AdvancedTopic 104 of 112Civil & Structural
Construction equipment
Excavators, cranes, pavers and mixers selected for productivity.
In depth
Selection by task: excavators, bulldozers, scrapers, graders, loaders, compactors, cranes, concrete pumps and batching plants. Productivity depends on cycle time, capacity and efficiency; owning vs renting cost analysis. Safety and maintenance are crucial.
Key points
- Production rate m³/h
- Fleet matching
- Telematics and automation
ExampleA hydraulic excavator with a 1.5 m³ bucket moves about 200 m³/h in good soil.
What is Construction equipment?
Excavators, cranes, pavers and mixers selected for productivity.
Why is it important to understand construction equipment?
Construction equipment must be matched to the job, since the right machines increase productivity and reduce costs.
How do you choose a crane?
By checking the lifting load, radius and height needed, and the crane's rated capacity at those values.
Why is productivity important on site?
Equipment and labour costs are high, so the output per hour determines how long the project takes and what it costs.
How is Construction equipment used in practice?
Typical applications include selecting a crane capacity for lifting precast beams, choosing an excavator size for a deep trench and planning a paver and roller spread for a road surfacing job.
What should I learn before Construction equipment?
Study "Contracts and tendering" first (topic 103 of 112 in Civil & Structural). It covers the groundwork this topic builds on.
What are the key points of Construction equipment?
Production rate m³/h. Fleet matching. Telematics and automation.
Can you give an example of Construction equipment?
A hydraulic excavator with a 1.5 m³ bucket moves about 200 m³/h in good soil.
What comes after Construction equipment?
The next topic is "Formwork and scaffolding", which builds directly on this one.
How difficult is Construction equipment?
It is classed as Advanced in Civil & Structural (topic 104 of 112). It is an advanced topic. It assumes you are comfortable with the intermediate topics in Civil & Structural.