size civil and construction projects that are easy to access.
On-road water trucks are constructed using two pieces of equipment. The first being a water tank and the second being a road truck. The combination allows users to drive the water cart on the road, without it being illegal. Utilising road tires allows them to smoothly travel on asphalt roads without issues.
The tanks for water trucks are seen to be squarer shaped, allowing for a more uniform fit onto the back or into the tray of a road truck. On-road water carts can also haul a wide range of capacities in the tanker, ranging from 1,000L to 20,000L. This gives your construction project more than enough water to conduct necessary tasks.
What Are Off-Road Water Carts?
Off-road water carts, on the other hand, are mostly used on mining and construction sites that don’t have paved roads. These water carts can handle the tougher terrain as they have off-road tires, giving them the ability to manoeuvre in unfavourable conditions.
Off-road water carts are available in two different formats, the first being a skid-in water cart and the second being a water cart attached to an off-road trailer. One of the main benefits to utilising an off-road water cart instead of an on-road water cart is the off road’s ability to reach locations many more project locations. Whether your project site has been rained on the night before and the ground has turned into mud or rough, rocky terrain, off-road water carts can tackle it all. Another benefit is the water carts loading capacity. Off-road water carts can load a water capacity of up to 50,000L, allowing you to conduct tasks without the worry of needing to refill the tank.
There are also a few features that off-road water carts have over on-road water trucks. The first being all terrain tires. These tires have deep treads that are designed to cope with all terrains and environments. The second being suspension flexibility. When dealing with various terrains, adjusting the suspension to suit is ideal to ensure optimal ride performance.
One major downside to off-road water carts compared to on-road water carts is that they are not roadworthy. This means that you will need to utilise the assistance of a flatbed truck to transport the truck to and from your worksite.
Which Water Cart Should You Choose?
Choosing which water truck you should hire all depends on 4 major factors. The first being the overall size of the project. This factor directly correlates to the amount of water you require. If your project is large, chances are you probably need a large amount of water and vice versa. Another factor is the location of your project, which also correlates to how you can access your project site. If your project is road accessible and is residential, you would look to hire an on-road water cart compared to an off-road water cart.
Need to Hire a Water Cart Today?
If you are still unsure of which particular water cart will be best suited for your project, the team at EPH are ready to assist you. We operate across Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, so get in contact with us today!
