A rock quarry is a place where minerals, sand, and rocks are extracted from the earth’s surface. An open-pit mine a rock quarry is open to the earth’s surface. Quarries are used to provide landscaping materials and construction materials. Rock quarries have varying lifespans, and the materials can be depleted in as few as 5 years, or they could last for as long as 50 years.

Rock Quarry Equipment

Many kinds of heavy equipment are used in a rock quarry to remove rocks and minerals. Stripping and drilling equipment is used to remove the material between the materials being extracted and the surface. Usually, large-scale bulldozers, which are called crawler tractors, are used. Blasting with explosives is often necessary. The crawler tractors can remove large amounts of dirt by using front-mounted blades and rear-mounted ripper arms.

Wheel loaders have hydraulic buckets and arms that can load the dirt that the crawler tractors move. These massive loaders have a bucket with a capacity of as much as 35 tons. These loaders are used for loading rocks and minerals into rock trucks, which then transport the goods to be processed. Rock trucks are huge trucks that are used to haul the excess dirt that is moved so the rock can be extracted. These trucks can have engines with up to 3,500 horsepower and can haul up to 3,600 tons. They can haul a lot of material in a short timeframe.

Crushers are used to turn large rocks into small stones. These are powerful machines that have fixed steel plates, vibrators, and jaws so they can crush material from the trucks and turn it into the finished product that is sold to customers. These crushers can be adjusted to produce gravel and stone of different sizes and weights, depending on the needs of the client base. After the crushing has been completed, smaller-scale yard loaders will take the product and create smaller stockpiles, where customers will then come pick it up.

The Proper Training

ATS Heavy Equipment Operator School trains individuals to operate all kinds of heavy equipment so they can pursue careers working in a rock quarry. To learn more about the programs available at Associated Training Services, call (800) 383-7364 today.

Excavation and trench work is the most hazardous construction operations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines an excavation as any trench, cut, or cavity that is made by man. These depressions in the ground are made by removing the earth. A trench is a narrow underground area that has been excavated to be deeper than it is wide, but it cannot be wider than 15 feet. So why is trench safety so important?

There are dangers with any construction work, but when it comes to trenching there is a risk that a cave-in could occur. Cave-ins could result in the loss of life and are much more likely to cause fatalities than any other excavation-related accident. There are many other risks, such as falling loads, falls, and the risks of working with mobile equipment. There are hundreds of workers injured and dozens killed by trench cave-ins every year.

Properly Protect Yourself From Trench Collapses

Workers should never enter a trench that isn’t protected. Trenches that are at least five feet deep should have a protective system unless it is in solid rock that is stable. Trenches that are 20 feet deep require a protective system to be designed by an engineer or based on tabulated data that has been prepared and reviewed by a qualified engineer.

Many effective protective systems are used for trenches. Shielding uses trench boxes or supports to keep the dirt from caving in. Shoring involves the installation of aluminum hydraulics or other kinds of supports to stop cave-ins or the movement of dirt. Sloping is an approach that involves cutting back the trench wall at an angle that is away from the point of excavation.

The design of a protective system can be complex since there are a variety of factors that must be taken into consideration. The engineer must consider the soil classification, the depth of the cut, the soil’s water content, climate or weather changes, and any other operations in the area. OSHA requires that the trenches be inspected on a daily basis, and if there are problems that arise, they must be corrected by a competent individual who is trained to handle such problems.

Heavy equipment operators are always needed, but those who can operate cranes and other heavy equipment for the oil industry are in great demand. While many heavy equipment operators work a 40-hour week, those who work in the gas and oil industry often must work overtime and rotating shifts.

Those who work in the oil industry might have to work during inclement weather and can expect to be in a remote, noisy, dusty, and dirty work environment. To get a job working with heavy equipment, you must have undergone the proper training and you will need to take all the necessary safety precautions. You will need to wear protective gear that includes steel-toe boots, gloves, hard hats, safety glasses, and hearing protection.

Heavy Equipment Operators in the Oil and Gas Industry

Heavy equipment operators operate different kinds of heavy equipment to grade, excavate, and landscape earth or move equipment and materials. Heavy equipment is needed in the oil and gas industry to maintain roads to oilfields, pipeline right-of-ways, and wellpads while also helping with the mining and reclamation of oil sands.

