If you’re on a construction site for any amount of time, you’ll see a heap of misfortune visited upon the portable restroom placed in a heavy traffic area.
For instance, Ed over there just backed into the restroom with his forklift and scraped it over the gravel for about 20 feet. And Joe, upset over a domestic dispute at home, drilled several holes through the sidewall last week. Then there’s Dwight, who keeps trying to put his fist though the door because he doesn’t like his foreman.
Unfortunately for PROs, the portable restroom has become the punching bag of the construction site. They take great care of their trucks and their tools, but construction workers just don’t show much respect to the equipment you entrust to them. That’s just the way it is.
So knowing what kind of beating your units are going to receive in this harsh environment, you want to be sure to pick out your next batch of new restrooms carefully, looking for materials, engineering and construction you know will hold up over the years.
You can bet that restroom manufacturers are constantly on the prowl for units that will take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’. At the 2009 Pumper & Cleaner Environmental Expo International in Louisville, Ky., restroom makers showed off no-frills units aimed at providing service at difficult jobsites. Here are the units you might find the next time you need a batch of basic restrooms.
Hampel Global
Hampel Corp. offers the popular Global portable restroom for durable and dependable service on any jobsite or wherever a basic restroom is required. The Global comes standard with an open grid Dirt Buster Base, one-piece continuous doorframe and standard color-matched interior components. The patented base provides optimum ventilation, while keeping dirt to a minimum inside the unit. Designed with your needs in mind, it is engineered for strength, durability and value. Visit www.hampelcorp.com or call 800/549-1558.
PolyPortables Vantage, Integra and Standard
PolyPortables Inc. continues to offer three models in its lineup of standard restrooms. The Vantage is popular for its double-walled strength and a smooth, easy-to-clean interior. The Integra offers a convenient, large door opening. The Standard unit, produced for more than 30 years, features an aluminum-framed door, riveted-in door edges and a precision-engineered door spring. All units feature easily replaced wear components for convenient repairs. PolyPortables offers many standard colors and custom choices. Visit www.polyportables.com or call 800/241-7951.
Olympia’s Standard Unit
Olympia Fiberglass Industries Inc. offers its Standard Unit in a variety of colors. The unit is constructed of durable fiberglass, with a smooth exterior shell and easy-to-clean interior walls. Double interior lower half-walls provide additional rigidity and stability. The vent pipe is fully enclosed for cleaning convenience. The 60-gallon holding tank is also manufactured of fiberglass. Olympia also offers an Econo Unit in fiberglass, as well as the Poly Unit model with a polyethylene shell and fiberglass interior construction. Call 800/544-3878.
Armal Top Line
Armal Inc. builds the new Top Line standard restroom with Scent Box technology that can be upgraded in several ways. First, Scent Box restrooms are embedded during the manufacturing process with one of five scents and colors: strawberry, apple, pine, rose and vanilla. The Top Line design features stronger hinges than previous models and a larger gap between the door and frame to reduce the possibility of binding or sticking. Its latch and handle offer improved ergonomics for the user and the sturdy door reduces wobbling. The Top Line can be upgraded with a recirculating flush unit, a soap dispenser and a 7.5-gallon sink. Visit www.armal.biz or call 866/873-7796.
T.S.F. Tuff-Jon
T.S.F. Company Inc. Tuff-Jon portable restrooms offer durability and a unique appearance through a rotational molding manufacturing process that produces a one-piece polyethylene restroom unit with consistent 3/16-inch thick walls. The process creates restrooms with easy-to-clean smooth surfaces. The rotational molding construction also results in easy-to-handle restroom units that remain on stable footing at the jobsite. The lightweight standard units feature rust-free hardware, poly skids and come in a large variety of colors. The tank is mounted toward a back right corner to provide additional shoulder and foot room. A 15-gallon sink is also offered. Visit www.tuff-jon.com or call 800/843-9286.
Synergy World Taurus
Synergy World offers the popular Taurus portable restroom for construction sites and entry level special event usage. Molded-in screens and a vented base provide superior ventilation, keeping the unit fresh even with heavy use and in hot climates. The rotomolded base features smooth runners for easy loading, 10 washout ports for easy cleaning and a crowned, slip-resistant surface for enhanced safety. The Taurus features an 80-gallon holding tank, convenient corner shelf and four-roll toilet paper dispenser. It can be customized with accessories including soap/sanitizer dispensers or the space-saving Trimline sink. Visit www.satelliteindustries. com or call 800-328-3332.
PolyJohn LEGACY and PJN3
PolyJohn Enterprises Corp. offers the longstanding PJN3 and the new Legacy as its go-to standard restrooms. The Legacy, unveiled at the 2009 Pumper & Cleaner Expo, offers greater strength and rigidity in a unit that can be assembled easily with a few tools and the fewest possible fasteners. Most of the components can be snapped together, while the unit has only two rivets, used to attach the toilet paper dispenser. The unit replaces a traditional one-piece skid with four feet that are anchored from all sides for greater strength. The roof is rotational molded, the door has a twin-sheet thermoformed design, and many smooth interior surfaces promote easy cleaning. Corner tank placement makes a roomier cabin. The PJN3 utilizes a structurally stiff modular design to hold up to severe conditions. Features include a standard door-mounted mirror and handle and an advanced waste tank design with rounded slope top and convenient central sump. Visit www.polyjohn.com or call 800/292-1305.
Satellite Tufway, Maxim 3000 and Alpine
Satellite Industries Inc. offers its standard Tufway and Maxim 3000 models, along with the Alpine restroom formerly from Five Peaks Technology. The Tufway utilizes a rotational molding process to produce a sturdy, lightweight model for construction site use. The rugged Tufway features a 70-gallon tank designed for easy cleaning. The Maxim 3000 features recessed heavy-duty door springs, smooth interior and exterior surfaces to cut down on cleaning time and cross ribbing between panels for strength. The ergonomic Aspen features fewer parts for easy maintenance, a grab handle, an integrated door spring and a 60-gallon holding tank. The skid and tank are rotomolded, while the unit’s walls are of single-wall construction. Door and jamb are double-sheeted for added rigidity. The Aspen features standard gender signage, cup holder, custom-formed door handle, offset seat and a coat hook and oversized mirror. Visit www.satelliteindustries.com or call 800/328-3332.
