Heavy Equipment

A construction site is a little kid’s dream. Bright orange, yellow, and blue machines litter the construction site with the sounds of backup beeps and the roar of engines. Some of the equipment is PWC’s and their subcontractors’, while other equipment is rented for the brief period it is needed. A different piece of heavy equipment is around every corner. For those who want to nerd out a little bit, here are just a few pieces of the heavy equipment being used for this project.

A telehandler helps the crew carry heavy loads from one place to another – to various heights and across distances. They can operate in tight spaces and the telescopic boom can have multiple attachments such as forks that transport and lift materials and supplies across the construction site, buckets that clear debris, and man-lifts that reach elevated areas. It’s essentially a forklift and a crane combined to meet a variety of construction needs.

- JLG Telehandler Access Lift
- GEHL RS6-34 Telescopic Handler
- JCB 509-42 Telescopic Handler
- JLG 6008 Telescopic Boom Lift
- JLG Skytrak 8042 Telehandler

A compact excavator, or mini excavator, is a small but powerful piece. It can dig trenches and holes and move earth all while maneuvering within small spaces on the construction site. It can help with digging trenches for utilities like pipes and cables, performing demolition work, and clearing debris. A compact excavator can also have attachments such as a bucket, grapple, auger, or concrete breakers.

- Kubota KX040-4 Compact Excavator
- Cratos CMX18 Mini Excavator

A skid steer loader is another compact machine that’s been working on the job site. Best known for its role in excavating, digging, and trenching, a skid steer can be equipped with a variety of attachments (like the bucket shown here) and maneuver effectively in small spaces.

- Kubota SVL 75-3 Skid Steer Loader
- Cratos 100 Eco Mini Skid Steer

A scissor lift raises and lowers people and materials vertically on a platform to reach elevated workspaces. Essentially, it’s a scaffold mechanized by hydraulic cylinders and crisscrossed beams that open like scissors to extend and retract the platform. It helps with ceiling work such as installing ductwork for HVAC systems.

- Genie Electric Slab Scissor Lift

A crane moves heavy objects and materials. Some of the heavy equipment used to work on the lower level had to be lowered into the jobsite using a crane. Much of the debris from the demolition was lifted out by the crane through an opening at the top of the stairwell to remove it safely and efficiently from the building. A crane uses a system of levers, pulleys, wire ropes, and chains to move heavy objects. The tall crane with its boom is a characteristic icon of any construction site when it is moving across the sky with a large hook on the end. It’s quite a sight to see heavy machinery dangle from the air with precision and ease.