Tag Archives: heavy construction equipment

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.

Why heavy construction equipment is always vulnerable to theft!

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Heavy construction equipment is one of those inventions of the human beings that have made work easier and lesser. Regardless of how difficult or time consuming the work may be, the heavy construction equipment always makes it absolutely easy to complete the job –

  • Efficiently
  • Faster
  • Better.

Besides, the role of the heavy construction equipment is quite versatile. One single machine can perform a number of works. They can cut, excavate, load and carry. No type of heavy work, construction work or job specific work is difficult, if you have these.

However, the heavy construction equipment has a problem and that is the problem of theft. You will often hear the heavy construction equipment being stolen. There are many reasons, why this actually happens.

  • Expensive price:

 

The first reason, why the heavy construction equipment gets stolen so frequently is its price. The price of the equipment is extremely high. Not only the equipment, but also the parts of the equipment are very expensive. Therefore, the thieves are always in the trial of stealing the equipment and its parts.

  • Demand:

 

Despite the price of the heavy construction equipment being so high, the demand is never disturbed. Due to the high price and the constant demand, stealing is an activity that the dishonest businessmen indulge in. They steal the equipment and sell it for half the market price. However, it must be kept in mind that these stolen heavy construction equipment or machines do not come with valid papers and without this; you will neither get its license nor the permit to operate it.

  • Little chance of detection:

 

Why the stealers of the heavy construction equipment prefer stealing these machines, tools and equipment is because of the very little chance of these getting detected. The lesser is the chance of detection, the easier it is to steal.

  • Lack of surveillance:

 

In a jobsite, where there is the need or use of the heavy construction equipment, there is very little to no surveillance that makes it easier for the thieves to steal these. What is even easier is that the heavy construction equipment does not have a garage for parking them, once they have been stopped for the day of work. Lying open on the jobsite is an easy chance for the thieves to steal them.

  • Soft sentences for the thieves:

 

Even if the thieves are caught for stealing the heavy construction equipment, they get a very soft sentence for their deed.

These are the common reasons, why the chances of heavy construction equipment stealing are so high. Hence, if you own any of these heavy construction equipment, it is a must that you follow the anti-theft rules and regulations and make sure that your equipment does not stay vulnerable to stealing. It does not take a huge lot of money to prevent the equipment from stealing. But, if it is stolen, it can cost you huge and you might not be able to recover from the loss.

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What are different hybrid heavy construction equipment?

When we adopt different technologies to make a single product that has added features in it, we can call it a hybrid product. We have so many hybrid products around us. It is just that we do not call it by that name. When we add new features, we in one way or the other add new technologies so that it can support those features. In a nutshell, it is the culmination or absorption of more than technology into making of a product. In the construction business, we have a mixture of hybrid heavy construction equipments as well as the conventional ones. It is evident that the hybrid heavy construction equipment are slightly on the expensive side and therefore not many can afford to buy them. However, it has been observed that construction companies are slowly and steadily adopting hybrid heavy equipment into their arsenal and it will not take long for them to completely replace the conventional machines with the hybrid ones.

Heavy equipment that are a combination of new features is the blue-eyed candy of every construction company. Construction companies in today’s time want machines that not only deliver the work in time but also conserve energy. This means that by using hybrid machines, the construction companies will be saving a ton through means of less energy consumption with optimal productivity. Therefore hybrid construction equipment are also defined as machines that have the capacity to collect, store and release energy during times of production. The look of the machine also changes and they do not look like the conventional ones. They are been designed with a whole new approach and that what makes them distinctive from the rest. Right from excavator to a graders and backhoe loaders, you can get a whole range of heavy equipment in the hybrid form.

