Management of Construction Equipment

Effective management of construction equipment is essential to the success of construction

projects,
construction companies must have robust management strategies in place to ensure that
equipment is used efficiently
Efficient utilization means increasing equipment productivity and reducing its cost.

By Dr. Ayman Gouda

 Contents:

Advantages of using Construction Equipment.

Classifications of Construction Equipment.

Some Examples of Construction Equipment and its Usage.

Factors affecting the Selection of the appropriate equipment

Calculation of the equipment productivity

Calculating the equipment cost

Advantages of using Construction Equipment.
1. Increased Productivity:
• Construction equipment allows tasks to be completed faster
and more efficiently than manual labor alone.
2. Cost Savings:
• Machinery can perform tasks more quickly and with fewer labor
hours, reducing overall project durations and labor costs.
• Additionally, efficient equipment usage can minimize material
waste and rework, further lowering project costs.
3. Improved Safety:
• By automating tasks and reducing manual labor, equipment
usage reduces the risk of injuries and accidents on construction
sites.
• Additionally, modern equipment often includes safety
technologies such as backup cameras, collision detection
systems, and operator training programs to enhance safety.
Advantages of using Construction Equipment.
4. Enhanced Precision and Quality:
• Machinery and specialized tools enable construction tasks to be
performed with greater precision and consistency, resulting in
higher-quality workmanship.
• Equipment such as laser-guided grading systems, GPS-enabled
machinery, and robotic total stations can achieve precise
measurements and alignments, leading to superior project
outcomes.
5. Versatility and Adaptability:
• Construction equipment comes in a wide range of types and
configurations to suit various project requirements and site
conditions.
• Additionally, many machines are designed with interchangeable
attachments and accessories, increasing their versatility and
adaptability on the job site.
Advantages of using Construction Equipment.
6. Efficient Resource Utilization:
• Construction equipment optimizes resource utilization by
maximizing the efficiency of labor, materials, and time.
• Machinery can perform repetitive or strenuous tasks more quickly
and consistently than manual labor, allowing workers to focus on
more skilled or specialized activities.
• Additionally, equipment usage minimizes downtime and idle time,
ensuring that resources are utilized efficiently throughout the
project lifecycle.
7. Environmental Benefits:
• Modern construction equipment is increasingly designed with
environmental considerations in mind, incorporating features
such as fuel-efficient engines, emissions controls, and noise-
reducing technologies.
• By minimizing fuel consumption, emissions, and noise pollution,
construction equipment helps reduce the environmental impact of
construction activities and promotes sustainability in the industry.
Classification of Construction Equipment:

• Construction equipment can be classified into several major

categories based on

1. Their methods of manufacturing into:

• Standard equipment: it is the most common used type of
equipment in construction projects.

• Special Type of Equipment: These are custom made equipment

to match the special Project requirements.
2. Their primary function, application, and mobility.
1.Earthmoving Equipment:
1. Excavators: Used for digging trenches, foundations, and holes.
2. Bulldozers: Employed for earthmoving, grading, and leveling tasks.
3. Loaders: Utilized for loading materials into trucks or onto conveyors.
4. Graders: Used for fine grading and leveling of surfaces.
5. Scrapers: Designed for moving large quantities of earth over short distances.

2.Material Handling Equipment:

1. Cranes: Employed for lifting and moving heavy materials and equipment
vertically and horizontally.
2. Forklifts: Used for lifting, transporting, and stacking materials on construction
sites.
3. Hoists: Used for vertical transportation of materials and personnel on
construction sites.
4. Conveyor Belts: Utilized for transporting bulk materials over long distances.
3. Construction Vehicles:
1. Dump Trucks: Used for transporting loose materials, such as soil, gravel, or
demolition waste.
2. Concrete Trucks: Used for transporting ready-mix concrete to construction
sites.
3. Flatbed Trucks: Utilized for transporting heavy equipment, materials, or
prefabricated components.
4.Paving Equipment:
1. Asphalt Pavers: Used for laying asphalt pavement on roads, parking lots, and
other surfaces.
2. Concrete Pavers: Employed for laying concrete pavement with precision and
uniformity.
3. Compactors: Used for compacting and leveling asphalt or soil surfaces.
5.Concrete Equipment:
1. Concrete Mixers: Used for mixing cement, water, and aggregates to produce
concrete.
2. Concrete Pumps: Employed for transferring liquid concrete from the mixer to
the construction site.
6. Drilling and Piling Equipment:
1. Drill Rigs: Used for drilling holes in the ground for foundation
installation, soil sampling, or geological exploration.
2. Pile Drivers: Employed for driving piles into the ground to provide
foundation support.
7. Demolition Equipment:
1. Demolition Excavators: Equipped with specialized attachments for
demolishing structures and breaking concrete.
2. Hydraulic Breakers: Used for breaking and demolishing concrete, rock,
and other materials.
8. Scaffolding and Access Equipment:
1. Scaffolding Systems: Temporary structures erected to provide support
and access for workers and materials during construction activities.
2. Aerial Work Platforms: Used for working at heights, such as scissor
lifts and boom lifts.
Some Examples of Construction Equipment and usage.
• Excavators: These are large machines used to dig and move earth, rock, and
other materials. They are often used in construction of buildings, roads,
bridges, and other large-scale projects.
 Some Examples of Construction Equipment and usage.
• Loaders: These are used to load and move materials such as dirt, gravel, and
debris. They are often used in construction projects that involve excavation
and hauling work.

