In short
Usually yes, if the yard is resurfaced in phases. We split the area so that one section is dug out and surfaced while the rest stays in use, and we keep vehicles and people apart in line with HSE site traffic guidance. What you cannot do is drive over fresh tarmac on the day it is laid or across an open dig out, so the phasing has to be agreed before we start.
This is a job for our Commercial & Industrial Surfacing service.
How phasing works
A yard is rarely used evenly. There is a loading bay that cannot close, a parking area that can, and a route between the gate and the units that has to stay open. We plan the job around that. Each phase is fenced off, dug out, based, surfaced and reopened before the next one starts, so at any time only part of the yard is out of action.
- Walk the site with you and mark up what must stay open and when. Delivery times, shift changes and bin collections all matter.
- Agree a phase plan with a temporary vehicle route and a temporary pedestrian route for each phase.
- Work phase by phase, with the boundary between new and old surface stepped so vehicles can cross it once the tarmac has cooled.
- Finish with line marking once the whole surface is down.
Keeping people and vehicles apart
The HSE says most construction transport accidents come from not separating pedestrians and vehicles, and that reversing is a major cause of fatal ones. On a live yard that means our lorries, our roller and your forklifts and staff are all moving in the same space, so we take it seriously. We use barriers to keep a walking route away from the working area, agree one way in and one way out for site traffic where the layout allows, and use a banksman when a lorry has to reverse. A firm, level, well drained walkway with a clearly marked crossing point is what the HSE asks for, and it is what we set up.
What genuinely has to close, and for how long
| Stage | Can it be used? |
|---|---|
| Dig out and sub base | No. The area is an excavation and the stone is being compacted. |
| Tarmac laid | Not until it has cooled, usually by the next morning. Heavy vehicles and forklifts longer. |
| Surface dressing | Slow traffic the same day. Keep forklifts off until the stone has bedded. |
| Line marking | A few hours to dry. |
Where phasing is not worth it
A small yard or one with a single access cannot always be split usefully. In that case a weekend or a short shutdown, with the whole area done in one go, is cheaper and quicker than five phases with barriers moved every day. We will tell you which we think fits, and price both if it helps. On the industrial units and farm yards we surface around Chichester, Guildford and Winchester, the decision usually comes down to whether the loading bay has to work on a weekday.
What we need from you
A named person on site who can move vehicles, warn staff about the walkway and take a call if a delivery turns up on the wrong side of the barrier. That one thing keeps the job on programme more than anything we do.