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Civil Gyan

8 Types of Heavy Equipment Used in Construction

In large projects, heavy construction equipment is employed for a variety of tasks. The choice of various heavy equipment types is based on the scope and cost of the project. These facilitate and speed up the construction process. In conclusion, if the choice is proper the project can be completed in a short time with less cost.

Types of Heavy Construction Equipment

The different types of heavy equipment used in construction are as follows:

  1. Excavator
  2. Drag Lines
  3. Bulldozer
  4. Wheel Tractor Scraper
  5. Back Hoes
  6. Dredgers
  7. Ripper
  8. Motor Grader

1. Excavator

Excavators are intermittent types of heavy construction equipment and are widely used in the construction industry. Excavator consists of a long arm (boom), dipper, bucket, and a cab mounted on a rotating platform known as the “house” which eventually sits atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. It is the oldest type of machine which removes earth.  The general purpose of an excavator is excavation work but other than that it is also used for different purposes like heavy lifting, digging of trenches, holes, foundations, river dredging, cutting of trees, etc.

Excavator- Type of heavy construction equipment
Excavator

2. Drag Line Excavator

A dragline excavator is another heavy equipment used in construction commonly used for large-depth excavation and surface mining. It has a long-length boom and an excavator bucket is suspended from the top of the boom using a cable.

dragline excavator performing earthwork- Type of heavy construction equipment
Dragline Excavator

3. Bulldozer

Bulldozers are very useful excavation equipment and can be used for the following tasks in construction work such as to clear the site of work, leveling the land, preparing pilot roads through mountains and hard ground, excavating the material, and hauling for a distance of about 100 meters.
In Bulldozer, most of the work is done by a sharp edge wide metal plate provided at its front. A bulldozer can be used on wet ground and in all conditions of climate.

Bulldozer a type of heavy construction equipment
Bulldozer

4. Wheel Tractor Scrapers

Wheel tractor-scraper also sometimes called a belly scraper is a type of heavy construction equipment used for earthmoving. The front section consists of a wheeled tractor vehicle. The rear portion has a scraping arrangement consisting of a horizontal front blade, conveyor belt, and a collecting hopper (also known as the bowl).
The collecting hopper can be hydraulically lowered and raised. When the hopper is lowered, the front edge of the hopper cuts the soil and fills the hopper.

When the hopper is full it is lifted and closed with a vertical blade (known as the apron) and finally, the soil is dumped to the respective place and this whole cycle is repeated.

Wheel Tractor Scraper - a heavy construction equipment
Wheel Tractor Scraper

5. Backhoe:

The backhoe loader is an interesting invention because it is three pieces of construction equipment in one unit. A tractor, a loader, and a backhoe, and each piece of equipment are suited to a particular type of work. The name itself indicates that a loading bucket is located at the front of the vehicle and a hoe arrangement is located at the back. This is quite helpful for digging trenches below the level of the machine. Materials can be loaded, unloaded, and lifted using the front bucket.

JCB backhoe loader- Type of heavy construction equipment
Backhoe

6. Dredgers:

Dredging is the process of excavating material from a water environment. Possible objectives of dredging include improvement of existing water facilities; Reshaping land and water characteristics to change drainage, navigability, and commercial use; Construction of rivers and drains, and other controls for streams and shorelines; And recovery of commercially valuable mineral deposits or marine life. And the equipment used for this purpose is called the dredger.
The various types of dredgers employed for this purpose are as follows:

  1. Bucket-ladder dredgers
  2. Dipper-dredgers
  3. Grab dredgers
  4. Hydraulic dredgers
Dredger a type of heavy construction equipment
Dredger

7. Ripper:

The ripper is a device that is sometimes attached to a tractor. It is mounted on wheels and has two to four teeth, the usual number being three. Ripper is used to break ground and pull roots. This loose material can then be scrapped and removed. Rippers are hauled by tractors and serve as accessories or tools for dozers and scrapers.

Ripper a type of heavy construction equipment
Ripper

8. Motor Grader:

Graders also called motor grader is a type of heavy equipment used in construction, especially used for the construction of roads.
It is used to spread loose material, level the soil surface, build earth roads, and shape subgrade. It is either self-propelled or towed by a tractor.

Motor Grader a type of heavy construction equipment
Motor Grader

You may also like to read:

Top Construction Companies in India in 2023

Last Words

I hope you got complete information about the Types of Heavy Construction Equipment in this article.

If you found this article helpful, share it with your friends.

Leave a comment if I missed anything.

Happy Learning!!

4 thoughts on “8 Types of Heavy Equipment Used in Construction”

  1. Amazing post about types of heavy construction equipment. Thanks a lot for sharing this great post. Keep sharing. Heavy equipment construction is a type of construction that involves the use of large, powerful machinery. This type of construction is typically used for large-scale projects such as roads, bridges, dams, buildings, and other large infrastructure projects. You can also contact Boom & Bucket to sell or buy any kind of heavy construction equipment.

  2. I am glad to have come across this informative blog on "8 Types of Heavy Equipment Used in Construction". The writer has done a great job of highlighting the various types of heavy construction equipment that are commonly used in the industry, and their specific functions. It's fascinating to learn about the versatility and power of these machines, from bulldozers to cranes, and how they can greatly enhance the efficiency of construction projects. This blog is a great resource for anyone who wants to learn more about heavy construction equipment and its impact on the construction industry.

  3. Thank you for informing us that excavators are the oldest type of machine used to remove earth, but other than that, they can also be used for other purposes like heavy lifting, digging trenches, and cutting trees. I need to prepare the site for my beach resort construction soon, so I have to rent the heavy machinery needed for the task. I'll keep this in mind while I look for a heavy machinery hire company to contact about the rental equipment soon.

  4. We appreciate you letting us know that although excavators are the oldest sort of equipment used to remove dirt, they may also be used for other tasks including heavy lifting, trench digging, and tree cutting. I must rent the large equipment required for the job since I must quickly prepare the site for the development of my beach resort. I'll have this in mind while I search for a heavy machinery rental business to get in touch with shortly regarding the equipment rental.

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