The equipment in this category includes machines that are used in digging excavations and in

trenching operations. While any operation that involves digging material could be called an
excavation, we have listed equipment here that is most often used to dig more size limited
excavations and trench excavations.
Some of the equipment listed in this section is used in various precision type excavating due to
their maneuverability. The large mass excavators will be found in the earthmoving and mining
section that follows.

Leading the list of excavating and trenching equipment s is a combination type machine called
the loader backhoe, backhoe loader, or tractor backhoe. This is one of the most versatile pieces
of equipment built.

Dredges are machines that are used to excavate are that are under water. Dredges are used to
deepen harbours and waterways and in that sense are excavating machines and are included in
this section. They are also used in underwater mining.

Excavators come in two basic forms, tracked and wheeled. The tracked excavator is more
common place, due to it having better flotation and traction characteristics than the wheeled
excavator. These machines are used in many different industries due to their versatility.

Chain and wheel trenchers are effective at creating trenches that are dug close to design depth.
Trenches that are not dug deep enough can often result in having to re-dig the trench, often
from the side in an operation known as side-digging. This can be very wasteful and expensive.
Digging trenches that are deeper than necessary is also wasteful and expensive, and is known
as unnecessary overdig.

Operators of the equipment in this section are often called on to create excavations or trenches
with sloped banks, as required due to various regulations or requirements.

A backhoe loader, also called a loader backhoe or tractor backhoe, is a heavy equipment
vehicle that consists of a tractor fitted with a bucket on the front and a small backhoe on the
back. Due to its relatively small size and versatility, backhoe loaders are very common in urban
construction projects. These machines travel on rubber tires, and can actually travel at speeds
of approx. 25 mph/40 kmh. This makes these machines very popular where travel between
worksites or excavations is required often.
These machines can dig small excavations, dig trenches, and using the loader attachment on
the front of the machine can move material such as sand or gravel and can be used to can load
trucks.

Dredging is the activity of excavating underwater bottom sediments and disposing of them at a
different location. This technique is often used to keep waterways navigable or reclaim land.
There are several types of dredgers available.
Photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Excavators, also known as a track hoe, are heavy equipment consisting of a boom, dipperstick,
bucket and cab on a rotating platform. The cab sits atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels.
All movement and functions of the excavator are accomplished through the use of hydraulic
fluid. The tracked excavator is very versatile in the mining, forestry, construction and pipeline
industries.
Wheeled excavators offer mobility to travel up to 23 mph (37km/h) and can move quickly from
job to job minimizing the need for additional transportation. They are ideally suited for a number
of applications, like ditch cleaning or road maintenance that require travel while using a work
tool.
A trencher is a piece of construction equipment used to dig trenches, typically for laying pipes or
cables, or for drainage. Trenchers range in size from walk-behind models to heavy tracked
heavy equipment. Trenchers come in two designs, chain trencher or wheel trencher.

A chain trencher cuts with a digging chain that is driven around a rounded metal frame, or
boom. It resembles a giant chainsaw. This type of trencher can cut ground that is too hard to cut
with a bucket-type excavator. This type of trencher can cut narrow and deep trenches. The
angle of the boom can be adjusted to control the depth of the cut. To cut a trench, the boom is
held at a fixed angle while the machine creeps slowly.
Ditch Witch chain trencher

A wheel trencher or rock wheel is composed of a toothed metal wheel. It is cheaper to operate
and maintain and can cut harder ground than chain-type trenchers. Thanks to the wheel it is
possible to work in hard or soft soils. This is due to the fact that a cutting wheel works by
clearing the soil like a bucket-wheel does. They are also used to cut pavement for road
maintenance and to gain access to utilities under roads.
Wheel trencher attached to New Holland tractor

Ditch Witch RT70

http://www.heavyequipment.com/heavy-equipment/excavation-trenching
The equipment listed in this section is equipment that has been designed for the hoisting & lifting of
materials, equipment, and personnel. Other equipment such as excavators and loaders are also used for
hoisting and lifting at times, but we will focus on equipment that is designed for this function.

