4.

Selection of Construction Equipment:

Course content: Background and introduction

Planning for equipment selection
Some careful considerations
Main basis for equipment selection

Background & Introduction

All construction projects require different types of equipment and machineries having their
own level of application. For example residential projects have a low level of equipment usage.
It requires simple and traditional machines like fork-lifters, backhoes, hauling and hoisting
equipment, material handling along with pneumatic tools. Commercial projects have moderate
usage of equipment and machineries. Industrial and heavy construction projects required
intense and high utilization of machinery for carrying out mass excavation, stabilizing,
compacting, asphalt paving and finishing, pipelines, railroads and many other special activities.
The common application of heavy construction equipment includes earthwork, structural steel
works, concreting, building, lifting and positioning of components. Heavy construction activities
are further grouped into horizontal and vertical construction. The former type of construction
required more ground work whereas the later one is characterized by more lifting works rather
than excavation and earth works. The roles of heavy equipment are very vital for increasing the
construction productivity especially for infrastructure works. However, their acquisition is very
much capital intensive for construction firms. It is also considered as a major financial burden
during the construction phase beside other expenditures.
The increased level of awareness and the application of mechanized equipment and
machineries are considered as a positive thrust for the advancement of construction industry. It
has abundance of benefits for all the stakeholders. Nevertheless, its adoption has significant
drawbacks for the environment and the people working in its vicinity. The emerging concept of
sustainable or green construction emphasizes the minimization and elimination of harmful
impacts to the environment. Construction organizations are accountable for the impacts of an
implemented project on the society, environment and economy long after the project has been
completed. Therefore, construction and sustainable development issues are closely related
because this sector is a principal contributor to global resource depletion. Sustainable
development has now become a significant subject discussed and debated at various levels e.g.
national, international, governmental, non-governmental and as well within the academic
circles as an agenda of socio-economic and environmental development. As such, the
sustainable construction is a broad term and it includes processes from preliminary to detailed
design, engineering, planning and procurement consideration toward the approved
deliverables of the client, and then the different stages over the products lifetime, which
consists of operation, maintenance, refurbishment, re-construction, demolition and recycling.
Therefore, during the selection of construction equipment, there is a need for the most rational
criteria that have a positive impact on operational efficiency, productivity, cost minimization
and as well as environmental and human wellbeing. These criteria make it possible for the
contractors to consider the sustainability agenda in the equipment selection procedures.
Hence, this study aims to determine the factors that influence the sustainable selection of
onsite construction equipment and machineries.
Factors behind the Selection of Construction Equipments

1. Economic considerations
2. Company-specific
3. Site-specific
4. Equipment-specific
5. Client and Project Specific
6. Manufacturer-specific
7. Labor Consideration

Economic Consideration: The economic considerations such as owning costs, operating labour
costs and operating fuel costs of equipment are most important in selection of equipment.

Besides the resale value, the replacement costs of existing equipment, and the salvage value
associated with the equipment are also important.

Company-specific: The selection of equipment by a company may be governed by its policy on

owning or renting.

While emphasis on owning may result in purchase of equipment keeping in mind the future
requirement of projects, the emphasis on renting may lead to putting too much focus on
short-term benefits.

Site-specific: Site conditions-both ground conditions as well as climatic conditions-may affect

the equipment-selection decision.

For example, the soil and profile of a site may dictate whether to go for crawler-mounted
equipment or a wheel mounted equipment. If there is a power line at or in the vicinity of site,
one may go for a fixed-base kind of equipment rather than a mobile kind of equipment.

Equipment-specific: Construction equipments come with high price tags. While it may be
tempting to go for the equipment with low initial price, it is preferable to opt for standard
equipments. Such equipments are manufactured in large numbers by the manufacturers, and
their spare parts are easily available, which would ensure minimum downtime. Besides, they
can also fetch good salvage money at the time of their disposal.

Client and Project-Specific: The owner/client in a certain project may have certain preferences
that are not in line with the construction company's preferred policies as far as equipment
procurement is concerned. The schedule, quality and safety requirements demanded of a
particular project may in some cases force the company to yield to the demands of the client.

Manufacturer-Specific: A construction company may prefer to buy equipment from the same
manufacturer again and again, and that too from a specific dealer. This may be to bring in
uniformity in the equipment fleet possessed by the company or because the company is
familiar with the working style of the manufacturer and the dealer.

Labor Consideration: Shortage of manpower in some situations may lead to a decision in favor
of procuring equipment that is highly automated. Further, the selection of equipment may be
governed by the availability or non-availability of trained manpower.

Background and general information required for equipment selection:

1. Position of the procurement officer in company

2. Respondents experience in Construction Company.
3. Level of education of procurement officer
4. Age of the organization
5. What is the size of the organization where you work?
6. Experience of the company in infrastructure project
7. What type of infrastructure projects do your company spelize in?

Equipment Selection factors

1. Specific construction operation

2. Job specification requirements
3. Conditions of the job site
4. Location of the job site
5. Time allowed to do the job
6. Balance of interdependent equipment
7. Mobility required of the equipment
8. Versatility of the equipment

Planning for Equipment Selection

The first step of planning involves working out to get the answers to the following questions:

1. What is the equipment needed for?

2. When is the equipment needed and for how long (timing and duration of equipment
use)?
3. How big equipment is needed (capacity assessment)?
4. Which one is preferred? (efficiency factor based upon the history of performance of the
equipment) ?
5. Data collection on the following parameters to select the appropriate equipment:
a. Geological conditions
b. Weather conditions
c. Site conditions
d. Transport facilities
e. Availability of fuel and energy
f. Availability of labour
g. Availability of services (electricity, water, commodity, health care, etc)
h. Pollution standards, etc
6. Skill, experience and knowledge to prepare equipment selection plan includes
a. Types of equipment manufactured in the world and availability locally or in the
region
b. Selection criteria of equipment
c. Cost of equipment
d. Safety standards of equipment
e. Spare parts and serving facilities of the equipment
7. The issues that have to be considered during the planning of equipment selection are
a. The manufacturing industry has a fixed set of equipment in a permanent factory
building. The construction industry does not have that luxury and carries the
factory to each job site.
b. From number (b) to (m) take from Prof. D. Bhattarai.