Construction Machine Blog

It’s just the preventable ones that occur that are tougher to swallow. If you work inside of a warehouse or any other place that requires the use of a forklift, you may want to consider this checklist before use. I decided to take the liberty of conducting a forklift inspection.

list. This list will cover all the possible concerns that could endanger the operator or persons within the vincinity.

10 Warning Precautions to consider:

*Know your forklift – Do not operate this truck unless you have received thorough training and you are authorized to use it.

*Check your forklift – Forklifts should be checked on a daily basis before use.
(See checklist at bottom)

*Keep body inside at all times – Please do not attempt to place any part of your body within
the mast structure or between the mast and truck.

*Never overload – Don’t overload the forklift, check weight and capacity rules.

*Be visual of your surroundings – Be courteous to pedestrians by operating the forklift in a
safe and professional manner.

*Avoid sudden jerks/movement – Operate your forklift as smoothly as possible. Use precise
care when in use to avoid an overturn.

*Stablize your load – Try not to handle any loose or unstacked loads. Use special care when
Handling loads to avoid losing the load or striking pedestrians.

*Use work platform – Never lift pedestrians unless they are attached to a security harness.

*Please be certain to close down your forklift completely, never leave behind the key or leave
running with the key.

*Never allow or advise the use of the forklift to any particular persons who are not authorized
or have no experience using one.

A worker was killed after the forklift overturned and pinned the man.

Occupational Health and Safety Administration alerts Virginia construction accident lawyers- A worker was killed by a forklift at Burris Logistics.

Staunton, VA—A 27-year-old Greenville man was killed after he was pinned underneath a forklift at Burris Logistics. The tragic workplace accident occurred on Friday morning, November 13, 2009 on Mount Torrey Road in Lyndhurst, as reported by the Waynesboro News Virginian.

Matt Megginson, 27, of Greenville reportedly lost control of a standup forklift at Burris Logistics, when it overturned and pinned the man underneath the heavy machine. Augusta County rescue teams rushed to the scene of the accident and began to administer first aid. The Waynesboro Fire Department also responded to the scene. Medical professionals pronounced Megginson dead at the scene after his injuries proved fatal. It has not been determined what caused the forklift to loose control and overturn. The Virginia Department of Labor and Industry  investigators are conducting a full investigation into the fatal accident. Officials from the federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)  are also expected to investigate.

Burris Logistics is reportedly a food distribution company that does business in refrigerated warehouses and frozen food transportation. OSHA reported that 22 percent of the 1,021 forklift-related deaths that have occurred over the past 14 years were by overturned machinery.

This is no ordinary tractor. Nor is it an ordinary Fiat. Not by a long shot.

Japanese ironsmith Kogoro Kurata custom built this bulldozer from an old Fiat 500 body and caterpillar tracks, which can only reach a speed of 3 km/h. It may move at the pace of a snail, but I wouldn’t mind using this beast to shovel my driveway (in style) this come winter.

A dump truck, also called a Mack truck is a commercial truck used for carrying materials used for construction. Dump trucks normally carry loose materials like sand, gravel or soil. There are many types of dump trucks but all of them have hydraulically operated containers that are used to “dump” their contents from behind. Most rental dump trucks, however, come with drivers, so most people don’t really worry about it. However, as easy as it may sound to just dump its load, you must have proper knowledge to operate this machine aside from driving it around.