This equipment varies in configuration from the manlift category, where machines are used to hoist
personnel, providing elevated platforms from which they can work to forklifts, and various cranes to
specialized hoisting equipment such as pipelayers.

Hoisting and lifting involves special considerations, such as lift radius, machine capacity at a given radius,
wind speed, and ground conditions. Over the past several years, operator assisting devices have been
added, starting with simply boom angle indicators to load measurement indicators and devices and on to
todays on board computers.

As you might expect, proper hook up or connection between the object being lifted and the lifting device
is critical. This is also known as rigging and involves methods, principles, and technical data that be
must be known in order to safely perform the lift.

Hoisting and lifting equipment has also evolved in size over the years, and todays equipment is capable
of enormous lifts with relative ease of movement from job to job, especially when compared with the
equipment of the past.

Boom trucks are basically truck units with cranes mounted on them to enable the loading and unloading
of loads to and from either the boom truck itself or adjacent trucks. Outriggers that extend horizontally and
vertically are used to level and stabilize the crane for hoisting.
The primary focus of the bridge inspection unit is to perform bridge safety inspections, prepare bridge
load ratings and perform load posting compliance verification. This specialized vehicle allows for the
inspection of the underside of the bridge while the vehicle itself is actually positioned on top of the bridge.
Bucket trucks or cherry pickers were originally designed for use in orchards (though not just cherry
orchards) where they are still heavily used today. The bucket truck will have identical controls on both the
truck and in the basket for the operator.
Container handlers or reach stackers are able to transport a container in short distances very quickly and
pile them in various rows depending on its access.
Cranes exist in an enormous variety of forms each tailored to a specific use. Sizes range from the
smallest jib cranes used inside workshops to the tallest tower cranes, used for constructing high buildings.

A carrier conventional crane is a crane that has a lattice boom on a rubber tired truck body. When working
on the jobsite, outriggers are extended horizontally from the chassis then vertically to level and stabilize
the crane while stationary and hoisting. Since these cranes are self powered and on rubber, they are
able to travel on highways, eliminating the need for special equipment to transport the crane.
Photo: Little Giant Corporation

A carrier hydraulic crane is a crane can be either a tubular extendible boom or lattice boom on a rubber
tired truck body that uses hydraulics for boom. When working on the jobsite, outriggers are extended
horizontally from the chassis then vertically to level and stabilize the crane while stationary and hoisting.
Since these cranes are self powered and on rubber, they are able to travel on highways, eliminating the
need for special equipment to transport the crane.

A conventional crawler crane is a crane that has a lattice boom on a tracked body. When working on the
jobsite, weights can be added to stabilize the crane before hoisting. Crawler cranes have both
advantages and disadvantages depending on their use. Their main advantage is that they can move
around on site and perform each lift with little set-up, since the crane is stable on its tracks with no
outriggers. In addition, a crawler crane is capable of traveling with a load. Since these cranes are on
tracks, they need to be trucked from job site to job site.
A hydraulic crawler crane is a crane that is hydraulically powered on a tracked body. When working on the
jobsite, weights can be added to stabilize the crane while stationary and hoisting. Crawler cranes have
both advantages and disadvantages depending on their use. Their main advantage is that they can move
around on site and perform each lift with little set-up, since the crane is stable on its tracks with no
outriggers. In addition, a crawler crane is capable of traveling with a load. Since these cranes are on
tracks, they need to be trucked from job site to job site.
Located on the ships and boats, these are used for cargo operations or boat unloading and retrieval
where no shore unloading facilities are available. Most are diesel-hydraulic or electric-hydraulic.
An overhead crane, also known as a bridge crane, is a type of crane where the hook-and-line mechanism
runs along a horizontal beam that it runs along two widely separated rails. A hoist is used to lift the item,
the bridge spans the area covered by the crane and a trolley moves along the bridge. Often it is in a long
factory building and runs along rails along the buildings two long walls. It is similar to a gantry crane.
Overhead cranes typically consist of either a single beam or a double beam construction. These can be
built using typical steel beams or a more complex box girder type. A double girder bridge is more typical
when needing heavier capacity systems from 10 tons and above. The advantage of the box girder type
configuration results in a system that has a lower deadweight yet a stronger overall system integrity.
A crane mounted on an undercarriage with four rubber tires that is designed for pick-and-carry operations
and for off-road (rough terrain) applications. Outriggers are used to level and stabilize the crane for
hoisting.
A carry deck crane is a small 4 wheel crane with a 360 degree rotating boom placed right in the centre
and an operators cab located at one end under this boom. The rear section houses the engine and the
area above the wheels is a flat deck. The Carry deck can hoist a load in a confined space and then load it
on the deck space around the cab or engine and subsequently move to another site.

