While weir plates are some of the most effective flow management tools in existence, there is still a lot of confusion surrounding these devices. The biggest misunderstanding surrounding this flow management tool is the right choice of construction material. While weir plates can be constructed from a variety of materials, not all of these materials will meet the needs of every flow management system.
Before you install a weir plate in your operation, it’s vital that you learn about some of the available construction materials which will provide you with the most utility. Read about some common weir plate construction materials, and discover which of these options is your best choice when it comes to durability and accuracy.
Plywood
For operations that are trying to control their costs as much as possible, a potential construction material for a weir plate is plywood. While plywood is an attractive option because of its cost, it is a poor choice for most systems.
For example, the functionality of a weir plate depends on the integrity of its crest. Plywood, unfortunately, is extremely brittle, often splitting or cracking. This means that with plywood, you can’t be sure that your crest will maintain its shape or that you’ll be getting the accurate readings you need. If plywood must be used for some reason, it should be attached to a steel weir plate.
Galvanized Steel
When you’re looking for a weir plate with an increased level of durability, it’s common to be interested in galvanized or painted steel. Although these materials can be enticing, they are generally not used to construct weir plates, mostly because their protective coatings can be washed away very easily.
After the coating of these materials has been eroded, your weir plate will be extremely vulnerable to rusting and corrosion. If these factors affect the weir crest, as they most assuredly will, the accuracy of your flow readings will be greatly reduced.
Fiberglass
Depending on the type of flow in your system, fiberglass is one of the best construction materials you could choose for your weir plate. With flows that contain a large amount of grit, fiberglass isn’t recommended, as the grit can strip away the protective gel coating. However, in systems will clean water, fiberglass is an excellent choice.
If you choose fiberglass for your weir plate, you have the option of using either hand laid fiberglass or pultruded flat stock fiberglass. If pultruded flat stock is your preference, the downstream face of your weir crest will need to be beveled correctly. A weir plate made from hand-laid fiberglass is generally constructed in one piece with the crest molded into the plate.
Choose Weir Plate Construction Materials
There are a wide variety of construction materials that you could choose for your weir plate. However, if you’re looking for impressive durability, your best material choice is fiberglass. After learning about weir plate construction materials, you need to purchase fiberglass wheels from a dependable manufacturer like Tracom, FRP.
At Tracom, our specialty is producing fiberglass water management tools like weirs and flumes, and in your catalog, you’ll find the tool that’s right for your system. Request a quote from us today.