Komatsu HB215LC-1 hydraulic excavator:-

This particular machine employs regenerative braking to store the energy of a decelerating upper structure. It uses an electric swing motor which when is put out of power it works as a generator and helps the upper structure to stop. The conventional ones uses hydraulic swing and do not have electric motor swing. The Komatsu hybrid excavator is regenerative heavy equipment. The electricity produced is forwarded to a capacitor. The power is stored in the capacitor which can be later used to power the swing of the machine or can drive the machine’s generator.

CAT Hybrid heavy equipment:-

This piece of machine uses the regenerative braking to preserve energy hydraulically. Therefore, when the machine uses the hydraulic swing motor and when the swing lever is released, the machine begins to slow down the upper structure and the swing motor is ceased to be driven by the pump. In this case, the motor is driven by the machine’s swing inertia making it act as a pump.

Hybrid machines not only save energy but also reduces carbon footprint. This indeed helps the ecosystem from getting more polluted. Construction sector is known to be a major contributor in polluting our environment and with the inception of hybrid machines this problem can be definitely tackled.

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How to protect heavy construction equipment from theft?

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Heavy construction equipment and machines are one of the most important and essential parts of the construction projects. The jobs at a construction site are done way easily with the heavy construction equipment. It completes the construction task faster and more efficiently and that too for an affordable investment. Relying on manual labour only increases time consumption as well as expenses.

It is because of this that the heavy construction equipment is always in demand. However, the prices of these machines, tools and equipment are not very affordable. Hence, stealing the heavy construction equipment is a common practice all across the globe. Whenever there is a possibility or ignorance, the thieves steal the equipment. That is why, preventing the stealth as well as protecting the heavy construction equipment from any such damage is a must.

Here are a few steps that need to be followed.

  • National Equipment Register:

 

When the heavy construction equipment gets stolen, the police find it very difficult to track down as many of the vehicles are not properly registered. Also, there is a parallel business industry that deals in the stolen heavy construction equipment and hence, finding your heavy construction equipment might be difficult. That is why, in order to track down your stolen heavy construction equipment, registering it to the National Equipment Register is a must.

  • Do a verification of the workers:

 

More often than not, the workers are found guilty of either stealing or accomplishing in the theft of the heavy construction equipment. Hence, before you employ anyone, it is a must that you do a thorough background check of the workers. Sometimes, the thieves or the gangs send their members to be employed as your worker in order to find out how secure your heavy construction equipment is and what measures you take protect it. Finding the loopholes is way easier from within the team.

  • Keep the garage or construction site well-lit:

 

If you park you heavy construction equipment within the construction job site or somewhere else in the parking lots, it is a must that you have the place well-lit. This is a very useful step that will help you to monitor the site at all times through close circuit cameras. It is also a great idea that you keep the heavy construction equipment blocked on all sides by other vehicles, so that there is no easy escape.

  • Using Security Systems:

 

Chaining or locking the heavy construction equipment is not always a solution as the thieves can spend hours or even bribe the security personnel and cut down the chains, if there is enough time. In case there is no other security system such as the CCTV camera or enough lights or even an advanced alarming system that will notify you in case of any intrusion, chains and locks would not be able to do the job for you.

  • Insurance:

 

Insurance is a safety protection that will help you to overcome the losses in case of any theft of the heavy construction equipment. Hence, always have it insured, so that you do not have to bear the damage at all.

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5 tips to prevent the heavy construction equipment from being stolen

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Theft is a common problem, when it comes to the heavy construction equipment. These are so expensive, so much in demand and so easy to steal that the thieves frequently make a target of the equipment at a jobsite. Despite the fact that these machines and equipment are so huge, stealing them is not a problem because of the lack of anti-theft or theft-prevention measures that the owners take.

Here are a few tips that will help you to prevent the chances of theft and make it easier to find, if at all it is stolen.

  • Indicate the parts and label them:

 

It is very important that you add an indicator and make a note of all the parts and machines of the heavy construction equipment. There are indicating stickers and labels that can help you in doing so. However, it is quite easy to remove these indicators and sell the parts in the black market.

