All construction sites are a buzzing hive of activity as construction workers and heavy machinery move around the site performing their roles to complete the project. No construction project would be completed without the efficiency, power, and task-specific designs of heavy construction machinery. In this quick guide, we have explained 11 different types of construction heavy machinery. Find high-quality, efficient, and affordable concrete mixers for your construction site at B&S Commercial Power.
Heavy Construction Machinery Explained:
Heavy construction machinery get work done more efficiently and effectively on construction sites. Where it would take days for construction workers to dig a foundation and remove the soil and bedrock, an excavator can power through the soil and a bulldozer can move the excess materials, all within a few hours. If you have ever wondered the purpose of each of the large and powerful machines you will find on a construction site, we have you covered with our 11 different heavy construction machines explained.
1) Bulldozer:
Bulldozers are one of the most common heavy machines you will find on a construction site. Bulldozers are large machines with a steel blade attached to the front with large crawler-type tractor wheels. The blade can be lifted and lowered depending on the construction need.
Bulldozers are highly functional on a construction site as they can be used for shallow digging, transporting materials across short distances, levelling dumped soil, and removing vegetation from the construction site. The specific function will be defined by whether a straight blade (S-blade), a U-blade, a semi-u blade (SU-blade), or another type of bulldozer blade is attached.
2) Excavator:
As most construction sites start with the need to move large amounts of soil, you will commonly find an excavator operating at the beginning of the project. An excavator is a large machine with a metal bucket with sharp prongs attached to a hydraulic arm that is attached to a rotating cabin where the driver sits.
The rotation of the cabin allows for increased manoeuvrability, allowing the driver to dig and place buckets of sand in the desired location. The excavator can move across difficult terrain due to the heavy-duty tracks. The size of the excavator will depend on the scale of the construction project.
3) Motor Grader:
Motor graders are commonly found on road construction projects, although they can also be used for drainage ditches and spreading materials on building sites. Motor graders are similar to bulldozers, but are better suited to construction projects that require versatile machines.
A motor grader is a large 6-wheel machine with a long, narrow metal blade that is used to flatten the area it drives over. The long narrow blade is called a mouldboard, and the mouldboard on motor graders is rotatable and has a sharp cutting edge that can be used to cut or move materials.
4) Drum Roller:
Another essential heavy construction machine is a drum roller. Drum rollers are heavy machines with a large drum that is driven over a surface to flatten it. You can get either single or double-drum rollers where there will be a drum attached to the front and the back of the machine. You will find drum rollers being used in road construction to press the asphalt or soil surface, but you can also find them on a construction site to press a soil or loose material surface.
There are two different types of drum rollers: a smooth drum roller and a Padfoot roller. A smooth drum roller has a drum with a smooth surface that uses pressure and vibration to level a surface. A Padfoot roller also has a smooth drum and uses pressure and vibration, but generates a greater force to achieve a tightly and uniformly compacted surface.
5) Dump Trucks:
Dump trucks are essential for large construction projects. Dump trucks take moving materials to the next level with their enormous bin designed to carry great quantities of sand, stone, and building rubble. Dump trucks are large 4-wheel machines with an enormous open-box bed. The open-box bed has hinges at the back and hydraulic rams at the front that are used to lift the open-box bed to tip out (or dump) the contents behind the truck.
6) Loaders:
With all the digging that goes on during a construction project, the sand and stone will need to be moved. This is where loaders step in. Loaders are heavy machines, similar to a tractor, that are designed to scoop materials into a bucket and transport it to the desired location. We have briefly outlined 4 of the different types of loaders you will find on a construction site.
Backhoe Loader: A backhoe loader is a multi-functional loader. On the front of the machine will be a bucket designed for scooping and carrying or pushing materials, and on the back of the machine will be a hydraulic arm with a metal bucket with sharp prongs designed for digging.
Skid Steer Loader: Skid steer loaders are smaller-sized loaders designed to be easily manoeuvrable around tight spaces on a construction site. The benefit to skid steer loaders is that you can attach different equipment to the mechanism in front of the operating cabin, allowing you to get different jobs done with one machine.
Compact Track Loader: A compact track loader (CTL) is a heavy-duty loader designed to transport heavy materials around the construction site. They can easily manoeuvre around rocky, muddy, or sandy construction sites.
Multi-terrain Loader: Multi-terrain loaders are similar to a CTL in their ability to move heavy materials around, but they are designed to be driven over more delicate surfaces, such as turf, that cannot be damaged.
