Earthmoving Equipment Types and Uses

What is Earthmoving Equipment?

Earthmoving equipment is typically described as construction machinery that is used in earthworks. They are used in various ways, namely to move large amounts of earth, dig foundations, hole drilling, pipe laying, compacting materials, etc. They are a critical part of any project because of the importance of earthmoving in the early stages of the construction. 

Good construction project management relies on accomplishing a task using the least amount of resources, in this case, manpower and time. Having the right equipment is vital.

What are the Types of Earthmoving Equipment?

Most of the earthmoving equipment used today is designed to do multiple tasks. Gone are the days when heavy equipment could only do a couple of things. As technology continues to improve, so does the equipment in construction.

Large Machines

Earthmoving equipment comes in all different sizes. However, large machines are mostly those that weigh more than ten tonnes. Some examples of these types of equipment are:

• Excavators
• Backhoe Loaders
• Bulldozers
• Rock Breakers
• Heavy Loaders
• Trenchers
• Tipper and Trailers (Dump Trucks)

Medium-Sized Machines

These machines often weigh five to ten tonnes and are more versatile than their heavier counterparts. They’re usually deployed in areas where large machines wouldn’t fit. Some examples of these are:

• Medium Backhoes
• Graders
• Wheel Tractors
• Compactors

Small Machines

These types of machines are usually small and weigh less than five tonnes. Some examples of these are:

• Skid Steers
• Mini Excavators
• Small Tipper and Trailers
• Front Loaders

What are the Functions of the Different Earthmoving Equipment?

Excavators

These machines usually have a base cabin and a long arm with an excavator bucket at its end. Hydraulics is the key to this vehicle’s operation. The operator controls the excavator from the base cabin and can rotate 360°. Their functions include demolition, excavation, grading, heavy lifting, mining, landscaping, dredging, etc. For small-scale earthworks, a mini excavator should be used. There are also several excavator attachments you can use for different tasks (e.g., post hole augers and others).

Backhoe Loaders

Backhoes are used at construction sites to excavating dirt, move soil and snow, dig trenches, and uproot trees. Backhoes can operate in rougher terrain where other equipment can’t.

Rock Breakers

A rock breaker is a powerful percussion hammer that can be attached to excavators and backhoe loaders. They’re designed to break large rocks and boulders into smaller, more manageable pieces. They usually operate on hydraulics or air compressors.

Heavy Loaders

This machine hydraulic wheel loader equipment is used to load materials such as asphalt, earth, demolition debris, rocks, and others into other vehicles or other areas. They also move materials out of the way in large projects. They can run on wheels or tracks (e.g., compact track loaders, large track loaders, etc.), whichever is more appropriate for a project. Wheel loaders are used mostly in dry conditions. Tracked loaders are advisable when operating in muddy or wet conditions. For smaller projects, compact track loaders are needed. A compact track loader is light, agile, and can fit in smaller spaces.

Trenchers

The size of a trencher varies from attachments for skid loaders or a tractor to huge tracked vehicles. They’re commonly used for digging trenches, especially in laying pipes for electrical cables and drainage. 

Tipper and Trailers

As with most equipment available, the size of tipper and trailers (dump trucks) depends on what your project requirements are. Materials handling isn’t easy. Most of the time, you need a vehicle that you can load with large amounts of materials so you can move them efficiently with minimal time wasted. Wheel loaders are the usual partner for tipper and trailers. The wheel loader puts the materials on its large box bed. When the materials need to be unloaded, the vehicle tips its trailer using machine hydraulic rams and dumps the materials (e.g., concrete equipment, sand, etc.) it’s carrying on the ground.

Compactors or Road Rollers

For smaller areas, there are plate compactors that can be used. If you plan to compact a large area, use a road roller. They’re used to compact concrete, gravel, soil, and asphalt to construct buildings, roads, and bridges. It’s one of the most important concrete equipment you’ll need.

Skid Steers

One of the most versatile equipment available is the skid steer. It’s not so heavy, and it can fit in places where large machines can’t. Plus, it has an assortment of skid steer attachments that you can use for the machine control of different tasks (e.g., skid steer loader, skid steer dozer, etc.). These attachments are but not limited to:

• Augers/ Auger Drives
• Drills
• Rock Drills
• Rippers
• Rock Breakers/ Hammers
• Hydraulic Grabs
• 4 in 1 Buckets
• Compaction Wheels
• Forklift Attachments (e.g., rough terrain forklifts, pallet forklifts, etc.)
• Various Height Buckets
• Sleeper Grabs

As you can see, there are many types of machines available.

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