• Backhoes: These machines are used for digging and excavation work in
construction projects. They are versatile and can be used for a variety of tasks
like digging trenches, installing utilities, and landscaping work.
 Some Examples of Construction Equipment and usage.

• Bulldozers: These are powerful machines that are used to push and move
large quantities of earth and debris. They are commonly used in construction
projects that require a lot of earthmoving and grading work.
 Some Examples of Construction Equipment and usage.

• Cranes: These are used to lift and move heavy materials and equipment on
construction sites. They are commonly used in building construction and in
the installation of large structures like bridges and skyscrapers.

• Concrete mixers and pumps: These machines are used for mixing concrete on
construction sites. They are essential for building construction projects, where
concrete is a common building material.
 Some Examples of Construction Equipment and usage.
• Pavers: These machines are used to lay asphalt or concrete on roads, parking lots,
and other surfaces. They are essential for construction projects that involve
building or repairing roads and other transportation infrastructure
Some Examples of Construction Equipment and usage.

• These are custom made equipment to match the special

requirements of certain projects like Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM).
 Factors affecting the Selection of the appropriate equipment :

• Type of project: The type of construction project being undertaken will

influence the type of equipment required. For example, a road
construction project may require equipment such as asphalt pavers and
compactors, while a building construction project may require equipment
such as cranes and excavators.

• Scope of work: The scope of work involved in the project will determine
the type and size of equipment needed. For example, a large-scale project
will require heavy-duty equipment that can handle the workload, while a
smaller project may require lighter equipment.

• Project timeline: The timeline for the project is an important consideration

when selecting equipment. Projects with tight deadlines may require
specialized equipment that can work faster and more efficiently.
 Factors affecting the Selection of the appropriate equipment :
• Budget: The budget for the project will determine the type and quality of equipment
that can be purchased or rented. Companies must balance the cost of equipment with
the project's needs and their budget.

• Availability: The availability of equipment is an important consideration. Some

equipment may not be readily available, and companies may need to consider renting or
leasing equipment.

• Location: The location of the project will determine the type of equipment required.
Projects in remote areas may require specialized equipment that can handle the terrain
and weather conditions.

• Environmental factors: Environmental factors such as weather, terrain, and soil

conditions will influence the type of equipment needed. Projects in areas with extreme
weather conditions, for example, may require specialized equipment that can operate in
these conditions
 Calculation of the Equipment Productivity:
• Calculation of Equipment productivity depends on two items including:
1. Process Cycle time:
• The cycle time of construction equipment is the time it takes for an
equipment to complete one full cycle of its operation, from start to finish.

Cycle time = Fixe Time + Variable Time

• Fixed Time is related to the equipment and the site working conditions. It
could be obtained from the equipment catalogues.
• You can also calculate it at site using stop watch. Swing

• For stationary equipment Dump

Dig
Cycle time = Fixed time.

Swing
 Calculation of the Equipment Productivity:
• Calculation of Equipment productivity depends on two items
including:
• Example (1): Calculation of Excavator Productivity
Fixed Time = Dig Time + Swing time +
Dump time +Swing Time
Swing
= 30 +15 + 15 + 15 = 75 Sec.

