Grit bin management – how software streamlines filling, monitoring and maintenance
Networks of grit bins stretch across the country, providing local authorities, residents and road users with a means to help make public roads and footpaths safer during ice and snow events. It’s essential that all bins remain stocked with salt through the colder months, and local authorities encounter this challenge each year, planning for the optimum number of visits to ensure the bin is never empty, nor over-full.
Using surveys to inform re-filling
Whilst highway authorities understand where best to site grit bins, they may not necessarily have a full record and history of the use of salt from each bin. By recording the quantity of salt used through surveys, councils can more accurately restock the bins with salt, based on usage.
A comprehensive survey allows a better understanding of the actual use of salt over the winter months. It can help to save money by avoiding unnecessary expenditure on restocking bins which are not well used, but still help to maintain safer travel conditions. This approach is cost-effective, as it can be carried out by a single surveyor in a small van, rather than a larger vehicle laden with grit, which can save time and is more efficient.
A survey conducted by the KaarbonTech team, looked at 1,769 grit bins, with only 521 requiring filling. This means that nearly two-thirds of the bins were adequately stocked and did not require additional salt. Identifying these well-stocked bins can help highway authorities save money by avoiding unnecessary salt purchases or travel from depot to bin locations to attempt unnecessary filling and can ensure they focus their efforts on areas where additional salt is needed.
A ‘survey-first’ strategy
A survey-first approach allows councils to assess the quantity of salt required in each bin and prioritise their restocking routes accordingly. This can help ensure that salt is distributed appropriately, and any surplus is used where it is needed, in alternative locations. This approach can reduce the need for large lorries travelling to fill the entire network of bins when it is not required. It also saves costs as well as helping councils ensure their resources are being used effectively and efficiently by avoiding sending crews and salt to bins that don’t need filling.
As Mark Entwistle, Managing Director at KaarbonTech, noted, "A survey-first approach to assessing grit bin stock can help councils optimise their restocking routes, potentially reducing the need for large lorries, unnecessary journeys and associated costs. By ensuring that salt is distributed only when needed, councils can save money and prioritise their spending on areas that need it most.”
Using software to record these surveys ensures that accurate records are kept and are available to view by all. Grit SMART provides an easy-to-use software solution that holds a range of data related to the Grit bin network. This helps users to understand grit bin usage as well as monitoring any movement and helping to combat theft. Mapping the grit bins’ locations ensures that any movement is easy to spot, and provides a place for surveys to be held, from which reports can be produced to assess historic bin usage and identify more suitable locations for those under-used. This helps with future planning and forecasting refills, as well as each annual order of salt. Grit SMART is a simple way to support a survey-led approach, leading to savings across the winter maintenance service.
Find out more about Grit SMART here.