Most people within the construction industry often utilise the term rollers, compactors or roller compactors interchangeably despite the stark differences between rollers and compactors. The differences between these two types of machines which basically do the same thing (which is mainly compacting surfaces and materials by increasing density of specific target areas) will ultimately have an impact on not just the quality of a given project, but also the cost and schedule of a project.
This is simply because, the type of roller or compactor that is selected for hire changes the process or the way that a project is eventually completed. Ranging from plate compactors, to pad-foot rollers and drum rollers all the way to impact compactors, each type of roller or compactor have their unique strengths and weaknesses which makes choosing the right type of roller compactor rental becomes a critical decision within the scope of a project.
From compacting dirt roads and asphalt (asphalt is a mixt of bituminous pitch with sand or gravel that is commonly used as a layer over roads) or for levelling ground for pre-paving pavements and landscaping to stabilising ground for building structures or even compacting trash, rollers and compactors are without doubt among the most essential machines that enable humanity to keep moving forward.
The choice or decision that project managers have to make between taking a roller or compactor for hire is highly dependent on not only the type of material that is being targeted for compaction, but also the project environment.
What is meant by project environment is the surroundings, for example, in the event that the project revolves around urban areas or residential areas, hiring large drum rollers would be overkill as a plate compactor attached to a mini excavator would do nicely and the same excavator could be used for other tasks (digging, trenching or grading among others) that would save money and time.
However, for road building projects, a smooth drum vibratory roller would be the best option as these machines would be able to cover wider areas in much less time. Any project that requires compaction of more than a dozen square metres would be best managed by a smooth drum roller, however if space is an issue due to obstacles at the site smaller pad-foot rollers or plate compactors would be the more practical choice.
Hiring Considerations
Among the biggest element that has an impact on the cost of hiring rollers or compactors is the size of the machine, in essence, the bigger they are, the more they cost.
Due to the cost factor, it is rudimentary for project managers to not just determine which type of roller or compactor to hire for their project, but they must also determine when and where the rollers or compactors are needed (scheduling).
Careful scheduling of compaction work would result in huge cost savings which ultimately reduces overall project costs and increase margins significantly.
