CONSTRUCTION OPERATION

"Construction operations" means operations of any of the following descriptions:

1. The construction, alteration, repair, extension, demolition or dismantling of
buildings or structures;

2. The construction, alteration, repair, extension or demolition of any works forming,

or to form, part of the land, including walls, road-works, power lines,
telecommunication apparatus, aircraft runways, docks and harbors, railways, inland
waterways, pipelines, reservoirs, water mains, wells, sewers, industrial plant and
installations for purposes of land drainage;

3. The installation in any building or structure of systems of heating, lighting, air-

conditioning, soundproofing, ventilation, power supply, drainage, sanitation, water
supply, burglar or fire protection; The external cleaning of buildings (other than
cleaning of any part of a building in the course of normal maintenance) or the
internal cleaning of buildings and structures, in so far as carried out in the course
of their construction, alteration, extension, repair or restoration;

4. The external cleaning of buildings (other than cleaning of any part of a building in
the course of normal maintenance) or the internal cleaning of buildings and
structures, in so far as carried out in the course of their construction, alteration,
extension, repair or restoration;

5. Operations which form an integral part of, or are preparatory to, or are for rendering
complete such operations as are described in paragraphs (a) to (d), including site
clearance, earth-moving, excavation, tunneling and boring, laying of foundations,
erection of scaffolding, site restoration, landscaping and the provision of roadways
and other access works;

6. Operations which form an integral part of, or are preparatory to, or are for rendering
complete, the drilling for or extraction of minerals, oil, natural gas or the
exploration for, or exploitation of, natural resources;

7. The haulage for hire of materials, machinery or plant for use, whether used or not,
in any of the construction operations referred

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CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

Construction Equipment refers to heavy-duty vehicles, specially designed for

executing construction tasks, most frequently ones involving earthwork operations. They
are also known as heavy machines, heavy trucks, heavy equipment, engineering
equipment, heavy vehicles, or heavy hydraulics. They usually comprise five equipment
systems: implement, traction, structure, power train, control and information. Heavy
equipment functions through the mechanical advantage of a simple machine,
the ratio between input force applied and force exerted is multiplied. Some equipment
uses hydraulic drives as a primary source of motion.

EQUIPMENT SELECTION

Typically, construction equipment is used to perform essentially repetitive

operations, and can be broadly classified according to two basic functions:

1) Operators such as cranes, graders, etc. which stay within the confines of the
construction site, and

2) Haulers, such as dump trucks, ready mixed concrete truck, etc. which
transport materials to and from the site.
In both cases, the cycle of a piece of equipment is a sequence of tasks which is
repeated to produce a unit of output. For example, the sequence of tasks for a crane might
be to fit and install a wall panel on the side of the building; similarly, the sequence of task
of a ready mixed concrete truck might be to load, haul and unload one truck load of fresh
concrete.
One of the most important tasks in the pre-construction planning process is
equipment selection. There are many variables to consider when selecting equipment.
Following factors should be considered at the time of selecting construction equipment:

1. The Equipment should be Standard Equipment if possible.

2. It should give the best service at low cost.
3. Its unit cost of production should be moderate.
4. It should be easily repairable with low shutdown period
5. It should be easily disposed off
6. It should suit the majority of the requirements of the job.
7. It should be capable of doing more than one function.
8. It should be of moderate size, as they have fewer moving parts and have low
working cost.

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 HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATION

Not everyone is fit to operate equipment. If you wish to operate

equipment, one must undergo training. The purpose of the program is to familiarize
and prepare the operator of the usage and specialties of the equipment in the
different maintenance job in forestry, trucking, earth moving, or construction
industries. Through intensive shop and field oriented courses, students are
introduced to a variety of heavy equipment and learn to operate and maintain, repair
and rebuild it. Emphasis is placed on the maintenance of drive train, running gear,
external engine components, and hydraulic systems, as well as on the proper
operation of bulldozers, trucks, pay- loaders, backhoes, and other heavy equipment.

TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

1. Earth Moving Equipment
2. Construction Vehicle
3. Material Handling Equipment
4. Construction Equipment

EARTH MOVING EQUIPMENT

Earth moving equipment are large, heavy duty vehicles that are
often seen in the mining and construction sites to move and relocate
heavy materials, rocks, and mud, dirt and debris or lumber. The
following are examples of earth moving equipment:

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Excavators:
An excavator is a
construction vehicle used to
excavate or move large objects.
An Excavator is basically made
up of 2 parts: a driving base
associated a powerful boom arm
with an attachment designed for
excavating. The operator sits
within a small cab connected to
the base and controls the arm.

Graders:
Graders are mostly been used
in road construction for
construction and maintenance of
dirt roads and gravel roads. The
grader typically consist of three
axles, with the engine and cab
situated top, the rear axles at one
end of the vehicle and a third axle
at the front end of the vehicle, with
the blade in between.

Loader:
Loader is a heavy equipment
machine frequently used in
construction industry, mainly
used to Load material (such as
demolition waste, feed, gravel
raw minerals, used material ,rock,
and plywood) into or onto another
type of machinery (such as a
dump truckload)

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 Backhoe:
A backhoe, also known a rear
actor or back actor, is a section of
excavating equipment or digger
consisting of a digging bucket on the
end of a two-part articulated arm.
They are typically mounted on the
back of a tractor or front loader.

Crawler Loader:
The crawler loader combines
the stability of the crawler tractor
with the abilities of a wheel loader.
However, to construct a reliable
crawler loader it requires more than
simply attaching a loader bucket
onto a crawler tractor. It must be
considered with its specific purpose
in mind to ensure. It has the strength
to survive heavy excavating

Bulldozer:
A bulldozer is a crawler
(continuous Tracked tractor) with
a substantial metal plate used
(known as blade) fitted to
push large amounts of soil, sand,
dirt or other materials when
construction or remodeling and
usually push on the back with a
claw mechanism (Known as ripper)
to loosen densely-compacted
materials
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Ditches:
Ditchers or Trenches, are
similar to excavator in the sense
that penetrate the soil, break soil
and rock, and from the earth.
They differ from excavators in
that the soil is removed in one
continuous movement. Digging
trenches for pipes used
specifically for, but other
machines have been improvised
in the past in order to serve this
purpose.

Scraper:
The scraper is a large piece of
equipment used in mining,
construction, agriculture and
other earth moving applications.

Loading Shovel:
Loading shovels are loaded
where it counts, pushing the front
end bucket loader efficiency
higher. From mini loaders to large
production machines, find the right
fit for the work in load and carry
operations, civil & building
construction, earth moving, waste
handling, recycling, landscaping,
quarrying, aggregates, block
handling, lumber yards,
agriculture and more.

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CONSTRUCTION VEHICLE

Construction vehicles are designed huge to transport engineering

materials from one place to another.

Tippers:
Tippers are suited for the rough
and tumble of mining
& quarrying operations, as well
as for carrying bulk loads in
construction and infrastructure
industries. Complete
maneuverability, high
performance and long-term
endurance are common to all
trucks, resulting in lower
operational costs.

Trailer:
A trailer is generally an
unpowered vehicle towed by a
powered vehicle. It is commonly
used for the transport of goods
and materials.

Tank truck:
A tank truck (USA usage) or
road tanker (UK usage) is a
motor vehicle designed to carry
liquefied loads, dry bulk cargo
or gases on roads. The largest
such vehicles are similar to
railroad tank cars which are
also designed to carry liquefied
loads. Many variants exist due
to the wide variety of liquids that
can be transported. In
construction its use for carrying
concrete mixed

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MATERIAL HANDLING EQUIPMENT

Material handling equipment are used to assist other equipment by

conveying, hoisting and lifting, and others. The following are example of handling
equipment:
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 Crane:
Cranes are commonly
employed in the transport industry
for the loading and unloading of
goods for the movement of
materials and manufacturing
industries for mounting
agricultural machinery, in the
construction industry.

Conveyor:
Conveyors are mainly useful in
applications involving the
transportation of heavy or bulky
materials. Conveyor systems allow
quick and efficient transportation for
a wide variety of materials, which
make them very popular in
construction

Hoist :
Hoist is a device for raising or
lowering a load by means of a drum or
wheel lift to which wraps the rope or
chain. It can be operated by hand, is
driven electrically or pneumatically,
and the chain or wire rope fibers are
used as lifting device.

