CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

Equipment used in road construction depends on the type of material and the quantity involved in each activity. Some equipment can be used for in different activities, but others can be used only for specific activities.

 

RIPPER

Ripper is a claw-like device which consists of one or more shanks or teeth equipped at the rear of a bulldozer used to loosen densely compacted materials. Rippers can also be used to aerate the soil for drying or adding moisture.

 

BULLDOZERS

Bulldozers are high powered crawler, tractor with blade fixed at the front. It is used for pushing, spreading, vegetation clearing etc. A tree dozer is usually used for felling trees and uprooting stones/boulders.

 

MOTOR GRADER

Motor grader is used in the construction of base courses, grading and other activities that require the fine control over the placement of soil. The motor grader consists of a tractor or prime mover and blade mounted on a frame with a long wheel base. This equipment is versatile due to its manoeuvrability.

 

WATER TANKERS

Water tankers usually with carrying capacity of 4000-5000 litres carrying capacity with sprinklers attached at the rear to aid in uniform distribution.

ROLLERS

Rollers are equipments which are used for compaction, i.e. increasing the density of sub base, base and pavement material. There are different types of rollers available. The type being used usually depends on the type of materials been compacted. Examples are;

1. Smooth-wheel rollers are used for the compaction of sand, gravel and mixtures of sand and gravel
2. Sheep-foot rollers are used to compact fine-grained soils, as well as mixtures of sand and fine-grained soils.

• Pneumatic tyre rollers are used to compact almost any kind of soil including bituminous pavement but are not suitable for compacting aggregate.

 

PAVERS

Pavers are used to lay asphalt on roads, bridges etc. It lays the asphalt flat and provides minor compaction before it is compacted by a roller. Pavers used to lay asphalt are called asphalt pavers, while those that are used for laying concrete pavers.

 EXCAVATORS

Excavators are heavy equipment consisting of a boom, bucket and cab on a rotating platform (known as the “house’’). The house sits atop an under carriage with tracts or wheels. All movement and functions of the excavator are accomplished through the use of hydraulic fluid, be it with ram or motors.

 

TRUCKS

Trucks are vehicles used for transporting loose materials (such as sand, gravel or dirt for construction. A typical truck is equipped with hydraulically operated open-box bed hinged at the rear, the front of which can be lifted up to allow the contents to be deposited on the ground behind the truck at the site of delivery.

 ASPHALT MIXING PLANT

Asphalt mixing plant is equipment for producing good quality or hot mix for flexible pavement construction. The ingredients of the hot mix in required proportion are continuously fed to the rotating drum in drying and mixing zones and the discharge end of the drum delivers continuous output of the hot mix.

 

BITUMEN SPRAYER

Bitumen sprayer is used for track coat and between sprayer applications. The equipment is capable of applying a uniform coating of hot and emulsion bitumen on specified surface in prescribed quality.