Tag Archives: heavy equipment

Adequate security for heavy equipment is of utter importance

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

For any construction company irrespective of its size, it is quite crucial to take adequate steps to ensure that the heavy equipment in the construction site are safe and secure. There are enough reports that you get to hear where machines have been stolen due to inadequate security. These machines are then sold in the grey market for a lesser price and you will also find enough buyers for it. Now the security of heavy equipment is the sole responsibility of its owner and that can’t be pushed on anybody else’s shoulder.

If you are running a big unit then you have people under you who are given the responsibility to ensure that the machine or their parts are in place and no trespasser can ever manage to sneak in without taking prior approval. These measures carry a lot of weight in today’s times when there are increasing incidents of thefts happening from the construction units. At times, the burglars are able to creep in and manage to take the entire heavy equipment but most of the time they content themselves with the vital parts of the machine.

Tight security can be one of an option:-

You have to guard the construction site with enough men who will be stationed at the entrance and in the exit (if the exit is different from the entrance). At times, there are more than one entrance points and hence you must make sure that you have the guards on all the entrance and exit points so that no one can sneak in and get out easily without being checked. Their primary work will be to check each and every person and their belongings when they get inside the site and also when they move out of it. You never know if an insider is also attached to one such gang and therefore you should leave no stone unturned to ensure that your site remains theft free.

Install cameras at all important junctions:-

You need to keep a round the clock watch on the construction site and it is not possible by manning humans where there are chances that they may feel fatigued and may take a short nap. This is why it is important that you install cameras at various junctions so that it tracks every move of people that works on the site. When you are installing cameras, please make sure that they are of superior picture quality so that if there is a theft that takes place in the site, it should not give a blurry picture of the burglar. Moreover, the guards stationed in the security cabin from where they can view the pictures should be extremely active and if they see anything wrong on the site they should immediately raise an alarm.

Drones can be used:-

Flying drones can be used for this purpose as well. The only challenge is that you can’t have them flying for the entire night and therefore measures should be taken to give rest to drones at regular intervals. In a nutshell, it should be in complete control of humans.

Construction Telehandlers work seamlessly in rugged construction sites

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Telehandlers are frequently used lifting machines, typically mounted on mobile chassis and equipped with a telescopic boom that provides different lifting heights depending on the requirement. Telehandlers are generally applied where normal forklifts cannot work. The opening end of a telehandler is mostly fitted with a with a pallet fork for lifting and transferring materials from ground to a height or from one place to another on a construction site. Some customized models of telehandlers may be designed to lift buckets or other similar attachments to carry liquid or semi-liquid materials.

Types of telehandlers

In the construction industry, “Rough Terrain Forklifts” are commonly called telehandlers. In fact, telehandlers are just one type of rough terrain forklifts. There are total three types of telehandlers are found:

  • General telehandlers – These are the telehandlers that are commonly used in any construction site that can comfortably move from one place to another and have a vast utility in lifting weights to a height. A high-reach telehandler can lift a weight up to a height of 50-56 ft. They can carry 5500-12000 lb. to that height. These days, many other attributes are added with a high-reach telehandler to increase its utility, like steering wheels that can tilt, roomy cab design for increasing operator’s efficiency, single joystick for multiple functions, all-wheel steering, etc. These telehandlers are used in adverse environments where construction works are going on.
  • Rotating telehandlers –These telehandlers are as efficient as general telehandlers but with an additional benefit that these telehandlers can rotate 360 degrees with lifted weight. That means a rotating telehandler can cover a wide area from a single position. This particular feature of rotating telehandler helps to work seamlessly where space is short or where too much movement is not possible. Some rotating telehandlers contain two joysticks instead of one. The second one controls the rotation only. Most models are available with stabilizers that ensure safe movement of the rotator from one side to another when the telehandler is fully loaded.
  • Straight mast forklifts – Apparently, they look like lift trucks but they are actually a different kind of telehandler with having features of a rotating telehandler and forklift. These machineries are mostly used in construction sites for loading and unloading building materials. Their standard lifting capacity varies from 5000 lb. to 35000lb and lifting capacity just like a general telehandler. Straight mast forklifts are available in two-wheel and four-wheel carriage.

Telehandler attachments

Telehandler attachments are also important and selected as per the work specifications. The standard carriages pallet forks, rotating carriages, etc. are available with the range of 48-72 inch length. Besides, heavy duty multipurpose buckets, grapple buckets, and truss boom are also used depending on the requirements.

Telehandler tires

Tires are one of the most vital parts in telehandlers. As the machine need to work in a rugged construction environment and used to lift and shift heavyweights, rim sizes, thread depths, widths, and diameters of the tires vary according to the average weight lifting capacities of the machines. Both pneumatic tires and polyurethane tires are used in telehandlers.

