Professional Tools for UK Sites
Street Solutions UK supplies a full range of compaction equipment to construction contractors, groundworkers, groundwork companies, and civil engineering firms across the UK. Our products are used for carrying out groundwork, concreting, compaction, breaking, and general construction tasks on UK sites, and all meet relevant PUWER, CE marking, and BS EN standards.
- 144001Fairport
Fairport FPR60H Honda Petrol Engine Trench Rammer
2 options £2,056.66 Ex. VAT£2,467.99 Inc. VAT
5+ save 2.5%50+ 9.5%In stock -
- 142154Fairport
Fairport PP33-GX120 Plate Compactor Honda Petrol
2 options · 2 options £992.49 Ex. VAT£1,190.99 Inc. VAT
5+ save 2.5%50+ 9.5%In stock -
- 142150Fairport
Fairport PP193 Plate Compactor with Wheels (18" Wide)
2 options · 2 options £1,539.99 Ex. VAT£1,847.99 Inc. VAT
5+ save 2.5%50+ 9.5%Contact us -
- 142137Fairport
Fairport FPR50/30D Hatz Diesel Reversible Plate Compactor
500mm plate width £3,839.99 Ex. VAT£4,607.99 Inc. VAT
5+ save 2.5%50+ 9.5%In stock -
- 142136Fairport
Fairport FPR40/25H Petrol Reversible Plate Compactor
145kg weight £3,839.99 Ex. VAT£4,607.99 Inc. VAT
5+ save 2.5%50+ 9.5%In stock -
- 142135Fairport
Fairport FPR40/25D Hatz Diesel Reversible Plate Compactor
170kg weight £4,754.16 Ex. VAT£5,704.99 Inc. VAT
5+ save 2.5%50+ 9.5%In stock -
Three machine types, three jobs
Forward plate compactors travel in one direction and are the general-purpose choice: sub-base, bedding sand, block paving and tarmac patches. Light, quick to move and easy for one person to handle.
Reversible plates drive forwards and backwards from the controls. They are heavier, produce far more compactive force, and reach deeper into a layer. Worth the weight on deeper lifts and in trenches, where a forward plate cannot be turned around.
Trench rammers are upright machines with a narrow foot that strikes downwards. They suit narrow trenches and, crucially, cohesive soils such as clay, where a vibrating plate is largely ineffective.
The rule of thumb: plates for granular material, rammers for cohesive material, reversible plates when the layer is deep or the space is tight.
Why layer depth decides everything
A compactor only influences the material to a certain depth. Fill a trench to half a metre and run a plate over it and you get a firm crust over loose material, which settles later as a trench line down a new surface.
Compact in layers sized to the machine, with a lighter plate wanting shallower lifts than a reversible. Compact each layer to refusal, which is the point where the machine stops sinking in and starts riding on top, then add the next.
Reinstatement work has specified layer depths and passes. Where the job is in the public highway, the specification is the standard, not the machine's capability.
Petrol, diesel and engine choice
Petrol machines are lighter, start easily and suit intermittent use. Diesel machines cost more, use less fuel, run longer between fills and tend to outlast petrol on daily site work.
Engine brand affects what happens in year three rather than week one. Parts availability and service support are the real difference; a machine that cannot be repaired locally is out of action for as long as the part takes to arrive.
Paving pads and water kits
A paving pad is a rubber mat fitted to the base plate. It stops the plate chipping and marking block paving and flags, and it costs a fraction of replacing a damaged area of paving.
A water tank feeds the base plate when compacting hot tarmac, which stops the material sticking and lifting. Both are inexpensive and both prevent the damage that reflects badly on finished work.
For breaking out before compacting, see sawing and breaking.