Most Popular Construction Vehicles

Most Popular Construction Vehicles

Meta Description: Discover the most popular construction vehicles and their uses. Learn about modern construction sites’ versatile machines and specialized heavy equipment.

Construction projects require a variety of heavy machinery to get the job done efficiently. This article provides an in-depth look at the most commonly used construction vehicle types based on their functions.

Each machine plays a vital role in new builds and renovations, from earthmoving to material handling, lifting, hauling, and paving. Learning about these different vehicle types will help better understand modern construction sites.

Key Takeaways:

• Various heavy machinery is used for grading, hauling, lifting, and supplying materials.
• Equipment includes motor graders, compactors, scrapers, skid steer loaders, compact track loaders, and concrete mixer trucks.
• Specialized vehicles like dump trucks, articulated trucks, and pavers transport loads and lay asphalt.
• Choosing the right heavy equipment based on application ensures efficient construction work.

The Most Popular Construction Vehicles And Their Uses

Construction projects require a variety of heavy machinery to complete tasks on the job site efficiently. Each machine plays a vital role, from earthmoving and material handling to lifting, hauling, and paving.

Learning about these different vehicle types helps us better understand their functions on modern construction sites.

Earthmoving Vehicles

Some of the most essential vehicles used at construction sites are earthmoving vehicles. These heavy equipment are utilized for moving large volumes of materials like dirt, sand, and aggregate materials. Excavators, wheel loaders, motor graders, and backhoe loaders are among the most popular earthmoving vehicles used widely on commercial and industrial projects.

Excavators

Excavators are extremely versatile earthmoving machines present at almost every construction site. These tracked vehicles have a long articulating “arm” with attachments like buckets, hydraulic hammers, shears, etc.

Depending on the size, excavators can be used for tasks like digging trenches, lifting heavy objects, demolishing structures, material handling, and more. Larger excavators ranging from 30-80 tons are generally deployed for heavy civil projects and mining work that require moving large volumes of earth.

Smaller compact excavators under 8 tons are suitable for indoor and outdoor applications like utility work due to their maneuverability. Excavators can perform multiple functions, making them one of the most popular vehicles in the heavy equipment industry.

Wheel Loaders

Wheel loaders are versatile earthmoving vehicles commonly used for tasks like cutting into piles of aggregate materials and loading dump trucks. These heavy equipment are available in different sizes to suit various commercial and industrial applications.

Larger wheel loaders ranging between 5-30 tons are suitable for heavy lifting in mining, quarrying, landfill, and construction projects where they are used for moving heavy loads and objects.

Attachments for Wheel Loaders

Wheel loaders can be equipped with different types of attachments to enable multi-tasking on job sites:

• Forklift attachments help lift and move palletized building materials and supplies efficiently for tasks like indoor material handling and staging of supplies.
• Grapple buckets help handle loose materials like logs, branches, demolition debris, and other materials. They can lift heavy loads with an efficient grasp.
• Sweeper brooms are attachment options for roadwork projects, clearing snow, dirt, or other debris from outdoor surfaces.
• Hydraulic hammers and shears are suitable attachments for demolishing concrete structures and asphalt surfaces during renovation and repair.

Backhoes

Backhoes are extremely versatile construction vehicles that can perform the functions of both a loader and an excavator. These wheeled machines have a front attachment similar to wheel loaders for pushing or lifting loads, along with a rear-mounted articulating arm with a bucket or other attachments.

Versatility of Backhoes

The versatility of backhoes has made them one of the most popular equipment used across various construction sites:

• With the ability to switch between the front loader and backhoe functions, these machines can efficiently handle tasks like digging trenches, lifting building materials, loading dump trucks, and handling loose materials.
• Their compact size allows use in tight spaces for utility work, laying pipes and cables, or mixing concrete near structures.
• Various bucket and hammer attachments enable backhoes to perform functions like demolition of structures, excavation of soil and aggregates, and breaking asphalt surfaces.
• Rotating the cab and seat enables single-operator use for tasks like loading trucks, then getting down and continuing digging work with ease.
• Medium-sized backhoes weighing 5 and 15 tons suit various commercial and industrial projects involving earthwork and material handling.

Dozers

Dozers, also known as bulldozers, are crawler tractors equipped with sturdy metal blades used for precise grading and leveling of land. They are common at large construction sites for tasks like clearing land.

