There is something to be said about building things with your hands. However, when working on a construction site, you need to be concerned with quality and efficiency. Building things by hand takes a long time and is not very practical. In addition, if you are working on a professional construction site, there is a lot of equipment that you will need for various purposes.
On a construction site, the priorities are always the work’s quality and everyone involved’s safety. However, in some circumstances, a site needs certain equipment to ensure that both objectives are met. Here are seven pieces of equipment that are needed on a construction site.
Excavator
An excavator is a vital piece of any construction project. It can be used for several purposes, such as demolition or moving earth and soil. As the name would suggest, its primary purpose is for excavation. Contractors will use an excavator to dig out sites for basements or to put in foundations. They also use them to clear spots for putting down asphalt during road construction. There are various types of excavators, with the crawling excavator providing more solid footing on different terrains and the wheeled excavator providing more mobility.
Grader
The last thing you want on a construction site is for things to be uneven. The terrain will be rough and untamed when you are demolishing an old building or putting in new roads. So a grader is used to flatten the soil and even it out. It has a horizontal blade out front that scrapes the soil to level it. Graders tend to be the last part of leveling soil. They provide the precision, while a bulldozer does the heavy lifting. Graders are also used for snow removal if it is causing issues with the project.
Loader
The loader does just what its name would suggest. It is used for loading material into dump trucks or bins. Every construction site will have a lot of waste and a lot of materials that need to be removed from the site. A loader will carry raw materials, demolition waste materials, and soil that has been excavated from the site. It has a large bucket connected to its arms. The bucket lowers to pick up materials or have them placed into it. It can then be lifted up and turned over when it is time to place the materials in another container or on a transportation vehicle.
Forklift
Construction projects require moving heavy materials from one place to the other. It could be when new shipments arrive, trucks need to be unloaded, or simply to move materials from the storage area to where they will be used. However, on a construction site, using a forklift is not the same as at a warehouse.
There are often uniquely sized items that need moving or containers that cannot be picked up with standard pallet forks. You should have the right forklift attachments that can help pick up what you need safely and effectively.
Backhoe
A backhoe is another multi-use piece of equipment that is vital to any construction site. It has an extension on the back of the cab that is used for digging and excavating. On the front is a bucket that is used for loading. They are used in various ways, including moving earth, digging holes, breaking up asphalt and concrete, and digging trenches.
They can also be repurposed for moving and loading materials and equipment if needed. The bucket on the front of a backhoe is removable and can be replaced with other implements such as a jackhammer or an auger. The backhoe’s versatility makes it valuable for any construction project.
Safety Equipment
You will also need equipment that will help your workers stay safe while doing a dangerous job. Over 1000 construction workers die yearly from accidents, and thousands more are injured. If working from heights, then make sure you have scaffolding and harnesses. All workers on a construction site should also wear hard hats and steel-toed work boots.
There are a lot of very loud noises while working on a project, so those that could be negatively affected should wear the right ear protection. Finally, if anyone is working with dangerous chemicals, outfit them with protective gloves and eyewear. Never take safety for granted. Workers should always have the best safety equipment possible to prevent injuries and worse.
Survey Rope
Taking precise measurements is crucial on a job site. That doesn’t just go for when you are cutting materials. It also applies to the footprint of the job itself. Rooms, foundations, and hallways all have to be properly measured, as even one mistake can throw everything else out of alignment.
A survey rope is one of the simplest pieces of equipment and one of the most important. It is tied between stakes in the ground and used to measure distances. It has different lengths laid out in intervals for quick and easy reading. They are used since measuring tape is often not long enough, and if the ground is uneven, then a measuring wheel will not provide an accurate number. Bricklayers also use survey rope to make sure that the wall is being placed evenly.
A construction site is a busy place, with lots of action happening all around. That’s because there is a lot of equipment that is needed to get the job done efficiently and to get it done well.
