Monthly Archives: December 2014

Be Safe While Operating a Crane- Take Certain Precautions

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If you are a part of the construction industry, you must be well aware of the potential hazards that the use of heavy equipment poses. Wondering what is it that you can do in this direction? Well, starting off by incorporating certain precautions with respect to the handling of heavy construction equipment would be good.

Cranes- An Indispensible Part of the Construction Industry

It is a widely known and accepted fact that heavy equipment is an indispensible part of the construction industry, without which the industry would cease to exist. And cranes are one of the most important equipment in the arena of construction. Used as a means of carrying load from one place to another, cranes prove to be a great alternative, getting the entire job done faster and more efficiently as compared to manual means. Not only does it save a lot of time, but also reduces physical labor by a considerable extent.

What Can You Do To Remain Safe While Operating Cranes?

As in the case of any other heavy construction equipment, cranes too are susceptible to be the cause of potential hazards when not handled carefully. However, certain precautions can always help in the reduction of the rate of mishaps if not altogether eliminate it.

  • You could begin by checking the different parts of the crane before it is put to use. Make sure that all the parts are in order now and then in order to avoid potential mishaps from the use of cranes with faulty parts.
  • Ensure that the load placed on the crane is proportional to its capacity. Not only is this important for the optimum performance of the crane but is also a way of steering clear of the danger zone by forcing the crane to bear more load than it can.
  • It is also prudent if crane operators work along with another co-operator so as to have a helping hand when in need. This way one of the partners can work as the signal system when in need. But ensure that the second person selected by you is well up to the job.
  • Those responsible for the smooth operation at construction sites must make sure that they hire operators who are sufficiently skilled and have proper training in the field. It would also be best if they are also well aware of all the safety precautions.
  • Double checking the loads before starting your day with the crane is another precaution that you could consider.
  • And last but not the least- be absolutely alert when operating with the crane. Ensure that any kind of damage or glitch is reported immediately and sorted out. This is one simple measure that could save a lot of damage with respect to cranes at construction sites.

As it has always been said that “prevention is better than cure”- the same holds true for the operation of cranes. It is best if you are alert and practice certain precautionary measures instead of waking up to damage control after the mishap.

What is the use of heavy construction equipment on a pipeline?

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Heavy construction equipments are widely used all over the world, because of the huge revolution going on in the construction industry. From buildings to bridges, from overpasses to constructions of new roads and highways, the heavy construction equipment are inevitable in most of the industries. This is because, without the help of the construction equipment, the construction works would not be possible. Carrying the huge pillars, columns and filling the structures with the construction material, all would take a lot of time without the use of the construction equipment.

Building the pipeline:

There are many varieties of construction equipment that are very essential for building a new township or to repair the old systems. Many times, the most difficult task becomes the making of the pipelines. A pipeline construction involves many heavy construction equipment.  Not only this, the pipeline building may also involve the use of more complex construction equipment like side booms and pipe layers.

Placing the pipeline:

Building a pipeline is a hectic work indeed, but it has the option of a restricted area. The pipeline is constructed inside a work shop and may not require too many people or too much of time. But placing the pipeline is more important and involves the help and usage of too many heavy construction equipment. The first and foremost task for placing a pipeline in the required area is to dig the land. For this, a plow and a trencher are required. This makes the task of digging the area very easy and fast. The entire task that took so much of time by using the man power will be reduced by using the construction equipment. The digger or the excavator works faster and more efficiently. The backhoe loader does the task of carrying the waste and the debris to another location and thus reduces the task of the human resources once again. Not only this, it will also help the work go smoothly, as the area will be clean and ready to go for further works. Excavator also helps in digging up heavier debris like rocks and other materials. As the principle of work is based on hydraulic technology, it is very easy for these equipments to work better and without any difficulty. The next task is to place the pipeline into the dug cannel and then pouring the mixture of construction materials. This is also done by the hydraulic machines that fill the area without any manual help, all with the help of construction equipment.

So, it is better to use construction equipment, if you want to place the pipelines in any area. It is easy and convenient.

Why does my heavy equipment lose oil pressure?

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It has been seen that many construction houses do not pay much heed to the maintenance of their machines. Though heavy equipment are meant for rough uses but that does not mean that they should never be maintained and since it is left unmaintained, it develop complications which then require the help of sound technicians or mechanics who charge good sum of money to get it fixed. One of the major problems of not maintaining the heavy equipment is it losing oil pressure at frequent intervals. Other than this, another major issue is cold weather. Well, nothing much can be done if the weather is really chilled but that does not mean that one has to sit doing nothing. Cold weather does not bring a “no business” tag along with it. There are always ways and means that one can take to avoid a situation where the engine of the heavy equipment is simply not willing to start and you are at the mercy of the ineffectual thing.

