Wheel loaders and dump trucks need a concrete slab built to handle their weight, plus drainage engineered to move wash water toward trench drains and into an oil-water separator before discharge. Gatineau Concrete designs and pours wash bays that meet equipment loads, slope correctly, and comply with storm-water regulations. Free written estimate on every project.
When equipment gets washed on-site, the runoff carries oil, sediment, and detergent into a single stream that cannot simply flow into the storm drain. Local regulations require that hydrocarbons be separated from wash water before it leaves the property. The concrete slab is the first step: it has to slope in every direction toward trench drains that feed into an oil-water separator.
We size the slab for the heaviest equipment that will use the bay, set the slope so water moves consistently toward drains without pooling, integrate the separator into the drainage path, and apply chemical-resistant finishes if your wash cycle includes degreasers or alkaline detergents. The result is a bay that handles daily washing while staying compliant with environmental discharge rules.
We measure the bay footprint, identify the heaviest equipment that will use it, determine the slope direction and drain placement, size the oil-water separator, and confirm the discharge connection point before any excavation begins.
Excavate and prepare subgrade
The bay area is excavated to the engineered depth, subgrade is compacted to specification, gravel base is placed and leveled, and trench drain lines are routed before forms are set.
Form, reinforce, and pour
Forms are positioned with the engineered slope built in, rebar is placed for equipment loads, concrete is poured and finished with a broom texture for foot grip during wash operations, and the slab is left to cure.
Install drains and test system
Trench drain grates are installed, the oil-water separator is connected to the discharge line, the entire system is tested with water to verify slopes and separator function before the bay is handed over.
Critical detail
Getting Slope Right Before Cure
A wash bay without proper slope becomes a puddle that sits until it evaporates. Water must flow from every corner and edge toward the trench drains, and that flow has to be consistent so no low spots trap water. We verify slope during the pour using a level and water flow tests, not after the concrete has cured. If slope is wrong, it cannot be fixed without tearing out the slab.
Coordinate the wash bay with the rest of your site's manufacturing concrete and with your environmental compliance team on separator sizing and discharge details. The bay is one piece of your facility's larger environmental and operational picture, which is why we assess each project individually and provide a written quote before starting work.
Trench drains, oil-water separators, slope verification and storm-water compliance.
Storm-water regulations require hydrocarbons to be removed before wash water enters the storm system. Oil-water separators are the engineered solution; without them, the wash bay's discharge violates discharge limits and can trigger fines or shutdowns.
During the pour with a level and a water flow test, then again after cure. Every direction across the bay must carry water to a trench drain; pooling anywhere means the slope is wrong and needs correction before the slab cures.
Sometimes, if it can be sloped (often it cannot), drained (usually needs new trenches cut), and routed to a separator (almost always new work). The economics often favor a purpose-built bay; we will assess case-by-case.
Yes if degreasers or harsh detergents are part of the wash cycle. Standard concrete surface degrades under repeated alkaline or solvent exposure; chemical-resistant treatment extends slab life dramatically.
Several weeks from excavation through cure and separator install. The full schedule is in the quote, including time for the environmental discharge connection if regulatory review is required.
Client reviews
What Gatineau Operations Say About Their Wash Bays
New wash bay with proper slope to trench drains and the oil-water separator we needed for compliance. Discharge passes regulatory inspection, equipment gets washed faster, no more puddles in corners.
Z. K5
Fleet Manager, Gatineau
★★★★★
They engineered for our wheel loaders and dump trucks, the heaviest stuff we run. Slab has held under daily traffic, drainage works through every wash. Right tool for the actual fleet.
Y. K5
Operations Director, Ottawa
★★★★★
Wash bay with chemical-resistant surface for the degreaser we use. Three years of operation, no surface degradation, separator processes hydrocarbon properly. Compliance side covered.
Q. K5
Mining Operations, Barrhaven
★★★★★
They tested the slope with water before signing off. Pooled in one corner; they corrected it before cure. Final result drains perfectly. Real install discipline.
X. K5
Construction Yard Manager, Nepean
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