Heavy Equipment Important To Final Road Conditions

If your travel the highways, back roads, or even the streets around your neighborhood, these roads all have one thing in common. They have been created by heavy equipment from what was once uncleared land to the finely finished surface you are driving on.

Heavy equipment is used every step of the way. Whether it is bulldozers tearing up the ground, motor graders leveling the surface to dump trucks spreading sand, dirt or gravel. That is only half the job.

The heavy graders are then brought back in to again level and plane the sand, dirt or gravel until there is an even surface with the right slope or camber ready for the final seal.

The heavy equipment used to place that final seal is one of the most important. If asphalt is being used, then the operator has many things to consider. The material needs to be placed at a specific thickness, however, the material is often a hot mix so it must be placed at a set speed to ensure the mix hasn’t cooled off to quickly.

Even concrete surfaces need placing at the correct speed and thickness to ensure a top surface for driving. Where asphalt differs to concrete is in the final finish. Heavy equipment roller driver drive up and down the road using machines with many tires helping to cure the surface.

So called ‘steam’ rollers (although they no longer use steam) also travel up and down trying to achieve a level surface that allows vehicles to travel on with reduced noise whilst being safe.

All of this is in the hands of heavy equipment operators. To gain training in this field, select a recognized training firm such as ATS Heavy Equipment Training Schools.