A Look into Some of the Most Used Heavy Equipment
What are the most used pieces of heavy equipment?
- Excavator
- Skid steer loaders
- Bulldozer
- Crane
In the Philippines, some kind of construction work is always in session at any time, day, or date. Condominiums, malls, fast food chains, business centers – these are just some of the few establishments that pop up every now and then. Whether the sun shines or the rain pours, workers are always hard at work and building something for someone. These workers aren’t alone though, for they have the power of heavy machinery on their side. No construction work in the Philippines is without a forklift, loader, excavator, and the like.
These pieces of heavy machinery aid human workers in their day to day lives. They are there to take care of tasks that are impossible for a human being to achieve and make building humungous infrastructures easier and less time-consuming. These pieces of equipment are almost as important to the site as the human workers because construction is unlikely to progress without them. Even if it does progress, it would be in such an extremely slow pace that it would take years for a small establishment to be fully-erected.
All that said, there are several types of heavy equipment out there. So it’s normal to wonder which of them are actually the most necessary. Developers or foremen may be curious as to what equipment they need in their sites, so we’ve listed down the most used ones below!
Excavator
Construction work often starts with demolition or excavation, which is why an excavator is a standard in the construction industry. It is also used for mining, grinding trees, digging, material handling, and rough grading. What allows it to do those tasks with ease is its ability to turn a full 360 degrees, giving the operator full access to the construction site.
There are many types of excavators available with the two most used ones being the tracked excavator and wheeled excavator. Both function in the same way that they are designed to move earth or land but have different sets of advantages. Without getting too much into the specifics, the former is better used with a softer terrain, while the latter is best utilized in urban areas where there are hard surfaces.
Skid Steer Loaders
Skid steer loaders are one of the most commonly used heavy equipment for four main reasons. First, they are cheap to buy so they’re very attractive to developers who want to cut on costs. Second is they are fuel efficient, which means more savings. Reason number three is because they are easy to maintain and transport. The fourth, final, and biggest reason as to why they are often used is because they are extremely versatile.
Skid steer loaders are meant to dig, load, and move debris and other materials such as gravel and stone. However, its shovel-like arm can be replaced with different attachments. In essence, a skid steer loader can turn into any equipment given that you have access to the right attachments.
Bulldozer
The fact that bulldozers are the most recognizable piece of heavy equipment only proves that they are among the most commonly used types of heavy machinery on construction sites. Aside from that, they are also known to be the biggest and strongest equipment there is.
Each bulldozer is also equipped with a flat blade at the front which is used for rough or fine grading. Its power and reliability are unmatched as it is often used to move and drag dirt along large patches of land. The type of terrain doesn’t even affect its performance because it is fitted with wide tracks that allow it to properly traverse even uneven terrain.
Crane
Some people would think that cranes are only necessary for construction sites for high-rise buildings and skyscrapers, but they’re actually a must-have for every type of construction site. Using the pulley system, a crane can easily move, load, and unload heavy objects and materials from one place to another.
The one we see being operated in high-rise buildings is just one of many types of cranes. There are smaller versions that don’t reach such great heights but function similarly and are just as efficient.
Key Takeaway
There are several more pieces of heavy equipment in the Philippines like a forklift, dumper, concrete mixer, roller, and haulers. All these things are necessary in order to finish construction. Although some may only be needed for small-scale construction and pointless for huge sites, others may be the opposite in which they have no purpose in small sites but are extremely helpful in large-scale construction.
However, the ones listed above can be used in both scenarios, not only because they come in different sizes, but because their functions are most needed in construction sites. Without these pieces of heavy equipment, construction projects may never end and workers may have to try and accomplish that which is impossible with the mere human body!
