Total quality stockpiling helps minimise financial risk and liability when it comes to prolonging the structural life of a road. This is achieved through a 'right first time' approach to providing clean, quality, in-specification aggregates on time, every time, whether it is for graded sub-base or for aggregates used in bituminous bound mixes.

The risk of premature failure of primary road networks can cost the government or public/private initiatives in terms of high maintenance, economic loss from delays and public frustrations from continuous road works. If the main structural platform of a road ie: the unbound sub-base layer, fails due to segregation it will significantly impact on the upper layers, irrespective of quality, and will ultimately reduce the life expectancy of the road.

One of the fundamental problems still in occurrence in the quarry production process today is segregation and degradation in the stockpile. This risk can be greatly reduced through guaranteeing the delivery of in-specification sub-base, unbound roadbase and bituminous bound materials; from the stockpile to the mixing plant or directly to the road site. Currently, the only way this can be efficiently and effectively achieved is through the use of telescopic conveying equipment.

In August 2002, Dr. David Woodward and J.H Jellie of the University of Ulster Highway Engineering Research Group conducted a series of tests to determine the quality of stockpiled material when using different stockpiling techniques. The results quite clearly showed that the best method of stockpiling material to specification was through the use of telescopic conveying equipment.