What’s the first thing you picture when you think of a construction site? For many people, the answer is probably a bulldozer or a backhoe; these are iconic pieces of machinery used in most construction projects.
While those vehicles are among the most common types of construction equipment. the reality is that there’s a whole world of machinery and equipment that goes into construction.
The best construction company is one that has access to and experience with a wide range of machinery, including some equipment that you may not be as familiar with.
For more information on the tools of the construction trade, read on. This article will cover many different kinds of construction tools and their uses.
Excavators
Excavators are a key piece of construction equipment that does exactly what the name implies: excavate material. They are a bit like giant, mechanical shovels.
The main feature of an excavator is its long arm, which ends in a digging bucket. The arm is flexible, allowing drivers to extend and retract the digging bucket.
The driver’s cab is located behind the arm, and the entire apparatus can often rotate in a complete circle.
Construction workers use excavators for many things, from digging to dredging to lifting large objects.
Bulldozers
The bulldozer is, as mentioned above, one of the most recognizable pieces of construction equipment. It’s versatile enough to be useful in most types of construction.
Bulldozers are vehicles that have a large metal plate attached to the front. This plate has a variety of uses; most famously, bulldozers are useful for demolition. In fact, the word ‘bulldozer’ refers to the vehicle’s ability to power through obstacles!
Cranes
Cranes are extremely versatile pieces of construction equipment, largely because there are so many different kinds of them. The construction industry relies on cranes to lift heavy materials.
Tower cranes are large structures used to bring material to the tops of tall construction jobs. Carry deck cranes are small vehicles that can transport heavy objects across work sites.
There are countless other crane types: flexible knuckle-boom cranes, stationary bridge cranes, truck-mounted cranes, and more. In other words, there’s a crane for every type of construction job!
Haulers
Another well-known piece of construction equipment is the hauler, also known as a dump truck. Haulers are trucks that feature a large, open pail on the back. Workers can fill this pail with material for transport.
Transporting heavy loads of building material or debris is necessary on construction sites, and haulers are the best construction equipment for doing so safely.
These trucks usually feature massive tires and four-wheel drive, allowing them to navigate sites regardless of the terrain.
Loaders
A loader is somewhere between an excavator and a bulldozer. Loaders have large metal buckets affixed to their front ends; unlike an excavator, however, these buckets are not on long, flexible arms.
Workers use loaders to pick up material and load it onto other vehicles (hence the name). They are most commonly used to clear soil and debris out of demolition sites.
These machines come in multiple sizes. Many loaders are on wheels, but some use tracks instead. It all depends on the needs of the construction site.
Lifts
Cranes are great for lifting materials into the air, but what about workers? An unfinished building doesn’t have working elevators, after all. Instead, construction workers use lifts to get to higher floors.
Lifts have buckets that a user stands in; this bucket can raise or lower itself thanks to a system of hydraulics. Staying inside the lift while it changes elevation is an important tenet of construction safety.
Most lifts are small, wheeled machines that can move freely around a construction site. Some are larger and stationary, though.
Trenchers
Excavators are great for digging holes, but sometimes a job needs a more focused approach. When a construction site requires a channel or trench, they use a machine called a trencher.
Trenchers look a bit like giant chainsaws on wheels: they have metal chains that are ideal for digging channels through dirt, roots, and small rocks.
Many construction projects need to dig ditches to lay pipe in; this is one of the most common uses for a trencher.
Compactors
Compactors are another example of construction equipment that does exactly what the name implies. They’re used to compact dirt or construction material into a firm, even surface.
Drum rollers are the most common type of compactor. These massive machines have a large, heavy drum instead of front wheels. You’ll often see them used to flatten construction areas or smooth out asphalt.
Different compactors are used based on the material that needs flattening and the depth of compacting required.
Trailers
When listing the types of construction equipment available, most people stick to heavy machinery. As a result, there’s a crucial piece of equipment that is often overlooked: trailers.
Trailers are a key facet of the construction industry because they serve as offices on construction sites. Without a trailer, site managers would have nowhere to store important documents or do necessary work.
By renting used office trailers, construction companies can provide their workers with crucial equipment at an affordable price.
Lighting
Another facet of construction that people seem to forget is lighting. Construction safety requires proper lighting at all times, which is why you’ll often see portable light towers at construction sites.
Light towers are little more than generators attached to a pair of wheels. The tower itself extends up from the generator.
These towers can provide a lot of light and are easy to tow around a worksite, making them invaluable tools for every type of construction site. Most of them are diesel-powered.
The Many Types of Construction Equipment
A construction site is a complicated place; there are as many types of construction equipment as there are construction jobs. To succeed in the construction industry, a company needs to have a broad range of equipment.
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