The forklift or lift truck, is a powered industrial truck used to lift and transport materials. The modern forklift
was developed in the 1920s by various companies. They can be powered either by, diesel, gasoline,
propane or battery electric. Different attachments increase the functionality of the lift truck.
Komatsu propane powered, pneumatic tired forklift
Photo: JLG Industries, Inc. JLG telescopic rough terrain forklift
Hyster solid tired forlift with round container attachment

Straight boom lifts are generally used for jobs that require a high reach without obstructions. The
machines turntable can rotate 360 degrees with an extendable boom that can be raised vertically to
below horizontal. The operator can maneuver and steer the vehicle while the boom is fully extended. It is
available in gas, propane, or diesel-powered models with two or four-wheel drive.
Articulated boom lifts are used for jobs that require reaching up and over obstacles to gain access to a job
not easily approached by a straight telescopic boom. This lift is nearly identical to the straight boom lift in
every aspect, except in the booms ability to articulate. Articulation points on the boom allow it to bend in
any number of different directions enabling it to maneuver around various obstacles on a job site. Boom
lifts can be equipped with outriggers to stabilize a unit while the boom is fully extended.
Photo: JLG Industries, Inc.

Scissor lifts are designed for working on directly overhead projects as they only lift on a vertical plane. It
consists of a series of linked, folding supports that crisscross in an x pattern. In order to raise the unit,
pressure must be applied to the outside of the lowest set of supports, which elongates the crossing
pattern, elevating the platform vertically. If the machine is hydraulically or pneumatically powered lowering
of the platform can be achieved by simply opening a valve to release the pressure.
Photo: Skyjack Inc.

Mechanical lifts are generally smaller models that use rack-and-pinion systems or screw threads to
elevate the platform. They are limited in the amount of weight they can carry and the heights they can
extend to. They are mainly used for indoor tasks like changing light bulbs.
Pedestal mount manlifts are mainly used in specialized applications due to the fact that they are fastened
to the floor. The main users are the aircraft industry.
Pipelayers have been around since the 1920s as various companies made sideboom attachments for
crawler tractors. In the 1953, Midwestern introduced the worlds first hydraulic operated sideboom
attachment for small tractors. Today, several companies sell integrated pipelayer.
When the weights and capacities are known, the rigger must then determine how to lift the load so that it
is stable. Training and experience enable riggers to recognize hazards that can have an impact on a
hoisting operation. Riggers must be aware of elements that can affect hoisting safety, factors that reduce
capacity, and safe practices in rigging, lifting, and landing loads. Riggers must also be familiar with the
proper inspection and use of slings and other rigging hardware.

A telescopic handler, or telehandler, is similar in appearance and function to a forklift but is more a crane
than forklift, with the increased versatility of a single telescopic boom that can extend forwards and
upwards from the vehicle. On the end of the boom the operator can fit one of several attachments, such
as a bucket, pallet forks, or lift table.

