Category Archives: Construction

Don’t let your equipment be the reason of pollution. Get it serviced regularly

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It has been observed that construction equipment have been a major source of intoxicants in the atmosphere. It has also been the reason of many respiratory ailments in the neighborhoods and which is why people want such machines to be lifted off permanently. One of the major reasons why the construction equipment emit such intoxicants is that they are not serviced on a regular basis. These machines are used exhaustively all throughout the month and since the project goes in full swing the construction company does not have the time to clean up the machine or change the engine oil. This is not only affecting the health of the equipment but also leads to more critical problems. They become one of the major reasons of polluting the environment and make the place unlivable for the locals.

There are a number of steps that one can take to get rid of the problem.

Assign designated staff to service the machine:-

For big construction companies, it is not possible for the owner to take the responsibility of servicing the machine. He needs to delegate this work to his employees or a company like B&R Equipment. For this, he needs to select members who takes every work with utter responsibility and delivers any assigned activity on time. Such people should be assigned the work of getting the construction equipment serviced on a regular basis. The operator who works on the machine should also take the onus of informing the designated staff member if there is any problem with the machine. Keeping it with themselves is not going to solve the bigger problem and it may turn worse from there. Therefore, it becomes important to speak out if there is any issue with the machine and get it sorted in time.

Have an expert mechanic to repair the machine:-

Always take help of an expert mechanic who knows how to fix a problem pertaining to the machine. Taking help from guys who are newbie will not help. If the newbie works under the supervision of an expert then that should be fine. However, he should not be the decision maker as he may not understand the problem quite well and may make a blunder. In order to avoid any mix-ups, ensure that you have the expert right next to his associate and let them both work with the same machine.

Simultaneously, it is also very crucial to repair any part of the machine without causing much delay. If a particular part has gone bad, it needs to be replaced or else it can cultivate graver issues all boiling down to the downfall in the performance of the engine leading to serious environmental problems.

Use construction equipment that are eco-friendly:-

It makes more sense to buy equipment that are eco-friendly rather than using the orthodox version. However, the challenge is many construction companies have invested a lot in procuring the earlier version and are not ready to get rid of them. Buying an eco-friendly equipment means shelling out more money and that may not be good for the financial health of the company. Therefore, they can stick to just keeping the machines well maintained and ensure that the engine oil is changed at regular intervals.

 

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Rental contract is a must before you let your machine

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Just like before you buy or sell your property, you make a purchase agreement which states all the information about the purchase in detail, in the same way, it is also a must to form a rental agreement before you let your machine to someone else. Heavy equipment are unquestionably one of the most expensive items that you possess in your construction business and in case you decide to rent it, you got to ensure that at the end of the contract you get the machine in order. Just in case, you do not form a proper rental agreement, there are high chances that the user may use the machine according to his whims and fancies and completely deteriorate the quality of the machine. So by the time you get the heavy equipment back in your possession, you got to spend a lot on the repairs and fixtures part which may not sound quite economical to you.

Rent the equipment to a person who has no issue signing a rental contract:-

It is always advisable that you let your heavy equipment to a person who does not have any issue in signing the rental contract. A rental contract is just a document that speaks about the terms and conditions that both the parties have agreed to before the owner handing the possession of the machine to the other party. It basically protects the rights of both the giver and the user. By forming a concrete rental agreement, there are less chances of the user misusing the machine. For instance, the user will give importance to regular servicing which he might otherwise not have paid much heed to. There is lot of advantages of forming a rental contract as it proves to be a healthy affair for both the parties.

Catch hold of a good attorney to draft your agreement:-

Drafting the rental agreement from an attorney who has ample of experience in this profession is of immense importance. An experienced attorney may suggest few points which you must have not even considered and which are quite important. They may charge you little extra but that will be really worthy. You can keep the same draft and use it again if you rent the machine to the next user. You may need the attorney but do not have to pay him the same fee as you did in the previous occasion.

Go to internet to check few drafts of rental agreement:-

In case you are renting the heavy equipment to a close friend or someone in your family then you perhaps do not have to form a stringent rental agreement. A simple one will do in this case. However, you still got to draft an agreement for which you need some help. It is recommended that you go to google and check few rental agreements over there. It will be really helpful and also you get that for free. You only need the help of an attorney to complete the legal proceedings for which they will charge you a very nominal fee.

