What is earthmoving?

When it comes to construction, whether residential, commercial or industrial, the first step is usually to clear the land. This is where earthmovers, of all forms, will come in. Earthmovers can clear, level, and carry away earth to create a flat expanse for building foundations.

If you’re planning a construction project, it’s important to know all you can about earthmoving equipment and the process of earthmoving itself before you make decisions about the beginning of the project. The foundation of a building is the most crucial aspect of its stability so you want to make sure you’ve got it right.

Mike Barlow Earthmoving knows that this is vital for the success of your project. That’s why we’ve put together this guide covering everything you need to know about earthmoving.

What Is Earthmoving?

This is the process of moving large quantities of earth with heavy machinery, usually to dig foundations for buildings. They will also be used to load and transport great amounts of soil and other materials to and from construction sites. 

Earthmoving equipment may also be required to remove debris, trees and foliage, and obstructions around the marked area. They may be used to dig foundations or trenches, as well as mining and grading.

This earthmoving equipment is also essential for preparing land for residential construction and civil projects including preparing roads, drains, bridges, overpasses, car parking and much more. Earthmoving apparatus is essentially the cornerstone of all infrastructure and building projects.
 
There are numerous kinds of earthmoving machinery, from small and nimble equipment for tight spaces up to industrial-scale machinery that you will see at major mining and quarry operations. They will be moved on steel or rubber tracks, or commercial grade tyres depending on the type of equipment.
 
Most earthmoving machinery has been engineered with a specific purpose in mind. Some are designed to dig and move dirt and soil, others to transport it, others to compact it and more. You can get specific machinery for grading, creating slopes and cutting trenches and other incisions into the ground. There is also more versatile equipment available that is able to perform a range of functions.

What Equipment Is Used For Earthmoving?

There are plenty of different types of earthmovers and each performs different functions. 

Excavators

These are responsible for digging trenches, excavating soil and obstructions. They are made up of a boom, a bucket, a dipper and a cab where the driver will sit in a rotating platform, operating the machine.

Excavator machines can include dredging, front shovels, compact excavators, dragline excavators and others. However, these typically rely on hydraulic power, using hydraulic fluid in cylinders and motors to accomplish the enormous power.

There are multiple kinds of excavators, including mini versions for smaller jobs and knuckle boom varieties with an extra joint for those hard to reach places. Essentially, the primary job of an excavator is to dig. But they are also capable of a range of other jobs including:

• Handling and moving various materials
• Demolition work
• Dredging operations
• Forestry operations including mulching, clearing and brush cutting
• Trenching
• Open-pit mining
• Landscaping

These pieces of machinery are among the most versatile of all earthmoving equipment and are essential for many different kinds of industries and job sites.

Construction Tractors

Wheel-tractor scrapers use a vertically mobile hopper that has a sharp front edge. These are lowered and raised on the ground to cut through tight-packed or dry soil. As this slices through soil, it fills the hopper until it is full and it will be transported to a dumping area.

There are also elevating scrapers available now that are fitted with a conveyor belt to move soil material directly from the edge of the cutter into the hopper.

While tractors are common in agricultural operations, they are also essential for construction and building jobs sites, performing duties including:
 

• Brush clearing (especially for heavy brushes)
• Clearing land
• Moving heavy materials across rugged terrain
• Hole drilling with an auger
• Road clearing
• Emergency transportation

Dozers

Bulldozers are heavy moving machinery fitted with a large metal blade that is utilised by pushing huge mounds of materials (soil, rubble, sand or debris). These will grade a construction site, slicing and pushing material into mounds to form a slope. 

These machines are equipped to handle the rough stuff in extreme conditions like construction and mining sites. They are equipped with steel tracks for traction in all conditions, powerful motors and large blades for cutting through and moving materials. Dozers are commonly used to:
 

• Move large volumes of dirt, rock and soil
• Break up the ground in preparation for grading
  
• Land clearing
  
• Winching and towing
• Push-loading
• Waste management
• Forestry operations
• Spreading aggregate 

What Projects Involve Earthmoving?

Oftentimes, earthmoving equipment is used on projects that involve land preparation or foundation laying. These are often at the very start of a much larger job.

However, earthmoving equipment may also be used on projects including mining and aggregate quarries, building bridges and tunnels, site clearance, reservoir and dam construction, road and railway building, municipal buildings, and laying sewers and underground pipe networks. 

For all of your earthmoving needs, rely on Mike Barlow Earthmoving.

Call us (07) 4934 4229 or Get in touch today.

Any kind of operation where the ground needs to be altered or moved is going to require earthmoving equipment. It is common to see them on construction, mining and civil works sites, but they are also used for a wide range of other applications.
 
For example, earthmoving equipment is essential in emergency situations. They are used to create fire break lines and trenches to rapidly dredge waterways or create new drainage in flooding situations and they are instrumental in the cleanup from natural disasters.
 
Earthmoving equipment is also used in a lot of places where you might not regularly see them. If a new oil, gas or water pipeline needs to be built, you will need earthmoving equipment. The same for roads and train lines to rural and remote locations. Ports and mining operations use them to dredge waters to create larger channels for shipping operations.
 
They are an essential part of our day-to-day lives, which is why it's important to only trust reputable suppliers and leading manufacturers of earthmoving equipment.