The most common attachment for a telehandler is pallet forks and the most common application is to
move loads to and from places unreachable for a conventional forklift.
http://www.heavyequipment.com/heavy-equipment/hoisting-lifting
This earthmoving and mining equipment section lists equipment that has been designed
primarily to move earth and minerals in large earthmoving and mining projects. Some of this
equipment finds it place in other applications, however, and the use of bulldozers and articulated
trucks on road and highway projects are just a couple of examples.

One area of surface mining includes giant machines such as drills, electric shovels and giant
draglines, some of which have buckets that are capable of moving 160 cubic yards of material in
one scoop. Although somewhat smaller than the electric shovel or especially the giant dragline,
the mass excavator also fits here, which is basically a large version of the excavator that is used
more for mass excavation than for more limited exaction or trenching.

Underground mining equipment is aimed at moving material in a very headroom and space
environment. You will notice similarities with some of the surface mining equipment as well as
some very specialized pieces developed specifically for the underground mining application.

An articulated dump truck has a hinge between the cab and the dump box, but is distinct from
semi trailer trucks in that the cab is a permanent fixture, not a separable vehicle. Steering is
accomplished via hydraulic rams that pivot the entire cab, rather than rack and pinion steering
on the front axle. This vehicle is highly adaptable to rough terrain.

The term bulldozer technically refers only to a shovel-like blade, over the years people have
come to associate the term bulldozer to the entire vehicle both blade and crawler tractor
combined.
Bulldozers are a powerful tracked piece of equipment and the tracks give them excellent ground
hold and mobility through very rough terrain. Wide tracks help distribute the bulldozers weight
over a large area (decreasing pressure), thus preventing it from sinking in sandy or muddy
ground.

Many wheel dozers were developed from wheel loaders by fitting a dozer blade in place of the
loader arms and bucket. This adaptation was only a success where the machine was used for
light-duty tasks.

The first large rubber-tired dozer suitable for earthmoving applications were those produced by
none other than earthmoving pioneer R.G. LeTourneau, beginning in 1947. He developed four
sizes known as the Models A, B, C, and Tournadozers.
A cable tractor is a machine used for pulling cables which either can be an electrical cable for a
mine shovel or wire ropes during a shovel rope change.
A dragline excavator is a piece of equipment used in civil engineering and surface mining. In
civil engineering the smaller types are used as pile driving rigs. The larger types are used in
strip-mining operations to move overburden above coal, and for tar-sand mining. Draglines are
amongst the largest mobile equipment ever built on land, and weigh in the vicinity of 2000
metric tonnes, though specimens weighing up to 13,000 metric tonnes have also been
constructed.
Under 25 yd.
Nobas UB 1254
Bucyrus-Erie

The purpose of drilling into rock is to provide a blasthole into which explosives can be loaded,
and detonated to make the site easier to work in.
Off-road dump trucks are used strictly off-road for mining and heavy dirt hauling jobs. There are
two primary forms: rigid frame and articulating frame.

The term dump truck is not generally used by the mining industry, or by the manufacturers that
build these machines. The more appropriate term for this strictly off road vehicle is haul truck
and the equivalent European term is dumper. The classification describes how loaded material
is discharged from the dump body and in this case, the load is discharged from the rear.
An off-highway hauler that dumps its load through longitudinal gates in the bottom of the bottom
dump wagon.
Track loaders are capable in nearly every task, but master of none as a dozer, excavator, or
wheel loader will out perform a track loader under a set of conditions. The ability of a track
loader to perform almost every task on a job site is why it remains a part of many companies
fleets.

