# Factory Roads and Hardstanding for Lorries and Containers > Plan external areas for heavy vehicles: turning areas for container lorries, pavement build-up, links to loading bays and drainage falls. URL: https://factorybuilder.my/guide/factory-roads-hardstanding/ Last-Modified: 2026-11-10 Tags: factory hardstanding and roads, factory yard design, container lorry turning area, industrial pavement menu\_book Explainer // Civil and Infrastructure Works # Factory Roads and Hardstanding for Lorries and Containers Plan external areas for heavy vehicles: turning areas for container lorries, pavement build-up, links to loading bays and drainage falls. Published 10 November 2026 · 4 min read ![Container prime mover turning in a concrete yard outside a Klang warehouse](/images/featured/container-prime-mover-turning-in-concrete-yard-out.webp) ## The Yard Works as Hard as the Building Most owners spend months on the building and give factory hardstanding and roads one line on the plan. Yet the yard takes more punishment than any other part of the site. Prime movers, trailers, lorries and forklifts turn, brake and stand on it every day. A yard that is too small, too thin or badly drained slows the operation and needs constant repair. Factory Builder Malaysia is the factory and warehouse building arm of QDB Ventures Sdn Bhd, a Cheras-based contractor building in Selangor. Roads and hardstanding are a key part of our civil works [/civil-infrastructure-works/ →](/civil-infrastructure-works/) . The pressure on them is growing, because Port Klang handled a record 15.14 million TEUs in 2025, up from 14.64 million in 2024, according to The Star. Below, we cover turning areas, pavement layers, links to loading bays and drainage. ### Turning Areas for Container Lorries A 40-foot container lorry needs far more room to turn than most owners expect. One manufacturer’s guide puts the outer turning radius of a medium semi-trailer at about 12.2 to 12.4 metres, with an inner radius of about 5.9 metres. Check the yard layout against the **turning path** of the largest vehicle you use, so it can: - Enter from the road without mounting kerbs - Turn and line up with a loading bay - Reverse in safely while other vehicles pass or wait - Leave without blocking the entrance Those radii are a starting point only. Ask your haulier for the exact prime mover and trailer specs before you fix the layout. Around Klang and Port Klang, where container traffic is heavy, this often decides where the building sits on the lot. Port Klang forwarder DNE Logistics lists narrow access roads and inadequate loading bays among the consignee-side problems behind some of the longest delays. It also estimates that a seven-day delay on one 40-foot container typically costs RM2,000 to RM5,000 in demurrage, detention and storage. ![Roller compacting a crusher-run base for a factory yard](/images/content/roller-compacting-crusher-run-base-layer-for-new-f.webp) ### Pavement Build-Up A pavement is layers, not just a surface, and each layer has a job: | Layer | Purpose | | --- | --- | | Prepared subgrade | Firm, compacted natural ground | | Sub-base and base | Crushed stone layers that spread the load | | Surface | Concrete or premix that takes wear | Heavier traffic needs thicker layers and stronger surfaces. The loads add up quickly. The Edge Malaysia reported in May 2025 that a 6x2 prime mover weighs about nine tonnes and a triple-axle 40-foot trailer about six, while a 40-foot container can carry up to 26 tonnes of payload. For public roads, Malaysian engineers follow JKR’s ATJ 5/85 guideline (revised in 2013), which counts traffic as equivalent standard axle loads of 80 kN. An industrial pavement follows the same logic: count the heavy axles, then size the layers to carry them. On soft ground, the subgrade may need improvement first. AnchorSOL Wall, a retaining wall contractor in Klang, notes that the area sits on coastal deposits with soft marine clays 5 to 25 metres thick. A soil investigation before design tells you if your lot needs extra work. ### Links to Loading Bays The yard in front of the loading bays must be level with the docks, strong enough for standing trailers and free of standing water. Bay aprons often use concrete even where the rest of the yard uses premix. The reason is the trailer’s landing legs. US trucking firm LGT Transport warns that legs can sink into asphalt under a dropped, loaded trailer, which is why many yards pour concrete pads where the legs land. Our guide on loading bays and dock levellers [/guide/warehouse-loading-bays-dock-levellers/ →](/guide/warehouse-loading-bays-dock-levellers/) covers the bay side. > **Design for the heaviest vehicle, not the average one** > > A yard that suits your vans but not the occasional container lorry will fail where the lorry turns. ### Drainage Falls Every yard needs falls that shed water to channels and drains. Flat spots hold water, which softens the base and breaks up the surface. Water must also be kept away from loading docks. Malaysia’s rain makes this a priority. The Department of Irrigation and Drainage’s MSMA 2nd Edition (2012) notes that hydroplaning risk is high in tropical countries. It also gives road figures that make a handy sense check for a yard: - Desirable gutter grades of at least 0.5% where kerbs hold water - Cross slopes capped at 4% - Falls that run away from the building and the docks Our guide on drainage and retention ponds [/guide/industrial-land-drainage-retention-ponds/ →](/guide/industrial-land-drainage-retention-ponds/) explains site drainage. ## Planning It With the Building Good factory yard design starts on day one. Yard size, levels and drainage are set together with the building layout, not afterwards. To plan the yard, we need three things from you: - Your vehicle types, including the largest container lorry - How many come at peak times - Where they load and unload Send us those details and your lot plan. We’ll plan the yard around them, so your container lorries turn, load and leave without trouble. helpQuick answers ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How much yard space do containers need? expand\_more Enough for the vehicles you use to enter, turn and reverse into bays without blocking the road. The space is planned with the building layout using the vehicle's turning path. ### Concrete or premix? expand\_more It depends on the loads and use. Concrete suits heavy, slow-turning loads and container handling. Premix (asphalt) can suit lighter traffic and access roads. ### Why do yards crack? expand\_more Usually because the base is too thin for the loads, the ground was not properly prepared, or water sits on or under the pavement. ### Can the yard be extended later? expand\_more Yes, if the levels and drainage are planned for it. Leaving room and setting falls with future areas in mind helps. menu\_bookKeep reading ## Related Guides ### Loading Bays, Dock Levellers and Roller Shutters for Container Access Plan container and lorry loading: bay layout and number, dock levellers vs ground level, shutter sizing and turning areas. [Loading Bays, Dock Levellers and Roller Shutters for Container Access →](/guide/warehouse-loading-bays-dock-levellers/) ### Drainage and Retention Ponds on Industrial Land The drainage provisions an industrial site may need: site drainage design, retention ponds, council requirements and flood and runoff risk. [Drainage and Retention Ponds on Industrial Land →](/guide/industrial-land-drainage-retention-ponds/) ### Soil Investigation and Piling: How Ground Conditions Change Factory Cost Why ground conditions shift a factory budget: soil investigation, piling, Klang's soft coastal clay and sloping sites. [Soil Investigation and Piling: How Ground Conditions Change Factory Cost →](/guide/soil-investigation-piling-factory-cost/) From guide to project ## Learn more about Civil and Infrastructure Works Site works such as earthworks, drainage, roads and hardstanding around the building. Every quotation lists inclusions, exclusions and responsibilities. View service [/civil-infrastructure-works/ →](/civil-infrastructure-works/) Request a Quotation [/contact/ →](/contact/)