Boosting Efficiency: Blogs for People Who Use Heavy Construction Equipment

Posted on: 7 May 2019

If your construction project is due to take place during a bout of very cold weather, here is some advice that you might find useful.

Make sure any cracks in the window panes of your heavy construction equipment are sealed up

The window panes in the cabs of bulldozers, forklifts, cranes and excavators can sometimes develop cracks as a result of airborne stones and construction debris striking the glass as the equipment is driven across a building site.

If one or more of the pieces of heavy construction equipment on your site have sustained this type of damage, it is important to get these cracks sealed up before you allow your team to start using this machinery.

The reason for this is as follows; most cabs in modern heavy construction equipment feature heating systems that help to keep the operators warm whilst they do their work. However, if an equipment's cab features cracked window panes, any heat produced by this system is likely to escape.

This could result in the operator becoming increasingly cold throughout the workday. This, in turn, could result in them experiencing numbness in their hands and feet, which could affect their ability to respond quickly when they need to use the pedals or the steering wheel to avoid colliding with other equipment or running someone over.

Consider thawing out any patches of frozen ground before attempting to use earthmoving equipment to dig into it

If the temperature falls under zero degrees Celsius and remains there for more than a few hours, any previously damp patches of ground on your construction site could freeze.

If this happens in the area where you need to use earthmoving equipment to, for example, dig a trench, then you should consider thawing out this ground before proceeding with this task. You can do this by using a hose or a pressure washer to pour warm water over the affected areas of the soil.

There are two reasons why you should thaw out the ground. Firstly, it will make it much easier for the operator of the earthmoving equipment to quickly dig through the soil and complete the creation of the trench in an efficient manner, as they won't have to waste time repeatedly striking the soil with the equipment in order to break through the ice.

Secondly, it will reduce the chances of this equipment being damaged as a result of hitting hard, frozen ground. This type of impact could potentially cause damage to the bucket of an excavator or a bulldozer.

For more information, contact an earthmoving equipment company.