A loader is a machine often used in construction, primarily used to load loose material (dirt,
snow, feed, gravel, logs, etc.) into or onto another type of machine, such as a dump truck,
conveyor belt, feed-hopper, or railcar.
A grader, also commonly referred to as a road grader, a blade, a maintainer, or a motor grader,
is a machine with a long blade used to create a flat surface. Graders are commonly used in the
construction and maintenance of dirt roads and gravel roads. In the construction of paved roads
they are used to prepare the base course to create a wide flat surface for the asphalt to be
placed on. In civil engineering, the graders purpose is to finish grade (refine, set precisely) the
rough grading performed by heavy equipment or engineering vehicles such as scrapers and
bulldozers.
Mass Excavators are massively built to allow the use of the largest buckets in the industry by
weight class. These attachments are stoutly built for power, not reach. The machines are
specifically designed for quickly loading trucks with the fewest passes.
Scrapers are large motorized machines used for digging, hauling and leveling out materials in a
variety of construction jobs. Running on massive rubber tires, motorized scrapers quickly move
large quantities of earth around a construction site, unlike the less popular pull-type scraper.

A standard motor scraper is comprised of a bowl, an apron to drop down over a load of material
in order to retain it, and an ejector to hydraulically push out the load. Due to its hydraulic
system, these components can all function independently.
Scrapers can be very efficient on short hauls where the cut-and-fill areas are close together and
have sufficient length to fill the hopper. The heavier scraper types have two engines (tandem
powered), one driving the front wheels, one driving the rear wheels.

Instead of an apron, these scrapers include a hydraulically- or electrically-driven elevator made

of two chains equipped with a series of crossbars. The elevators purpose is to aid in loading
material into the scrapers elevating bowl. Dumping material is achieved by sliding the floor of
the bowl backwards; the elevator can be reversed in order to assist in dumping the load evenly.
Pull scrapers are able to move in soft, wet soils, as well as sand. Unlike the motor scraper, pull
scrapers are not motorized and must therefore be pulled by another vehicle.

CAT D10T pulling scraper

A shovel used for digging and loading earth or fragmented rock and for mineral extraction.

An electric mining shovel is a bucket-equipped machine consisting of a revolving deck with a

power plant, tracks, a counterweight, and a front attachment, such as a boom. The digging
phase consists of crowding the dipper into the bank, hoisting the dipper to fill it, then, retracting
the full dipper from the bank. The swinging phase occurs once the dipper is clear of the bank
both vertically and horizontally. The operator controls the dipper through a planned swing path
and dump height until it is suitably positioned over the haul unit (e.g. truck). Dumping involves
opening the dipper door to dump the load, while maintaining the correct dump height. Returning
is when the dipper swings back to the bank, and involves lowering the dipper into the tuck
position to close the dipper door.

The hydraulic mining shovel has been widely used for coal and rock loading since the 1970s.
The hydraulic system of power transmission greatly simplifies the power train, eliminates a
number of mechanical components that are present in the shovel.
A machine with a large rotating steel drum equipped with tungsten carbide teeth that scrape
coal from the seam. Operating in a room and pillar system where the mine is divided into a
series of 20-to-30 foot rooms or work areas cut into the coal bed it can mine as much as five
tons of coal a minute more than a miner of the 1920s would produce in an entire day.
Photo: Atlas Copco
Photo: Atlas Copco

Personnel vehicles are used to transport miners and equipment from the surface of the mine to
the underground working locations.

Photo: Marcotte Mining Machinery Services Inc.

Photo: DUX Machinery Corp.

Scaling is a key part in the mining cycle. Scaling is the taking down of loose material from the
roof, face and rib in hard rock mining.

Photo: Atlas Copco

Scissor lifts are used as a safe way for workers in underground and surface operations to reach
elevated work.

A rubber tired, battery or diesel-operated piece of equipment designed for cleaning runways and
hauling supplies.
Shotcreter is a mechanized shotcrete spraying system developed specifically for underground
ground support applications. Shotcrete is concrete (or sometimes mortar) conveyed through a
hose and pneumatically projected at high velocity onto a surface, as a construction technique.
Shotcrete undergoes placement and compaction at the same time due to the force with which it
is projected from the nozzle. It can be impacted onto any type or shape of surface, including
vertical or overhead areas.
In room-and-pillar systems, electric-powered, rubber-tired vehicles called shuttle cars haul coal
from the face to the intermediate haulage system.