While there are some heavy equipment operators who can handle several different kinds of equipment, there are those who specialize and focus on one specific machine. Here are some of the typical heavy equipment roles in the oil industry and gas industry:

• Bulldozer operators
• Backhoe operators
• Excavators
• Front-end loaders
• Power shovel operators
• Grader operators
• Heavy haul truckers
• Motor scrapers
• Buggy operators

Those who operate heavy equipment in the oil industry and gas industries are usually responsible for lubricating, refilling fluids, cleaning and maintaining the equipment, and conducting pre-operational inspections on the equipment. Also, some employers may expect heavy equipment operators to perform minor repairs on the equipment they operate.

Training and Experience

To operate heavy machinery in the oil industry and gas industry, the individual must have the proper training. That means you will need to have a high school diploma and heavy equipment operating courses along with on-the-job training. ATS operates a heavy equipment operator training school. To learn more, call (800) 383-7464.

Excavating done with a suction excavator is referred to as vacuum excavation. Suction excavators produce powerful suction through a wide pipe as big as one foot in diameter. The suction inlet airspeed might be as fast as 220 miles per hour. There may be two handles on the suction nozzle for the operator to hold. Those handles might be a rotatable collar that uncovers suction-release opening that has grilles over them. These are uncovered to release the suction and make the suction nozzle drop anything too big to go inside the tube that it has picked up.

Vacuum excavation uses compressed air to disturb the soil, which is then vacuumed up into a debris tank. Air excavation is used to safely expose underground utilities and then allows you to backfill with dry material. Vacuum excavation is used for various utility projects, such as for underground electric wires and broadband cables as well as sewer and septic lines. Vacuum excavation is a very beneficial approach used in construction today.

Operating A Suction Excavator

To safely and professionally operate a suction excavator, you will need to undergo extensive training. There are training programs where you can learn these skills. These training programs include classroom training as well as hands-on experience. ATS offers specialized training programs for various machinery and equipment as well.

While programs are available for individuals needing training, there are also programs available for employers to train their employee’s new skills. Employer training grants are available. We offer a field training module for utilities, which gives participants the chance to apply the knowledge that they have obtained during the training.

Salary Expectations for Vacuum Excavation

The average salary for someone who operates a vacuum excavator or who works in hydro excavation is about $74,175 per year. There is a need for additional workers in this career field, so it is a great job to consider when making career decisions. To learn more about vacuum excavation operator training and other specialized training programs available, call ATS at (800) 383-7364 today. ATS has been offering customized training programs since 1959. Become an alumnus of this established training school.

Progress continues with the HWY 151 rebuilding project

All over the country, large-scale roadworks are taking place to ensure that the essential transport links that keep goods moving are maintained. One such project is the Highway 151 rebuilding project in Sun Prairie, WI, which covers the road between Sun Prairie to Beaver Dam. This significant project covers a considerable length of the highway and this first stage aims to replace southbound pavement and shoulders, while the northbound will be patched and resurfaced, and bridgework improvements will be carried out at the same time. Further stages which are expected to commence between 2019 and 2025 include extending turn lanes and other roadway redesigns.

The rebuilding construction project began on May 1^st, 2018, and has progressed on schedule since. One of the interesting things about this operation is the scheduling has allowed the work to take place without significant traffic impact. While turnoffs are out of use and require a short detour, in general, the traffic has been allowed to flow smoothly all through construction.

The site itself features a large number of heavy machines in use daily, including dozers, graders, rollers and wheel loaders, and represents a significant opportunity for Wisconsin heavy machinery operators, who are enjoying increased demand for their skills. It is important to remember the importance of trained professional operators and their ability to operate machines safely in any conditions, even among flowing traffic as they do every day on this project.

For the construction industry, this is a rebuilding project that highlights the opportunity for heavy machinery operators today, not just in this project, but in similar ones all over the country, offering a great chance to build a career, while also being part of a country-wide initiative that is rebuilding the country to give America the infrastructure it needs for the 21^st century. Because of projects like this one, heavy machinery operators are in high demand, and the surge in road construction provides a fantastic platform for new operators to begin their careers. With this project continuing on through stages over the next 6 years, and similar projects in almost every county and state, this is a demand that is not going to reduce any time soon.

If you are rebuilding your current career, or even starting your first career, training to become a heavy machinery operator is an exceptional investment in yourself and an industry that is growing quickly. Well-paid, reliable work that employers are actively looking for, and operator skills are a great way to grab that new opportunity.

Veterans have protected this country, and now, along with so many others, they are part of a countrywide effort to rebuild it, providing the infrastructure that the future of America will be powered by, and we are honored to be able to play a small part in that.

As both state and federal governments are focusing on infrastructure, and the need to invest significantly into rebuilding and modernizing existing infrastructure and building the new construction that will support us into the future, a career in construction has perhaps never offered so much potential.

