What Is Buldozer?
A bulldozer or dozer is a strong and important machine for construction projects. It consists of a blade attached to its front, with the help of which soil is scraped and pushed. The blade is attached to the point of the dozer with the help of two arms and a yoke.
The blade can be raised or lowered. Its lower edge is sharpened to perform cutting of the soil. In this article, I will discuss different types of bulldozer, blades, their uses, and the selection process.
Types Of Bulldozer
Bulldozers are mainly four types:
- Crawler Bulldozer
- Wheel Bulldozer
- Mini Bulldozer
- Hybrid Bulldozer
1. Crawler Bulldozer
A crawler is also known as a track bulldozer because it looks similar to a tractor. Large crawlers are used for moving massive volumes of material, such as mining, site development, and roadway construction.
Whereas smaller crawler bulldozer is used as a grading tractor to establish final grades and contours in earthwork applications.
2. Wheel Bulldozer
Wheel bulldozers are also called tire bulldozers. This type of bulldozer is generally bigger than a tracked dozer. It consists of four wheels driven by a four-wheel-drive system and a hydraulic articulated steering system.
This type of bulldozer is suitable for projects that require work on soft ground or sensitive surfaces because tires give better performance on the surface than that of a track. It is also ideal for projects that require mobility and versatility.
3. Mini Bulldozer
This is the small bulldozer type. Mini bulldozers are also called compact bulldozer. This type of bulldozer is ideal for grading or clearing small lots like driveways.
4. Hybrid Bulldozer
With technological advancement and innovation, hybrid bulldozers are made that use less fuel by providing better efficiency and fewer emissions.
Hybrid bulldozer uses electronic components and are equipped with a combination of blades that are suitable to work in waterlogged, swampy, and muddy conditions as well as hard soil.
Types Of Blades Used In Bulldozer
Different types of blades serve different purposes. Below we are listing the 5 most common types of blades used in a bulldozer.
1. S Blade (Straight Blade)
The S-Blade is straight and shortest type of blade that does not have side wings. The blade is attachable to the arm in the lower back corners of the dozer.
The S blade is ideal for fine-grained and medium to hard density materials. But due to its straight shape, it limits the dozer’s lifting and carrying capabilities. This blade can be used for stumping, back-filling, grading, and evening the soil.
2. U Blade (Universal Blade)
The U blade or universal blade has large side wings and a curved shape that enables pushing materials across long stretches of land. The wings help to keep materials from spilling over while in motion.
It is the largest blade type in both height and width. U blade is ideal for soft- to medium-density soil. It can be used for ditching, hauling, pushing, and crowning.
3. S-U (Semi-Universal) Blade
This is another type of bulldozer blade which is a combination of S-blade and the U-blade. It is narrower, less curved, and its side wings are smaller compared to a U-blade.
The design reduces spillage and improves the bulldozer’s carrying capabilities. It also enables to push the soil across long distances.
S-U blades are attached to the lower back portion of the blade with angled stabilizing braces (single or double hydraulic tilt cylinders). It offers stronger penetration and better overall versatility.
Bulldozers with such blades suitable for soft-to-medium sand and soil. They can be used for applications like backfilling, leveling, ditching, crowning, stripping, and stumping.
4. Angle Blade
This type of blade is mounted to the bulldozer in the center of the panel. The blade can be angled about 30° left or right when required.
This two-way blade is very useful for pushing material or debris off to the side. One major drawback, it is prone to spillage due to lack of side wings.
Bulldozers with this blade are preferable for soft to medium-hard soils, gravel and snow. Some common tasks are shaping, ditching, stumping and stripping.
5. Power-Angle-Tilt (PAT) Blade
These types of blades are most versatile for a bulldozer. It has the ability to angle, tilt, and lift in almost every direction. The driver can operate this from the cabin just using a joystick.
The blades are either 4, 6, or 8-way and mounted in the center of the panel. There is less spillage problem. They can be used for backfilling, leveling, land clearing, spreading, scraping, and grading.
Bulldozer Parts And Functions
The parts and functions are given below:
- Cabin
- Rippers
- Tracks/Tires
- Engine
- Push Frame
- Blades
- Final Drive.
How To Choose Right Bulldozer?
The selection of bulldozers could be tidy, and if you don’t choose the right one, the efficiency of your project will be decreased. If you don’t have any idea which type of bulldozer is right for you, please continue reading.
Here are a few important things you need to consider before selecting the bulldozer for your project.
Purpose:
What is the purpose of your dozer? Do you need it for leveling earth or pushing material, or any other work?
Work Site:
How about the work site? Do you need to maneuver in tight spaces?
Land:
The surface of the soil is soft, hard, or medium hard.
Material Types.
Which type of materials do you want to move? What’s its density?
Uses Of Bulldozer
Bulldozer is a multi-purpose construction machine that can perform a variety of operations.
- land clearing,
- Pushing the soil and materials.
- Preparing banks or canals,
- Leveling the land,
- Earth working the roads,
- Sidehill cuts.
- Rail line formations etc.
In this article, I have tried to cover all types of bulldozer, blades, their uses, and the selection process. I hope you can now select a bulldozer for your own project.
Also Read
Types Of Heavy Construction Equipment
40+ Tools & Their Uses In Construction
Tools Used In Plastering Works
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Great article.