Formwork Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Construction Equipment’

Video of a concretor finishing a concrete slab with a ride-on concrete troweling machine.

Video length: 0:43

Iron Duke Mining Construction Site South Australia

Avoid injuries by using a star picket driver to drive in star pickets when erecting safety barricades. Avoid back injuries by using the star picket extractor (also called star picket puller) to extract those star pickets from hard ground.

Star Picket Extractor and Driver

The ground was so hard at Iron Duke mining construction site that many of these star pickets bent over at the “bite point” before they would budge. Here is a star picket being extracted from hard rocky ground with the star picket extracting tool.

Star Picket Extractor in Action

Tip: That part of the star picket extractor that “bites” onto the star picket can be extended with a short chain which makes it much easier to use.

Star picket drivers and extractors can be hired from most good plant hire companies. They can also be purchased at all good stores which sell rural fencing supplies, and other good outlets which specialize in roadworks equipment.

I have been doing a bit of looking around Online at certain rural outlets for these items and have found that many Rural Supply outlets along with Plant Hire companies say on their web site “no photo available”. Hell, if they actually have the item for sale or hire, then there *is* a photo available, all they have to do is take a picture and upload it to their web site.

Tip: If there is no photo available, I think they are not a “good” store. You need to actually see what you buy or hire Online, else you’ll have to settle for what they send (which could fall short of your expectations).

A ride-on concrete troweling machine is used to finish concrete slabs in a similar way as a regular concrete trowing machine but is handy for finishing much larger areas.

Ride-On Concrete Troweling Machine

At last, concretors can sit on their arse and finish concrete at the same time

An Invisible Beam Laser Level is used to determine an elevation from a known Datum Point. An Invisible Beam Laser Level is a handy tool used often by formworkers and concretors to set concrete heights, formwork heights and excavation depths.

Invisible Beam Laser Level, Tripod, Grade Pole, Receiver, and Grade Pole Level

Tip: Always calculate an elevation from an official Datum Point or RL (Reduced Level), not from some part of a building or structure which is “supposed” to be at a particular elevation.