Construction Heavy Machinery Terms and Definitions

The construction heavy machinery industry is chock-full of jargon and acronyms that are unfamiliar to most of us. If you’re just starting out in these sectors, whether it’s as a project manager in construction or trying to set up a new project in the realm of heavy equipment, a list of these commonly used terms and acronyms will come in handy.

Let’s take a look at this glossary list of some common industry terms along with their definitions.

 

Aggregate Crushing Equipment - Powerful machines used for processing rocks into smaller aggregates. These machines include jaw crushers, cone crushers, impact crushers, and more.

Aggregate machinery - Equipment used to extract, crush, screen, and transport aggregate materials such as the Powerscreen Premiertrak Jaw Crushers, the Powerscreen Chieftain 2100X Screeners, and more.

 

 

Articulated Dump Truck (ADT) - An articulated hauler, or sometimes a dump hauler, is a very large heavy-duty type of dump truck used to transport loads over rough terrain, and occasionally on public roads. The vehicle usually has all-wheel drive and consists of two basic units: the front section, generally called the tractor, and the rear section that contains the dump body, called the hauler or trailer section. Examples of these machines include Al Marwan’s fleet of 40-45 tons rental trucks, the largest of its kind in the region.

Asphalt Equipment - Machinery used for asphalt laying and compaction such as pavers, asphalt plants, rammers, rollers, plate compactors, and more.

 

Auger drives - Equipment used for drilling holes in the ground.

 

Backhoe - A versatile machine with a bucket at the end of an articulated arm used for digging, trenching, and loading.

Blade capacity - This term is most relevant to equipment with a dozer blade attachment (bulldozers, graders). Blade capacity refers to the amount of material the blade can push or scrape in a single pass. It's typically measured in cubic meters (m³) or cubic yards (yd³).

Boom - The long arm on cranes and excavators used for extending reach.

 

Boom lifts - Telescopic platforms for reaching elevated work areas.

Breakers - Powerful tools used for breaking up hard surfaces like concrete, rock, or asphalt. These attachments are available from global brands such as Jisung and Toku.

Bucket - An attachment for excavators and loaders used for digging and loading materials. These attachments also come in specialized types such as crushing and screening buckets.

Bulldozer - A powerful tracked vehicle with a large metal blade at the front for pushing and leveling earth, debris, or other materials. These machines can reach staggering operating weights such as the rental large dozers from Al Marwan like the CAT D11 and Komatsu D475A.

 

 

Cab - The enclosed operator compartment of a heavy machine.

Chassis - The main frame of the machine that supports all other components.

Compactors - Machines used to compress soil, concrete, or asphalt to increase density and strength. Compaction equipment includes machines such as the Redline by Dynapac double drum rollers, the Dynapac plate compactors, and more.

Concrete Equipment - Equipment used for mixing, transporting, and placing concrete like concrete mixers, pumps, trucks, and more.

 

Counterweight - Weight added to the rear of an excavator for stability.

 

Crane - A lifting machine with a long arm and a hoist that can be used to move heavy objects vertically and horizontally. These machines come in different configurations and sizes, explained in our Top Crane Types article. Examples of these machines include the Japanese Kobelco crawler cranes such as the CKS2500, 7250S, CKS1350, and more.

 

 

Crawler (or tracked) machinery - Heavy equipment with continuous tracks instead of wheels, providing better traction on uneven or soft surfaces.

 

Crushers - Machines that break down materials into smaller pieces.

 

Crusher bucket - Excavator attachments for breaking materials.

 

Demolition (DEMO) - The process of tearing down a building or structure.

Drivetrain - All components that transmit power from the engine to the wheels or tracks.

 

Diesel generator - Power source that converts diesel fuel into electricity.

 

Drill rigs - Heavy equipment used for drilling into the earth.

 

Earthmoving Equipment - These machines are used for excavating, grading, and transporting earth such as bulldozers, excavators, graders, loaders, scrapers.

Excavator - A tracked machine with a digging arm and bucket used for excavating earth, rocks, or other materials. These machines are used in conjunction with other heavy equipment such as trucks and more, and are commonly seen in construction, mining, quarry and aggregate applications, among many. Discover diggers available for sale in the region here.

 

Fall Protection - Measures taken to prevent workers from falling from heights, such as guardrails, safety nets, and personal fall arrest systems.

Falling Object Protection Structure (FOPS) - This is a crucial feature of all construction, agriculture and industrial vehicles. The FOPS structure prevents falling objects from penetrating the roof structure and injuring the driver in machines such as excavators including Kobelco mini excavators.