Hence, it is a better idea that you use an inscription to indicate every part of the equipment and have a note of these parts. This will not only help you to keep a track of the different parts of the equipment, but also, in case there is a theft, it will make it easier for the investigators to have a note of the part that is missing. Even after finding it, identifying it becomes a lot easier.

  • Use apps to monitor all activities:

 

There are anti-theft apps that can be installed to your system and it becomes easy to control and monitor, whether the equipment is being stolen or not.

  • Area surveillance:

 

Most of the heavy construction equipment thefts have taken place because of the lack of surveillance in any part of the jobsite. There is less CCTV surveillance than needed and even the lights are turned off making it easier for the thieves to steal.

In any jobsite, where there is the use of heavy construction equipment and if they are parked at the jobsite, it is a must that you install motion sensors. This will help you to detect any activity and movement that is caused to move the equipment from there. There must also be enough light towers that will help you to keep a notice of the equipment.

  • Parking the heavy construction equipment:

 

This is something that not every heavy construction equipment owner keeps in mind. When you park the equipment or the vehicle after a day at work, you need to park it one after the other, in a queue, so that it is not possible to remove any one of the vehicles or machines or equipment, without removing the other.

If you follow these simple and yet useful tips, it will be absolutely easy to keep a track of all of your vehicles. You will be able to prevent any chance of theft. However, thefts can be very expensive and to make sure it does not lead to financial loss, you need to have the heavy construction equipment insured.

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Field maintenance on your heavy construction equipment

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People belonging to the construction industry are often with a belief that there is nothing certain in their job and which is why they always need to have a Plan B to manage stuffs if they go wrong. Well, in our lives as well we need to have an alternative just in case things do not work as we have planned it to be. Heavy equipment that is one of the most important component in the steady completion of the project needs to perform at all times. The construction company can’t afford to keep the machine idle for a single day. The machine can only remain idle when its part is over but when you need it work, it has to work. This is why the maintenance part of the construction equipment is very crucial. One always needs to ensure that the machine is well maintained and it does not suffer any flaws.

Field maintenance of your heavy construction equipment is one such way to avoid untimely break downs and it helps to keep the machine in working condition for a long time. So what do we understand by field maintenance. Field maintenance means that one the construction equipment have to be checked on the ground while it is there on the jobsite. So the responsibility of the person concerned is to check if the machine is in order. The operator on the other hand should mention about any issues that he experience during working on the machine. He should report the problem to the supervisor or the person in charge of the maintenance work so that the problem can be resolved then and there. One has to understand the seriousness of the issue and the monetary loss it can have on the business if the machine is not working for a single day and therefore steps have to be taken in advance to avoid a situation where the machine gives it up.

Keep a record of maintenance:-

The mechanic who is responsible to keep the heavy equipment in order should maintain a logbook where he will record the dates when the machine was last serviced. In case, there was any disruption that should be mentioned in the book and the nature of the issue should be noted down. This logbook can be then used for future reference and can prove to be helpful to the person who is working on the issue. Cleaning of the construction equipment is a must and that should be there on records. One needs to understand that the machines have to take the beating of the hostile weather and therefore it becomes a must for one to clean it quite often.

Lubricate the machine at all times:-

The construction equipment should be sufficiently lubricated at all times and therefore necessary lubricants should be available on the field so that if the machine starts developing issues due to lack of lubrication, it can be sorted out right away. Regular greasing and oiling the machine is a requirement that every construction machine has and one has to cater to this need.

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What are the proper operations for heavy construction equipment

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When it is about construction jobsite or work related to construction, we can easily consider heavy equipment to be the backbone of the industry. Different types of heavy equipment are required for the completion of daily activities in a construction jobsite and each heavy equipment has its own utility. In other words every other construction machine is unique in its own way and so the operation of every other machine is different from the rest. For instance, the work that a grader can do can possibly be done by no other machine and it is only grader type heavy equipment that can be used for grading purposes and so is an excavator can do excavation like no other machines can. The owner of heavy equipment takes a lot of things into consideration before he/she decides to buy it. The kinds of project for which he/she will need the machines, the duration for which he may require their services and things like that play a mighty role for the selection of heavy construction machineries.