Photo: Joy Mining Machinery

The transmixer sprays concrete in underground mines.

(Giant Mining Type)

Photo: Mine Rite Technologies, LLC

http://www.heavyequipment.com/heavy-equipment/earthmoving-mining
The equipment listed in Road and Highways consists mostly of equipment that is specifically
used in the final stages of construction or in the maintenance of roads and highways. Many of
the equipment models listed in earthmoving and mining are also used in road and highway
construction. Examples of this are the scrapers, dozers, and loaders. Excavators are also
commonly used in road and highway construction and are listed in the excavation and trenching
section of this website.

The construction of road and highways basically consists of 3 phases, rough grading (or
earthmoving), fine grading (which includes sub-grade preparation), and surfacing, which can
include gravel, concrete, asphalt, or any combination of the three. Compaction is also a major
element of all road and highway construction. Sufficient compaction of basic fill, gravels, and
asphalt will ensure maximum life of the road structure. Operators must be capable of performing
their work in a manner that will provide for maximum compaction. Operators who are involved in
fine grading operations must be able to grade surfaces to very fine tolerances, requiring great
skill as an operator.

This often includes changing the moisture level in the material being compacted. Machines may
work to add moisture (water trucks and graders) or to reduce moisture levels (discs, mixers,
graders, etc.). Paving using concrete or asphalt has evolved significantly over the years, and
todays machines can produce large quantities of paved surfaces in record time.

A drilling machine for quarry or opencast blasting, equipped with tracks and operated by
independent air motors.
A chip spreader lays down the aggregate on top of a bituminous binder which is then rolled by a
compactor.
A cold planer (also known as a pavement planer, pavement recycler, mill or asphalt milling
machine) is a machine used to remove bituminous pavement or asphalt concrete from
roadways, resulting in a somewhat rough, even surface that can be immediately opened to
traffic. This is accomplished by bringing a rotating head into contact with the pavement at an
exact depth or slope. The head, bites and tears away at the roadway surface. The surface
material that is removed is fed by conveyor into a dump truck or can be left in place to be
removed at a later date or recycled.
Vibratory Steel Drum compactor
l

Photo: ELKON

A curb machine takes concrete and creates a continuous curb and gutter.
A crusher is a machine designed to reduce large rocks into smaller rocks, gravel, or rock dust.
Crushers may be used to reduce the size, or change the form, of waste materials so they can
be more easily disposed of or recycled, or to reduce the size of a solid mix of raw materials (as
in rock ore), so that pieces of different composition can be differentiated.

Impact crushers involve the use of impact rather than pressure to crush material. The material is
contained within a cage, with openings of the desired size to allow pulverized material to
escape. This type of crusher is usually used with soft and non-abrasive material such as coal,
seeds, limestone, gypsum or soft metallic ores. There are two types of impact crushers:
horizontal shaft impactor and vertical shaft impactor.

A cone crusher breaks rock by squeezing the rock between an eccentrically gyrating spindle
which is covered by a wear resistant mantle. As rock enters the top, it becomes wedged and
squeezed between the mantle and the bowl. Large pieces are broken once, and then fall to a
lower position where they are broken again. This process continues until the pieces are small
enough to fall through the narrow opening at the bottom of the crusher. A cone crusher is
suitable for crushing a variety of mid-hard and above mid-hard ores and rocks.
A jaw or toggle crusher consists of a set of vertical jaws, one jaw being fixed and the other being
moved back and forth relative to it by a cam or pitman mechanism. The jaws are farther apart at
the top than at the bottom, forming a tapered chute so that the material is crushed progressively
smaller and smaller as it travels downward until it is small enough to escape from the bottom
opening. The movement of the jaw can be quite small, since complete crushing is not performed
in one stroke. The inertia required to crush the material is provided by a weighted flywheel that
moves a shaft creating an eccentric motion that causes the closing of the gap.
A grader is a machine with a long blade used to create a flat surface. Graders are commonly
used in the construction and maintenance of dirt roads and gravel roads. In the construction of
paved roads they are used to prepare the base course to create a wide flat surface for the
asphalt to be placed on.
Asphalt distributors are used to apply prime or tack coats on a surface in preparation for paving.
They are available in either truck mounted or trailer models and are considered the most
important piece of equipment on any asphalt surface treatment project. It consists of an
insulated tank with a heating system, a spray bar and unique control system.