Forklift trucks:
Forklift trucks are available in
many variations and
load capacities. In a typical
warehouse setting most forklifts
used have load capacities between
one to five tons. Larger machines,
up to 50 tons lift capacity are used
for lifting heavier loads.

CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT

These are equipment used in the construction site to ease the labor of
mixing, compacting and the like. The following are examples:

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Concrete Mixer:
A Concrete (Cement Mixer) is a
machine that combines cement evenly to
form aggregates such as sand or gravel
and water to concrete. A typical concrete
mixer using a rotating drum for mixing
the components.

Compactor:
Compactor is a machine or
mechanism used to material
soil through compaction in
construction industry.

Road roller :
Road roller (sometimes called a
roller-compactor, or just roller) is a
compactor type engineering vehicle
used to compact soil, gravel,
concrete, or asphalt in the
construction of roads and
foundations, similar rollers are used
also at landfills or in agriculture.

Paver:
A paver (paver finisher, asphalt
finisher, paving machine) is an
engineering vehicle used to lay
asphalt on roadways. It is normally
fed by a dump truck. A separate
machine, a roller, is then used to
press the hot asphalt mix, resulting
a smooth, even surface.

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CONSTRUCTION TOOLS AND OTHER EQUIPMENT

Air compressors and pumps are widely used as the power sources for
construction tools and equipment. Common pneumatic construction tools include
drills, hammers, grinders, saws, wrenches, staple guns, sand blasting guns and
concrete vibrators. Pumps are used to supply water or to dewater at construction
sites and to provide water jets for some types of construction.

AIR COMPRESSOR WATER PUMP

DRILL GRINDER

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 SAW HAMMER

SAND BLASTING GUN WRENCH

II.

EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT

Construction equipment management refers to continuous evaluation of the

construction equipment fleet and its cost while at the same time considering the projects at
hand. The process of balancing the expense and use of the construction equipment against
the timelines and income from the projects can be called construction equipment
management. A construction equipment manager needs to be able to take practical

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decisions with regards to management of the construction equipment to ensure maximum
benefits with minimal expenses for the company.

Construction equipment management can either be taken up project wise or for the
company as a whole. Cost-effectiveness is a major criteria of construction equipment
management. Following are the things to be considered for effective construction
equipment management:

1. The choice of construction equipment and the number in which each of the
equipment is required for a certain project or projects.

2. Whether it makes more sense to own, lease or rent the equipment and its
effect on the bottom line of the balance sheet.

3. Planning which equipment will be working on which job site at what time
and for how long.

4. Considering the transportation and operating costs when dealing with

multiple projects and their time lines.

5. How to make the most of the construction equipment at hand.

6. Another major aspect of effective construction equipment management is

preventive maintenance of the construction equipment which can help save
a lot of down time, money and reduce delays in the project.

All in all effective construction equipment is the answer to making construction

projects more cost effective while ensuring timely completion of projects.

i. EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW

ROLE IN QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Equipment management is one of the essential elements of a quality

management system. Proper management of the equipment in the laboratory is
necessary to ensure accurate, reliable, and timely testing.

The benefits of a good equipment management program are many:

Helps maintain a high level of laboratory performance;

Reduces variation in test results, and improves the technologist’s

confidence in the accuracy of testing results;

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 Lower repair costs, as fewer repairs will be needed for a well- maintained
instrument;

Lengthens instrument life;

Reduces interruption of services due to breakdowns and failures;
Increases safety for workers;
Produces greater customer satisfaction.

PROGRAM CONSIDERATIONS

A great deal of thought and planning should go into equipment

management.

As the laboratory puts an equipment management program in place of the

following elements should be considered:

SELECTION AND PURCHASING- When obtaining new equipment

what criteria should be used to select equipment? Should equipment be
purchased, or would it be better to lease?

INSTALLATION- For new equipment, what are the installation

requirements, and who will install the new instrument?

CALIBRATION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION- What is

needed to calibrate and validate that the equipment is operating correctly?
How will these important procedures be conducted for both old and new
instruments?