Buy Now on eBay [ebayfeedsforwordpress feed=”” items=”5″]

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

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.

Can’t think of landscaping business without a grader

Landscapes have become quite an important part of the construction business. It is seen as a different genre altogether and also a thriving one. This means that guys who are connected to this part of the business has more to gain if they know to do their work well. One of the most important heavy equipment that is needed to form a landscape is a grader. A grader is heavy equipment which has big long blades in the front and two other blades beneath the cabin and the third is beneath the engine of the machine and it is run on uneven land surface so that the soil can be eroded with the help of the blades which eventually gets accumulated inside the blade and then it is deposited in a dump truck. It is not mandatory for all grader to have all the 3 blades. For landscape work, only a couple of blades are sufficient. However, it depends on what kind of land the operator has to work and it is absolutely on the knowledge and experience of the operator that he suggests the utility of the blades.

Estimate the right price for the work:-

For a contractor it is important to know if he needs to bring his grader for the landscape work or will he be provided with one. Construction companies at times offer their construction equipment for the job but that needs to be known before a price is quoted for the job. Once that is known, the contractor also needs to check with the operator the kind of land they have to work on, how big it is and how many days it will take for them to complete the work. Now this is a difficult task. You are dealing with deadlines when you do not know how the soil will react. This is one risk which every contractor has to take. This is where the contractor also needs to keep his grader handy. While working on tough land there is a wider chance for the machine to exhaust sooner and may also break down. This is when he needs to chip in his machine to complete the work.

Maintain good health of the grader:-

Contractors firmly believe that the health of all heavy equipment that they possess should be cared of and well maintained. Therefore when you are part of the landscape business you have to ensure that your grader gets the right treatment every time. Your overall work depends on that one machine and you will not want that to go wrong in any way. It is for this reason that it is a mandate for every contractor or for that matter everyone who possesses a grader to check if the machine is throwing any signals that indicate towards an internal problem within it. An operator should be in a position to comprehend those signals and act swiftly. It should never be delayed for another day. Try to get it resolved if the problem is not a big one.

 

Hose service repair for your construction equipment

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

It is evident that one can’t work without heavy equipment in the construction industry. Heavy equipment is not only restricted to equipment that we see on the construction sites breaking structures or digging the earth or drilling deep inside the ground. When we talk about construction equipment it also takes into account equipment that are perhaps not a part of heavy equipment but are still crucial for the functioning of the business and if they fail to work as they should then the laborers are not able to work on that day. Therefore it is equally crucial to ensure that all your construction equipment is in order.

No matter how trivial they may seem to be they still hold an important ground as far as the construction equipment and its functions is concerned. Construction equipment used pumps, valve spools etc. to do their work. Now these stuffs are interconnected with steel resistant rubber hoses. Since the machines are required to work on a daily basis there is high probability of hydraulic oil leaking from the hoses. This is when you are required to either repair the hose or replace it completely with a new one.

Repairing a hose is a tough and some also believe a dirty job but certainly worth the time you spend and the money that you can save. However, if you do not know much about the hose then it is recommended that you do not try to work on it or else you may end up damaging the entire stuff. It is better that you call a guy who can get that repaired for you. They should be qualified to do that work for you and should have enough experience in repairing hoses. Normally, the hose service repair for your construction equipment is not a complex process but for a person who does not know anything about it should not venture into it. It makes sense to first learn the way the hose can be changed by watching the hose service repair guy while he is doing his work and then you can try the next time if it develops any problem.

There are many small companies who engage in services like repairing hose or replacing it. They can be approached if you see a major burst in the hose and the oil is flowing in high volume. It is also important to locate the source of the problem. When you call the repair guy, he will ask you few important questions which he should know before he can turn up to the jobsite with his tools. So you should be in a position to identify the source of the leak and inform to the service guy. Please note that you should not use your hands or any body part to detect the leak. You can use detection additives that can help you to find the source of the leak. These preliminary information should be passed on to the service guy and if he requires any further information, he can guide you over the phone and you can avail the stuff for him.

Worried that your heavy equipment may get stolen – install cameras

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

It is natural for us to care for the expensive item that we possess. There is always a fear that those expensive items might get stolen if we do not take proper care to keep it in a place that we consider as safe. Therefore we take every possible measure to keep it hidden and away from the eyes of any miscreant. This is possible as far as the expensive item is small in size but what about those items that is big enough to be hidden or even if you try to hide them there is someone or the other who will get to know about it and can then make every attempt to steal it. You buy an expensive car and you may stay a bit worried that someone might steal that and therefore you keep that in your garage completely locked. But you can’t do the same for your heavy equipment which are left open in the construction site. If you have a lot of heavy equipment that are working on the construction site, it will be next to impossible to lock it in some garage. You have to think of something else to keep it safe.

