Each road grading task is unique whenever it comes to operating your motor grader, and each one has its own collection of variables to consider. And those who have spent a lot of time running a motor grader will tell you that mastering the task requires time and patience.
Luckily, the motor grader is a powerful machine that can handle a wide range of activities, from cement mixing to shoulder grading. This is why motor graders stand out among other used aggregate equipment.
However, it isn’t enough to simply have one on-site, one should also know how to utilize and make the most of their equipment. While each mission can necessitate different maneuvers and tricks, certain general guidelines may help you improve overall safety and produce the best results.
Standard Operating Tips
Professional motor grader technicians will inform you that visualizing the steps in each process is critical. Before you begin, visualize the completed project and ask yourself questions such as whether you need to fill lower points or cut high areas, and where will any water supply fill in or drain out.
In addition to simulating each mission, the following are some general guidelines for running motor graders:
Avoid shifting materials more often than is absolutely necessary.
Trimming is much easier when the ground is well compacted. Instead of being too concerned about getting material on the blade when trimming, put some weight on it to keep it stable.
Make sure to properly understand the five-blade movements that the hydraulic functions allow, as they’re each tailored for specific tasks/jobs. Certain activities necessitate the use of a mixture of blade gestures, or even all of them. Before you drop your blade, make sure you know what you need it to do. Check the angles and heights as well as the arrangements. In big cities like Houston heavy machinery operators have to be ahead of the curve and know all such functions.
You may use a flexible blade to combine or scatter loose material, or a tight blade to reshape an area by cutting down into it. Almost all of your work will need these two choices at some point.
Likewise, you can raise the moldboard from both ends to keep the blade at an even height, or only one side if the surface would need to slope
Top tips on road grading and upkeep
Potholes are a big issue on regional highways and they can result in major car accidents. The material used in the cover can be scattered depending on the attributes of the road/highway’s building materials, allowing potholes in the road and asphalt to collect on the pavement in locations like traffic signal stops, hills, as well as other locations where vehicles have a tendency accelerate.
Moisture
Moisture, either from the latest rainfall or sprayed down from a tanker truck, is needed to dress the pavement. Ascertain that there is proper a drainage system. Make certain that the crown is in straight sections, and that the curves are alleviated.
Curved roads, Straights, and slopes
The top layer should raise at around a 3% elevation from the shoulder to the road center on a flat path. Additionally, you must consider the gravel sort as well as the rain in the region. Curved roads must be level, albeit with a 6% dip down to the inner edge of the corner.
Ditches and surfaces
You could move the cutting edge across the ground if it’s hardened and dry but make sure it’s placed at around 90º to the ground.
Take into account the surface and road type, and also the correct way when digging ditches. They must be around 5 centimeters (a couple of inches) lower than the road’s top layer, as a general reference.
Raise the roadway in high rainfall regions to prevent water from running under the road, as that can lead to potholes.