 

Flatbed - A flatbed is a type of truck bed with a flat, level platform instead of enclosed walls usually used to transport large items.

Forestry Equipment - Forestry equipment encompasses a wide range of specialized machines used in various stages of tree management and wood harvesting. This type of machinery includes log loaders, cranes, forklifts, winches machines, and more.

Forklift - A powered industrial vehicle with a pronged attachment at the front for lifting and transporting pallets or other materials over short distances, commonly found at job sites, warehouses, factories, and more.

Grader - A self-propelled machine with a long blade used for leveling and grading surfaces.

Haulers - Also known as haul trucks, are large vehicles used to transport goods or materials. See ADTs and RDTs.

Heavy Duty Equipment - Also known as heavy machinery, earthmovers, or construction vehicles, refers to powerful and specialized machines designed for large-scale construction tasks and more.

High Reach Demolition Equipment - Machines with long,
extendable arms (over 20m long) and powerful attachments used to reach and demolish high structures or buildings in hard-to-access locations. These machines include excavators equipped with specialized demolition attachments like hydraulic breakers, shears, and grapples.

Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) - A trenchless technology used to install underground pipes and cables.

Horsepower (HP) - A unit of power used to measure the engine output of heavy machinery.

Hydraulic Fluid (HF) - A fluid used to transmit power in hydraulic systems on heavy machinery.

Hydraulic System - A system that uses pressurized fluid to transmit power for functions like lifting and steering.

Jackhammer - Hydraulically powered tools mounted on excavators or other machinery. They use a high-impact piston mechanism to deliver powerful blows for breaking, demolition, and excavation tasks.

Kilonewton (kN) - This is a unit of force in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one thousand newtons.

Kilowatt (KW) - A kW or kilowatt is a unit of measurement for the rate of power an electrical device or load uses.

 

Lattice boom - Main structural component of a Kobelco crawler crane’s arm composed of multiple interconnected lattice sections, providing strength and flexibility while maintaining a relatively light weight.

Lifting capacity - This refers to the maximum safe weight that a machine can lift at a specific reach and boom angle. Lifting capacity is usually specified by the manufacturer and varies depending on the machine type, attachment being used, and the configuration of the boom (fully extended vs. retracted). It's crucial to stay within the lifting capacity to avoid tipping hazards and overloading the machine.
Lifting Equipment - Machines that are typically used for lifting and transporting heavy objects and materials such as cranes, mobile cranes, forklifts.

Loader - A wheeled or tracked machine with a bucket at the front for loading and transporting loose materials. These machines come in different types such as the backhoe loaders, skid steer loaders, compact track and multi-terrain loaders, wheel loaders, and track loaders.

 

Material Handling Equipment (MHE) - These are machines that are used for moving and storing bulk materials. They include conveyors, feeders, stackers, reclaimers, industrial trucks (forklifts), and many more.

Millers - This refers to milling machines, which are industrial machines used for grinding, crushing, or shaping materials.

 

 

Mining - The process of extracting valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth using mining heavy machinery such as excavators, crushers, screeners, and more.

Mobile Repair Unit – Also called a mobile workshop, this is a repair truck and technician that meets & serves customers on the road or on their john sites.

Motor Grader - A large machine with a long blade used for leveling, shaping, and maintaining roads and other surfaces. Motor graders are often used to “finish grade” after the “rough grading” done by machines such as dozers.

Mixer Trucks - Also known as concrete mixer trucks or transit mixers. These are specialized vehicles that combine the functions of mixing and transporting concrete. They feature a large rotating drum that keeps the concrete mixture agitated and prevents it from hardening during transport. This allows for delivery of fresh, ready-to-use concrete directly to construction sites.

Operating Weight - This refers to the total weight of a machine when it's ready to operate, including all fluids (oil, coolant, fuel), attachments (buckets, forks), and the operator. This is often measured in tons or kilograms.

Paver - A machine used to lay asphalt or concrete for roads and other surfaces. These machines include types such as track asphalt pavers, wheel asphalt pavers, and screeds. Al Marwan provides brand-new asphalt pavers for sale such as the Dynapac DRF25, as well as pre-owned alternatives in excellent condition.

 

 

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Equipment that is used to protect workers from hazards on a construction site, such as hard hats, safety glasses, and respirators.

Pounds per Square Inch (PSI) - A unit of measure indicating the strength of a material as a stress or force divided by a unit area. concrete compressive strength is often expressed in psi.

Precast Concrete - Concrete elements that are cast in a controlled environment, such as a factory, and then transported to the construction site for assembly.

