A who’s who of heavy construction equipment | Todd Kassal

This is going to be a doozy of an article, so I – Todd Kassal – am breaking it up into small bite-size chunks. It’s important to get a grasp of the different types of heavy construction equipment available out there – and how in many cases they jump borders into outer industries, such as shipping, agriculture, and mining to name a few.

What is Heavy Construction Equipment?

Heavy construction equipment is a type of machinery used in the construction industry. It includes loaders, bulldozers, excavators, and cranes. Heavy construction equipment is used to move soil and other materials around a job site and to build roads, buildings, and other structures.

There are two types of heavy construction equipment: earthmoving equipment and lifting equipment.

• Earthmoving heavy machinery includes bulldozers, excavators, and graders. They are designed for excavation purposes such as moving dirt or rocks from one place to another or for grading land by removing excess material from one area to level it out with another area.
•  Lifting heavy machinery includes cranes, forklifts, derricks, and winches that are designed for lifting objects from one place to another or for lifting objects up off the ground so they can be moved somewhere else on the job site that might be inaccessible by trucks or forklifts.

A guide by Todd Kassal on the different types of heavy equipment out there.

1. Articulated trucks

Articulated trucks are heavy vehicles with long trailers that can be separated into two or more parts. The trailer is connected to the tractor unit at one or both ends via pivoting joints so that it can turn independently.

They are generally used for

• Mining
• Recycling and scrapping
• Material and aggregate hauling
• Utility construction

1. Asphalt Pavers

Asphalt pavers are a type of heavy equipment used to pave asphalt surfaces. The machine is usually made up of a frame, a drum, and a blade.

They are generally used to build:

• Private and public roads
• Driveways
• Parking lots
• Bridges
• Recreation areas
• Industrial areas
• Building construction sites

Also, read more: A Quick Guide to Heavy Equipment | Todd Kassal

1. Backhoe Loaders

Backhoe loaders are one of the most common types of construction equipment. They are used to move earth, gravel, and other materials that have been dug up by a backhoe.

A backhoe loader is usually a truck-like machine with a wide bucket on the front that can scoop up large amounts of material and dump it in another location. The bucket is mounted on an arm that can be raised and lowered to different positions or rotated around for different purposes.

You can find the backhoe loader in:

• Farming
• Excavation
• Construction
• Hauling
• Digging

1. Boom Lifts

Boom lifts are a type of aerial work platform that is used to access areas that are too high for a person to reach.

Boom lifts are used in a wide range of industries, including construction, electricity, and telecommunications. They can be used for tasks such as changing light bulbs on tall buildings, installing antennas in high-rise buildings, and maintaining power lines. Boom lifts can also be used in more specialized fields such as inspecting tall chimneys or smokestacks.

Boom Lifts are normally found in:

• Forestry
• Construction
• Home decorations and painting
• Agriculture
• Window cleaning
• Fire fighting

1. Cold Planers

Cold planers are machines that have a set of blades that slice, with rotating drums and carbide cutters, asphalt and are used to mill pavement or roads. On account that pavement and asphalt milling generates a huge amount of dust, a great variety of cold planers employ dynamic water systems to maintain a safe and clean, and non-toxic work environment.

There are many reasons why one might use a cold planer to mill a roadway, such as:

• Recycling material from old asphalt for new roads or other projects.
• Creating rumble strips for use along highways.
• Repairing road damage.
• Smoothing land before paving it to mitigate any potholes or cracks.