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Hiring and Maintaining Heavy Construction Equipment

Hi, my name is Freddie. This is my blog about hiring heavy construction equipment. A couple of years ago, I invested in a piece of land which had a derelict factory on it. I hired a project manager to help me to plan for the demolition of the building and the construction of a new house on the site. One of the first things we needed to do was to hire the right equipment and people for the job. In the end, we hired a large number of cranes, excavators, and dumper trucks. I started this blog so I could pass on everything I have learnt about hiring and maintaining heavy construction equipment.

 

Hiring and Maintaining Heavy Construction Equipment

Types of Earthmoving Equipment

23 January 2019
 Categories: , Blog

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Heavy-duty equipment involved in earthworks at construction sites is known as earthmoving equipment. Earthworks are moving large amounts of earth for purposes of laying down building foundations or landscaping. Earthmoving equipment also includes heavy machinery, trucks, vehicles and hydraulics. This type of equipment also comes in categories, these are:

  • Excavating equipment
  • Loaders e.g. skip loaders
  • Tractors e.g. track loader

Although earthmoving equipment is primarily used in the construction industry, it may also be used for mining and digging. The market for earthmoving equipment is larger than ever before with more and more construction projects on the way. Tall buildings and infrastructure are being constructed to accommodate the increasing population. These buildings all require the assistance of earthmoving equipment to be constructed in their expected time frames. 

Here is a guide on the main types of earthmoving equipment:

  • Excavators: This is a self-propelled vehicle which can rotate completely and consists of a hydraulic arm, boom and a bucket attachment. This is the most widely used construction equipment as it can perform an array of functions. All kinds of construction applications use excavators, as such there are many brands available. Each brand offers different attachments for excavators so that they can be used for different functions. This allows excavators to be used for loading, lifting, digging, demolition and much more. 
  • Wheel loaders: Wheel loaders are also self-propelled construction vehicles that consist of two arms and a mounted bucket. Wheel loaders are mainly used for loading or moving materials from one point to another on a construction site. They also come with various attachments and can be used for site cleanup, mixing and drilling.
  • Backhoe loader: This is basically a combination of a loader and excavator where it can load material and also dig for excavating purposes. As a result, backhoes are a versatile piece of earthmoving equipment that can perform landscaping functions, trenching, loading and more. 
  • Dozer: This is used for pushing and leveling dirt and consists of a large blade to perform this function. It is used to clear land and assist with bulk excavation. Dozers can be difficult to operate as it can be tricky to control the blade, however with technological advancements the latest dozers can be programmed to control the blade operation making it easier to use this equipment. 

Earthmoving equipment is now available in so many types that it can be difficult to select the right one for the job.