Prefabricated (Prefab) - Pre-fabricated construction elements are manufactured in a controlled environment, such as a factory or workshop, and then transported to the construction site for assembly. These can include these prefabricated components being lifted into place by powerful cranes on this Al Marwan job site.

 

Quarry and Aggregate - A place where rock, sand, or gravel are extracted and crushed for use in construction materials like concrete and asphalt.

Reinforcing Bar (Rebar) - Steel bars used to reinforce concrete structures.
Recessed Lighting Fixture (Recessed Can Light) - A lighting fixture that is installed in the ceiling and provides downward lighting.

Rigid Dump Truck (RDT) - Rigid dump trucks allow you to transport large quantities of abrasive materials and rocks over long hauls across flat terrain in quarries and mines. The most defining characteristic of rigid dump trucks is the cab and the dump body that sits atop a fixed chassis. These include models such as the excellent condition CAT 777E and 773E used trucks available for sale from Al Marwan.

 

Road Construction Equipment - Machines used for building and maintaining roads like pavers, rollers, milling machines, cold planers, and more.
Rollover protection structure (ROPS) - A frame that protects the driver and passengers of a construction vehicle in the event of a rollover. You can find ROPS in machines such as Kobelco large excavators and more.

 

Safety - The measures taken in order to prevent accidents and injuries while operating heavy equipment on job sites.

Sheet piling rig - Specialized equipment used to install interlocking steel sheets into the ground to create temporary walls for excavations. These walls retain soil and can be installed using either vibratory methods (faster and creates less noise) or impact hammering (better for harder soils). Examples of sheet piling rigs include the ABI Mobilram TM17 and TM22 models available from Al Marwan.

 

 

Screeners - Machines that separate materials based on size.

 

Screening buckets - Excavator attachments for separating materials.

 

Scissor lifts - Vertical lifting platforms with a scissor mechanism.

 

Skid steer loader - A small, wheeled loader with a skid-steering mechanism for tight turns.

 

Specifications (SPEC) - A document that outlines the technical specifications for equipment.
 

Square Feet, Square Yard (SF/SY) - These are common units of measurement for area. Concrete slabs and walls are usually quantified, measured, and paid for by square feet or square yards.
 

Ton (T) - A unit of weight used primarily in the United States and Canada. There are two main types:

• Short Ton: Equal to 2,000 pounds (907.18 kg). This is the most common type of "ton" used in North America.
• Long Ton: Equal to 2,240 pounds (1,016.05 kg). This type of ton is less common but still used in some specific industries.

 

Tonne (t) - A metric unit of weight equal to 1,000 kilograms (2,204.6 pounds). This is the preferred unit of weight in most countries around the world, including the UAE.

Track pads - Rubber or steel components attached to the track chain, providing traction and protecting the undercarriage.

Tracks - Continuous metal treads used on some heavy machinery for better traction in off-road conditions. Machines with continuous tracks are often called crawler machines and include crawler cranes, excavators, dozers, and more.

Transmission - Transfers power from the engine to the wheels or tracks.

Truck Classes - There are eight classifications for trucks in North America, based on their size and weight. These classifications are important for understanding weight restrictions on roads and bridges, as well as for selecting the appropriate truck for a particular hauling job.

Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) - A large machine used for excavating tunnels.

Turning Radius - The turning radius (alternatively, turning diameter or turning circle) of a vehicle defines the minimum dimension (typically the radius or diameter, respectively) of available space required for that vehicle to make a semi-circular u-turn without skidding.

 

Undercarriage - The base structure of a heavy machine supporting the upper components, including tracks, wheels, or other ground-engaging systems.

 

Vehicle Access - A paved roadway, intended to provide enter and exit routes of traffic from a public row into a building entrance or parking area.

Vendor - Someone you purchase goods (such as equipment and parts) from.

Voltage - also known as potential difference, electric pressure, or electric tension, measured in volts (V), is the difference in electric potential between two points. In a static electric field, it corresponds to the work needed per unit of charge to move a positive test charge from the first point to the second point.

 

Water truck - Vehicle used for transporting and distributing water.

 

Wheel loader - A type of loader with rubber tires.

Yellow Iron - Various types of heavy equipment found in construction; earth-moving equipment, quarrying equipment, and fork lift trucks.

 

Understanding the terminology used in the construction heavy machinery industry is essential for effective communication, efficient project management, and more. We hope this compact glossary has provided you with valuable insights and a better grasp of the common terms and acronyms you’ll encounter in this field. Keep this cheat sheet handy as a reference, and don't hesitate to delve deeper into any terms that pique your interest.