Civil Engineering Construction and

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Lecture 01 Part A & B (Online)

Construction Machinery
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MANUAL LABOUR VERSUS MACHINERY
Types of Labour

1- Mechanical labour may be described as “work done by heavy machinery

operated by fuel and electricity”.
2- Manual labour in major civil engineering projects would include both
human and animal power assisted by simple implements like wheel borrows,
normal pick axe and spade etc. The manual labour employed on the
execution of civil engineering projects falls under the following two groups:

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 Dr.Kamran

(a). Skilled

This includes persons having training in performing jobs needing skill e.g.,
operators of mechanical and electrical equipments, drivers of all kinds,
masons, carpenters, electricians, blacksmiths etc.

(b). Unskilled

The labour not requiring any particular skill e.g., labourers, helpers, mates,
cleaners, oilmen, greasers, etc.

Discussion

 It is well known fact that the entire canal system in Pakistan (which is one of
the biggest irrigation systems in the world), railway embankments and road
embankments were constructed by manual labour.
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 With the economical improvement of the people, less labour is available.
However, in thickly populated areas, where the pressure on the land is severe,
labour is still available in abundance.

 The rising unemployment and under-employment in the country due to rapid

growth of population is posing a serious threat to the economy of the country.
Unless this huge manpower is usefully utilized, we would be faced with huge
economic problems as well as the problems of social and political system.

 Another serious position with respect to heavy mechanical equipment is that it

requires diesel, oils, lubricants and spare parts, which require foreign
exchange, as none of these are locally made.

 It is a significant fact that we are already spending considerable part of our

foreign exchange earnings for the import of spare parts and raw materials for
our industries.

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 It is interesting to note that some of the countries like Japan and China
have converted the availability of large manpower into a great asset instead
of being a liability.

 The basic theory behind this conception is that labour can be converted
into capital by intense labourization of industry. With efficient and sensible
use of manual labour and simple implements, Pakistan can affect
considerably economy in its Civil Engineering projects.

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Advantages of Manual Labour

1. The use of manual labour in major civil works, wherever, possible in

developing countries help to improve the economic conditions of
common people of the project area. As a labour intensive project creates
employment opportunities to thousands of unemployed and under-
employed labour during their idle period after the harvesting season, it
improves the economic condition of the people in the project area and
the surroundings.

2. Employment of manual labour in civil engg. projects increases the

circulation of the money and the per capita income of the people is
considerably improved, which in turn helps in formation and
mobilization of domestic capitals. These domestic capitals are being
used for industrial growth and open new avenues for more employment
and prosperity.

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Advantages of Manual Labour

3. As we neither manufacture construction equipment nor we produce enough

oil and other fuels required for the operation of this equipment, substantial
value of work is being spent outside the country in the shape of much
needed foreign currency. This is not only causing a heavy drain on our
foreign exchange but also effects trade balance unfavorably and increases
our dependence on foreign aid and loans.
4. Earthwork rates for machines are invariably higher than the corresponding
rates through manual labour. Therefore, for earthwork, more stress should
be laid on the exploitation of local professional and casual labour. Enough
potential is available and more can be developed. The casual agricultural
labour offers a great challenge to social and political forces of our
developing nation. From parasites, the idle members of the community can
be made responsible and respectable citizens. The labour potential of the
country is a vast reserve of the energy, and needs exploitation to the
maximum.

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FEATURES OF MODERN CONSTRUCTION PROJETCS

The prominent feature of modern large construction projects is a

complex integration of

 A large number of construction plants,

machinery and equipment of various categories.
 Supply and transportation activities.
 The effects of hundreds and thousands of
employees.

The selection of plant, machinery and equipment, the planning

of their production operations, the provision of shops, camps and
other facilities, and the planning for power, compressed air,
water, heat and the allied services to feed the production plants,
machinery and equipment are of fundamental importance.

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FEATURES OF MODERN CONSTRUCTION PROJETCS

When an engineering job has to be done in the most economical way, with
utmost speed and best standards, those responsible for its execution must
have access to the results of the relevant research and development in all
parts of the world. Considerable time, energy and money can be of course,
saved, if engineers become aware of the experiences in other parts of the
world.

HISTORY OF CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY

The motor age in heavy construction was introduced in the 1920’s by

replacing the horse and mule drawn wagons and scrappers of earlier days
with 5 and 10-ton rear-dump trucks and power graders.
The history of earth moving can be traced to the primitive ages when first
earth moving efforts were made by hand. Later, the material was carried in
baskets. From this small beginning, an improvement occurred, when animals
like donkeys and mules came in the fields.

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Construction machinery

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When the wheel was devised, man wasn’t far behind to develop donkey
or mule driven two wheeled carts. The next step was the invention of the
drag scraper and then finally, a wheel-mounted scraper, which could
dig, transports, and dump its land. A major contribution to earth moving
industry was the truck type tractors.

After the First World War, bull-dozer blades and wheel type scrapers
were designed. The last step was taken in 1930’s with the invention of
high-speed self-propelled scrapers, combining truck speed with scraper
independence. Thus, earth moving has progressed from the hand and
basket stage to the highly mechanized industry today.

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EARTH MOVING EQUIPMENTS
The first basic operation in any construction project is
of earth-moving. Land has to be cleared from jungle
or vegetation before any building activity can be
started, which may be of making roads, buildings,
embankments or drainage works.

The excavation involves digging large quantity of

earth and moving them to distance often fairly long.
The operations of ripping, leveling, grading, and
compacting earth are called earth-moving operations,
which are necessary on large works.

Earth-moving also includes, besides excavation, all

the allied operations such as dozing etc.

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EARTH MOVING EQUIPMENTS
Excavation is the process through which earth is dug from one
place and deposited to another. It, thus, includes the two
operations of digging and shifting of earth.

There are machines, which perform both of these two

operations, unaided by any other agency. Such machines may
be called as “Excavating and Carrying machines”.

However, in several other cases, these two operations are

accomplished through a combination of two or more
machines------- digging being done by machines, which are
called purely ‘Excavating’ and shifting by units called
‘Carriers’.

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EARTH MOVING EQUIPMENTS
Some examples of these machines are:
1. Excavating and Carrying – Clamshells, Bulldozers, Tractor
pulled Scrapers, etc.
2. Purely excavating – Draglines, Front Shovels, Backhoe,
elevating graders, etc.
3. Carrier units – Dump Trucks, Trailers, Wagons, etc.

Classification of Equipment
1. Hauling Equipment
Hauling is the transportation of material by mobile units over
highways or country roads. Transportation includes movement
over rail, road or water; but hauling is a term confined to the
movement over roads such as with trucks, trailers or wagons.
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