Application of a prime or tack coat by the distributor is an exact science that requires
sophisticated equipment to ensure it produces a uniform spray.

A paver (paver finisher, asphalt finisher, paving machine) is a machine used to lay asphalt on
roadways. It is normally fed by a dump truck which brings hot asphalt.
An asphalt plant is used for the manufacture of asphalt, macadam and other forms of coated
road stone, sometimes known as blacktop.
A cement mixer is a machine that homogeneously combines cement, aggregate (such as sand
or gravel), and water to form concrete. A typical concrete mixer uses a revolving drum to mix the
components.
Road reclaimers pulverize the asphalt layer and mix it with the underlying base to stabilize
deteriorated roadways. The reclaimers can add asphalt emulsions or other binding agents
during pulverization or during a separate mix pass.

Combination compactors are used for the compaction of asphalt base and sub-base courses for
medium and large road construction and road maintenance. Some compact rollers also use a
vibratory system on the front drum for density requirements and four pneumatic tires in the rear
to provide impermeability and smoothness of the material. Compacted material manipulated by
the four pneumatic tires helps in improving surface texture and reduce water intrusion.
Photo: Dynapac AB

One advantage of the padfoot is when the pad penetrates the top of the lift it breaks the natural
bonds between the particles of cohesive soil and better compaction results.
Pulled behind a machine, a sheepsfoot roller has almost hoof like structures protruding from a
roller to offer pinpoint pressure as in a herd of sheep was walking across the field.
Today, vibratory compactors operated in the static mode are also used for finish rolling. In
addition to their own weight, some steel wheel rollers can be ballasted with either sand or water
to increase their weight.

The pneumatic tire roller is a self-propelled compaction device that uses pneumatic tires to
compact the underlying surface. Pneumatic tire rollers employ a set of smooth (no tread) tires
on each axle; typically four on one axle and five on the other. The tires on the front axle are
aligned with the gaps between tires on the rear axel to give complete and uniform compaction
coverage over the width of the roller.

Advantages of a pneumatic compactor is they provide a more uniform degree of compaction

than steel wheel rollers. They provide a tighter, denser surface thus decreasing permeability of
the layer. They provide increased density that many times cannot be obtained with steel
wheeled rollers.
Photo: Dynapac AB

A truck used in winter to disperse sand onto icy roads.

A snowplow is a device intended for mounting on a vehicle which is used for removing snow and
ice from outdoor surfaces, typically those serving transportation purposes. A snowplow works by
using a blade to push snow to the side or straight ahead, clearing it from a surface.

Modern street sweepers are equipped with water tanks and sprayers used to loosen particles
and reduce dust. The brooms gather debris into a main collection area from which it is
vacuumed and pumped into a collection bin or hopper.
Photo: Schwarze Industries Inc.

A regenerative air street sweeper uses forced air to create a swirling effect inside a contained
sweeping head and then uses the negative pressure on the suction side to place the road debris
inside a hopper. Debris is removed from the air by centrifugal separation and reused, keeping
particulate matter inside the hopper.

Photo: Elgin Sweeper Company

(Highway type)
Water trucks are also in the construction industry which uses them for compaction and dust
control.

(Converted Scraper)
Water wagons, usually converted scrapers, are an economical way to bring water.