Tag Archives: cranes

Know all about heavy construction equipment – types available and how you should choose the right one!

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Heavy construction equipment is one of the most important elements in today’s world, where there is a continuous growth of the construction industry and new constructions are taking place every day. That is the reason, why the heavy construction equipment supplying job has become such a popular one in the industry. If you too are thinking of starting such a business, it is important that you know all about this.

Types of heavy construction equipment:

Many people do not know much about the different types of heavy construction equipment that are available in the market. These are used for various purposes. Some are used to assist in the construction and some are used indirectly in carrying, loading and unloading raw materials.

Some of the common heavy construction equipment that you will often get to see at a construction site, on the roads etc. includes –

  • Cranes
  • Backhoe
  • Loaders
  • Excavators
  • Forklifts
  • Bulldozers
  • Concrete mixers.

These are just a few of the many that you will frequently get to watch. However, there are many others that are not used as widely, but are meant for job-specific tasks. These are usually used during earthquake damage, storm damage and such other damage cleaning.

How can you access one?

The heavy construction equipment is not very cheap. There is no denying the fact that you will have to spend a lump sum amount of money, if you want to own one. Hence, it is always a better idea that you hire them, instead of owning them. This way, you will be able to access the ones that you would require for a particular task and you will not even have to spend a huge amount of money to own them and take care of them.

But of course, the heavy construction equipment is something that not everyone and anyone would require. It is mostly required by the construction industry companies and services. So, if you own such a company, it is always advised that you choose one that you can own, rather than hire it. This is because, hiring it every time will only cause you to pay more.

Choosing the right heavy equipment:

Once you have decided, whether you want to buy one or hire one, you need to check out a number of factors. These would include –

  • Brand: The right brand is very important. With a branded company, you will be able to have the peace of mind regarding its function and life.
  • Condition: In case you are buying used heavy equipment, make sure it is in a good condition.
  • Papers: The papers of the used heavy equipment must be proper, otherwise you will not get a permit and insurance, if you wish to have one.

If you take these factors into consideration, it will be easier for you to make a choice. In case you are still confused, always consult a skilled professional, who has years of experience in this field or a dealer of heavy equipment. They will be able to guide you properly.

Kind of heavy equipment to build a housing lot

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Building houses has always been a thriving business and construction companies have made enough wealth being in this business for years. Even the newcomers are getting enough work and thereby not have to go through a lot of hardships. All that they need is some good heavy equipment and a bunch of able and competent workers who knows to build houses. When you are building a housing lot you need to deploy different types of heavy equipment for digging foundation, for breaking existing structures and to clear land. You can’t make use of 1 heavy equipment for all kinds of work and at the same time you need more machines if the construction area is huge. To build houses in massive lot, you need earth moving heavy machineries like excavators, loaders, bulldozers, backhoe crawler loader, trenchers etc. The utility of these machines is basically to move huge pile of soil that has been dug and load it in a truck. The truck will then ferry the soil in a dump yard.

The utility of an excavator is immensely felt in constructing a housing lot. It is multi-purpose heavy equipment which can be used for array of construction activities such as digging trenches and holes for laying foundation, demolition of existing structure, forestry work, general landscaping etc. It is one of the most common types of heavy equipment that you will find in a jobsite. This is followed by a loader which is primarily used to load materials like construction debris, asphalt, raw materials, logs, dirt etc.

Then we move to the construction vehicles which involve Dumpers, Tankers, Trailers, etc. These heavy equipment are used for various types of work. Right from ferrying the soil from the jobsite to the dump yard to spraying water on the jobsite using a truck, these heavy equipment are used for many such purposes. They have not have a direct relation in house building but still plays an active role. Without these heavy equipment it will be really difficult for the construction laborers to perform their duties. When we are talking about a huge housing plot, one can just imagine the amount of dirt that gets accumulated on the jobsite and to get that cleared off you need the help of a dumper, or a truck.

Then comes the material handling equipment which mostly consists machines like Cranes, Conveyors, and Forklifts. The cranes are used to move heavy slabs and place it on the top. Cranes are required when you are constructing high end towers. They are also used to lift heavy machines which get s stuck for some reason. It is therefore basically used to lift and ferry a heavy item which can’t move on its own from place to another. Conveyors are used to move heavy and bulky materials from one place to another. It is quite common is many construction sites as they all involve moving of heavy material items from one place to another.

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How are tower cranes put together

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Construction sector is all about heavy equipment and working with technology. You always need to make use of technology to put things straight and get your work done. In case of building high rise, it is quite a challenge for the companies and the challenges come in many ways and many forms. Setting up a tower crane is one such challenge that construction companies experience when they are dealing with tall rises. It also becomes a challenge when they do not have efficient men doing the job or people who do not know how to do it the right way. Let us first understand the utility of a tower crane and why it is so important to have them in a construction site. When you are dealing with tall buildings, it is not possible to carry stuffs like steel, concrete, tool and other building materials to that height by any human. You therefore need the work to be done using a tower crane which has the ability to pick those heavy items right up where it is needed.

Now let us understand what a tower crane is made of. The bottom of the crane is attached to a large concrete pad which is used to give adequate support to the crane. The bottom is then connected to the mast. The mast is the stuff that gives the appropriate height to the crane. Now on the top of the mast, you will find the slewing unit attached to it which helps the crane to rotate. There are many other things attached to the slewing unit such as a boom, the machinery arm and the counterweights. You have a long horizontal jib (projecting arm of a crane) on the top of the slewing unit. This part of the crane carries the load and maneuvers with the help of a trolley that runs along the jib.

We also have a shorter horizontal arm which is used to contain heavy items like large concrete counterweights. The winch motor that plays an instrumental role in lifting the weight lies in the machinery arm. Now we move to something important. In order to erect a tower crane, the crew needs to first assemble a 40-foot mast that contains a slewing gear and 2 vertical mast sections. Once that is done the next thing that needs to be assembled is the jib and the machinery section. The horizontal members and then placed on the assembled mast sections with the help of a mobile crane. Once that is done the counterweights are added. For the crane to grow, it must be done one mast section at a time. A top climber is used by the crew that fits easily between the top of the mast and the slewing unit.

In order to balance the counterweight, the crew has to hang a weight on the jib. Once that is done, the slewing unit is detached from the top of the mast. This results in the hydraulic ramming the top climber and pushes the slewing unit by 20 feet. This gap of 20 foot is then occupied by a 20-foot mast. This is how the height of the crane increases.

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