We would be taking in details as to why heavy equipment loses pressure and what can be done to fix the problem.

In extreme weather (especially cold weather when the temperature is below 0 degree Celsius), the engine oil gets thickened, due to which it fails to build the oil pressure quickly. Similarly, if the equipment is already in working mode, the pressure may suddenly fall and the engine will stop responding. The thickness of the engine oil may also cause the system to go sidestep resulting to the same problem. Other than the problem of cold chilled weather, improper maintenance of the machine is another issue that can cause to similar issues.

In case, if this problem recurs to happen, then it will have direct impact on the quality of the engine. It may damage the engine that includes engine oil pump, crankshaft bearings and camshaft bearings (tin overlay), bearings of engine timing and many other things. The damage can be to several minute instruments all around that constitutes the engine of the machine.

Solution to the problem

The best possible solution will be to change the engine oil and filter when one experiences this issue. The person can put in multi-viscosity oil like 5W-30 or can even install a low wattage engine oil pan heater that will take care of the problem. There is another way to check if the oil thickness is up to the mark or has that degraded. One can test the oil viscosity by doing a lube oil testing. In the testing, if the lube oil shows that the viscosity is at 40 degree Celsius and 100 degree Celsius then, it indicates that the oil has degraded. The soot loading, oxidation and sulphur will all read as high.

Ideally, the soot loading is one of the major reasons for the increase in thickness in the oil. It also increases the oxidation level in the oil which becomes the reason for the thickness in the oil. Sulphur generation can happen due to not changing the engine oil at regular intervals. If we combine all these problems, it leads to increase in viscosity in the oil and the solution would be to change the engine oil and the filter.

 

Getting good training can help you become an able heavy equipment operator

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The economists are finding the US economy coming out of the stagnant mode and are hoping that the situation which was for so long grim will soon to change. There will be employment in various sectors and one of the sector that will act as cream on the cake will be the construction sector. When the economy goes up, more and more industry comes in, which means there will be ample requirement to build industries, offices, residences etc. In a nutshell, what many major construction companies can foresee is that it is now their time. In other words, they also would need good number of manpower and not just any manpower but fully competent and able manpower. This demand gives way to ample of opportunities for people who want to make a career in construction industry, be it sales and marketing of heavy equipment, or just becoming a heavy equipment operator.

When we talk about an able heavy equipment operator, there are few things that one needs to understand before they see a career in it. We would be discussing in length about those points.

Knowing a bit about heavy equipment:-

When we talk about becoming a heavy equipment operator, it is definitely not a cake walk that anybody can easily become one. People who have absolutely no interest in heavy equipment or do not have any knowledge may find it difficult to become an operator. A heavy equipment operator’s duties are not only limited to keep the machine function during working hours but they also have to ensure that they know a little about the intricacies of the machine which may come handy if the machine breaks out in the middle of nowhere. A person with no interest may not do anything extra to know about the equipment and will wait for the mechanic to come and fix the problem. This will only result in loss of work till the time the machine does not get fixed.

Getting admitted in a reputed institution:-

Passing out from a reputed institution will help the individual to hone his skill and acquire a job in a big construction company. The applicant will have the opportunity to learn from teachers/professors who have seen the in and out of the heavy equipment industry and know which machine is required for what purpose. Getting training under such proficient teachers will in turn make them more competent operators. Moreover, such institutions have the facility to conduct job interviews in their campuses. Interviewers from construction or mining companies come to such institutions to pick the right candidate. It is thus the candidates will get early exposure in this profession which will help them a long way in establishing a promising career.

Coming in touch with veteran heavy equipment operators:-

A person gets to learn a lot from veteran heavy equipment operators. They are quite experienced when it comes to operating machines and it will be always better for a newbie to get trained under an experienced hand.

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Tips of cleaning a job site with the help of Skid Steer

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Choose a skid steer from a reputed rental company and read the safety tips in the operator’s guidebook to get information on how it is operated. It is a heavy machine which can turn at a swiftly, tips over effortlessly and changes direction suddenly. Here the tips to get started with the skid steer

Learn to control the machine-Skid steer loaders are controlled by two steering handles, each one situated on each side arm where the machine rests. These steering handles contain the control buttons for accessories, situated on the tops like triggers on the machine’s forward part. Usually there is a figure which gives details about the console beside each attachment.