Purpose of Dozers

The main purposes of dozers in construction include:

• Pushing and grading large volumes of earth and loose materials like soil, sand, and aggregates for site leveling and preparation for foundation works.
• Land-clearing and scraping operations during the initial phase of projects involving new developments, roadworks, and mining activities.
• Precise grading of outdoor surfaces using GPS and laser guidance systems for applications in creating flat bases for slabs, retaining walls, or other concrete works.
• Clearing snow from roads, parking lots, and other outdoor areas during winter maintenance uses specialized snow blades and plow attachments.
• Compacting and leveling earthen surfaces using smooth drum compactors attached to larger bulldozers weighing over 15 tons for tasks like landfill projects.

Grading and Material Handling Vehicles

Various heavy equipment is used for tasks like grading surfaces, hauling loads, and supplying materials across busy construction sites.

Graders

Motor graders, commonly known as graders, are versatile heavy machinery utilized for tasks like site preparation, road building, and land development. Available in different sizes, these machines are equipped with sturdy blades to level earthen surfaces.

Larger graders over 15 tons deployed for commercial projects integrate precise GPS systems, enabling fine grading of outdoor areas to specifications. They efficiently move and compact large volumes of soil and aggregate materials.

Motor graders are indispensable for earthworks tasks, like creating a flat base before laying pipes, erecting structures, or paving roads. The toothed metal grading wheel connected to a hydraulic motor allows soils to be moved easily.

Functions of Graders

Some key functions that graders perform on construction sites include:

• Using GPS systems, the precise grading and leveling of surfaces over large areas for tasks like site preparation, roadworks, and land development.
• Compacting and shaping earthen surfaces through efficient movement of soils and loose materials like aggregates using the hydraulic motor-powered grading blade.
• Removal and transport of excess soils to stockpiles during excavation and earthmoving works for projects involving changes in terrain.
• Maintain gravel roads through crowning and grading to allow for water run-off, especially during seasonal tasks like snow removal.

Scrapers

Scrapers are specialized heavy equipment that efficiently transports loads of excavated earth and other loose construction materials over short horizontal distances on job sites. These hauling vehicles have a digging blade at the front for collecting soil and a rear discharge hopper.

Larger scrapers with 20-40 cubic yard capacities are suitable for moving bulk volumes of aggregate materials in mining, landfills, and heavy civil projects involving earthworks. The hydraulic system allows for smooth operation when scraping and transporting heavy loads.

How Scrapers Move Materials

Scrapers efficiently transport excavated loads using their sturdy design and hydraulic system. The front-mounted digging blade gathers loose material deposited into the rear hopper.

As the scraper travels forward articulated, a hydraulic cylinder pushes the gathered material out of the rear hopper. This process is repeated across short hauling cycles to efficiently move bulk volumes of earth and aggregates on construction sites. Larger scrapers can shift loads from 10-40 cubic yards per cycle.

Skid Steer Loaders

Skid steer loaders are versatile compact machines suitable for indoor and outdoor applications across various commercial and industrial sectors, including construction. Available in different sizes with operating weights of 2000-10000 lbs, these machines feature side-by-side seating and four-wheel skid steer steering, enabling excellent maneuverability even in tight spaces.

Skid steer loaders can efficiently handle tasks like moving building supplies, mixing concrete, and digging trenches near structures using suitable buckets, forks, augers, or hammer attachments. Their ability to work well on rough terrain makes them suitable for tasks like material handling and digging at outdoor job sites.

Differences from Wheel Loaders

While skid steer loaders and wheel loaders are both versatile equipment used for material handling tasks, there are some critical differences between the two:

• Maneuverability – Skid steer loaders have four-wheel skid steer capabilities that enable them to turn within their dimensions, making them highly maneuverable even in tight spaces like indoor job sites. Wheel loaders have front-wheel steering like trucks.
• Seating – Skid steer loaders feature a side-by-side seating arrangement to allow operation in tight spaces, while wheel loaders have single-operator seating behind the machine.
• Attachments – Skid steer loaders can use a wide range of compatible buckets, forks, drills, hammers, etc. Wheel loaders are primarily suited for pallet forks and buckets for loading and digging.
• Terrain – Skid steer loaders are better suited for uneven, rough terrain applications due to their low-ground-pressure tracks or wheels. Wheel loaders perform best on prepared outdoor surfaces.
• Size – Skid steer loaders are available in smaller sizes suitable for indoor and urban job sites, while wheel loaders are generally larger machines used in outdoor construction and mining sites.

