Plankways are essential for barrowing over soft, wet ground and also reduce damage to fragile habitats. Plankways can also be used to negotiate steep, slippery banks. Old 205 litre (45 gallon) oil drums are ideal to support planks where they bridge a gap or slope. Drums, which may be obtainable from garages or farms, should be cleaned before use to avoid any leakage of oil residue. Note the following:
- Use scaffold planks, which are wide and strong enough to take the load.
- Cross supports may be necessary to keep the plank ends from sinking. Shift the supports frequently before they sink without trace.
- When moving spoil up a bank by bucket chain, put a drum under the plank end to reduce the slope.
- Use extra planks to provide gradual if indirect routes up steep banks. Anchor planks securely to prevent them slipping.
- A treadway is useful to prevent sloping planks becoming too slippery. Tack rope along in a spiral, or use battens.
- If you have enough planks, a three plank run is ideal. Place a plank with treads on either side of a smooth plank along which the barrow is pushed. Separate return plankways keep the work running smoothly. A hook or J-shaped piece of metal, tied to a sturdy rope, is useful to help wheelbarrows negotiate slopes. Fasten the hook to the front of the barrow. While one person pushes, another stands at the top of the slope and pulls.
