Construction and mining motor graders for productivity, efficiency and lower operating costs
Motor graders are typically used for smoothening land surfaces and making fine grade. In order to create smooth surface, the graders are designed with a long blade that is positioned between the front and back wheels. Apart from that, motor graders are also used for levelling soil, shifting small amounts of dirt and to set native soil foundation pads. Due to the versatility of motor graders, they are one of the most important equipment at any construction and mining site. In fact, motor graders improve productivity and efficiency and even reduce the operating cost at the construction and mining sites.
Here is a look at the usage of motor graders at any mining site and the benefits offered by them...
1. Movement of men and materials:
Motor graders are commonly used at mining sites like coal mining sites for easy movement of men and material. Jobsites like quarries and industrial sites in remote areas generally do not have proper roads leading to the site. This causes a lot of hassle for the movement of men and material. Here, comes the importance of motor graders as they can be used to create temporary roads leading up to the site to sustain daily operations and enable ease of transportation.
2. Constructing and maintaining haul roads:
While drills, draglines, loaders and haul trucks are responsible for producing ore at the mining site, motor graders have a direct impact on how productively these machines can operate. This is because, generally, at the mining sites, motor graders are used to build and maintain haul roads so as to support maximum efficiency in mining operations. Well, haul road is a terms used for roads that are constructed for heavy or bulk transfer of materials at the mining site. These roads can also be constructed between mining operations and processing locations. Motor grader is one equipment that helps in constructing these haul roads easily. In fact, they have an essential role in haul road construction and maintenance, blasting cleanup, loading area cleanup and reclamation. Also, on the haul roads, motor graders help in creating and maintaining constant grade and proper drainage.
It is generally seen that when the haul roads are kept in a good condition, then the haul trucks can move easily over them at a fast speed. Here, it goes without saying that the good road conditions always play a key role in extending the life of the equipment like haul trucks in this case, reduce maintenance needs, lower fuel costs and reduces tire damage. This results in improved cycle times and producing of more ore at lower cost.
Generally, the haul roads begin at the loading face and ends at the dump point. Motor graders help to keep the floor smooth and remove debris in the load zone, so that the trucks and other equipment don’t drive over rocks and move at fast speed. As for the dump zone, there also motor graders ensure that the floor is smooth and trucks and other equipment are able to entre at high speed on it.
Apart from the above, motor graders perform various other tasks too at the mining site. Like certain graders with special attachments can be used for separate tasks like underground mining as well.
Motor grader at construction sites
Here is a look at the usage of motor graders at any construction site and the benefits offered by them...
1. Set the soil for construction:
Motor graders are used to set native soil foundation pads to finish grade prior to the construction of large buildings. Also, in building construction projects, graders are used for levelling the parking areas.
2. Earthmoving:
Motor graders are also used for moving the unearthed soil and debris or raw building materials from one location to another with the help of the front wide blade. In short, they can be used for earthmoving purposes as well.
3. Sacrifying:
Motor graders can be used for scarifying the uneven and inefficient surfaces of the roads, lawns, landscapes etc. Sacrifying means complete removal of layer of soil and then spreading a new layer at that particular point.
4. Land grading:
Graders can perform land grading tasks like creating well-defined slopes and inclinations as well.
5. Levelling of soil or land:
Graders can also be used for levelling of the soil so that the next layer of soil, gravel aggregates and asphalt or bitumen can be spread uniformly throughout the surface.
6. Mixing materials:
Tasks like mixing of two materials used in construction projects can also be well-performed by motor graders with the help of the right attachments.
Apart from the above, graders can also be used for trenching, digging shallow holes, ditching and laying pipes. Be it any task at the building or road construction site, motor graders help in achieving reliability and precision in operations and reduce rework. As against the manual labour which takes a lot of time in completing the task, motor graders can perform the tasks fast and this saves the labour costs as well. Further, with advanced technology, telematics, machine control and integrated technology, they help improve jobsite safety and have a direct positive impact on the business margins or profitability.
The prime attachments
Be it the construction or mining site, motor graders use various attachments to perform the different tasks. Out of all, the two most important attachments of motor graders that help them perform most of the tasks at any construction or mining site include:
1. Rippers: They are used to cut through challenging ground conditions such as hard, compact or frozen dirt to loosen soil and improve productivity.
2. Dozer: This attachment of motor grader help with spreading.
In a nutshell
Overall, these days, motor graders are not only employed for road construction projects but they are even used extensively at the mining and building construction sites as they are highly versatile machines and can perform a variety of tasks easily and increase jobsite productivity and efficiency.
