Jetland ramps take the high road

Loading and unloading equipment on hilly slopes are no problem for a Lorne-based building company, thanks to one particular brand of loading ramp.

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Construction of new residential properties and home renovations on Victoria's Great Ocean Road present challenges due to the region's hilly and often steep terrain.

Moving machinery on and off building sites can be difficult because of the unstable ground and the often unpredictable weather.

Heath Armstrong, one of the partners of building company Sam I Am Building, is no stranger to the tasks involved.

"We have a six-tonne UHI UME-60 excavator that we use for many different jobs such as inserting screw piling and trenching," he said.

"We also build using structural insulated panels, where a fork attachment lets us lift panels for second-storey levels.

"The excavator is often required on multiple active construction sites. This means that we need to move the excavator between tasks.

At other times, the excavator is used on an agricultural property for tasks such as clearing dams.

"In the early days of the business, we hired excavators and this experience taught us what was needed for safe and efficient operation. As the business grew, it made sense to invest in our own excavator and we wanted to ensure we had the best ramps that would give us safety and stability."

The perfect ramp