Construction plays a vital role in the American economy, contributing to $1.4 trillion worth of buildings every year, and employing 7.6 million people.
It also has a major impact on many other aspects of the economy like raw materials, design, manufacturing, renewable energy, and more.
This industry relies heavily on various types of heavy equipment for success. Keep reading for a general overview of common construction equipment.
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Equipment Options for Digging
Digging is one of the primary activities associated with construction. It’s essential for leveling land, as well as laying foundations, cables, and pipes. There are two main types of equipment you might use for these tasks:
Excavators
Excavators are hydraulic machines with a boom, a bucket arm, and a bucket dipper. These attachments revolve around a pivoting cab, usually set on tracks.
They’re essential for demolition, digging, and lifting heavy things.
Trenchers
Trenchers have a conveyor system that leaves the excavated material next to the trench. This makes it easy to fill in these channels once you’ve laid the required pipes.
Loaders
Loaders are tractors with a small bucket at the rear and a front shovel. They’re good for digging trenches, placing small pipes, and digging trenches.
Common types of loaders include:
- Front-end loaders
- Pay loaders
- Skid steers
Types of Equipment for Moving Earth
Dozers, graders, and scrapers are most often used for earth-moving operations. Dozers have a large metal plate operated by two hydraulic pistons, while graders have a long adjustable blade between three axles.
Scrapers have a hopper with a sharp horizontal front edge that moves vertically as required.
All three of these machines are excellent for leveling areas as well as moving displaced soil from one place to another.
Heavy Equipment for Transporting Materials
Dump trucks move aggregate from one location to another on an open, hinged box bed. Cranes are the tallest of heavy equipment, used to lift and lower materials or move them horizontally.
Mixers are multi-axle trucks used to mix dry materials and water to form concrete and transport it where needed.
Other Types of Heavy Equipment
You might also need some specialized equipment for your project. These could include:
Compactors
There are three main types of compactors, used to compress crushed rock using a vibrating baseplate. These are:
- Plates
- Jumping jacks
- Road rollers
Piling Rigs
Piling rigs are vital for deep foundation work. They consist of augers or pile drives that drill a vertical hole into the ground, which contractors fill with concrete to create important supports for the building.
According to Mtcequipment.net, you can also rent these types of equipment. So, construction companies don’t need to go to the expense of buying items they don’t use often.
For the Long Haul
These simple, practical types of heavy equipment have been at the forefront of construction for decades, and they haven’t changed much in that time.
Basic equipment for lifting, loading, and leveling will always remain at the center of the construction industry, despite technological advancements.
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