1. Driving skills – First and foremost, to be able to drive a dump truck, you must have at least the basic driving skills. You must be aware of driver’s etiquette on the road and in parking, starting up the vehicle, aware of traffic regulations in the area that you are driving and of the speed limit. You must also know all the controls that your truck will have because it will vary per type of dump truck. Remember to keep the bed down before starting to drive the dump truck to avoid dangers on the road, on other people or yourself.
2. License – Like all vehicles, you must also have a license to drive a dump truck. Specifically, you must have a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). This can be acquired through applying at your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) who would process your acquiring of such a license. If you have not undergone any test for your license yet, prepare for necessary medical tests and other forms they may ask you to fill out.
3. Types – You must also be aware of the different types of trucks that are being used. Dump trucks have various types of equipment to support different types of loads. Larger dump trucks have the capacity to carry large amounts from place to place. These are often used as freightliner trucks to deliver various materials requested by clients. Articulated dump trucks are dump trucks which have a hinge between the cab and the dump bed. These permanent hinges are what differentiate articulated dump trucks from transfer dump trucks, whose dump boxes can be removed from the cab itself.
4. Equipment – You have to be aware of your truck equipment before you start driving. There are variations in the placing of the controls themselves. In most trucks, the handlebar that controls the hydraulics for the bed is found near the bed itself and not in the driver cab. Most other controls in the dump truck are what you find in normal trucks and other vehicles. There might be other switches or levers you have to be aware of, so make sure you acquaint yourself with them before starting to use a dump truck.
5. Education – The National Association of Heavy Equipment Training Schools in the United States is a professional association of Heavy Equipment training schools. To be able to drive a dump truck, you need to be certified with a Class-A CDL (Commercial Driver’s License). Associated Training Services, the oldest training school in the United States, offers 3-week short term courses in how to drive and operate a dump truck.

A person with a Class A CDL may get a job in one of the many construction companies. An operator normally gets $15 – 20 an hour. Class A certified drivers, however, can get as much as $30 per hour. Most jobs, however, also require the driver to be able to maintain the truck as well.

Excavators Loaders can be of two types: 1- Backhoe Loaders, and 2- Wheel Loaders.

Backhoe: A backhoe, also called a rear actor or back actor, is a piece of excavating equipment consisting of a digging bucket on the end of an articulated arm (also called a stick or dipper). Modern backhoes are powered by hydraulics. They are typically mounted on the back of a tractor or front loader. (Similar attachments for skid loaders are still called backhoes even though they are mounted on the front of the vehicle). A backhoe attached to a swiveling cab on top of tracks is called an excavator.

Backhoe Loader: Backhoe loader, also called a Loader backhoe, is an engineering vehicle, which consists of a tractor, front shovel\bucket and small backhoe in the rear. Due to its relatively small size and versatility, backhoe loaders are very common in urban engineering and small construction projects such as building a small house, fixing city roads etc.

A common backhoe-loader. The backhoe is on the right, the bucket/blade on the left. Invented in Burlington, Iowa in 1957 the Backhoe loader (note: this needs checking – may have been invented in the UK by Joseph Cyril Bamford, founder of JCB) is probably the most common variation of the classic farm tractor. As the name implies, it has a loader assembly on the front and a backhoe on the back. When both the loader and the backhoe are permanently attached it is almost never called a tractor, not generally used for towing and usually does not have a PTO. When the backhoe is permanently attached, the machine usually has a seat that can swivel to the rear to face the hoe controls. Removable backhoe attachments almost always have a separate seat on the attachment itself.

Their relatively small frame and precise control make backhoe-loaders very useful and common in urban engineering projects such as construction and repairs in areas too small for larger equipment. Their versatility and compact size makes them one of the most popular urban construction vehicles.

WHEEL LOADERS: Wheel Loader is a Front end loading machine. Wheel loader dig and as well as do secondary loading. Wheel loaders which do only secondary loading are called Pay Loaders.The Wheel loaders are classified according to there bucket size and operating weight. The bucket size ranges from 1 cum upwards. The Wheel loaders can be tyre mounted or track mounted. The more popular version being tyres.

A Wheel loader typically has semiautomatic or autometic transmition with autometic gear sifting. The power train will include engine, transmition, related propellar shaftes and powered axles at both front and rear.A typical hydrolic curcuit for implimentation will include fixed/variable displacement pumps, controll valves, and actuators for boom, arm and bucket operation. Normally the steering curcuit is kept separate from the impliment curcuit.

Concrete pump is tool to transport concrete from one place to another. Somebody hold the view that buying a concrete pump is a waste of time because the task of transportation can also be accompanied by other construction tools. Yes, it is indeed true that concrete pump is not something essential and indispensable for a construction project, and its role can be replaced by many other tools such as trucks. However, concrete is still very important to construction.

 Concrete Pumps

Why concrete pump? The answer lies in its numerous advantages.

To begin with, Concrete pumps are the best option for placing concrete at the construction site at a faster rate. Some people think a concrete pumps means an unnecessary expense. But what they ignore is that using a concrete pump actually improves the efficiency and speed, saving workers a lot of time and energy.