Bring the machine on the job site- In order to get rid of the dirt, debris and other inert materials fetch it on the job site.

Find out the location of the controls which starts the machine-The start or ignition is normally functioned by a key having similarities with that of a car. There are some skid steers that have a button for starting up, and the latest and innovative machines have a key pad for punching in a code and start the engine.

Look for the throttle handle-A throttle handle is a flat bar made up of metal. It has a rubber grip on top of the console extending to the right side of the right arm resting with a hole for sliding in forward and backward direction.

Undo the control switches and buttons-Many skid steer s have a lock system attached in the machine. It also consists of the control switches near the mechanism panel which enables lock symbols situated under them, and a lot of time it is found it has a red lamp operating as soon as the switch is put off, however the lamp turns to green color when the switch is put on. You will have to control the power switch to put on to start the machine to operate. This could be done by fastening the seat belt or turn over a switch.

Shift the bucket or front part up off the land- It means dragging one of the control levers, in, toward the middle of the device, for example, you will bend the stick in the left hand side towards the right hand side, and this is generally the stick that lifts up and lowers the machine bucket. Owing to these joysticks which perform numerous functions, be cautious not to move about the joysticks obliquely; instead try to move it straight in the right direction or the left.

Lift up the attachment far above the ground to find a clear sight of what is in front of you, bring it down; lift it again, to experience its movement- If the machine’s left stick lifts up the bucket, then the stick at the right will alter its position. By bending the lever at the right to the left, you will lift the front side of the machine’s bucket in a scooping movement, and by moving to the right hand side with the help of the right stick, you will unload it. Lift and bring down the bucket, scoop and dump it, and you will feel the movement.

Drive slowly in front putting on the control sticks. The engine will go forward, and if the throttle is not operating, and you progress both sticks slowly and at the same pace, you will be able to move it effortlessly without delay. While you drag back on the control levers, you will back up, and have less view about what is happening behind.

Move about the joysticks separately Pushing merely the right stick will turn the machine to the direction in the left. Driving on the left side lever will manoeuvre the machine right.

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Check out the following tips before buying heavy equipment

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Now a day, construction companies have made an amazing reputation in the whole world. Due to its several facilities and benefits, it has managed to gain people’s attention. If you want to run a construction business successfully, then you have to buy the best heavy equipment in the market. Heavy equipment is the most important part of construction companies that help your workers to work properly in the site and take your business to the next level. Without the best heavy equipment you cannot maintain your construction works. Thereby, you need to very attentive to choose the heavy equipment and buy it from the real place. Buying heavy equipment is like buying a new car. You have to be very careful about it because you are going to spend lot of money in it. However, you shouldn’t get worried over this.  There are some tips that can help you to choose perfect equipment for your site.

Follow the tips below to find out the best heavy equipment-

  • Well, at first you need to search very well to find out the right equipment that can serve your purpose. There are many websites available on the internet that offers heavy equipment. You can definitely search such websites in order to get the right one. Companies that are dealing with such equipment always listed their items on their websites. You can search on the websites by equipment name, type, model and you will certainly get what you need. It is important to compare the equipment with each other to find out the best one.
  • Well, before buying the equipment you need to know its operating hours, work ability and other conditions. There are some concerns that you should know about the equipment. For example, an old but well maintained excavator can be operated for very few hours while the new model can offer you great services with more operating hours. But when you have to choose between the two of them you should go with the old machine.
  • The most important point is the manufacturer. Before going to buy the machine, you should definitely check its manufacturer properly. People believe in brands and also have soft corner for brand items. Whether it is about clothes or heavy equipment, they like to go with the name. Well, it is true that brand materials come with good quality and you can trust it blindly. You just need to pay little more to get a brand item for your construction site. There are many brands available in the market that offers heavy equipment with guarantee. But, sometime, you can also go with the lessen-known and less expensive brands. You can get what you want from such sites also.

These are the few tips that you should definitely check before buying the equipment. It will help you to select the best heavy equipment for your site.

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Preventing Construction Site Accidents Is Now Easy With Heavy Equipment Back-Up Cameras

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The construction area and the use of heavy equipment has somewhat become synonymous to each other. One cannot really think of being involved in the construction arena and not work with heavy equipment. And working with heavy equipment has been found to be directly proportional to the hazards on more than one occasion. It is to prevent such mishaps from occurring that the people in the construction arena have come up with a number of safety devices. And one such safety device that has turned out to be somewhat indispensible is the use of the back-up camera.

