6 Uses of an Excavator on a Construction Site
What are the different uses of an excavator?
- Demolition
- Handling Materials
- Earthmoving
- Excavating Underground
- For Forestry
- Removing Debris
There are many forms of equipment and tools used in multiple industries like mining and construction. One of them is the excavator. When equipped with the right attachment, it can perform different jobs needed whether it be digging a trench or demolishing a site.
This article explores the different uses of an excavator. Here, you’ll learn how versatile and useful this machine can be.
Demolition
A demolition site is one of the most dangerous sites in the construction industry. It should only be entered by people with proper training, especially when it comes to handling heavy-duty equipment like the excavator.
The excavator is a common vehicle used in demolishing old and worn-down infrastructures. When attached to the proper tool, it can be used to perform many tastes. The popular tool is the breaker attachment.
A breaker attachment tool on the excavator is a powerful percussion hammer that is used to demolish hard structures made from rock or concrete. It gets its power from a separate hydraulic system. This is powered using a foot-operated valve.
Excavators offer stability and safety features for dangerous sites.
Handling Materials
When attached to a clamp, the excavator transforms into a useful tool for handling various materials.
The clamp attachment commonly features a dual-tooth design to maximize its grabbing capabilities. With the design, the clamp can grab even odd-shaped objects and debris. When it’s not in use, you are able to retract a clamp back to the arm. This can pick up materials such as trees, pipes, boulders, and unwanted brush.
Operators resort to the clamp attachment when materials can’t be picked up by its bucket attachment. This is usually made from hard steel and has teeth on its digging edge. The material of the teeth varies depending on what kind of material needs to be grabbed. Tungsten teeth are common to find in heavy-duty buckets to penetrate harder materials.
Some excavators have features that make it easy to handle big materials. These feature elevated cabs and heavy counterweights to give operators better visibility and stability.
Earthmoving
One of the most common uses of excavators is earthmoving. There are two kinds of applications used for excavator use:
Trench digging
To set foundations for various construction projects, a trench will need to be dug by qualified operators. Excavators dig trenches faster with less effort compared to other kinds of manual equipment. Once the trench is dug, the construction crew can install and build on the foundation whether it be used for electric poles or landscape.
Landscape grading
For landscaping projects, an operator either levels or sculpts the ground to prepare the area. When the excavator is used for grading, it needs to create an area to control water flow for plants, paths, and other elements.
For both applications, the bucket attachment is also attached to an excavator. Its teeth-like edges make it easy for operators to dig and scoop soil.
Excavating Underground
Excavators are also known as diggers. It’s often used to dig not only trenches but also holes and foundations. This application is also called tunneling, where an excavator creates underground passageways through digging.
To do this, operators used the bucket and auger attachments. An auger helps the excavator deep digger underground. It features a spiral design that is able to transport the soil out of the hole. It can do this by hydraulic circuits.
However, the size of an excavator and its attachment is still the determining factor of how deep a tunnel it can make. Through its size, you can tell how deep and how much power it uses.
For Forestry
There are many attachments to the excavator that make it useful for forestry applications. There are shears, mulchers, and other options to help them manage trees and different kinds of greenery.
Excavators are usually used to be able to access different routes. It is also used to move branches in the way. Lastly, the shears attachment helps operators cut the leaves and branches of fast-growing trees.
Removing Debris
Apart from demolition and digging, an excavator can also be used to clean up debris left behind during construction. Both the clamp and the bucket attachments can be used for this removal application. The bucket can pick up groups of debris, while the clamp is used to remove odd-shaped debris.
Operators can also use different kinds of excavators in various sizes to get the best combination for removing debris. With multiple machines, they can find the right combination of maneuverability and power for different kinds of removal jobs.
Key Takeaway
The many uses of an excavator show that it’s one of the most versatile kinds of heavy equipment. With the right attachment, it can accomplish various tasks. Many industries use excavators to do jobs for different types of projects.
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