Excavators:-

Industry experts believe that you can’t replace an excavator with any other machine when it is about excavating earth. No other heavy equipment can do the work as precisely as an excavator. Other than that there are many things that one needs to take into consideration before he begins with an excavation project. The pattern of the soil is perhaps the most important criteria that need to be considered apart from the weather in that area. One also needs to consider the risk that they may encounter while digging deep inside the earth. You may not want to slide in deep and then get stuck. That would be the most deadly thing that can ever happen to anyone. Moreover the different types of attachments that are used for digging purposes and are installed in the excavator can’t be possibly done with any other type of machine.

Graders:-

For construction companies that are into leveling grounds or making landscapes they can’t get anything better than a grader. It has a long blade in the front or in the middle of the machine which is primarily used to remove the unwanted mud from the earth’s surface and therefore level the ground. It is also extensively used in road construction and to remove snow from the roads. It is perhaps one of the best construction machines that is used for removing snow as it can collect lot of the stuff in its blade at one go.

Rollers:-

No road construction work can be completed without the use of rollers. It is perhaps this is why it is also known as road-rollers. It has a big drum at the front of the machine. The drum is used to level the ground during the construction of the road. It is quite a heavy thing and therefore can settle even the toughest of material.

There are many other heavy equipment which has its own specific utility and that can’t be replaced by any other machine.

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Construction Heavy Equipment

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Construction in this era is a booming sector and so are the sectors that are closely associated with it. For instance, the cement industry, steel industry and more importantly the heavy equipment industry also see themselves growing. Due to their close association with the construction industry, they have all been able to set their foot tight on the ground and are now making good money. The heavy equipment manufacturing industry is perhaps one of the most profitable industries as it is much believed that the entire construction sector depends largely on the heavy equipment industry and vice versa.

We will be talking about some crucial heavy equipment without which it is almost unimaginable for the construction sector to sustain.

Crawler Dozers:-

When we talk about moving loads of dirt, we can’t think of any machine other than a Crawler Dozer. They are big powerful machines that are meant for the purpose of carrying huge loads of dirt in the bucket that is positioned on the front of the equipment. The operator drags the bucket on the ground and the dirt gets absorbed in the bucket. It thus carries all the dirt and dumps it on a dump truck. These machines are used predominantly in a mining site or in a road construction site.

We can also see these machines in a jobsite that is working on a very big project where it has to cover a lot of ground and get the dirt out. The smaller version of this machine is also used as grading tractors. Al most every heavy equipment manufacturing company produced crawler dozers. So one has to check the specification and match it with his requirements to come to a decision on the brand he should be going for.

 Excavators:-

This is very common heavy equipment that one will come across on any construction of mining jobsite. Every construction project needs to dig the earth and for this they need machines no less than an excavator to do the job for them. There are various types of excavators available and each one with some superior features in it comes at a high cost. The new construction companies or small contractors often do not go for expensive excavators. They limit themselves with lower genre of machines or basically buy small version. It may not be as effective as the larger ones but is still doable.

Road rollers:-

No road work can be done without the use of road rollers. They are quite instrumental in giving a shape to the surface of the road. It easily presses the asphalt and other ingredients sprayed on the surface and give a good outcome. Road rollers have a huge drum located at the front of the machine and the operator simply rolls it on the surface thus making it smooth. Some rollers have a drum in the front and 2 heavy rollers at that rear of the machine thus giving good impact on the road. Overall, when it comes to road construction rollers are a must.