Well in such a situation, the best that you can do is install cameras around the jobsite and appoint some security personnel who will keep a close watch on the screen to check if anybody is trying to be become smarter and making his way to steal either of your machines. There is a chance that the robbers may come with their faces masked and try to first break off the camera. Well, if this is what they do first the security guys sitting inside the control room will get to know about it as they will find the screen has gone blank which will suggest that someone has ended up breaking the cameras. They can then go to that direction to nab the culprits.

The price of the cameras are hardly few dollars and definitely far lesser than the price of the heavy equipment. So one should buy them without thinking twice and secure all the machines from getting stolen. You also have cameras that rotate 180 degrees which means that you do not have to install more cameras on the jobsite. If the jobsite covers few acres of land, you may have to invest a bit on cameras or else a couple of them should be fine. Either ways it will be a win-win situation for you and you can sleep without having any worries or fear of your machines getting stolen.

While hiring the security guys, you should ensure that they have some experience in guarding things. They should know how to monitor things on the switch between multiple monitors. The existence of cameras will have no importance if you have recruited incompetent workforce to guard your belongings and will eventually lose it. However, if you have the guys trained there is negligible chance for someone to have the opportunity to steal the heavy machines.

How to operate a grader

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Landscape in the construction sector has gained prominence over the years. This means the construction equipment required to do landscaping work is in much demand and also the people who know to operator it. When we talk about landscapes or leveling land, the heavy equipment that comes in our mind in the first stance is a grader. Grader plays immense role when it comes to leveling the land and making a path for the workers to move. We can imagine how crooked the paths are on a jobsite and therefore how difficult it must be for the workers to move on it. If not leveled at the right time, the soil gets hardened and then it becomes a problem to get it removed. Same is the case with creating landscapes. We have to get the work done at the right time or else the effort that we have to put to get the work done just multiplies.

To know all the functions of a grader is crucial:-

One can become an efficient operator only when he/she is aware of the various functions that are available in a grader. Jumping in inside the cabin and driving/operating the machine can be part of the basic function but if you find yourself in a difficult situation and you do not know all the functions then you are at a greater risk. The operator is expected to know all the functions in a grader and if you fail to do so then you will be jeopardizing the prospect of the project and also to a larger extent your career in the industry. If you are a trainee, it is important that you sit along with your mentor and check how he/she is operating the machine. Learn from him the functions that he uses and ask to show stuffs that are important for you to know.

Learn the signals properly:-

A grader throws lot of signals to the operator and every signal has a different meaning attached to it. If the clutches are not functioning properly then it may throw a certain type of signal or for that matter if there is some issue with the engine or parts related to the engine it will indicate through means of a signal. Now it is for you to comprehend and understand them so that you do not overlook the signal and continue your work as usual. Unable to comprehend signals can have catastrophic effect on the machine and also at times to the life of the people on the jobsite.

Do some basic checks on your own:-

Conducting certain basic checks like ensuring the brakes are in order and when applied it stops the machine from moving, the clutches, gears, levers are all in place and are working absolutely fine is very crucial. You should not have problem to stop the machine from moving when you are working on a steep land or to your amazement you find out the machine is not moving as it should as there are issues with its clutches. These should be examined well in advance.

Earthquake damage clean-up services with heavy equipment!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Earthquakes can be disastrous and destroy a large area within just a few seconds. As the Richter scale strikes high, the consequences are so severe that it takes months or sometimes years to repair the damages and losses. However, what needs to be done almost as an emergency resort is to clean the debris and rubble that is caused by the earthquake. But, it is not the job of the humans to clean the rubble and debris manually. What helps in this task is the heavy equipment.

There are special earthquake management and clean-up heavy equipment that are used in this task. They are designed to do a number of tasks in order to manage the earthquake damages.

Removing the rubble:

Rubble of stones, concrete and bricks that are scattered everywhere on the roads from the demolished buildings as a consequence of earthquake, needs to be cleaned at once. This is very important as surviving creatures; humans might get trapped underneath the rubble.

There are excavators and loaders that help in removing the rubble. These come in different types. Some have tongs in the front that help in lifting and picking up the huge pieces of rubble, so that the task is done faster.

Sorting out the rubble:

After an earthquake, the rubble and debris that is deposited, contains different kinds of elements. These include wood, electronic devices like television sets, computer, refrigerator, air conditioners and so many such things. There are also the kitchen appliances that need to be separated. The concrete, stones and bricks need to be separated from the electronic devices. In fact, the wooden furniture, doors and window frames etc. should be separated as well.

The reason behind this is recycling. Such huge amounts of the rubble that is cleared up from the zone, cannot be dumped together anywhere. Hence, recycling is a must. There are equipment that help in sorting out the rubble.

