Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

One of the many off-shoots of the construction industry is the road construction industry. Roads- one of the most important instruments of connectivity to be discovered till date. Roads have occupied a pride of place from times immemorial and the presence of good roads has become an integral part of every little regular activity of our lives. And the road construction industry, without a doubt plays a pivotal role in the whole affair.

Compaction Rollers- What Are They? How Is It Used?

Compaction can be said to be one of the most crucial aspect in the entire affair of road construction- the quality of the road that is being constructed depends on how well it has been compacted. Hence, without a doubt, compaction rollers forms an important part of the whole compaction thing.

Before anything else, let us consider the purpose of compaction rollers. As is evident from its christening, compaction rollers are used for the purpose of giving the soil a compact form during the road construction. The compaction roller basically consists of a bulky drum like unit which makes for majority of the compression force, a “propulsion engine” and wheels to set the whole thing in motion.

Now the question that needs addressing is how does the entire procedure work? First of all, the “pad foot drum rollers” are used for the compaction of the substrate initially. Next in line comes the “single smooth drum compactor”, which is used for leveling out the bumps and mounds on the soil, thereby, compacting the soil. And finally, the asphalt is laid on the road, with the help of pavers.

Ensure Your Safety

Compaction rollers are an important part of the road construction- granted. But it has to be kept in mind that like all other construction equipments, it is not hazard free. There are certain precautions that one needs to take before handling the compaction roller.

• For starters, it is important to assess how much      space you have. It often so happens that during the construction of a      road, there isn’t much space to allow vehicles to pass through. In such      cases, rollers may become the reason of a mishap. Diverting the traffic of      the area is the best alternative that you can come up with at this time.

• Like all other heavy construction equipment, it is      mandatory to have proper maintenance facilities for compaction rollers.      The roller must be tended to periodically for its smooth operation. It is      often seen that the rollers release exhaust fumes as a result of poor maintenance,      thus posing potential hazard to the environment, the workers and other      people. One could easily avoid this by providing proper maintenance      facilities to the roller.

• Apart from vehicle drivers, pedestrians also need to      be cautious of the possible hazards arising out of compaction rollers. If      possible, they should be advised against going down that road by diverting      them to another safer route.

Compaction rollers, no doubt form an important part of the road construction arena, provided they are used with a certain amount of precaution.