Road construction technology is that branch of Highway Engineering which deals withal all kinds of activities and technology for changing the preexisting ground surface to the designed shape, slope and to provide all necessary facilities for smooth, safe, and efficient traffic operation. It also includes the reconstruction of existing roads.
Different types of tools, equipment, and plants are used for the construction of roads. Those civil engineering students who are planning to work on the road in the future should have knowledge about Tools, Equipment, and Plants used in Road construction.
Equipment generally refers to a set of tools used for a single purpose.
Different types of equipments used for different purposes of work in road construction.
- Rollers: For the compaction of soil Roller is used in road construction. It is used to compact the base, sub-base, and surface course. There are different types of rollers with having different specific functions.
- Grader: A grader is used for grading the road. It is used for thin layer excavation in the longer area. It contains a grading blade that can be rotated so that collected materials can be pushed horizontally.
- Bitumen Boiler: To change the solid bitumen to a liquid or semi-solid state bitumen boiler is used. On the top of the bailer, a manhole is provided for inspection and bitumen charging. Earlier boilers fired with wood or coal, but modern boiler uses diesel fuel burners.
- Bitumen Distributor: A tank mounted on a truck used to carry liquid state bitumen. Heated bitumen in the form of liquid is fed to bitumen distributors. To maintain the temperature of bitumen it is equipped with burners. A bitumen spraying is attached to the tank which sprays bitumen in fan shape through the nozzle. spraying is done under pressure.
- Aggregate Spreader: In dump trucks, a spreading is fixed on its tali which spread aggregate uniformly throughout the road section where bitumen is sprayed. Nowadays latest aggregate spreaders contain both the bitumen as well as an aggregate spreader. From which first Bitumen spreads and then followed by aggregate spreaders. So combined work can be done in the latest technology spreaders.
These are the main equipment used in the construction of the road.
For more information Join Our Facebook Group: Engineering Knowledge