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Engage with your employees to make a construction company successful

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The success of any business is sheer hard work and the way you engage with your employees. Working hard is just one part of the success story but there is more that makes a business successful. People owning a construction business may understand the importance of talking regularly with the employees. They got to check if the people working in his company are happy working there or do they need any sort of benefits or require any upgrade in the heavy equipment. Not talking with your employees on a regular basis can make them feel that you do not care for them any longer and you only need them to get your work done. That actually puts you in a very negative frame as people may take you as a self-centered and selfish person. Therefore, you should make sure that you come down to meet with your employees at least once in a month and check about their well-being. It is not possible for you to remember each and everybody’s names but try to remember few of them. This might give them the feeling that you indeed care for them.

 

Engaging with your employees can be fruitful to your company in a number of ways.

It sets up a long lasting bonding:-

Setting up a healthy relationship is important for the success of any business. It is very crucial to set up a strong bonding with the people with whom you will be working day in and day out. It may be possible that you would be working from a remote site and would be monitoring their performances from that location but still you will be part of the same team that aims towards taking the company to the zenith. This motive of yours is only possible if you establish a strong bonding with your employees. They are the ones who have the potential to make or break your company. See that all their needs are fulfilled and they return home happily with the enthusiasm to come again to work the other day. If you engage regularly with your employees, it will help in setting up the bonding that is needed for the success of your business.

Employees will be dedicated to their work:-

A person can work hard only when he is dedicated to do so and what will make your employee dedicated towards his work. The answer to this lies again on the way you set up your relationship with them. If you are in good terms with your employees and do everything to keep them happy, they in turn will be more inclined to their job but if you are not good with them, they might act as a troublemaker for you. That is no way going to be healthy for your company and you should avoid any situation where there is any confrontation with your employees. On the contrary, you should seek ways by which you can solve their problems if they have any and try to get them back to work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Answer To Effective Construction Is Coal Connect

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It is always a good idea to make the best of technology when it comes to construction project. It is known to all that profitability and productivity could be increased a lot with the right application of technology on the job sites. One of the finest examples of such technology of connected site on larger scales is Coal Connect. According to the bills, it is the most well known project of machine controlled earthmoving in the entire region of southern hemisphere. The technology used a strategy of connected site for integrating the advanced survey, earthmoving technology as well as construction for a certain site that has a footprint a hundred and three miles long.

As implied by the name, this project from Queensland AU had been designed for constructing a rail line and connecting two rail lines so that coal could be moved to processing from the mines in a more efficient manner. There are plenty of challenges that are to be faced when it comes to projects of this scale. This particular project had flat land that is located in as many as four plains. There plains were flood plains and so excellent drainage was required so that the water flow could be managed.

Apart from that the project also required upgradation of the lines along with crossings of fifteen level, eleven railway bridges, road intersections and a couple of road bridges over rail. Therefore, the task had been a magnanimous one and without a good technology this would not have been possible. The scale required the spreading out of the crews all across the construction project. Therefore, it need stable as well as consistent data positioning all over the place and at all times.

The productivity of the project could be reached to such extent with extensive planning. However, the challenges could be overcome with this site-wide connected technology for construction. Across the whole site a framework was built by Coal Connect for coordinating and establishing a network for station correction based on GPS. Machineries of more than forty two pieces had been equipped with the technology of 3D grade. It also included sixteen excavators, twenty graders, a compactor and five bulldozers. The team had excavated earthworks bulk of about four million cubic meters. This had been done all over the three sites and had been done in over a hundred and fifty thousand truckloads.

The technology of connected construction has opened many doors of many increased productivity in several areas. The project in concern had been completed well within the estimated time despite of extensive flooding, two cyclones and very inclement weather conditions in general. Also, the implantation of the technology as also resulted in a very cost effective project completion. For any such project there would be a requirement of a huge number of professionals on the site. Therefore, this would mean more personnel. Travel cost, equipment along with the issues of data integrity as well as logistics. However, with the implementation of this technology a lot of such problems could be avoided.