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Keeping your cards close to your heart is the thumb rule to success in the construction industry

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Every businessman has some or the other secrets that is the reason of his success in any industry. Especially in the construction industry, people need to be very shrewd about what they are telling to others. In no way they can utter a single line of their success mantra and people who write books claiming that they have written all the secrets to become successful in life are not so true. They may just give a glimpse of the entire mantra and elaborate it extensively to make it look like they have written everything in the book. However, that’s not the fact. A businessman would always want to keep his cards close to his chest and would hardly or never reveal his business secrets to anybody.

We would be discussing why one should not speak more about his achievements and the way he managed to attain success in public especially when he is dealing with men in the construction industry.

Your business model is unique:-

We all follow very distinctive business model and if it works we start reaping fruits. We add few things from it and deduct any unwanted elements which ultimately make it a model that many would like to follow. But the sad part of the story is that you can’t allow your business model to go public. Construction business is a highly competitive business and everybody wants to grow as quickly as they can. In this situation, if you make your model public and easily accessible to the general public, then there will be no stopping for people who will use your model and claim it to be theirs. You have only unnecessarily grown problems for yourself. Therefore, just keep the stuff with you without letting others have the slightest hint on what model you follow and how you work that you make such good profits.

Integrity is key:-

Integrity is a big business requirement and it is hard to get people who know what integrity is all about. It is absolutely important to hire the right set of people who understand the importance of honesty and integrity. People of strong character and principles should be the one you want them to be a part of your company. Once you are sure that you have found the right set of people on whom you can trust, you can share your business model with them and can work on it to take your business to new heights.

Avoid being a part of excessive limelight:-

We all like to become famous. But becoming famous at what cost would be an interesting question. It is fine to know people in your business circles and is also great being known to them. Having good connections always help you in your business but coming into excessive limelight can become a problem. Unknowingly, you may give people the chance to take undue advantage. Too much of anything is not good and definitely for your business.

 

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How does your heavy construction equipment handle the cold weather?

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Heavy construction equipment are usually tough machines and they are able to work under tremendous hostile weather conditions. But at times, especially during cold weathers, they come across a lot of complications that result in nonperformance of the equipment. Construction industry is a billion dollar industry and nonperformance of the heavy equipment for a single day means a lot to the industry. They may incur huge loss if the machines cease to work for a day or two. Therefore, it becomes very crucial to keep the machines in check throughout the year and when it is winter time, pay extra care to it.

We would be discussing as to what care an owner should take to protect its machine from cold weather and keep it working throughout the year.

Regular oiling to keep the machine lubricated:-

Heavy equipment majorly work in rough terrain and external dust particles are bound to enter the machine through various entry points. It may not be possible for anybody to keep a check on those entry points and fill them up so that the dust particles do not find a place to enter. Understanding the situation, it is imperative that the machine is kept lubricated all the time. This will not allow the dust particles to stay at the place for long and will easily slip away. Having said that, it is also important to clean the machine once or twice in every month. Apart from this, during cold weathers, the oil gets condensed and finds it difficult to flow inside the engine valve. In such a situation, regular changing of engine oil will help to keep the machine in good health. So, during winter, we may have to change the engine oil and also lubricate the machine more often than we used to do it in other seasons.

Ensure that the brakes are in order:-

Most of the times we pay a lot of attention to important things and skip stuffs that we believe are not so important. Same goes in the case of heavy equipment. We may give lot of importance to the maintenance and servicing part of the equipment but at times, we fail to check the brakes of the machines. According to experts, checking the brakes is the first thing to be done before you begin your work. Majority of accidents happen due to brakes not functioning properly and at the right time. It not only causes damage to the machine but may also become fatal to the workers working on the site. Checking if the brakes fluid is at the proper level should be considered as a priority. Only when you are sure that the brakes are in good condition that you should start your work.

Check if the electrical systems are in order:-

Checking the electrical system is also an important part to ensure that the machine is in good health. The battery should be fully charged and the connections should be proper. It should not happen that while you’re working with the equipment, you press the button and it cease to work. It may only lead you into trouble.

 

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