The Heavy Equipment Back Up Camera

Manoeuvring heavy equipment without damaging it or causing damage to those present in the vicinity is not really an easy thing to do. Unwanted accidents and mishaps can take place anytime. For instance, there is every chance that a concrete truck backing up will hit somebody or the other in its vicinity and cause a whole lot of damage. The heavy equipment back up camera can prevent a lot of such unwanted accidents and more.

How Can Construction Sits Make Use Of The Heavy Equipment Back Up Cameras?

The back-up camera has become an indispensible part of the heavy equipment at construction sites. Not only does the entire set up proves to be a great measure as far as safety is concerned, it also plays a crucial role in certain other operations as well.

  • The blind spots are supposed to be the most susceptible areas for accidents. The back up camera installations has been found to be pretty useful when it comes to the prevention of these accidents.
  • The back-up camera proves to be of great help when it comes to safety purposes. They are elemental when it comes to the prevention of injuries and saving lives from unwanted mishaps.
  • The back-up camera system also proves to be a great option for the economy of the construction company. By preventing accidents and mishaps, they do save a lot of money that would have otherwise gone into meeting insurance claims, repairing damaged vehicles and other such damage control measures.
  • The safety aspects apart, back up cameras prove to be great tools when it is working with precision in question. For instance, they can be put to use for getting a perfect view of the digging area by attaching the entire mechanism on a dipper stick with an excavator.
  • The back-up camera system is also put to use in case of demolition applications. Its use gives the operator a wider view of the area that needs to be turned down.
  • The heavy equipment back up cameras has proven to be quite an important tool in the arena of miming as well what with its contribution to prevention of flat tires on the mining site.

Not only for the purpose of safety, the heavy equipment back up camera has fast proving itself to be an indispensible tool when it comes to other areas as well.

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Know the Trade before You Buy a Heavy Equipment

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As a professional in the heavy equipment industry it is best to own your equipment. There is no better feeling than being the boss of your own business. In this way you will be answerable only to yourself and you will be able work on your own terms. Therefore, a lot of people try to have possession of their own equipment which they operate in the field. However, operating heavy equipment is one thing and owning and operating is another. There are a lot of aspects that are to be kept in mind in this regard. To begin with, a formal training in the specific field can be extremely crucial if not mandatory.

People with experience in the industry of business are best suited to start off with their own business in the same industry. The following is a description of some of the most important things that are to be considered so that you can have a successful ownership of a construction business. They are as follows:

If you want to own a construction vehicle and drive it you will need a CDL. It is the abbreviated form of commercial driver’s license. This is a legal obligation that that all drivers must abide by when it comes to driving vehicles in the heavy equipment department of the construction industry. Even if you do not drive the vehicle, the person put in charge would have to hold such license and you might be held

To start off, it would be a better idea to start with projects that are easier to manage. In this way, the heavy machine vehicle would not be over used and the over exhaustion of the engine can be avoided. Also, this practice at the initial stage would let you make your investments in a wider range of the construction equipment.

The storage of the equipment is a very important matter. Before you decide on investing on equipment it is important that you make sure that you have a place to store it. In case you do not have one you would need to go for leasing a warehouse large enough to store the equipment.

If you have already acquired your equipment and looking to start off with a business you should look around and call the local contractors of construction to know more about the similar kinds of business. In this way you will know if there is a demand for such work in the local market where you can render your business.

However, before stepping into the professional front it would be quite important for you to make sure that you get your skills hones. With the development of newer technologies, the equipment change as well. Therefore, it would be very important for you to get your employees updated with their training and skills. If you want formal training in the field of heavy equipment operation, you can enroll with a good school dedicated to such education. One of the finest schools that you consider in this regard is the Heavy Construction Academy.

 

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Why Should You Buy Trenching Equipment?

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With the introduction of trenching equipment in the residential and commercial sectors, it soon became the backbone of the construction crew. The trenchers are a versatile machine which serves a lot of purpose in the construction area. The purchasing of trenches will definitely assist you in carrying out a number of tasks easily and quickly if you buy the equipment from a genuine company. To know the applications of the trenching equipment and its major manufacturing companies, you have to go through the following article.