Besides, Concrete can be placed easily and at a faster rate at inaccessible sites. A concrete pump places concrete faster with less labor than any other method. You can save money and free up valuable personnel for other duties. Direct placement without re-handling improves concrete quality and reduces labor. A concrete pump causes less congestion than most other methods.

In addition, using specialized concrete pumps reduces the labor as less handling is required since concrete can be placed directly at the desired location. This saves the construction forehead a large sum of money for the expense of the building workers. In other words, using concrete pumps can not only save the power and energy of the workers but the over-head cost of the boss.

Last but not least, concrete placing is not affected by weather conditions. It can work under any tough weathers. Thus there is no worry about the delaying of the construction due to the problems of the concrete pump. Especially in winter, when icy and stormy weather frequently happens, concrete pump can guarantee the speed of the whole construction project. What’s more, concrete pump is Reliable and it can assure high quality work. The maintenance fee of the concrete pump is very low. After buying it, you would benefit from the concrete pump for a long time.

As we all know, without concrete, no modern building can be set up. Nearly every construction project needs concrete as well as concrete mixer. However, there is one problem with using concrete. That is how the building workers ensure concrete spread smoothly and flatly. This tough task is accomplished by the concrete vibrator, a very important equipment which usually ignored by many of us.

A concrete vibrator is a construction tool used on concrete pouring sites. A variety of manufacturers build concrete vibrators and an assortment of attachments designed for multiple applications. A concrete vibrator is used to ensure that a concrete pour is even and free of air bubbles so that the concrete will remain strong and have a smooth finish.

Concrete Vibrators are working

Although it also works without concrete vibrators in those small jobs, a concrete vibrator is essential on large load bearing projects.

Basics of Concrete Vibrators

Concrete vibrator designs range in size from small battery-powered wands to much larger plug-in versions that be used on very deep pours. In all cases, a concrete vibrator that can reach the bottom of the pouring forms should be used, ensuring even treatment of the entire concrete pour. Attachments for the concrete vibrator are selected on the basis of the depth of the pour and the type of concrete being used.

A concrete vibrator uses an off-centered weight, which is spun as much as 10,000 times a minute, causing large air pockets in the concrete to disperse as the concrete is shaken. Especially in pours of low slump concrete, which uses minimal water, the use of a concrete vibrator is essential to ensure that the concrete does not bubble or form holes. In cases where consumers will be looking at the finished concrete, as is common in some schools of design that employ concrete counters and floors, use of a concrete vibrator will present an even and attractive surface, rather than one that may be slightly ragged.

 Parts and types of Vibrators

Correct Operation of a Vibrator

Proper use of a concrete vibrator requires some training. The head of the concrete vibrator should always be slowly lowered into the pour and pulled out gradually to avoid the formation of an air pocket. A concrete vibrator should never be dragged through a pour, because it will leave a groove in the concrete behind it. The amount of time required varies depending on the mix, but it does not usually take more than 30 seconds to settle the concrete sufficiently and move on to the next section of concrete.

If a concrete vibrator is used incorrectly on a concrete mix with a wide range of material sizes, it may cause the larger rock pieces to settle to the bottom, making the concrete weaker. In addition, a concrete vibrator can push rock and gravel away from the area being shaken, causing weaker concrete paste to fill the area, which may result in instability. The goal in using a concrete vibrator is to build a strong matrix of material that will withstand years of use. If the concrete vibrator is used correctly, the operator will see large bubbles floating to the surface of the concrete pour, and a layer of mortar will appear on the surface to indicate that the concrete is evenly mixed and unlikely to have air pockets and honeycombing.

check the working of vibrators

Of course, to become a qualified operator to achieve such an effect, a long time of practice shall be taken.

The crane is a very versatile construction equipment. As I have mention before in my previous posts, there are many types and shapes of cranes in the market such as truck crane and tower crane. Different types of cranes are used on the basis of the amount of weight to be lifted and the area available for movement at the construction site. Today in this article, I want to focus my attention on jib crane, another important member of the crane family. You dear readers would also learn about the various types of Jib cranes in the article.

