Should heavy Volumetric Concrete Mixers be banned due to road damage? Experts to lay down arguments at Transport Committee
The Transport Committee hears arguments about regulatory changes that could stop Volumetric Concrete Mixers being driven on England’s roads, potentially causing difficulties for the construction industry.
Volumetric Concrete Mixers (VCMs) are specialised vehicles that carry all the components to mix concrete at a construction site. Whereas typical drum mixers can only transport pre-mixed concrete from plant to building site before it sets, VCMs allow builders to produce more precise amounts of concrete at the time and place it is needed, helping to minimise waste and save money.
Meeting details
But the concrete industry has warned that proposed regulatory changes could block the use of VCMs. The legal issues come from a temporary, 10-year regulatory change that was set by the Department for Transport in 2018. The change allowed VCMs to be exempt until 2028 from weight limits that apply to most HGVs.
DfT hoped that new models of VCMs would become lighter over time or have improved weight distribution so that they would be less likely to damage roads.
But last year the Department opened a consultation on whether to end the temporary exemption earlier than 2028, due to concerns that VCMs’ weight can cause damage to bridges and roads. The consultation raises concerns that excessive weight of VCMs make them less stable and potentially less safe on hilly, bendy roads, and that VCM operators are given an unfair advantage over vehicles operators that do have to comply with weight limits.
In this one-off session the cross-party Committee will question industry representatives and experts on the arguments for and against allowing heavy VCMs on UK roads, and whether the Government should end or extend the 10-year temporary exemption in 2028.
There will also be questions about the relative carbon footprint of VCMs compared with drum mixers, how the sector might be impacted by restrictions on VCMs, and about the Government’s engagement with the sector.