Construction has considerably developed especially in a growing economy like the Philippines. Skyscrapers, better roads, and infrastructures scatter all throughout the city. With the ever-expanding need for more tailored equipment, it’s good to be familiar with them. Light construction equipment is popular for its efficiency in power usage. These are equipment that does not fit within the categories of mobile equipment or heavy equipment. Knowing the different tools within your reach is essential in every construction project. Also, understanding their functionality and capabilities are just as important. Here are the most common types of light construction equipment.
Vibratory Plates
Vibratory plates are used for compacting an array of soils. The key use of such compactors is their ability to operate in smaller, less accessible areas. Compressing soil is important because it makes it stronger and thus more readily capable to support foundations. A good solid ground is also necessary for when there are natural disasters because the foundation could become unstable and unsafe. Check these examples of vibratory plates: Forward Plate Compactor & Reversible Plate Compactor
It is important to note that concrete vibrators are different from vibratory plates. When someone pours concrete, it could have a countless number of air bubbles making the structure considerably weaker. Concrete vibrators shake the bubbles out of the wet concrete. For an example of a concrete vibrator check out: High Frequency Internal Vibrator
Levelling Equipment
Power trowels level out concrete for a smooth finish. What is the importance of levelling concrete? Aside from making it a more stable and reliable, levelling concrete prevents any accidents in the future. Especially if you own a private institution, avoiding any accidents is important to staying out of any legal involvement in the event that someone is hurt.
Workers use power trowels while the concrete hasn’t completely hardened. If you use it too soon or too early, it would weaken the foundation or cause a whitened surface. This is not to be confused for Bull Floats. While power trowels are use on concrete while it is slightly more set, bull floats are used as soon as the concrete is poured. Though they have the same uses wherein they both level the concrete for it to be smoother. Check out Marshalltown’s bull floats for more examples.
Pipe Tools
An example of a pipe tool are Pipe Cutters. As the name suggests, pipe cutters cleanly cut through pipes by different kinds of mechanisms. Some apply chain pressure while others use air pressure. Aside from the technology involved in cutting through piping, the size of the pip cutter also matters because after a pipe has been installed, it provides very little space for removing it.
Concrete Cutters
Just like pipe tools, concrete cutters come in different mechanisms and abilities. To name a few, there are chainsaws, hand saws, wire saws, etc. Some, like the wire saw, could help you cut through larger amounts of concrete at once. Another use of a concrete cutter is making pathways for electrical wiring like one of the uses of a core drill. Although they are called concrete drills, they could also cut through a range of hard materials like tiles, stone, brick, etc. Of course, it is always best to study what concrete cutter you can use for a specific material to avoid any damage because of wrong use.
Those are a couple of examples of light construction equipment. The ones listed above are also all handheld, but not all light construction equipment is. An example of one that isn’t is a power pack that is utilized alongside the equipment. Remember to review the manufacturer’s guide on how to use their equipment because they know best! For a greater list of light construction equipment, check out: Flextool
We’re done with the light! Want to read about the heavy ones? Here’s an article about 16 Types of Heavy Equipment Used in Construction!