Construction and the Role of Excavators
Among the various phrases that are notably associated with the construction industry includes “the hard hat”, the construction cone, the tool-belt and a few others which brings us to one particular machine that is so important and practically synonymous to most construction projects that it could just be used as a phrase to refer to the construction industry, this piece of equipment is the excavator. The role played by the excavator within the scope of the construction industry is so incredibly essential to any given construction process that 90 % of modern day civil engineering feats would not have been possible if it was not for the ability of the excavator to do the various task needed to be done in order to complete projects. In most cases, excavators are hired rather than owned by companies, this cuts down overall costs and ensures maintenance is not a burden for the company to handle, see the following page to find out more about excavator hire rates and prices.
Although many of us have an idea of what excavating means, and most of us may be inclined to think that excavators are basically used for digging earth, the truth is that the excavator is a unique and versatile machine. These machines are capable of managing a wide variety of tasks controlled by an operator from the operator’s cab or “cockpit” which gives the operator command of the mechanical arm which supports a variety of attachments suited for different functions. Supported by tank-like tracks or in some cases large tires that provide stability to the vehicle apart from traction on uneven or rough terrain the excavator has become an element that is critical to the success of construction projects big and small.
“So, what is it that excavators do?” The wide range of accessories that excavators are able to accommodate likens them to Swiss Army knives for construction sites in general. For instance, compactor attachments which are essential for compressing soil are used for landscaping projects soon after the primary building projects are completed. Hammer attachments on the other hand are used to break through hard materials during the first phase of construction projects involving site preparation works or demolition work. Grapple attachments are also regularly used for the removal or relocation of large objects. There are also attachments referred to as rippers normally used for uprooting trees and even removing debris from soil. The most common attachment that most of us have probably observed is the bucket attachment which is fundamental to the primary function of an excavator which is digging and removing materials at a construction site. More exclusive attachments such as the cutter jaw attachments are perfect for reducing large materialinto smaller chunks as part of the excavator’s demolition capacity whilst auger attachments enable excavators to drill holes not just rapidly, but also precisely. These are just some of the excavator attachments among the plethora of attachments that are available with new attachments being developed on an annual basis making the excavator’s use within the scope of construction all the more critical. Hence, when rentingfrom an excavator hire company, it is crucial to identify which excavator attachments should be included under the rental contract to ensure that the excavator’s use for the project is optimised.
