GR-02 / MEASURE THE WHOLE PATH
Tight access
Gate width is only the beginning: test the delivery vehicle, turns, swing, overhead clearance and material route.
Rule of thumb
Measure the whole path. Gate width is only the beginning: test the delivery vehicle, turns, swing, overhead clearance and material route.
01
Measure every pinch point
Gates, side passages, trees, eaves and letterboxes all limit machine width and height.
02
Check tail swing
Zero-swing excavators work beside walls and boundaries without the counterweight striking.
03
Protect surfaces
Rubber tracks and ground mats protect driveways and lawns.
04
Plan spoil removal
Know where spoil goes: bins, trucks or mini dumpers.
BY STATE
Where it matters
Regional conditions that make this rule especially relevant.
NSWNew South WalesSydney sits largely on Hawkesbury sandstone and Wianamatta shale with reactive clays to the west; inland plains carry black-soil clays that become impassable after rain.→VICVictoriaMelbourne's west and north sit on basalt with highly reactive clays; the south-east has sand. Basalt floaters routinely slow excavation and trenching in the growth corridors.→QLDQueenslandBlack-soil and reactive clays are widespread inland; coastal areas include acid sulfate soils and high groundwater that affect excavation and dewatering.→WAWestern AustraliaPerth sits on the Swan Coastal Plain's deep sands—easy digging but unstable trench walls and demanding compaction. Inland and in the Pilbara, hard rock and caprock call for breakers and ripping.→SASouth AustraliaAdelaide's plains carry highly reactive clays; the Limestone Coast has shallow limestone; the north is arid with gibber and calcrete.→TASTasmaniaDolerite dominates much of the south and midlands, making rock excavation common; steep terrain and wet winters shape access.→NTNorthern TerritoryLaterite and gravels in the Top End become boggy in the wet; the Centre has sand, rock and calcrete.→ACTAustralian Capital TerritoryVariable clays, weathered rock and volcanic formations; rock is common on hillside suburbs.→
APPLY IT
Project recipes
Prepare a house site →Repair a farm dam →Deliver a warehouse fit-out →Repair a regional road →Build a stormwater trench →Plan a commercial roof lift →Open a solar farm workfront →Mobilise flood recovery →Soft or wet ground →Steep and sloping sites →Hot and dusty work →Live traffic interfaces →Remote and long-distance work →
Turn the job into a clear hire brief.
Suppliers answer faster and quote more accurately when they get the outcome, access, ground and dates up front.