Grit bins: what size, and where should they go?

A grit bin is placed where ice forms and where people need to be able to grit for themselves: by entrances, steps, ramps, slopes and driveway exits. It is most useful close to where the sand is actually used.

The five sizes

Lier Plast states these dimensions (length × width × height) and weights for the bin itself:

• 70 litres — 550 × 430 × 500 mm, 7 kg
• 200 litres — 1 020 × 589 × 644 mm, 18 kg
• 350 litres — 1 100 × 600 × 835 mm, 32 kg
• 550 litres — 1 305 × 907 × 790 mm, 41 kg
• 730 litres — 1 290 × 920 × 1 010 mm, 42 kg

More volume without more floor space

The dimensions show a pattern that is useful when space is tight: several of the bins have almost the same footprint, but different heights.

So if the bin is against a wall or in a tight corner, you can often go up a size while taking up hardly any more space. The drawback is the height: the higher the edge, the harder it is to reach the bottom with a scoop or shovel as the bin starts to empty.

• 200 and 350 litres — footprint 1 020 × 589 mm versus 1 100 × 600 mm, but 644 versus 835 mm high
• 550 and 730 litres — footprint 1 305 × 907 mm versus 1 290 × 920 mm, but 790 versus 1 010 mm high. The larger one also weighs only 42 kg compared with 41 kg

Placement

The bin should be placed where the sand is needed, but not where it will get in the way of snow ploughing:

• Near entrances, steps, ramps and slopes, a short distance from the slippery area
• Out of the plough's path, so that it is neither hit by the plough nor buried in the snowbank
• On level ground, where it stands steady and the lid can be opened fully
• Visible. The bins come in yellow, green and grey, and a yellow bin is easier to spot in snowy weather and in the dark than a dark grey one

Filling and moving

Lier Plast states that the bins from 200 litres upwards can be moved with a pallet truck or forklift. This is not stated for the 70-litre model.

A bin full of sand is far heavier than an empty one. So decide in advance whether the bin will stay put and be filled where it stands, or be collected with a forklift or pallet truck and filled at the sand store. Lier Plast does not state whether the bins can be moved when full. If it will be filled with a wheel loader or from a bulk bag, it is worth checking the footprint and edge height against the equipment you will be filling with.

Material and lock

For the 200, 350, 550 and 730-litre models, Lier Plast states that the bins are rotationally moulded in polyethylene, very hard-wearing and resistant to cold and UV. This is not stated for the 70-litre model.

The 730-litre model is specified as lockable. For the other sizes, the manufacturer says nothing about a lock. If the bin is somewhere sand would otherwise go missing, or where not just anyone should use it, that is an argument for the largest size.

Whatever the size, the lid should be kept closed. Sand left exposed to rain and snow easily freezes into lumps that will not go into either a scoop or a spreader.

From the bin to the ground

For steps and small areas, a scoop is enough. For pavements and footpaths, a spreader is quicker:

• Falköping K-60 wheelbarrow spreader — 60 litres, 0.6 m spreading width and 31 kg unladen weight. Falköping states a range of about 1 km with a full hopper of sand, and the spreader can also be used as an ordinary wheelbarrow. A 70-litre bin therefore holds a little more than one full K-60
• FC 380SS — 380-litre electric spreader for UTVs and pickups, for car parks, yards, walkways and pavements

When you contact us

Tell us the following, and we will suggest the size and number of bins:

• How many places need a bin, and what kind of places they are: entrance, steps, ramp, slope or driveway exit
• How much space each bin will have, in length and width, and whether anything overhangs it
• Who will use it: residents and visitors, or caretakers and maintenance staff
• How the bin will be filled, and whether you have a forklift or pallet truck to move it
• Whether the bin needs to be lockable, and which colour you would like
• Whether you also need a spreader for pavements and footpaths