Metal cutters:

Metal cutters are very important in the cleaning process after an earthquake, the aluminium, steel and iron sheets that are used in various structures and constructions, need to be cut in order to remove them. It might not be possible to move them as it is. The heavy equipment that helps in cutting the metal should be used in that case.

However, one thing that needs special mention here is that the heavy equipment that helps in the task of removing the debris and cleaning up the area that has been struck by an earthquake or some such other natural disaster might not be available to everyone. It is therefore important that you buy or hire them from a dealer.

The dealers always have these types of heavy equipment available. You can also choose the used equipment as they are available for an affordable price, regardless to mention the heavy equipment is not cheap. But of course, if you are a service company that offers earthquake or storm damage clean-up services, owning the heavy equipment is a must. It will help you to provide fast services, which is a must in these cases.

 

Highway construction with excavators

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Construction industry requires different types of heavy equipment for various types of works. They can’t limit their use to just one kind of machine for all the work. They have to bring in different heavy equipment that are capable of doing certain specialized work. For instance, you can’t make use of a loader for grading purpose. You have to use a grader for that work. Simultaneously, you can’t use any heavy equipment other than a water truck to spray water on the jobsite to contain the dust on the site. In the same way, when you are constructing a highway there are few heavy equipments that you need the most; without which you just can’t get the act right. You need a roller to crush the stuffs and make the road smooth and plain. Similarly, you also need an excavator at the beginning of the highway construction. Perhaps it all starts with an excavator which comes in handy for lot many activities.

A crawler excavator is perhaps the best heavy equipment that a contractor who engages in highway construction can have. A crawler excavator is quite similar to any other excavator which is exclusively used for excavating earth and rock and then loading them onto dump trucks. It basically has a boom which is attached to the front of the machine. At the end of the book, you will have a bucket with or without claws which is extensively used to pull out mud. The cabin in which the operator sits and operates the machine is just right above the undercarriage and is set on a rotating platform. The undercarriage of the machine has wheels or tracks which help the machine to move without losing grip. The attachment in a crawler excavator can be changed as per the requirement of the business. This means that you can now select from a range of options of attachments that you feel will get the work completed in lesser time.

The operator working on the excavator should be highly skilled and experienced as you can’t have someone who has little or no experience in highway construction. Operators who have worked for at least 5 years in constructing small roads can be signed up for highway construction. They should be under the supervision of senior operators who have loads of experience in constructing highways. Constructing highways is a tough job and it takes years for operators to clear the ground for the next level.

A contractor who has taken up the job of excavating should have more than 3 excavators working at a time on the site. They should set up a point till where the excavation work will be carried out and also a deadline should be given to the operators to make sure that the work is done within the given timeframe. Excavating work should be done in a phased manner and not dig up the entire place at one go. Once the excavating work is done, it should pave way for other machines to complete their part of job.

CAT is moving aggressively in global markets with new heavy equipment

We are living in a world where in order to grow we have to move out of our domestic horizons and need to explore opportunities in other markets. When we talk about moving out of the domestic horizons it can also mean leaving your homeland and look out of opportunities in foreign land. This is what many big companies have been doing. They tend to consolidate their position first in the domestic market and then once that is done they try to venture out. It is nevertheless important to understand the foreign market well before you actually go out there and set up your business. A lot needs to be understood and done before you actually establish your business. You may need help of various types of intermediaries at various junctions and have to simultaneously get rid of issues that crops up at any given point in time.

This is exactly what CAT as a company is doing. They have spend good number of years consolidating their position in the domestic environment where they have managed to beat all types of competition and have already went to foreign shores marketing their products quite aggressively. Off late it has been observed that CAT is ramping into countries where it did not have its offices or where its operation was quite limited. They are moving in there with new heavy equipment that did quite successfully in US and they have high hopes that those machines will have a big market in other countries as well.

Some of the new heavy equipments that they are aggressively marketing in foreign shores are the 424B backhoe loader, 336 F series excavators and especially the 336F L excavator which has been introduced in the year 2017. They are also marketing rollers and other big machines that are extensively used for works related to road construction and building townhouses. CAT is trying to collaborate with major construction companies all around the world and only when a deal is signed where the construction company promises to procure heavy equipments from them, the shipment of the consignment begins. Now the marketing team tries to rope in many more construction companies which have large scale operation all around the zone. This is how they consolidate their position first and then slowly and steadily they try to get permission of the government to set up their business in that country.

Cat has come up with its new fleet of heavy equipment and they want it to be used by their foreign partners. This is the reason why they have also instructed their dealers to promote the new set of machines. This however does mean that they will do away with the older ones. It is just that they want to promote the new ones aggressively. Countries in the Middle East and few in Asia and in South America have been their target zones. They see huge potential in these countries and hence want to expand their business to the tilt.

Buy Now on eBay [ebayfeedsforwordpress feed=”” items=”5″]