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Prepare goals that are realistic – Do not ape what others do

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We often consider every business to be tricky. However the fact is we make it tricky by probably deviating from the basics of the business. Innovation should never be considered as a form of deviation. It is rather a part of the basics but following someone else’s success model and incorporating it in your business may not give you the desired result. It can possibly give success to the person who has adopted that model but not everything is for everybody. We should not ape around what others do. On the contrary, we should have role models and analyze their way of working. Use that as a source of inspiration but never adopt the exact same model and incorporate it in your work culture. It may not work for you and therefore you need to do some experiment and see what works best for you.

Prepare a growth chart:-

Preparing a growth chart will actually help you take there. You need not make it for 10 years down the line. Try to keep the chart for a period of a year or two so that it would be easy for you to monitor the growth. It also helps you to track the growth that you have estimated and the actual one that you were able to achieve. This kind of concept matters a lot in the construction arena where people come only with the intention of making money. They may be quite short sighted and therefore they are the one who have to wrap up their business during turbulent times. The ones who have a long term vision will initially take baby steps and monitor their growth and once they become confident of their start that they will pull the accelerator and move with high speed.

Your goals should be realistic:-

This is a common mistake which many owners of small construction companies make. They keep their goals unrealistically higher and when they are unable to achieve them they feel dejected with their performance and end up by taking some drastic decisions that further dampens the career growth of the company. Therefore it is crucial that you set up goals that are achievable. By setting up unrealistic goals, you are only mounting pressure on yourself and on the people who are associated with your company. That is certainly not a wise thing to do as people will not be able to take the pressure anymore and will start quitting. You will then have to do away with some valuable resources which are then very hard to get.

You start should be slow:-

We often have the perception that the faster we grow the better we are. Well this is nothing but a myth. There is nothing called fast growth that ever existed. You do not start making profits from the very next day and if you think you should then business is not your cup of tea. You should be patient and understand the business first. Be slow but be steady. You take time to stand. Once you are up on your feet, take calculative risk and move steadily. You are not in a race with anybody. Enjoy your work as and when you go along with it.

 

Learn to repair heavy equipment and make a good career

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We all need to have some kind of unique skills that can set up apart from the rest of the folks. It is just that it takes good deal of time to recognize that skill and by the time we realize it, it becomes too late for us to capitalize on it. However, the one who realizes his true potential can make wonders with his/her skill and can be innovative while applying the skill to various causes. Thus, the person can earn good money and also enjoy the work. Same stands with becoming a mechanic of heavy equipment. Heavy equipment is quite a complex subject and it takes years and years of study and practice to become a good mechanic. Once you have devoted all the time it takes you to reach the pinnacle, you can set examples for others. Apart from being a complex subject, heavy equipment are really expensive products and it takes a fortune for any construction company to buy an equipment.

As long as the machine is in good order, the owners of the machine are happy but once it starts developing any complications, they want a mechanic to fix the problem at the earliest. Here is where an expert mechanic can make things merrier for himself. Since he knows everything about the machine, just be the sound of the engine he may make out the issue and thereby apply things to get it fixed. If the machine gets up and running, the owner of the machine may give further machines to him or may spread his good work to other people thus increasing his business.

Join a reputed institute to learn about machines:-

To become an expert, it is important to learn thoroughly about heavy equipment. You can’t get all the knowledge by working under someone. To get complete knowledge about machines, joining a reputed institute is the best option. There they will teach you most of the things about heavy equipment. Once you complete the preliminary training, you may look forward for advanced courses and also seek some practical training. Institutes ideally send their students to various workshops from where they can see people working on machines. This is the place from where most of the students get to learn in depth and creates their fascination for the machine.

Keep yourself in the company of students who are serious in making this as their career:-

You tend to come across various kinds of people. Some will be very intense with what they are doing and some not that serious with studies. Try to be with people who take their studies bit seriously. That doesn’t mean that you don’t mix with the rest of the folks. It is just that you be with people who can help you make your career.

Get hired by companies:-

Once you are done with your studies and manage to get good scores, you may be picked up by some construction and heavy equipment company. Most of the institutes have campuses from where students are picked up for job.