Specialty Construction Vehicles

Various specialized heavy equipment is used to perform specific tasks on construction sites.

Compact Track Loaders

Compact track loaders are versatile machines suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications. These trucks are one of the types of construction vehicles. Like skid steer loaders, they feature side-by-side seating and can efficiently handle tasks like material handling using compatible buckets and forks.

However, compact track loaders have continuous rubber tracks instead of wheels that provide better flotation over rough terrain and soft ground conditions. Their operating weight, ranging between 2000 and 6000 lbs, makes them suitable for tasks in urban construction sites, landscaping, and agricultural jobs.

The tracks enable them to traverse challenging outdoor environments and dig trenches near structures without causing ground damage like wheeled skid steers.

Compact Excavators

Mini or compact excavators are versatile small-scale equipment suitable for tasks in confined urban job sites. Weighing between 2000-6000 lbs, these hydraulic excavators feature zero tail swing designs for working in tight spaces.

Their digging depth of 6-12 feet makes them ideal for tasks like digging trenches for laying pipes and cables or mixing concrete near structures without causing damage. Mini excavators can efficiently handle tasks like the demolition of surfaces using suitable buckets, breakers, or shear attachments.

Asphalt Pavers

Asphalt pavers, or asphalt finishing machines, are indispensable equipment used in road paving projects for highway construction and repair. These machines efficiently lay and compact asphalt concrete or bituminous mixtures to build or resurface roadways and parking lots.

Larger pavers over 15 tons with extendable screeds up to 15 meters in width allow for high-production paving of surfaces. The vibration and tamping drum rollers attached to asphalt pavers ensure a smooth finish of the new asphalt layer.

Pavers integrated with GPS systems enable precise roadway paving as per specifications.

Compactors

Compactors are indispensable equipment used to compact and stabilize earthen surfaces like soil on construction sites. Roller compactors are available in weights ranging from 5-20 tons with smooth or padfoot drums. They are suitable for compacting granular materials in the development of roads, parking lots, foundations, etc.

Larger double drum rollers are deployed for soil compaction in constructing runways and highways. The vibration function of drum rollers helps achieve optimum compaction for supporting structural loads.

Pneumatic tires and sheep foot rollers are other types used for compacting cohesive soils and asphalt surfaces.

Hauling Vehicles

A variety of heavy-duty vehicles are used for transporting loads within and outside construction sites. Dump trucks with payloads ranging from 10 to 50 tons are commonly used for hauling demolition debris, sand, gravel, and other loose materials.

These trucks with dump bodies allow quick unloading and reloading of excavated soils. Articulated dump trucks with 30-40 cubic yard capacities are suitable for mining and heavy civil projects involving the movement of bulk aggregates and waste over long distances.

Concrete mixer trucks with rotating drums ensure concrete ingredients are thoroughly mixed during transportation from batching plants to job sites, where workers can pour and finish concrete before setting.

Dump Truck

Dump trucks in various payload capacities are indispensable for hauling loads at construction sites. These trucks are also known as construction trucks. Available in sizes ranging from 10 to 50 tons, these trucks with dump bodies allow for quick loading of demolition debris, soil, sand, and aggregates excavated using equipment like motor graders, scrapers, and wheel loaders.

The hydraulic dump feature enables expeditious unloading of transported materials at designated locations. Larger articulated dump trucks with 30-40 cubic yard capacities are suitable for moving bulk volumes of materials over long distances in mining, landfill, and heavy civil projects.

Concrete Mixers

Concrete mixer trucks, or transit mixers, are specialized hauling vehicles for transporting premixed concrete from batch plants to construction areas. Equipped with revolving drum mixers, these trucks ensure ingredients like cement, sand, gravel, and water are thoroughly blended during transportation.

The rotating drums allow the concrete mix to be maintained fluid until discharge. Concrete mixers enable casting foundations, slabs, and other structural elements at job sites, where workers can pour and finish concrete within its setting time. Their availability in different drum sizes accommodates small as well as large-scale projects.