4 Pieces of Equipment Every Road Construction Project Needs
The right equipment is essential for building and repairing roads, but which equipment you need varies depending on the requirements of the project. You probably won’t need a crane if there are no bridges or concrete barriers, and you won’t need to excavate for a sturdy base if you’re building a low-usage road on level ground. But there are four types of equipment almost every road construction project needs.
Wheel Loader
A wheel loader is also called a front loader or bucket loader and can perform many lifting, loading, and removing tasks. When building a road, a loader may do the initial smoothing of small rises that don’t require excavation and pick up rocks and excess soil to load it into a truck so it can be hauled away. A loader may be the first machine to arrive at the site and the last to leave.
Motor Grader
Also called a road grader, a motor grader is used to smooth the ground before applying an asphalt or concrete surface. Graders are usually powerful enough to level small mounds and cut through soft rock to quickly form a passable road where one didn’t exist before. Graders can also spread crushed rock for a gravel road or the base of an asphalt or concrete road.
Traffic Control Devices
Perhaps the most important piece of work zone equipment isn’t a single piece of equipment but a collection of barricades, signs, and safety devices. To prevent the public from compromising the work site and keep them out of danger, traffic control devices are essential. Work zone equipment for traffic control can include portable electronic message boards, custom signs, plastic cones or barricades, and crash trucks.
Road Surface Roller
For asphalt road construction, a road roller presses the soft asphalt to compact and help harden it. A roller usually has metal drums instead of tires that apply pressure to the newly laid surface. If a road is being made of concrete, a roller isn’t necessary. Each section of a concrete surface is usually smoothed manually by workers using poles or flat sticks that float along rails placed before the concrete is poured.
Every road construction project is different because the original site conditions vary. A project manager determines in advance the type and number of loaders, graders, rollers, traffic control devices, and other equipment required. You need a plan, then you need the right equipment to build a road that will last for years.