CE 752- Construction Methods and

Equipments

Unit - I
1.1 Introduction &
Factors affecting selection of
equipment and methods
Introduction
Factors affecting selection of equipment and methods:
 Mechanization and use of heavy construction equipment is an
important part of modern infrastructure projects.
 The effect on productivity and the total cost incurred
are perhaps governing factors when it comes to selecting an
equipment
 The selection of the appropriate type and size of construction
equipment often affects the required amount of time and effort
and thus the job-site productivity of a project.
Types of Equipments
Construction equipment can be categorized in to 4
main sections based on purpose and use, They are:
1. Earth Moving equipment

2. Construction vehicle

3. Material Handling Equipment

4. Construction Equipment

5. Tunnel Equipment
Factors affecting selection of Construction
equipments:
 Hard Factors - Technical specification of the equipment,
physical dimension of the site, cost calculation

 Soft Factors – Safety consideration, company policies

regarding purchase or rental, market fluctuations and
environmental constraints
 Artificial intelligence based models, dynamic programming
based models, software for crane selection ( compu – crane,
etc.,)
Factors affecting selection of Construction
equipments:
 Type and size of equipment depending upon the project

 Cost and profitability in using the equipment

 Usability of that equipment i.e., wrto future projects

(idling cost, tax and storage cost to be considered)

 Durability, workability and disposability of that

equipment (ex, frequent breakdown should not be there)
Factor No 1: Types of equipments:
1. Standard Equipment
2. Special Equipment
Standard Equipment:
 Equipment which are commonly manufactured and
available to prospective purchasers may be classified as
standard equipment
 Generally, standard equipment will be manufactured in large
numbers
Special Equipment:
 Equipments which are manufactured for use on a single
project or for special type of operations
Ex: Cranes used in Coal mines, Equipments used in Dam
construction
Advantages of Standard Equipment over Special
Equipments:
 Delivery of standard equipment may be obtained more easily/
quickly

 Standard equipment can be used economically on more than

one project

 Repair parts may be obtained more easily and economically

than for special equipments

 Disposal of standard equipment parts is more easy and

profitably
Factor No 2: Cost and profitability:
 Economic considerations such as
Owning costs
Operating labour costs and
Operating fuel cost , are important in the selection of the
equipments.
 Replacement cost of existing equipment, the salvage value and
the resale values are also important
Factor No 4: Durability:
 The ease and speed with which the required parts are replaced
will affect the selection of equipment.
 Down time
 Equipments whose spare parts are easily available should be
choosen.
Criteria for the selection of Equipments:
 Use of available equipments ( from previous projects)
 Suitability of job conditions (soil condition, climate etc.,)
 Uniformity in types (common type of engines for different m/c)
 Size of equipment
 Unit cost of production (economic evaluation – freight, packing,
insurance, erection)
 Country of origin
 Availability of spare parts
 Versatility – std equip – possibility of modifying the parts to suit
the present need
 Selection of manufacturer
 Suitability of local labour
 Adaptability of future use