TRANSPORTING PLANT

Transport Vehicles ~ these can be defined as vehicles whose primary function is to

convey passengers and/or materials between and around building sites. The types
available range from the conventional saloon car to the large low loader lorries designed
to transport other items of builders plant between construction sites and the plant yard
or depot.

Dumpers ~ these are used for the horizontal transportation of materials on and off
construction sites generally by means of an integral tipping skip. Highway dumpers are
of a similar but larger design and can be used to carry materials such as excavated
spoil along the roads. A wide range of dumpers are available of various carrying
capacities and options for gravity or hydraulic discharge control with front tipping, side
tipping or elevated tipping facilities. Special format dumpers fitted with flat platforms,
rigs to carry materials skips and rigs for concrete skips for crane hoisting are also
obtainable. These machines are designed to traverse rough terrain but they are not
designed to carry passengers and this misuse is the cause of many accidents involving
dumpers.

Conveyors - Conveyors play a vital role for transporting materials in construction site
and various industries, where they provide the most economical method of handling and
transporting materials.
Conveyor belt – The belt provides the moving and supporting surface on which the
material is transported from one place to the other. The transporting capacity of
conveyor belt is high and the system provides uniform speed. A suitable arrangement is
done at the discharge end to ensure that the concrete drops vertically. The tendency to
segregate concrete is the only disadvantage. It is a common practice to provide a belt
cleaner at the discharge end to prevent the adherence of mortar to the belt.
Wheel barrows – The

Concrete Pumps ~ these are used to transport large volumes of concrete in a short
time period (up to 100 m3 per hour) in both the vertical and horizontal directions from
the pump position to the point of placing. Concrete pumps can be trailer or lorry
mounted and is usually of a twin cylinder hydraulically driven format with a small bore
pipeline (100 mm diameter) with pumping ranges of up to 85HP vertically and 200HP
horizontally depending on the pump model and the combination of vertical and
horizontal distances. It generally requires about 45 minutes setting up a concrete pump
on site including coating the bore of the pipeline with a cement grout prior to pumping
the special concrete mix. The pump is supplied with pumpable concrete by means of a
constant flow of ready mixed concrete Lorries throughout the pumping period after
which the pipeline is cleared and cleaned. Usually a concrete pump and its operator(s)
are hired for the period required.

Vans † these transport vehicles range from the small two person plus a limited amount
of materials to the large vans with purpose designed bodies such as those built to carry
large sheets of glass. Most small vans are usually fitted with a petrol engine and are
based on the manufacturer's standard car range whereas the larger vans are purpose
designed with either petrol or diesel engines. These basic designs can usually be
supplied with an uncovered tipping or non-tipping container mounted behind the
passenger cab for use as a `pick-up' truck.
Passenger Vehicles † these can range from a simple framed cabin which can be placed
in the container of a small lorry or `pick-up' truck to a conventional bus or coach. Vans
can also be designed to carry a limited number of seated passengers by having fixed or
removable seating together with windows fitted in the van sides thus giving the vehicle a
dual function. The number of passengers carried can be limited so that the driver does
not have to hold a PSV (public service vehicle) licence.
Lorries † these are sometimes referred to as haul vehicles and are available as road or
site only vehicles. Road haulage vehicles have to comply with all the requirements of
the Road Traffic Acts which among other requirements limits size and axle loads. The
off highway or site only lorries are not so restricted and can be designed to carry two to
three times the axle load allowed on the public highway. Site only lorries are usually
specially designed to traverse and withstand the rough terrain encountered on many
construction sites. Lorries are available as non-tipping, tipping and special purpose
carriers such as those with removable skips and those equipped with self-loading and
unloading devices. Lorries specifically designed for the transportation of large items of
plant are called low loaders and are usually fitted with integral or removable ramps to
facilitate loading and some have a winching system to haul the plant onto the carrier
platform.
Ready Mixed Concrete Trucks ~ these are used to transport mixed concrete from a
mixing plant or depot to the site. Usual capacity range of ready mixed concrete trucks is
4 to 6 m3. Discharge can be direct into placing position via a chute or into some form of
site transport such as a dumper, crane skip or concrete pump.

Operation of transporting plant

Loading
For maximum efficiency, fill trucks as close to their rated hauling capacity as practical.
Adjust the load size if haul roads are in poor condition or if the trucks must traverse
steep grades. Overloading will cause higher fuel consumption, reduced tire life, and
increased mechanical failures.
Use spotting markers when trucks are hauling from a hopper, a grizzly ramp, or a
stockpile. Spotting markers are also beneficial when excavators (such as a dragline, a
clamshell, a loader, a backhoe, or a hoe) are used to load hauling equipment. They
facilitate prompt and accurate vehicle spotting which improves loading efficiency.
Spot trucks as close to the bank as possible when loading with an excavator.
Ensure that the trucks are within the working radius of the dragline, the clamshell, or the
hoe bucket. When using a loader, position the truck and loader so that the two
machines form a V. This arrangement will reduce the loader cycle time.

Hauling
Haul at the highest safe speed and in the proper gear, without speeding. Speeding is
unsafe and hard on equipment. When several trucks are hauling, it is essential to
maintain the proper speed to prevent hauling delays or bottlenecks at the loading and
dumping sites. Use separate haul roads to and from the dump site, if possible. Keep
haul roads well maintained, with a minimum grade. Use one-way traffic patterns to
increase efficiency.
Discharge/ Unloading
Always use spotters to control dumping operations. When dumping material that
requires spreading, move the truck forward slowly while dumping the load. This makes
spreading easier. Establish alternative dumping locations to maintain truck spacing
when poor footing or difficult spotting slow the dumping operation.