So, you’re a concrete contractor and are currently undertaking a large foundation slab but are confused about machinery to hire. I appreciate your concern because when you’re a reputable contractor you’re always looking for ways to enhance your output and taking your quality work to the next level of success.
That’s never possible unless you’ve got the right kind of machinery and equipment for installing the concrete slab foundation. You can rely on your technical skills and manpower but that’s not enough for extensive work that requires tools and equipment to get the job done. However, with so many options in the market, and with a limited budget it is always difficult to discern what’s right for you as a long-term solution.
The need for machinery and equipment for foundation depends on the type of material you’re handling. If you’re working with cast-in-situ foundation slab you need different machinery as compared with that required for pre-cast slabs installations.
Table of Contents
Excavators
Regardless of the size of the foundation slab, you need to dig soil as per the size of the floor plan deep enough to reach good bearing strata. The foundation designer gives you the depth required and you need to excavate soil up to that depth. For such you need to hire excavators that are strong enough to give you the power required to achieve depth.
You need to access the size and capacity of the machinery depending on the scale of the project. For the slab foundation of commercial buildings, you need more advanced and efficient excavator hire machinery for the residential project type.
Cranes
If you’re working with the installation of pre-cast concrete panels; you need a mobile crane to lift the panels during installation. The size and weight of the panels will govern the requirement of the crane capacity. Even if you’re working with cast-in-situ slabs; you need to pick the formwork which also is a heavy object in construction works.
Compactors
You need to hire compactors and tampers for compacting the subgrade of the foundation floor. Before installing the foundation pad; it is a prerequisite to have a stable and well-compacted ground. You can either go with a vibratory roller or you can hire a hand compactor for small-scale applications.
Concrete Vibrators
Concrete vibrators are also required for compacting the concrete during pouring. In most applications, poker or internal vibrators of suitable size are used ranging from 40 to 60 mm diameters. For large concrete pours you need at least 3 vibrators to avoid any problem during concrete pouring.
Loaders
During slab installation, you are involved in different construction operations to handle and transport material, to load haul units, and even to excavate. For all such works; you need a versatile and good quality loader that can work seamlessly. Loaders can do wonders for you at the job site. It can move aside debris and dirt during excavation and can clear off-site at the shortest possible time.