 Jib Cranes

The design of a Jib Crane

As a common type of cranes, the jib crane consists of a pillar fixed to the wall or mounted on the floor. The pillar supports a horizontal jib, or boom which has a movable hoist. The hoist is used to lift or lower a load with the help of a drum, or lift-wheel, which has a chain or rope wrapped around it. The drum is driven electrically or pneumatically, and can be operated manually. The lifting medium is usually a chain, although it may also be a fiber rope or wire cable. The load is lifted with the help of a lifting hook attached to the lifting medium.

 The design of jib crane

 Types of Jib Crane

As a particular type of cranes, jib cranes can also be divided into several types. The floor mounted type, wall mounted type (fixed) and wall mounted type (traveling) are the three main types. Let’s see them in details one by one.

 Floor Mounted Type

This is the most commonly used Jib crane. Floor mounted jib crane is a self-supporting jib crane having a vertical mast mounted on a concrete foundation. These types of cranes are generally used to share the load of main cranes. The construction of the crane is as described above. All these cranes can rotate 360 degrees and are manually operated.

  Wall mounted type (fixed)

This type of crane is mounted horizontally on the wall and instead of a vertical shaft has a RCC column bracket mounting. The hoist mechanism is similar to the floor mounted type, but without a vertical boom. The RCC column bracket allows a maximum rotation of 200 degrees but covers the area near the bracket mounting without obstruction at floor level.

 Wall mounted type (travelling)

The construction of this type is similar to that of fixed type with the only difference that the crane is able to cover the lengthwise area near the building columns without obstruction at floor level. The crane’s columns are specially designed and the crane instead of rotating, moves along a runway track suspended along building columns.

Through this article, I hope all of you dear readers have a better understanding about cranes and jib cranes.

Introduction

A concrete pump is an important role in the construction machinery family. It is a tool for transferring liquid concrete by pumping.

Concrete Pumps are working at the construction site

There are mainly three classifications of concrete pumps:

• Boom or truck mounted pump
• Trailer, line, or stationary pump
• Specialized usage pump

Let’s briefly look at these three types of pumps

 Type 1: Truck mounted pump

As its name shows, the truck mounted pump is attached to a truck. It is known as a truck-mounted boom pump because it uses a remote-controlled articulating robotic arm (called a boom) to place concrete with pinpoint accuracy. Boom pumps are used on most of the larger construction projects as they are capable of pumping at very high volumes and because of the labor saving nature of the robotic arm.

 Truck mounted pump

Type 2: Trailer Pump

The second main type of concrete pump is mounted on a trailer, and it is commonly referred to as a trailer pump or line pump. This pump requires steel or rubber concrete placing hoses to be manually attached to the outlet of the machine. Those hoses are linked together and lead to wherever the concrete needs to be placed. Trailer pumps normally pump concrete at lower volumes than boom pumps and are used for smaller volume concrete placing applications such as swimming pools, sidewalks, and single family home concrete slabs.

 Trailer Pump

Type 3: Specialized usage pump

These pumps are specifically made for specialized job sites such as mines and tunnels. They are also skid mounted and rail mounted concrete pumps but are not commonly used due to their high costs and extra specialized mechanism

Specialized usage pump

Although the backhoe is a very productive and helpful construction equipment, it is must be used safely and efficiently. There are many construction accidents related to backhoes or mistakes made by their operators. To be a qualified backhoe operator, he should not only have a good master of the operating skills, but also bear a strong sense of safety in mind, knowing how to prevent himself as well as others from being hurt. And to a judge a operator whether he is good or not, we should focus more on his safety sense than on his operating skills because safety comes first.

Of course, to avoid backhoe accident, the best way an operator can do is to be fully aware of yourself, the jobsite, and the features of the equipment you are working with.

Although the models of backhoes vary, there are safety features with all of them that include steps and grab handles for getting on and off of the machine. Backhoes also feature frame lock levers and attaching levers to keep the backhoe securely fastened to the loader frame during operation as well as transporting.

Some Parts of Bakhoe

In addition to these standard safety features, there are some backhoes that provide a safety chain. The safety chain will prevent the backhoe mounting frame from rotating backwards and unexpectedly trapping the operator, which can result in serious injury or death. Therefore, it is always important to know and check all of the mounting and attachment points and the safety chain before you operate the backhoe.

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