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Are you new in the construction industry and need to find out about heavy construction equipment? When it comes to the field of construction, all one can visualize are the tall buildings that are yet to take shape, raw materials such as bricks, gravel, mortar and the like and heavy construction equipment. Have you ever wondered how all those equipment work? How with their enormous mechanical build do they help in constructing those skyscrapers that makes you a proud resident of your city? Well then its time we try and answer some of the basic questions related to the operation of heavy equipment.

Among the many heavy equipments used in the constructing industry, the dump truck, excavator, motor grader, bulldozer and much more. The dump truck, or the more recent version of it, the Articulated Dump Truck (ADT), is perhaps the most resilient commercial heavy equipment automobile to be built in the construction industry. Distinguished from the semi trailer trucks, the Articulated Dump Truck has a permanently hooked cab, unlike the former, which has a divisible automobile. Ideal for running over rugged terrains, its uniqueness lies in the mode of its steering. The twin hydraulic rams veer the whole cab as opposed to the pinion and rack depending on the front axle. The articulated frame is detached from the cab with the help of an oscillating harness and it is this arrangement allows the entire machinery to move with ease as the body and cab can move independently of each other. The presence of a “moveable chassis” only adds to the positive features of the ADT.

The next heavy equipment on the block that one needs to know about is the excavator. As the name indicates, excavators are used to meet the purpose of shoveling materials that are used for construction purposes as debris, mortar, and other such stuff on a large scale. An excavator works on the simple working principle of “input force” exercised and “output force” expended. This heavy equipment has wheels made of steel or rubber resembling that of a war tank. The cab built of tough polymer is stationed over a pivot which allows it to rotate a full three sixty degrees, so that the operator cab observe things from every possible angle. Excavators have a single arm, the singular bend of which accounts for its movement through sweeping angles. This heavy construction equipment also has a container, meant for the purpose of excavation. It has to be kept in mind that the build of an excavator depends on the activity that it has to perform.

Noteworthy heavy equipment on the block is the dozer or more popularly known as bulldozer. Also known as the crawler tractor, the dozer makes use of a broad metal blade for moving soil, sand, bricks, mortar and other such stuff on a large scale. Apart from the extensive blade, dozers also make use of “rippers”, a claw like and lengthened device that is attached to the end of a dozer. They can consist of a single or multi shank that is used for “ripping” objects, such as rocks and other materials. Dozers have now been evolved to suit a variety of purposes. Significant developments include “drive trains”, “hydraulic cylinders” and “automated controls” amongst others. Dozers that come with “stump busters” are generally used for the purpose of clearing land.

The use of heavy construction equipment in the construction industry is one of paramount importance. Hence, it comes across as a wise decision to gather a working knowledge about how these equipments before working with them.