How Construction Equipment Can Be Used Across Industries

In 2017, the construction industry contributed an impressive £113 billion to the UK economy and has continued to grow. In total it provides 6% of the total UK economic value. It is a vast sector and has many outputs; house building equates to 25% of it’s total output and is therefore important. As a sector that plays such a big role in the UK economy it is no wonder that so many different industries utilise construction equipment to their own advantage; for both construction and non-construction purposes. The UK is the largest producer of construction equipment in Europe; with the Chief Executive of the CEA stating that “the Chancellor effectively confirmed that the UK will continue to be Europe’s construction “hot spot” in 2019.”

The construction industry in the UK is extremely vast, it covers an array of different jobs and sectors, but it is not the only industry to use heavy machinery. Construction equipment may be typically associated with specific industries only; usually those directly related to construction however construction equipment is invaluable across almost every industry. In some instances, it may seem obvious what equipment can be used and where but there are plenty of unusual and interesting uses for construction equipment across various industries. As the UK is at the centre of the construction industry it is no wonder that so many different industries use construction equipment for their various needs. Whilst there are obviously a number of standard uses for construction equipment, there are also some you may not have been aware of.

Access equipment such as telehandlers, makes up a large part of construction equipment and is therefore used in a variety of ways. 8,900 telehandlers were made in the UK in 2018 therefore it is no surprise that they are so readily used in a wide range of industries. It is not just access equipment which can be utilised across a number of industries but also things such as generators, landscaping equipment and cooling machinery.

Festivals and Outdoor Events

Festivals require a massive amount of power, and the majority of the events taking place throughout the festival require electricity to work which means generators are often required. If power failed at a festival it would affect the entire production from the music, staging, food and more. People pay a lot of money to attend festivals and wouldn’t be best pleased if the power cut off halfway through a performance. Generators come in a range of sizes in order to make sure there is something suitable for everyone. Large scale festivals and outdoor events generally run best off multiple large-scale generators; they can be positioned in necessary locations around the festival site.

In addition to the use of generators, access equipment also comes in handy before, during and after festivals as it is required for easy set up. Forklifts and telehandlers are used to set up almost the entire festival site; mainly the staging. Having to move and arrange such a large-scale outdoor event would be pretty impossible without the use of construction machinery.

Theme Parks

There are a variety of ways in which construction equipment comes in handy when it comes to theme parks. The most obvious use it in the building of the theme park itself. Building large scale roller coasters, buildings and monuments around a theme park is a big job; access equipment such as forklifts and telehandlers make the job easier and allow for specific work to be carried out safely and effectively across the theme park.

In addition to being used in the creation of theme parks and playgrounds, there are even theme parks and playgrounds which are now dedicated to heavy machinery for children to ride on and experience. Children’s theme parks such as Diggerland provide a safe and enjoyable space for children (and adults) to experience a range of construction equipment. Theme parks such as this provide a place where you can ride, drive and operate real machinery such as diggers, dumpers and other heavy machinery. Not only are attractions such as this fun for the whole family but can also serve as a great way of introducing a younger generation to the world of construction.

Sporting Events

There are a variety of different uses for construction equipment across the world of sport. From the building of a stadium to the maintenance of the stadium grounds; various types of access equipment is used. An interesting use of telehandlers and forklifts in the sporting industry is in Formula 1; telehandlers and forklifts are known to be used in Formula 1 to remove crashed cars from the track safely and effectively whilst also being used to set up equipment across the racetrack.

In addition to the use of access equipment, the sporting industry also makes use of other equipment such as generators. As with festivals and other events, people pay a lot of money to attend these large-scale sporting events and the events rely on many different power sources. If these power sources failed it would cause massive disruption therefore it is essential, they have the required generators present to ensure the event runs smoothly.

Food and Drink

Construction equipment plays a large role in the food and drink industry in many ways. First of all; access equipment is used for various reasons such as in the warehouse lifting pallets of food and drinks in large scale distribution warehouses. This is most common for large supermarket chains as they have entire buildings devoted to cold storage. In addition to this it is also used in food and drink production; breweries use forklifts and telehandlers to move around raw materials such as hops and wheat. Once the brewing process is complete, the same types of heavy equipment can then be used to transport the kegs, boxes and pallets full of beer.

The wine industry is another one which utilises access equipment to their advantage from vineyard development to wine production, storage and distribution. In the development of the vineyard; landscaping equipment such as tractors and diggers are used to prepare the ground. Using heavy equipment in the preparation of the vineyard provides an efficient way of preparing the ground. The uses don’t stop there; In the production of wines, stainless steel fermentation tanks are used; forklifts are required to install and move these fermentation tanks and then required to move pallets of finished wine.

Seasonal Events

As previously mentioned, construction equipment plays a large role in a range of outdoor events such as festivals. It is also used throughout the year at a variety of seasonal events. Some of the most common events include ice rinks and Christmas markets. Not only is access equipment used in the creation of temporary set ups such as ice rinks, but large-scale cooling equipment is then used to maintain the ice rink. Large-scale chillers are generally installed to create ice rinks and then to maintain them throughout the time they are in use.

In addition to this, ice rinks aren’t the only winter event which utilise various items of construction machinery; Christmas markets across the country require a lot of set up; including the installation of various stalls. Access equipment such as telehandlers and forklifts are used to set up the vast amount of Christmas stalls and shops and then take them down after Christmas.

Art

Cranes, telehandlers and various kinds of access equipment is seen being used in building a range of landmarks and buildings across the country, but they can also be seen installation pieces of art and building sculptures. Large scale art installations and sculptures such as those at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park will require access equipment both in creation and placement. As the pieces of art are so tall, access equipment comes in handy when making the finishing touches; it allows for safe access.

Clearance

Whilst it may not be the first use to enter your mind when you think of access equipment, telehandlers are extremely useful for a variety of clearance activities. They are often used for large scale clearing operations, such as clearing out sites to prepare for construction, but they can also be used to clear things such as snow during the winter months. Clearing snow can be a difficult and time-consuming job but it is necessary to keep everything running smoothly; using large scale construction equipment to clear snow is an effective and efficient method.

In the same way heavy equipment can be used to efficient clear snow, it can also be used to clear other debris such as fallen leaves in the fall among other things.

Construction equipment can be used in almost every industry at some point, various types of heavy machinery provide efficient and effective methods for storage, production, preparation and transportation among other things. It is therefore not surprising that the UK is the biggest manufacturer of construction equipment in Europe; as it is required across so many different sectors. Find all the plant and construction hire equipment you need via HSS OneCall  

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