7) Trencher:
The name gives it away with this heavy construction machine. Trenchers are heavy-duty 4-wheel machines with a long protruding bar in the front of the machine. The bar is covered in steel teeth that will cut a straight and uniformly deep line. This large machine is designed to cut long trenches, channels, or ditches on construction projects. These are often required for piping, plumbing, and cabling on a construction site.
There are multiple types of trenchers, with the most common being chain trenchers and wheel trenchers. As the name would suggest, chain trenchers have a massive rotating chain and have the same appearance as a chainsaw. They are strong and are typically used for cutting through hard surfaces. Wheel trenchers will have a circular blade cutting wheel that provides a consistent cutting depth through rocks or hard surfaces.
8) Tower Cranes:
Towering above many high-rise construction sites will be a tower crane. Tower cranes consist of a vertical support tower, an operator cabin, a jib, which is the operating arm of the crane, and a counter jib to manage the balance of the weight of the front crane arm. This monolithic construction heavy machine is used to lift and position materials in the perfect location on the construction site. Materials such as concrete slabs, steel frames, and equipment can be effortlessly lifted and positioned by tower cranes.
9) Asphalt Paver:
Essential to road construction is the asphalt paver. An asphalt paver is a large heavy construction machine that includes a feeding bucket and a paver blade. The feeding bucket is where hot asphalt will be poured in, typically by a dump truck. The asphalt will then move through the machine and then be distributed evenly on the surface by the paver blade. Once the asphalt paver has moved along the entire road, the surface will be further compacted by a drum roller to ensure total uniformity.
10) Telehandlers:
If you have ever wondered how building materials are moved around a construction site, telehandlers are the heavy construction machine that gets this job done. Similar to a forklift, telehandlers, short for telescopic handlers, use an extendable arm to lift and place materials, such as bricks, lumber, bags of cement, or containers of gravel. Telehandlers differ from forklifts as they are more robust and can manoeuvre around difficult terrains on a construction site. You will find telehandlers on a construction site from start to finish due to their ability to carry all necessary materials.
11) Cold Planer:
If a construction project includes removing an existing road, this is when a cold planer will be brought in. Cold planers include a rotating drum with strong cutters that mill the surface. The milled material is then kept in the drum and is then carried along a belt system and deposited into a dump truck. Cold planers are designed to remove pavement, asphalt, or concrete off of surfaces. Cold planers can take a thin layer off the top of the surface or allow for full depth removal. Cold planers have become increasingly popular due to being able to allow for recycling asphalt and concrete.
Concrete Mixers at B&S Commercial Power:
No construction site collection of machines would be complete without a concrete mixer. While far from being as mighty as the above heavy construction machinery, concrete mixers are as essential to getting the construction project done. At B&S Commercial Power, you can find a diverse range of concrete mixers suited to your construction project.
We stock a variety of different Baumax concrete mixers. Every Baumax concrete mixer available on our online store is high-performance, robust, and will efficiently produce homogeneously mixed concrete in minutes. Whether you are laying a slab or mixing mortar for bricklaying, our concrete mixer range is your ideal solution.
We strive to provide you with high-quality concrete mixers at affordable prices. Through our wholesale procurement programs, we can provide you with a concrete mixer at a competitive cost. Our concrete mixers will be your budget-friendly solution to your concrete needs on your construction site.
Every supplied concrete mixer is available at our Cape Town-based store. If you are needing a concrete mixer for a construction site located anywhere in Southern Africa, we have you covered. We will deliver your concrete mixers to your construction site timeously.
About B&S Commercial Power:
B&S Commercial Power is a supplier of a wide range of power tools. You can find any power tool for your construction, forestry, agriculture, or residential needs in our shop or on our online store. Easily find the generator, brushcutter, blower, or another power tool you are looking for with B&S Commercial Power.
B&S Commercial Power stocks both imported and manufactured power tools. We supply you with easy access to reputable and reliable power tool brands, including Baumax, Stihl, Briggs and Stratton, Husqvarna, and Honda. We are your convenient choice for high-quality and durable power tools.
When it comes to your commercial or DIY project, we have got your back. The B&S Commercial Power team has over 100 years of experience in commercial equipment. Our team is ready to assist and advise you on the best power tools for your project.
Get your construction project completed with concrete mixers from B&S Commercial Power.