The breakdown of earthmoving equipment can hinder the progress of a construction project, as well as increasing the overall cost of that project. Given this, it's important to make an effort to prevent your earthmoving equipment from breaking down. Here are two ways to do this.
1. Never attempt to move too much soil at once
One very common mistake that people make when operating excavators, trenchers and bulldozers, is trying to shove too much soil into the equipment's bucket in one go.
This mistake is often made because the equipment operator is in a rush and needs to move a lot of soil as quickly as possible. However, more often than not, this attempt to speed up the earthmoving process often results in the equipment malfunctioning and the entire process taking far longer than it should have.
The reason for this is as follows; the bucket of a piece of earthmoving equipment will always have a specific maximum load capacity (which will vary from one model to another).
If this load capacity is exceeded, one of two things may happen; either the bucket itself will snap off, or the front of the machinery will be so weighed down by the excessively-heavy load that it will tip forwards, resulting in the entire front section sustaining damage.
In either case, the equipment would have to undergo extensive repair work before it could be used again. As such, if you want to minimise the chances of your equipment breaking down, it's vital to ensure that neither you nor anyone else who operates it exceeds overloads the equipment's bucket.
2. Avoid positioning the equipment facing downwards on steep gradients
Sometimes, earthmoving equipment needs to be used on sloping ground. This is not usually a problem. However, if the equipment needs to be used on a gradient which is very steep, the operator should ensure that it does not end up facing downwards on the slope.
The reason for this is that after the equipment's bucket has been loaded up with soil whilst it is in this position, the weight at the front of the machinery, coupled with gravity, may cause the equipment to be pulled forwards down the gradient (even if the bucket is not overloaded with soil).
If the equipment falls down a slope in this manner, not only could it sustain major damage that could affect its functionality, but the operator could also be seriously injured. Given this, it is essential to avoid placing your earthmoving equipment in this type of position.
Share14 August 2018
If you need to hire heavy construction equipment and you do not work in the construction industry, you may be somewhat overwhelmed by the range of different machines which are on offer. When I wanted to hire a piece of heavy construction equipment so I could landscape my property, I didn't have the first idea about which type of machine was the best one for the job. Thankfully, I was able to call my brother-in-law. He works in the construction industry so he was able to give me some great advice. I decided to start this blog for people who don't have access to an expert. Enjoy!