Uses of Trenching Equipment

The trenching equipment are mainly used to excavate trenches. This excavation is mainly done where laying out of the pipes or cables are necessary and sometimes also for the installation of drainage. The trenchers vary in size from one to the other. This size ranges from traditional models to latest models with a tractor or skid loader attached to it. The trenching machines are used to protect the groundwater and to purify the water which is undoubtedly a very important task in the constructional field. Cable trenching by using the trenching equipment is time-sensitive and cost effective. Moreover, it protects the cable wire from every kind of damage. The equipment is productive and is user-friendly, but before buying you should find out the main trencher manufacturing companies so as to ensure its long life span.

Vermeer Company, Marais, Digga and Ditch Witch are some of the renowned companies where you can knock to buy trenching equipment. Four types of trenchers- Portable trencher, Micro Trencher, Wheel Trencher, Chain Trencher are available in the market.

Different types of trenchers

  • Portable Trencher: – It is small-sized which is mainly used by the lawn care experts and the landscapers to install pipelines for irrigation and to create border on the landscape.
  • Micro Trencher: – It is mainly used in urban sides for the maintenance of the structure of the road without causing any kind of damage to the road. In some cases, these equipment is controlled through a radio. It is also known as ‘rockwheel’ which consists of a cutting wheel that is used to make a small trench.
  • Wheel Trencher: – The equipment consists of a toothed wheel made of metal. It is economic and does not involve much cash in its operation and maintenance. It can work both on soft as well as on hard soil.
  • Chain Trencher: – It looks like a huge chainsaw. These kinds of trenchers are more useful when the matter to cut strong ground comes where excavator fails. It is used in rural areas to dig big trenches for drainage, telecommunication, water, sanitation, electricity, gas and the like. To use such trenches is beneficial also because of the fact that it has almost no environmental effect upon him.

 

 

To choose the right one, first you have to decide the type of work you are supposed to accomplish. Smaller work behind trenchers are flexible ad is capable to carry almost all the tasks at the site; whereas the main downside of the huge trenchers is transportation ad causing more devastation to your beautiful green lawn or the construction site.

 

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Get To Know the Articulated Dump Truck- The Past and the Present

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Have you ever tried swimming without ever getting wet? Or have you tried riding a bicycle without falling down even once? Well, the obvious answer to all these questions is a resounding no. In a similar manner, it is not possible to be a part of the construction site and not getting involved with heavy construction equipment that form an integral part of the entire business. And the articulated dump truck is one of those heavy equipment that have become an indispensible part of the entire construction arena.

Articulated Dump Trucks- Then and Now

The construction arena had not taken the advent of the articulated dump truck very kindly half a decade back. Though it was and is quite a useful earth moving equipment, those in charge of the construction organisation just couldn’t see enough uses of it.

The need for a new kind of machine arose when the articulated hauler was no longer found to be capable of negotiating terrains of all kind. Thus, emerged the articulated dump truck, which was to change the outlook of the construction arena forever. The first articulated dump trucks were designed to reposition the main drive axle at the rear end of the tractor so as to provide maximal traction. The machine had levers operated by means of hydraulics in place of steering wheels. All of these features combined by the fact that the two parts of the equipment were joined together to form a unit proved to be favourable for the construction arena.

The advancement in the field of technology has brought about quite a change in the entire equipment to produce a machine that is powerful, versatile and easy to operate. Equipped with manual and automated shifts and “all-wheel drive” features, the articulated dump truck as we know today has the capability of getting around all kinds of terrains. Not only in terms of lever and machinery, the modern articulated dump truck also comes equipped with side dumps, standard dumps, scarper beds and the like to cater to the different earth moving requirements at construction sites.

Articulated Dump Trucks at Construction Sites- The Benefits

The advent of the articulated dump truck has been successful in completely revolutionising the way in which earth moving was viewed in the construction industry. The number of benefits that this one equipment comes loaded with should be enough for any construction organization authority to go for it.

  • As opposed to the conventional trucks used at construction sites, the articulated dump truck has the ability to manoeuvre through tight corners and rough terrains. This means that earth moving is now possible on every type of surface imaginable.
  • The tires of the articulated dump truck also have been designed in such a way so as to be absolutely compatible to all types of terrains. This means that the center of gravity and sideways stability is completely balanced with the design of the rear end and the width of the tire.
  • Since they can operate on such a versatile mode, construction site owners can be assured of increased job adeptness.

Hence, one could conclude that the articulated dump truck has come along a long way from the traditional designs, thus, making it an indispensible part of the construction industry.

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