CONSTRUCTION RQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT

By Dr. S. S. Seehra Chief Consultant (Roads & Highways) SNC-Lavalin Span Consultants Pvt. Ltd.

What is Construction Equipment?

Most of Construction activities are still done by use of Manual labour. The use of manual labour is economical on many construction activities, but there are limitations. Archemedes Said give me a lever point to support it, I will move earth. The same principles are used in construction equipment in a sophisticated way. We use prime mover and power instead of manual labour. In short, construction equipment can be defined as a machine to give desired or designed output with available input, used simple devices as pulley, lever, wheel and axle in one way or the other.

Need for Construction Equipment

Mechanized construction is indispensable under certain conditions for quick, efficient and quality oriented execution of the projects Excavation for foundation, long leads compaction to specifications and excavation and tunnelling in rock are the spheres in which mechanization is indispensable.

Type and Nature of Equipment

Earthmoving Machinery Equipment used in heavy construction especially civil engineering projects, which require moving millions of cubic meter of earthwork.
Machinery of earth excavation Machinery for removal of earth material

Road Making Machines

Concreting and bridge making machines Asphalt/ Concrete Road Construction Machinery

Type and Nature of Equipment (Contd.)

Civil Engineers always look at the rate of production. Mechanical Engineers feel that their job is to repair and maintain the equipment. Mechanical Engineers are equally responsible for more production at economic cost. A Good Co-ordination and amicable relations between the Civil Engineers and Mechanical Engineers can lead to success. Mechanization is very important in the construction industry in order to increase the quality, efficiency and timely completion of the projects if the quantum work is more.

Need for Equipment

With the sudden advancement in technology and rapid increase in the labour rates, there is an increasing trend of mechanization. In developed countries, due to acute shortage of manpower, it has become obligatory to go for mechanization to the highest possible extent to keep pace with the demands of industrialization. In India though we claim to have resorted to high mechanization particularly in some of our irrigation, highway and industrial projects, still full scale mechanization is rare. The time is, however, not far off when contractor who does not keep himself abreast of new construction equipment management and methods of planning and construction may discover that he is out of business.

Types of Construction Equipment

Tractors (Crawler & Wheel types) Bulldozers Trenchors Scrapers Power Shovels Cranes Belt Conveyors Stone Crushers Batching and Mixing Plant Transit Mixers Ready Mixed Concrete Mixers Concrete Pumps Compressors Pile Driving Equipment

Some Other Miscellaneous Equipment

Concrete Block Making Machines Cutting and bending reinforcement machines Tile polishing machines Vibrators and vibratory road rollers Rock Drills Rock Chisels Shuttering and scaffolding equipments

Equipments Used in Road Construction

Equipment for Quarrying and stone cutting Stone crushers Earthmoving equipment (Motor Graders) & Scrapers Excavators Compaction equipment (vibratory, smooth and sheep foot rollers) Bitumen Hot Mix Plants Cement Concreting Batching Equipment (Ready Mixed Concrete Plants and Concrete vibrators) Pavers Slip-form paving machines Miscellaneous Equipments (Tipping trucks, Air compressors, Soil Stabilizer for mixing the admixtures by rotavator Machines) Truck Mixers and Agitators or Transit Mixers Belt Coveyors and Pumps Bulk Cement Carriers

Concrete Transportation Equipment

Mortar Pans Wheel Barrows Concrete Dumpers Truck Mixers Fork Lifts Rail Mounted Trolleys Concrete Pumps Tower Cranes Mobile Cranes Cable Ways Helicopters

Procurement of Equipment
Internal Resources Bank Loans Loans from other financial Institutions Financing by Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) Financing by Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI) Government Credit Advances by the Clients Hire of Equipments Equipment owned by Clients

Equipment Owning and Operating Costs Ownership Cost

The following components constitute major items of equipment ownership cost: Depriciation Interest on capital Taxes Insurance Storage Charges Transportation and Installation charges Major repairs, spare parts and overhaul cost

Time Concepts for use and Evaluation of Equipment

Supervision of Equipments Useful Life- Influenced by wear and tear Operating Life Period between manufacturing and scrapping of equipment Depreciation Cost Fuel and Lubricants Tyres Repairs and Spares Equipment Records Maintenance Registers

Site Workshop Layout and Organisation

Administrative/ Technical Control of all Departments in the Workshop Preparation of Annual Inspection/ Maintenance programme for equipment Provision of spares/ assemblies for repair Timely repairs and spares Stock checks on stores Security and fire fighting equipment Workshop office/ workshop procedures

Preventive Maintenance and Repairs

Inventory Management of Equipment Standardisation of equipment, inventory control of spares, numbering system of equipment, keep records, storage of equipment and their security Proper maintenance of equipments Skill of Mechanics/ Technicians Availability of special maintenance tools and equipment Start equipment once a week to keep parts lubricated and battery charged Oil levels top be checked Fuel tanks to be locked

Equipment History
Date of purchase Hours of working Details of Operators Lubricating oil change record Details of spares fitted and life of spares Depreciation Overhauls carried out Replacement of major assemblies Operating Costs Battery Record Recharging and Replacements etc. Tyre Record Parts replaced and period of service Cost of maintenance of the machine

Computers in Construction Equipment

Achieved better production at economic cost Ensures safety and confidence in operation Helps in maintenance Gives Quality Oriented production High level of control Reliability under extreme conditions Highly accurate and very reliable