What Are The Uses Of An Excavator In Construction
- Posted by:
- Admin
- Tags:
- excavators, demolition, attachment, machinery, attachments
- Posted date:
- 08-02-2023
What are the uses of an excavator in construction? From demolition to dredging to earth movement, we look at the common uses of an excavator in construction. Shropshire Groundworks offer mini digger hire throughout Shrewsbury, Telford and Shropshire. Find out more about the common uses of an excavator.
Use of excavator in construction
Excavators are a type of construction vehicle which are used in order to move, or excavate, large objects. All excavators are made from two distinct parts. There is the driving base which is connected to the powerful arm. This arm can be equipped with various attachments in order to excavate or move different objects or substances. The vehicle operator sits inside a small cabin linked to the driving base; from here, the operator can control the excavator's arm.
The excavator makes use of a hydraulic system in order to create hydraulic force, which is then used to control the large mechanical arm of the machinery. The excavator also makes use of a chain wheel system for moving around.
Excavators are very common when it comes to construction work. In fact, excavators can be used in both small-scale and large-scale construction projects. Some examples of when they are used are for cut and fills in smaller housing projects, road construction work, manoeuvring large rocks in marine structure work, and of course, in larger projects for excavating, removing waste made by construction, and moving construction material to where it needs to be. There are various different forms of excavators, and they are classified based on their purpose, brand, and their usage.
Common uses of an excavator in construction
When combined with a variety of different available attachments, excavators have a wide number of uses in the world of construction. In different situations, excavators can use buckets, booms, and sticks, which come in a selection of configurations and sizes depending on the job at hand and the machine in question. One of the excellent things about an excavator is they can carry out multiple different tasks which are needed by several heavy industries. Below are some of the top uses for excavators.
Demolition
Through the use of the breaker attachment, an excavator can become a machine which is highly proficient at performing different demolition tasks. The breaker attachment can provide a work team with hundreds of pounds worth of impact energy. This energy can be used for breaking through tough materials such as stone, concrete, and more. The use of excavators for these purposes is very common. Excavators which have been purchased or hired for use in demolition create a job site which is not only safer but more stable too.
Material Handling
It is also common for the excavator handler to use the clamp attachment. When the clamp attachment is used, the machine becomes excellent for the purposes of material handling. The clamp allows the excavator to pick up and move large materials that would not usually be able to fit in the excavator's bucket attachment. You may find that some excavators have raised cabs, as well as heavy counterweight. This is done to allow the operator superior visibility when they are using the machine, as well as better stability during the material handling process.
Dredging Operations
When it comes to dredging operations, there are various different components which can be fitted to an excavator in order to make it useful. One of the main benefits of using an excavator during dredging operations is that debris and sediment of all sizes can very easily be removed from the shoreline. The same goes for removing any kinds of vegetation, for example, logs and roots that may be found in water. In some cases, long-reach excavators are used to creating a longer arm for the excavator. This then means that the machine can extend to a longer distance, allowing for more efficient results when working on a large operation.
Mining
In mining productions, excavators are used in order to dig the soil out from the earth so that the important materials are easier to extract. There are different excavator components used in the field of mining, such as backhoes, power shovels, dragline excavators, and bucket-wheel excavators. The excavators that are used in mining operations will commonly be able to excavate multiple hundred cubic meters of soil and minerals each hour. Clearly, this makes mining operations much faster.
The most efficient excavators in mining, such as hydraulic mining excavators, use a bucket to dig through the necessary material and then pull back all the scooped-up substances back in the direction of the machine.
Forestry Works
During forestry operations, the excavator operator will use the machinery in order to produce access routes. The machinery will also be used in order to move branches on trees. Cutting and shearing are also necessary. The excavator attachments which are used in these types of operations are mulchers and shears. There is a large selection of different excavator tools for taking care of greenery and trees.
Earth Movement
The kind of work that most people will associate with excavators is their usefulness in earthmoving. An excavator's unique bucket attachment has teeth-like around the edges. This allows the machine to be able to dig up and scoop the necessary materials. Below are two earthmoving uses for excavators:
Firstly, trench digging. There are numerous uses for trenches in the field of utilities, construction, forestry, and more. The excavator operator will dig up trenches in order to create an area for setting foundations, laying down pipes and were, or making an area to plant new seeds. Without the use of an excavator, the job of digging a trench would take a considerable amount of planning, work and time.
Next is landscape grading. During the process of landscape grading, the excavator operator will use the machinery to either level or sculpt the ground in front of them so that it is prepared for the upcoming project. In construction terms, grading is the process of creating a ground which is level, which can then be used for a building or any other type of architecture. In landscaping, grading concerns controlling the flow of water from one area to another or simply producing a space where plants can be grown, paths can be created, and other elements can be cultivated.
Debris Removal
Excavator attachments such as clamps and buckets are absolutely perfect for enabling the machines to pick up different forms of debris in removal operations. There are different types and sizes of excavators available, which will allow you to make the right choice in relation to manoeuvrability and power for jobs that involve debris removal.
Underground Excavation
This is also sometimes referred to as tunnelling. This work involves the creation of many underground passageways through the process of digging. The operator of the excavator will make use of bucket and auger attachments in order to achieve the most efficient and effective results. Auger attachments will tunnel deep into the earth using hydraulic circuits. Obviously, due to there only being a limited amount of space under the ground, it is recommended that operators use more compact models of excavators. These are much better suited to the conditions and will lead to safer results.
Demolition
Demolition excavators are purposely designed for the sole use in demolition work. They will often come with a variety of different attachment options that are useful in the field of demolition, as well as featuring cabs that can provide extra protection to the operator and overall higher durability so the machinery can make it even the most demanding of demolition projects. Excavators are used for a variety of different demolition tasks due to their high level of power. They can be used for demolishing all kinds of properties, from small-scale homes all the way to multi-storey buildings.
Do you need mini digger hire in the Shrewsbury or Shropshire area?
Shropshire Groundworks provide the best prices for excavator machines, used for groundworks and construction projects, for long and short term hire.