07-12-2012, 12:35 PM
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT
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Equipment is a critical resource in the execution of most
construction projects.
The equipment fleet may represent the largest long-term capital
investment in many construction companies. Consequently,
equipment management decisions have significant impacts on the
economic viability of construction firms.
Equipment must pay for itself by earning more for the contractor
than it costs to purchase, own, and use it. Idle equipment is a drain
on income - operating costs incur only when the equipment is used,
but ownership costs incur irrespective of frequency of use.
Contractors must continually evaluate their equipment fleets to
determine when to acquire additional items, when to replace items
and when to dispose of items that is underutilized.
The capabilities of construction equipment are described in
manufacturers' literature and can be used to estimate equipment
productivity.
The costs to be considered are the cost of owning, leasing, or
renting the equipment and the costs of operating, maintaining, and
repairing it.
The effectiveness of a contractor‘s preventive maintenance program
will significantly influence equipment operating and repair costs.
Cost effectiveness.
This means not only .selecting the
appropriate type of equipment for the task, but also selecting an
appropriate-sized machine. This involves comparison of the
increased production rates of larger machines with their
increased ownership and operating costs. Where possible,
contractors should select the size of equipment that minimizes
the unit cost (e.g., dollars per cubic meter of performing the
construction task. The soil conditions of the job site may dictate
the type of equipment that should be selected. Tracked
equipment usually is selected when the surface condition of the
job site is soft or wet, because they exert less ground pressure
and generally have better traction than wheeled equipment under
such conditions. Construction site access or working-area
restrictions may also limit the types and sizes of equipment that
can be used on a construction site.
Versatility.
To control total project costs and minimize
equipment transportation costs, equipment should be selected
that can perform multiple tasks on a given project site. Using a
tractor to excavate for a foundation, backfill the completed
foundation, and grade around the newly constructed building is
usually more efficient than using a different type of equipment
for each task. The project must be analyzed in its entirety to
select the most cost-effective set of construction equipment to
be used on the project.
Equivalence Concept
The concept of equivalence means that payments that differ in
magnitude but are made at different time periods may be equivalent
to one another.
The cash flow factors can be used to determine the equivalent value
of money at a time period different from the one in which the money
is paid or received.
This involves consideration of time and the interest rate. For
example, a contractor might be interested in purchasing a truck in
five years and wants to determine how much he or she should invest
today to have sufficient funds at the end of the five-year period.
Another example might be a contractor who is considering either
purchasing or leasing a crane.