MAINTENANCE- What maintenance schedule is recommended by the

manufacturer? Will the laboratory need additional preventive maintenance
procedures? Are current maintenance procedures being conducted
properly?

TROUBLESHOOTING- Is there a clear procedure for troubleshooting for

each instrument?

SERVICE AND REPAIR- What is the cost? Can the laboratory obtain the
necessary service and repair in its geographical area?

RETIRING AND DISPOSING OF EQUIPMENT- What must be done

to dispose of old equipment when it needs to be replaced?

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 OVERSIGHT

It is the responsibility of the management director to:

Oversee all the equipment management systems in the laboratory;

Ensure that all persons who will be using the instrument have been
appropriately trained and understand how to both properly operate the
instrument and perform all necessary routine maintenance procedures.

Equipment management responsibility may be specifically assigned to a

technologist in the laboratory. In many laboratories there is a person who has good
skills with equipment maintenance and troubleshooting. Giving this person the role
of oversight of all equipment is recommended.

Oversight of an equipment management program includes:

Assigning responsibilities for all activities;

Assuring that all personnel are trained on operation and maintenance;

Monitoring the equipment activities;

 Review all equipment records routinely;

 Update maintenance procedures as necessary;

 Ensure that all procedures are followed.

Note: Day-to-day maintenance should be the responsibility of the technical operator.

ii. SELECTING AND ACQUIRING EQUIPMENT

SELECTING EQUIPMENT

Selecting the best instrument for the laboratory is a very important part of
equipment management. Some criteria to consider when selecting laboratory
equipment are listed below.

Why and how will the equipment be used? The instrument should be
matched against the service the laboratory provides.

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 What are the performance characteristics of the instrument? Is it
sufficiently accurate and reproducible to suit the needs of the testing
to be done?

How easy will it be for staff to operate?

Will instructions be available in a language that is understood?

Is there a retailer for the equipment in the country, with available

services?

Does the equipment have a warranty?

Are there any safety issues to consider?

ACQUIRING EQUIPMENT

Is it better to purchase, rent or lease equipment? When making this

decision, it is a good idea to factor in repair cost. The initial cost of an instrument
may seem reasonable, but it may be expensive to repair. Also consider savings that
could be negotiated if the laboratory needs more than one piece of equipment.

The manufacturer should provide all of the necessary information to operate

and maintain equipment.

Before purchasing it ask if:

Wiring diagrams, computer software information, a list of parts

needed, and an operator’s manual are provided;

The manufacturer will install the equipment and train staff as part of
the purchase price;

The warranty includes a trial period to verify that the instrument

performs as expected;

The manufacturer’s maintenance can be included in the contract and

if so, whether maintenance is provided on a regular basis.

INSTALLING EQUIPMENT

Before equipment is installed, verify that all physical requirement

(electrical, space, doors, vent, and water supply) have been met. Other things to
consider are:

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 The vendor’s responsibilities for installation should be confirmed in
writing prior to beginning the installation process.

A checklist of the expected performance specification should be

developed, so that performance can be quickly verified as soon as
the equipment is installed

Whenever possible, it is best to have the manufacturer install laboratory

equipment; this will likely improve the conditions of the warranty, and also may
ensure that the installation is done properly and quickly.

If equipment is installed by the laboratory:

Check that the package contents contain all the parts;

Make a copy of any software that is part of the system;

Do not allow the equipment to be used before it is completely

installed, performance is verified, and testing personnel are trained.

iii. GETTING EQUIPMENT READY FOR SERVICE

AFTER INSTALLATION

After equipment has been installed, the following details need to be

addressed before putting the equipment into service:

Assign responsibility for performing the maintenance and operation

programs;

Develop system for recording the use of parts and supplies;

Implement a written plan for calibration, performance, verification

and proper operation of the equipment;

Establish a scheduled maintenance program that includes daily,

weekly, and monthly maintenance task;

Provide training for all operators; only personnel who have been
trained specifically to properly use the equipment should be
authorized as operators;

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 Designate those authorized to use the equipment and when it is to
be used.

