The Use of Roller Compactor Equipment For Construction Projects

Among the numerous equipment and tools associated with the construction industry and a crucial part of almost any kind of project apart from excavators are compactor rollers. In general compactors are used for the compaction of surfaces consisting of gravel, soil or asphalt among others. Compaction of surfaces is an important aspect of not just building construction, but also important for landscaping projects and road building.

In essence, compactors increase the level of density of materials such as gravel and soil by exerting pressure on the surfaces which eliminates air pockets within which is critical towards stabilizing and strengthening surfaces that will enable these surfaces to handle heavy loads for a long time. The machine basically applies force on surfaces to pack volume of materials tightly using a heavy plate made of steel or rollers that apply both weight and as well as pressure on target surfaces.

In general, there are two types of compactors, plate compactors and roller compactors. Plate compactors which are also referred to as jumping jacks or vibratory plates are smaller lightweight machines that apply rapid vibration or revolutions to compact materials. These machines are fitted with a metal plate that is flat which makes contact with the targeted surface that requires compaction.

The vibrations function as unpacking and repacking the loose surfaces as air is eliminated from the loose material at each revolution. These smaller plate compactors are generally utilised for small projects such as home improvement projects (driveways, walkways) and for even small landscaping projects. Some plate compactors come with water tanks that are ideal for asphalt related projects as they are able to perform wet compaction.

If you decide on a roller compactor hire on the other hand, these are much larger and heavier machines that require an operator to 'drive' the rolling drums over surfaces targeted for compaction and come in a variety of sizes and drum variations depending on the surface that requires compaction. For example, the most common roller compactors use smooth drum rollers are perfect solutions for compacting clay or silt as these rollers are able to deliver smooth and even surfaces which are ideal for road construction.

Pad-foot rollers on the other hand are more suitable for granular soils as the pads as the pads are crucial towards kneading and compressing the material efficiently. The other type of roller that is commonly used is the pneumatic tire rollers that use rubber tires instead of steel drums to compact surfaces.

These pneumatic machines are quite versatile in applications and more often than not are used to compact hot mix of asphalt combined with other materials. Most roller compacters are easily obtainable for hire from construction equipment companies.

In summary it can be said that the quality of compaction of targeted surfaces will ultimately determine the quality, stability and durability of whatever that is built upon the compacted surface.

For example, a road or driveway that is built on surfaces that are compacted properly will rarely develop potholes in the long run due to the fact that there is 'no room' for the surface to sink or hollow out.