Heavy Duty Tarps for Construction, Agricultural, Industrial & Mining Applications

When you work in an industry like agriculture, mining, or transport, you have to deal with intense environmental factors and harsh weather elements. Having quality-made tarpaulins that are designed to cope with tough Australian conditions is essential.

A lot of retailers claim their extra-large tarps are “heavy duty” or even “extra heavy-duty”. But what do these terms really mean and how can you be sure you are getting the right tarp for the job?

Find out everything you need to know about heavy-duty tarps in our guide below. For more info or application-specific advice, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Westarp team.

What are extra-large heavy-duty tarps made from?

Heavy-duty tarps are typically made from a high-density polymer such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), or polyethylene (PE). These materials have a number of properties that make them ideal for heavy-duty applications.

PVC tarpaulins are typically used for truck covers and construction industry applications whereas a woven polyethylene tarp or polypropylene tarp is typically used in applications such as large shelter covers, groundsheet, hay tarps, and grain covers.

Heavy-duty tarps may also use other materials, for example, stainless steel eyelets, reinforced webbing loops with rope, or Stainless Steel D-Rings. 

Choosing a custom-made quality tarp allows you to get the ideal solution for your needs, whether that’s extra-large sizes, heat-welded seams, reinforced eyelets, document holders, or any other special features.

What is considered a heavy-duty tarp?

A heavy-duty tarpaulin in a PVC material would normally be approximately 900 gsm in weight, these are used for roll tarps in the transport industry.

When it comes to an Extra Heavy Duty PVC Tarpaulin, the material would normally be approximately 1000+ gsm and above in weight, which are ideal for Water bladders, pillow tanks, and other similar specialized applications.

If you are considering a PP or PE (Polypropylene or Polyethylene) Tarpaulin, approximately 300- 360 gsm would be considered Heavy Duty and an Extra Heavy Duty Tarpaulin in PP or PE (Polypropylene or Polyethylene), would be around 400+ gsm.

In saying this, it’s always best to speak to your specialist tarpaulin manufacturer for advice on your specific needs, as there are applications where some materials will outperform others regardless of weight and also be more cost-effective. 

This could be due to UV resistance, flex cracking resistance, manual handling and your specific application.

Applications for heavy-duty and extra-large tarps

Extra-large heavy-duty tarps are used in a wide range of applications across a number of industries, including agriculture, transport and logistics, mining, and the construction industry. For example:

• Flat tarps for covering roof and wall openings in buildings during construction
• Tarpaulin covers for shipping containers
• Roll tarps for trailers and trucks
• Flat or form-fitted covers for machinery, equipment and produce
• Sliding curtains for workshops etc.
• Chemical resistant tarpaulins

Not sure what type or size tarp is best for your application? Speak to one of the specialists at Westarp. 

For us, custom tarps are standard which means we can design the best product for your needs, no matter the size, shape, or extra features.

Features that are commonly looked for in Heavy Duty Tarps

Custom-made heavy-duty tarps can be manufactured with a range of features that help improve the performance and durability of the product.

When looking for the best product for your needs, consider the environmental factors the tarp will be subjected to. For example, will it have to withstand extended exposure to intense sunlight? Will it need to cope with rain and prevent moisture issues? Is there a risk of fire? Will the tarp come in contact with chemicals or other hazardous materials?

Common features looked for in extra-large heavy-duty tarps include:

• Safe and self-extinguishing fire retardant properties
• Attractive and easy to clean high gloss surfaces
• High tear strength, tensile strength, and weld adhesion
• Print capabilities – for example, if you wanted to print your company logo on the tarp
• High UV resistance
• Superior resistance to flex cracking
• Chemical resistance
• Australian made

Australian made tarpaulins for Australian companies

The team at Westarp is strong believers in supplying Australian companies with Australian-made tarpaulins.

As we all well know, there are a lot of imported products these days, including products in the tarpaulin industry. What we have found is that these products have a long way to go before being able to withstand the harsh, severe, and unforgiving Australian conditions.

Westarp designs and manufactures heavy-duty and extra heavy-duty tarps in Northam, Western Australia. Not only are our processes and materials the highest quality, we also deeply understand the strains placed on tarpaulins used in Australian climates.

It’s this knowledge that enables us to make products that are customized for the best performance and highest level of durability.

Whether it’s an extra-large tarp to cover your machinery, grain, fertilizer, building site, or even your sports cricket pitch – we will ensure you have the ideal product to get the job done right.

Benefits of working with Westarp

Westarp has been designing and manufacturing quality heavy-duty tarps for companies across Australia for more than 30 years. When you choose to work with us, you’ll get excellent service and unmatched products delivered on time, every time.

The Westarp difference:

• Face to face onsite service
• Reduced lead-times
• Transparent manufacturing process including advanced welding technologies
• Quicker supply than Imported products
• No minimum order quantities
• Local backup service and repairs
• Expert team with extensive industry experience
• Wide range of extra features
• 100% Australian designed and manufactured tarpaulins
• ISO Certified Company for Quality and OHS
• 98% DIFOT – Highly Dependable Delivery Time
• Dedicated customer care team with fantastic customer service
• Extensive range of fabrics including unique ‘Tear-stop’ and ‘Fire-resistant’ technology
• In-house manufacturing – Guaranteed Quality Control

Contact the expert team at Westarp for application-specific advice you can rely on

At Westarp you can be guaranteed to get open, honest, and reliable advice to suit your requirements and all of our heavy-duty extra-large tarps are manufactured to stringent quality management standards of ISO 9001.

Whatever your requirements are, contact our team on 08 6607 7888 or email sales@westarp.com.au