In fact, there is so much support for construction, it is no wonder that so many are looking to retrain to build new careers in the industry. One of the largest groups doing that is our veterans, who are taking advantage of the various programs such as the GI Bill that give them the opportunity to learn new skills and build new careers. With such demand for construction skills, it should be no surprise that veterans are frequently turning to the construction industry and the various skills training that is on offer. Transitioning from the military can be a challenge, and having a stable, reliable career can be an important part of that process, and the construction industry has a lot to offer in that regard.

Here at ATS, we are extremely proud of the fact that we have helped over 2000 veterans retrain and forge new, lucrative careers for themselves as they adapt to civilian life. Through various funding and other assistance, programs veterans have taken part in our courses that deliver classroom coaching and on-site experience, enabling them to gain the skills and confidence to build careers to be proud of. We actively promote the programs that provide the funding veterans need for those skills, and in addition, we offer qualified veterans an additional incentive, covering the cost of their accommodation during any courses they take with us, our way of saying thanks for the sacrifices they have made on our behalf.

We also think that it is fitting for veterans who have already given so much for their country, and are retraining to be part of projects that will literally rebuild it. Infrastructure projects across America are reshaping towns and cities, and they will be the platform on which the future of this country is built on. That so many veterans are involved with these projects, leaving their mark on this country in another way, is a testament to their courage and work ethic, and something they, and all of us, should be immensely proud of.

As a heavy machinery operator, there are so many career options and job opportunities that it is often hard to make a choice. While many instantly think of someone working a backhoe or dozer on a construction site when they think of heavy machinery operators, they are far more varied in reality, and one area that offers a lucrative option is that of working in landfills.

This is very different from working on construction sites, or even mining, from the job itself to the machinery used, landfills are unique, but it also offers a great opportunity to build skills and a career. While you will find loaders and dozers at any landfill, the compactor is the machine that stands out at all landfills. If you have ever seen any images of a landfill, it’s normally of a compactor moving across the rubbish.

They are used to distribute and compact rubbish in order to reduce gas emissions, stabilize the material deposited and optimize the capacity of the landfill. While they have a blade at the front similar to a dozer, there are some unique features. The front and rear frames are connected via a flexible joint, to allow the compactor to adapt to what is often extremely uneven ground, and the cab is often isolated from the frame to provide a more comfortable experience and excellent all-around visibility, particularly important on landfill sites. What is most recognizable for compactors though, is the wheels. Spiked metal rims, no rubber, to gain traction and compact the rubbish deposits the machine is driven over. A unique machine that has evolved to be perfect for the job it does.

Operating a different kind of heavy equipment is always a good way to improve skills, but what is life really like in a landfill as an operator? Whether you are in a dozer, loader, or compactor, it is a challenging job, with the environment itself something that many operators struggle with. In summer it’s hot, and the smell can become extremely unpleasant, and in the winter, it leaves the machine exposed to the worst of the weather, with a long day in the cab that can be an issue. For operators, safety is also something to focus on, the environment makes spotters and other workers on foot or in machines incredibly vulnerable, and it takes skill to move the heavy machines around such a site safely.

However, it is not all bad news, and with landfill work not being as attractive as other options, there is high demand for landfill workers right across the country, and that means good pay and reliable, year-round work.  For those that can get used to the environment, landfill work is important, in-demand, and appreciated, and a great place to build a sustainable, lucrative career.

For many years, it has seemed like for many people, the only way to succeed was with a college degree, and of course, the huge debt that goes with it. But while this has become accepted as the only route to a valued career, vocational schools have been helping people acquire the job-specific skills they need to launch a rewarding, valued career in a given profession.

There are advantages to this, firstly it takes much less time than a college degree, with 2-year courses being the average but for some industries even less. Tied to that, a 2-year or less course at a vocational school not only gets your career started and earning money sooner, but it also costs much less, to begin with, avoiding those long-term student debts that so many people end up struggling with for years.

In fact, with so much focus on academic colleges, many areas of the industry are struggling to meet the demand for skilled employees, and even the government is now rightly pointing out that we need more of the skills that vocational schools produce, but how do you know if it’s for you? The cost difference is important, but when it is your career path being chosen, that is your future and should be the main focus of the decision.

One of the biggest challenges over the next two decades is job security, so with vocational schools providing very specific skill training for chosen careers, looking at examples such as the healthcare or construction industry, we can see that here, automation is unlikely to cause as many problems as in other areas. For on-site work, operating heavy machinery, and so on, or working directly caring for patients, those skills will be in demand for a long time to come. Contrast this with the reports that many managerial and administrative jobs could disappear by 2030 through automation, and the idea of a vocational college is even more attractive.