Dig Dump

Swing
• The Excavator Capacity = 1 yd3
• That means each cycle the excavator excavate and load 1yd3.
 Calculation of the Equipment Productivity:
• 2. Efficiency of usage (Productive Time):
• It is the percentage of Actual operating time to total operating time.
EOU = AOT / TOT
• Efficiency of equipment usage will depend on many factors including:
1. The equipment condition.
2. The nature of the work being performed, and
3. The skill and experience of the operator.
4. The management efficiency.
Table (1): illustrating the EOU for each equipment could be done as the
following:
• Example (2):
• Calculate the excavator productivity, knowing that the working
condition is good.
• From Table (1), the EOU = 83%
• Excavator productivity = No of cycles / hour * productivity / cycle.
• No. of cycles /hr. = Actual working time / cycle time
= (.83 *60) *60 / 75= 38.4 cycle
• Excavator productivity = 38.4 * 1 = 38.4 yd3
• If the total quantity of excavation = 5334 yd3
• Total excavation time = 5334 /38.4 = 138.9 hrs.
• Variable time:
• It is related to the movement of the equipment from one place to
another.
• It is used with moving equipment like dumping trucks or a loader
moving materials from one place to another.
• It depends on the travelling distance and the equipment speed.
• Equipment speed differs when it is empty than when it is loaded
• Variable time = Departure Time + Return Time
• Example(3):
• Calculate the cycle time for a dump truck if the fixed time is 5 min.
and the travelling distance is 4 Km. knowing that the speed of the
loaded equipment is 20 Km/hr. and when it’s empty is 40Km/hr.
• Solution:
• Cycle time = Fixed Time + variable Time
= 5 + ( D.T + R.T)
• D.T = D/ V1 = (4/20) = 0.2 hr. = 0.2*60 = 12 Min.
• R.T = D/ V1 = (4/40) = 0.1 hr. = 0.1* 60 = 6 Min.
• So, Cycle time = 5 + 12 + 6 = 23 Min.
• Example:
• If the Capacity of the dump truck in the previous example is 12 yd3
and the EOU is 75% Calculate the productivity /hr. for this equipment.
Solution:
Productivity /hr. = No. of cycles/hr. * Productivity /cycle
No. of cycles /hr. = 60 * .75 / 23 = 1.96
Productivity /hr. = 1.96 * 12 = 23.5 yd3/hr.
• Example(4):
• Calculate the productivity/hr. for a loader with a bucket capacity of
3yd3 and the travelling distance is 100 yd. and the speed when the
bucket is loaded is 2 Mile/hr. and when it is empty is 4mile/hr. and
the EOU is 83%. The fixed time for the loader is 0.5 min.
• Solution:
• Productivity /Hr. = No. of cycles/hr. * capacity of loader
• No. of cycles/hr. = .83*60 / cycle time
• Cycle time = Fixed time + variable time
= 0.5 + ( 100/(2*29.33) + 100/(4*29.33)) = 3.05 Min.
No of Cycles /hr. = .83*60/3.05 = 16.33 cycles/hr.
Productivity / hr. = 16.33* 3 = 48.99 yd3/hr.
• Example(5):
• Calculate the productivity/hr. for a scraper using the following
information:
• Equipment capacity = 20 yd3
• Travelling distance = return distance = 3000 yd.
• Travelling speed = 12 m/hr. Return speed = 20 m/hr.
• Equipment Fixed Time = 2 min. AOT = 50 min.
• Solution:
• Cycle time = Fixed Time + Variable time
= 2 + ( 3000/(12*29.33) + 3000/(20*29.33)) = 15.63 min.
• No. of cycle /hr. = 50 / 15.63 = 3.2 cycles/hr.
• Productivity /hr. = 3.2 * 20 = 64 yd3/hr.
• Example(6):
• Calculate the productivity/hr. For a concrete mixer with a capacity of
16Ft3. using the following information:
• Materials required for producing 1yd3 of concrete are 5.8 bags of
cement, 1400 Ib. of sand, 1800 Ib. of gravel and 40 liters of water
• Loading time=0.25min Mixing Time = 1.0min
• Emptying Time = 0.25 min. AOT = 50 min.
• Solution:
• Cycle time = 0.25 + 1.0 + 0.25 = 1.5 min.
• No. of cycles / hr. = 50/1.5 = 33.3 cycles /hr.
• The materials given are for 1yd3 =27ft3
• We have to adjust the materials quantities to match the mixer
capacity
• Cement = 16/27 *5.8 = 3.44 bags we will use full bags So, use 3
bags/mix
• This will produce = 3/3.44*16 = 14 Ft3
• Sand required for 14 ft3 = 1400 * 14/27 = 726 Ib.
• Gravel required for 14 ft3 = 1800 * 14/27 = 933.3 Ib
• Water required for 14 ft3 = 40 * 14/27 = 20.75 Lit.
• Productivity /hr. = 33.3 * 14 = 466.2 Ft3
• = 466./27 = 17.27 yd3/hr.