Buying excavators that save on fuel can be a good investment

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While setting up a construction company, the owner has to go through a lot of financial hurdles and often finds it difficult to sustain with the given resources. On top of that, when he sees that the heavy equipment he is using are consuming more fuel than he has anticipated that becomes more of a financial burden on him and he then seeks for ways and means to combat the issue. Well, once you already have equipment that consumes more fuel, there is hardly anything you can do to set that off. You either have to continue with the same equipment till it completely wears off or you can sell that machine and buy a new one that is reasonable and economical as far as fuel consumption is concerned. There are many branded companies who are producing equipment that match the overall needs of the client but they may be quite expensive. The next available option would be to go for brands who are not that expensive and yet reliable. If you have this specific requirement, then the best brand would be Komatsu. Komatsu is known for producing reliable machines that are not expensive and ideally fits the budget of every person in the construction arena.

Excavator is one such machine that is required for whatever big or small project you have on hand. Other than this, it is known for consuming more fuel as it has to exert more pressure on the engine to get the work done. However, Komatsu has recently launched PC290LC-11 long arm hydraulic excavator which is designed in such a way that it consumes less fuel at work. The cabin of the operator has also been modified to make things comfortable inside. This new model is a substitute of the older version which is PC290LC-10. The operating weight of the machine is anywhere between 66,359 to 68,122 pounds and in order to provide greater stability and power it is built on a large PC360 undercarriage. Something that is quite imperative in the machine is its long arm and the boom which is powered by Komatsu SAA6D107E-3 engine. The horsepower the engine can give is 196hp which suffice the power it needs to complete the task.

The engine is specially built to reduce emissions by integrating “Selective Catalyst Reduction” and by using “Diesel Exhaust Fluid”. An electronic control system has been included in the engine that has the potential to deal with the airflow rate, supervise the fuel injection, combustion parameters and after treatment functions. Komatsu has also installed a Variable Geometry Turbocharger and an Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve that checks and administers the temperature and air control.

Thick isolation dampers are installed under the excavator’s cabin to control vibration inside the cabin. The engineers have also redesigned the seat with high back and completely adaptable armrests. They have also installed a 7 inch monitor inside the cabin that will permit the operator to change the 6 working modes available in the machine.

Overall, this excavator has been produced keeping in mind many factors benefitting the customers.

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It is a good idea to promote your business on social networking websites

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We are seeing an increase in the trend where people are promoting their businesses on social media like Facebook, Twitter and stuff. They find it to be a spectacular way to reach out to a good chunk of population at a shorter pace. You can simply calculate the number of people seeing your work if you have more than 600 friends in your list. Your work will also be seen by people who are your friend’s friend to whom you perhaps do not know in person. However, they also get the chance to see your business and if needed will hire your services.

These social media sites also play a major role in the growth of the heavy equipment and construction industry. For instance, you work for a heavy equipment company and are given the role to sell machines. You can easily place your ad on LinkedIn or Facebook and check the number of people who are interested to know more about it. Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn is used by people for professional requirements only. So it makes more sense to have a LinkedIn account and post the ads of the machines that you have to with you sell. You can also use the logo of your company so that the prospective buyers know in advance with whom they are dealing with. That also gives them a sense of security that they are in right hands and there is not any scam involved.

Other than this, if you want to recruit any operator or engineer, you can put your requirement out there and that gets passed like fire in the wild. You will soon get messages from people who are looking for the job and that gets your job done without you having to pay a single cent for it. There are millions of LinkedIn accounts and getting someone suitable for the job will not be that difficult. You can also make use of the website to hire technicians, managers for various roles etc. It may soon happen that these social networking websites may overtake job search engines or the job search engines have to work in tandem with these websites.

Now if you already have an account that you exclusively use for your business needs, it is very important that you keep that account professional. Avoid uploading any casual snaps or pictures that you have taken in some party. Your business account is not meant to accommodate those kinds of pictures. You can make use of your personal account for that purpose. You should put pictures of some new construction equipment that your company has launched in the market or if you have some news that you can share it in advance, you can put that story in your account.

Never overstate yourself in any social media website that you use for your business. If people get to know that you have overstated or exaggerated things it will give the impression that you are there to cheat. Be true to the readers as they will be your prospective clients.