EQUIPMENT CALIBRATION

Follow the manufacturer’s directions carefully when performing the initial

calibration of the instrument. It is a good idea to calibrate the instrument with each
test run, when first putting it into service. Determine how often the instrument will
need to be recalibrated, based on its stability and on manufacturer’s
recommendation. It may be advantageous to use calibrators provided by or
purchases from the manufacturer.

FUNCTION CHECKS

In order to verify that equipment is working according to manufacturer’s

specifications. It is necessary to monitor instrument parameters by performing
periodic function checks. This should be done before using the instrument initially,
then with the frequency recommended by the manufacturer. These function checks
should also be done following any instrument repairs. Some examples of function
checks are daily monitoring of temperatures and checking the accuracy of
wavelength calibration.

iv. IMPLEMENTING AN EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE PROGRAM

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE

Preventive maintenance includes measures such as systematic and routine

cleaning, adjustment, and replacement of equipment parts at scheduled intervals.
Manufacturers generally recommend a set of equipment maintenance tasks that
should be performed at regular intervals: daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.
Following these recommendations will ensure that the equipment performs at
maximum efficiency and will increase the lifespan of the equipment. This will also
help to prevent:
Inaccurate test results due to equipment failure

Delays in reporting results

Lower productivity

Large repair cost.

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 MAINTENANCE PLAN

A maintenance plan will include preventive maintenance procedures as

well as provisions for inventory, troubleshooting, and repair of equipment. When
implementing an equipment maintenance program, some of the initial steps will
include the following:

Assign responsibility for providing oversight

Develop written policies and procedures for maintaining equipment,

including routine maintenance plans for each piece of equipment.
The plan should specify the frequency with which all maintenance
tasks should be performed.

Develop the formats for records, create logs and forms, and establish
the processes to maintain records.

Train staff on the use and maintenance of the equipment, and assure
that all staff understand their specific responsibilities.

NOTE: It is recommended that a label be attached to the instrument indicating when

the next maintenance or service should be performed.

v. TROUBLESHOOTING, SERVICE REPAIR, AND RETIRING

EQUIPMENT
WHAT IS THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM?

Problems with equipment may present in many ways. The operator may
notice subtle changes such as drift in quality control or calibrator values or obvious
flaws in equipment function. Sometimes, the equipment fails to operate. It is
important to teach operators to troubleshoot equipment functioning and resume
testing as rapidly as possible.

When an operator observes instrument drift, it is important to repeat the

preventive maintenance procedures as a first step to resolve the problem. If it does
not work, proceed with troubleshooting processes.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Manufacturers frequently provide a flowchart that can help determine

the source of problems.

Is the problem related to a poor sample?

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 Is there a problem with the reagents?

Is there a problem with the equipment?

SERVICE AND REPAIR

Manufacturers may provide service and repair of equipment that is

purchased from them. Be sure to set up a procedure for scheduling service that
must be periodically performed by the manufacturer. When instruments need
repair, remember that some warranties require that repairs be handled only by the
manufacturer.

RETIRING AND DISPOSING OF EQUIPMENT

It is very important to have a policy and procedures for retiring older

equipment. This will usually occur when it is clear that the instrument is not
functioning and is not reparable, or when it is outmoded and should be replaced
with new equipment.

Once a piece of equipment is fully retired and it has been determined that it
has no further usefulness, it should be disposed of in an appropriate manner. This
last step is often neglected, and old equipment accumulates, taking up valuable
space and sometimes creating a hazard.

When disposing of equipment, salvage any useable parts, particularly if the

equipment is being replaced with another similar one. Then consider any potential
biohazards, and follow all safety disposal procedures.

vi. EQUIPMENT MAINTENACE DOCUMENTATION

DEVELOPING DOCUMENTS AND POLICIES FOR RECORDKEEPING

Equipment document and records are an essential part of the quality

system. The policies and procedures for maintenance should be defined in
appropriate documents, and keeping good equipment records will allow for
thorough evaluation of any problems that arise.

RECORDING MAINTENANCE INFORMATION

Each piece of equipment should have a dedicated logbook documenting

all characteristics and maintenance elements:

Preventive maintenance activities and schedule

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Recording of function checks and calibration

Any maintenance performed by the manufacturer;

Full information on any problem that the instrument develops, the

subsequent troubleshooting activity and follow up information
regarding resolution of the problem

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