Heavy Construction Equipment for the Building Site

The construction site can be a tough environment to work in; whilst skilled operators and good site management are essential for efficiency, having the correct equipment that is of a high standard will ensure better results.

By using plant hire, construction companies can bring their costs down considerably. Purchasing all the required equipment, especially the heavier items outright, would be extremely expensive.

Excavators

Classed as heavy duty construction equipment; the main function of the excavator is to dig and move large objects or material; certain types of excavator can also be used for demolishing buildings. An excavator consists of a boom, stick, bucket and a cab. The cab is where the operator sits, this is situated on top of a rotating platform, known as the house. The house is positioned on an undercarriage with tracks. The wide tracks provide the excavator with good grip in rough terrain. Hydraulic excavators come in a variety of sizes, compact excavators are frequently seen on building sites and are widely available for hire.

Different types of excavators:

• Compact excavators
• Crawler excavators
• Drag-line excavators
• Long-reach excavators
• High-reach excavator
• Suction excavators

Bulldozers

Found on a range of different construction sites, the bulldozer is a large, powerful piece of heavy duty construction equipment, that requires a cabin operator. It is widely used for clearing rubble and moving heavy loads. The bulldozer is basically a tracked tractor that has an integral metal plate known as a the blade, used for pushing large quantities of material, such as soil, rubble, sand etc. A typical bulldozer has a ripper attached to the back of it; this claw like device, is used for loosening compact materials such as hard and dense soil. Bulldozers have wide tracks, enabling them to work in very rough, uneven terrain. The wide surface area the tracks cover, helps to prevent the bulldozer from sinking into mud or other softer surface materials.

Dumpers

Dumper trucks are used for transporting construction materials around a site. There are various different types of dumper trucks available. It is very important to select the dumper truck for your construction site very carefully, as safety is a primary concern. Dumper trucks are responsible for 1/3 of construction vehicle related accidents, often caused by the entire vehicle overturning during tipping. Your dumper truck must be well maintained and follow regulations. Mini dumpers can ride on either tyres or tracks and are more suited to smaller construction sites, as the payload is significantly less than that of the dump truck. They consist of a forward tipping dump bed or skip, with the operator is seated at the back.

Different types of dump trucks include:

• Articulated dump trucks
• Rigid dump trucks
• Tracked dump trucks
• Mini dump trucks

Backhoe Loaders or Diggers

A commonly used construction vehicle, this piece of heavy equipment, the backhoe loader, or digger as it is referred to; is extremely versatile, suitable for a variety of different tasks. Common uses for the backhoe loader are for digging and trenching, it is also suitable for use in demolitions, transportation of material, paving and landscaping. The backhoe loader itself consists of a unit, similar to a tractor in appearance, with a bucket or shovel attached to the front and a small hoe on the back.

Cranes

Used for transportation of heavy materials in construction jobs and other heavy load job; cranes can lift and lower materials horizontally. A crane consists of a hoist rope, wire ropes or chains and sheaves.

Different types of cranes:

• Tower crane
• Vehicle mounted crane
• Crawler crane
• Aerial crane
• Rough terrain crane
• Floating crane

Compaction Equipment

Rollers

Used in construction equipment for the compaction of soil, granular and asphalt materials. The roller works on impact loading, applying pressure whilst vibrating. The main types of rollers are vibratory or smooth rollers, pneumatic tire rollers and sheep foot rollers. The latter consists of four wheels, on each wheel, kneading boots or feet are fixed. The vibratory or smooth roller usually consists of two smooth rollers plus a vibrator, this type of roller is used more in construction work for compressing granular and asphalt materials, whereas the sheep foot roller is better suited for clay soils. Pneumatic tire rollers are also used for the compression of asphalt.

Plates

Similar in appearance to a lawn mower, a compaction plate is a piece of construction equipment used to smooth and level earth, flattening it in preparation for paving, landscaping or other projects of a similar nature. Compaction plates are used on construction sites and also in DIY.

Rammers

Rammers are used for compacting soil in constricted spaces where larger compactors cannot fit; such as in trenches, around poles, in tight corners etc

Concrete Mixers

Most construction sites will have a concrete mixer, this device typically consists of a revolving barrel or drum, that homogeneously combines concrete, aggregates such as sand or gravel, with water to form concrete. Concrete mixers can vary considerably in size, smaller portable mixers are often used on construction sites as the revolving drum gives workers ample time to use the concrete before it sets. For larger jobs, much bigger rotating drums are carried on lorries. Concrete can be mixed by hand, in a wheelbarrow for example, but it has to be used quickly before it sets.

Other Equipment

Generators

Portable generators are essential to the construction site, powering various different types of equipment and tools.

Air-compressors

This device converts power, usually by using a petrol or diesel engine or an electric motor, into potential energy stored in pressurised air. They have a wide range of different applications and are a common site in the construction industry as well as for DIY.

For the purchase or hire of building site equipment, call AT Wilde Plant Parts today.