 

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Heavy equipment with modern technology will be rolled out in 2016

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Consumers are always on the look of something new, something that can simplify their task without compromising the quality of the work. This has often given companies the chance to innovate and bring something new to the world. It is exactly the same thing when it comes to heavy equipment. People are always on look of machines that are technologically advanced, simple to operate and have the potential to do things in a much simplified manner. Taking this into consideration, the companies that manufacture heavy equipment have jumped into the race of producing machines that are fitted with more gadgets and also easy to understand to put them to work.

Market analysts are of the opinion that the companies are trying to bring in those equipment that can change the very face of the construction industry. This also means that the construction companies who will own these machines will definitely have to pay lot more than what they used to for the ones that is being used now. In a nutshell, bringing in new technology will by all means be a very healthy situation for the construction industry. However, it also raises a doubt of how many guys will actually be able to afford it.

The fact that inducing modern technology in heavy equipment can go a long way and for that matter, there have been a lot of trials that were made in the last many years by different heavy equipment manufacturing companies to incorporate those technologies. This has only made the construction industry a successful business and has also led many people to join in and become a part of this business. Market experts believe that the year 2016 will be a year of integrating modern technologies while manufacturing heavy equipment and give the best to the consumers. This is why many such heavy equipment companies are hiring experienced and qualified engineers who can give the end user innovative machines.

Heavy equipment companies strongly believe that if they want to survive in this market then they have to produce things that are new and that nobody else has made it before. You just can’t steal away other’s ideas. They are not going to work long if you do so and therefore the only way to remain in a consolidated position is to make a master piece that will define your company. Companies like CAT already have their imprint in this industry but not everybody has been so successful and hence it is time that other companies also bring in machines that is built by keeping creativity into consideration.

The new mantra is producing innovative machines that have the ability to ease work for the operator, allow him to complete his work keeping safety in the forefront and also ensuring that the machine consumes less fuel. Consumption of fuel is directly related to the profits of the company and this is why it should be given lot of importance. Overall, 2016 is the year when we will see heavy equipment with the latest technology and expect it to be a great year for the entire industry.

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Top Selling Caterpillar machines

Almost every heavy equipment manufacturing company produces some kind of heavy equipment that turn out to be their best-selling machine. It is not that they have always anticipated it to be their best-selling machine but at times it just happens. However, there have been occasions where they plan the making and the advertisement of a machine in such a way where they want that stuff to be the most sold over machine for that year. Other than that, the name of a brand also matters a lot when it comes to selling heavy equipment to top construction companies. As a matter of fact, most of the biggest construction companies in US prefer heavy equipment of companies that has the name of a big brand attached with it. They will not go for machines of brand that they have not much heard about. They can be called brand loyal or brand choosy or whatever one might want to name them but they would prefer to stick to brands that are famous and are also ready to pay a high price for it.

Out of the heavy equipment producing companies Caterpillar has remained the most trusted company ever and continue to win many hearts with its continuing endeavor to provide better facility to its users.

If we check deep as to which machines of CAT has been the most sold ones in the last few years it would be their excavators and loaders. Cat is renowned for producing top notch excavators and is sold not only in the US but all over the globe and when we check the details; it speaks for all over the world. It has been seen that machines manufactured by CAT more expensive than equipment produced by other renowned companies but still prefer like to go for CAT. The reasons could be plenty but few very strong ones are that the operators have found CAT manufactured machines to be very easy to use, they are gently and user-friendly and also have a long life which means that the machine will not give problems after having been used for a couple of years. Other than that, the after sales service of this company is astounding.

You do not have to keep on following up with their officials. Once your complaint is registered, the engineers will then take charge and ensure that the problem is fixed and you are not left complaining for any kind of louse service. All these reasons have attributed for the increase in the sale of CAT excavators and loaders.

Other than this, these 2 types of machine also play an important role in the construction segment. It is simply not possible to carry on with the project for long without bringing in these machines. An excavator is perhaps the one that is needed the first followed by other machines. Many mid-east countries also vouch for products manufactured by CAT which has led to the dramatic increase in its sale.

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