With lower overall costs and a faster path into earning, vocational schools provide a more economical route to acquiring valuable skills, and as we have seen, with many career paths to choose from that offer sustainable and rewarding careers, they provide students with another approach that has much to offer. The mindset of ‘college or bust’ really is meaningless today, and vocational schools are a valid choice for anyone if that is the best way to acquire the skills for their chosen career path.

While social pressure may push towards college, this is changing, as society is recognizing the value of the practical skills that many vocational schools deliver, and for anyone that is thinking about their future career, a vocational school that delivers those valuable practical skills should be a choice to consider.

A heavy equipment operator can be many things, and their workday is very different, depending on what kind of machine it is they are working with. One such machine is the road grader, which is also known as a motor grader, and its job is to create a smooth, flat surface. It does this using a centrally mounted blade that sits behind a single front axle and in front of the double rear axles.

It is the elongated appearance of road graders that makes them so easy to recognize though, with the cab and rear axles sitting with the rear-mounted motor, and the front wheels held a long way in front on an arched chassis that allows room for the blade itself. One of the more unusual-looking machines you will find on-site, they have been refined to the point that they are perfectly designed for the job they do.

Graders are mostly used for road building and road maintenance, where they create the flat, even surface that asphalt is laid on top of. As you can imagine, this is precision work, requiring a careful operation to obtain the perfect grade required for the project. Following precise location and height measurements to deliver the foundation for the best possible road surface. That means creating a crown and slope, the gentle curve of the road from the high point centrally down to either side, that enables proper drainage. That slope needs to be around a half inch per foot, so you can see the kind of skill required to be able to do that right.

To do that effectively means experience, and the experience required to do that comes over time. However, for many road grader operators, gaining that experience comes from using the machines in more general work.

That includes earthmoving and spreading, fine grading on site, clearing debris, and even snow removal. For new operators, these aspects of road graders provide valuable experience while building confidence in their own skills, requiring a little less precision than road grading itself. This means that the road grader operator has varied work experience, with various tasks that all present different challenges.

While different tasks that road graders can be used for present different challenges for the operator, in every case, the ability to balance all aspects of the machine, including the blade angle, moldboard position, front wheel angle, and speed of the machine, to get the right outcome to require a skillful touch and a real understanding of the machine itself. Getting the best out of a road grader is certainly a challenge, but with a variety of jobs and the satisfaction that comes with a job well done when you see a beautifully finished roadway, it is a rewarding machine to operate as well.

They can be one of the larger pieces of heavy machinery on any site, but the tractor-scraper has managed to be one the least appreciated machines in the industry too. Designed to move large quantities of earth, and consists of a tractor and rear truck, which is a hopper that can be moved up and down as required, and features a sharp blade at the front. When lowered, the blade cuts into the earth and shaves off the top, pushing it into the hopper. When full, the hopper can be emptied at a drop-off point, usually through a hydraulic pusher that forces the collected earth out of the back.

While it may not attract as much attention as the huge dump trucks or the more interesting backhoes and so on, the scraper is an important element of any construction site, moving earth for construction work to begin. Scrapers come in many sizes, although even the smallest capacity would be considered a large piece of heavy equipment by anyone’s standards, and there are variations of the design too. Elevating scrapers use a conveyor belt system to transfer scraped earth into the bowl, or hopper, further back, making loading much simpler, and they are very popular on smaller projects.

From the smallest, 10-yard sizes to the huge mining scrapers, operators can find themselves in all kinds of construction projects, from roadworks or commercial construction projects to huge mining sites or even agricultural use, scrapers are found on all kinds of sites and endless different projects.

Until recently, scrapers seemed to be losing their appeal for construction firms, preferring the multi-tasking capabilities of other machines, however, by incorporating clever technology and features that aid accuracy, speed, and ease of use, modern scrapers from the likes of CAT and Terex are seeing a resurgence in their use. The latest scrapers, featuring computer-controlled unloading features and other operator assistance features, provide a more efficient, cost-controlled earthmoving solution that provides real moving power for construction needs.

However, there are limitations to the scraper’s talents, and you are unlikely to see them used on the smallest of sites, simply due to their size, while they also operate at their best when the distance between loading and unloading is kept to manageable distances. A scraper is not the solution for the long-distance movement of material. However, with the aid of modern technology and improved maneuverability, the scraper today provides efficient earthmoving for a variety of construction, including road and building works and even in agriculture.

For heavy machinery operators, modern scrapers are fantastic machines, with computer aids to help load and unload, and damped hydraulics to smooth the ride on even the harshest site, these machines are in demand and used on most major construction works, offering great career prospects.