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The construction sector has specific needs when using vehicles and trailers. We look at the latest offerings
Words: Colin Sowman UK construction sites contain all make and
manner of CVs from car-derived vans, pick-ups and mini buses to skip loaders, multi-axle tippers and heavy haulage rigs. While most vehicles can be found on a construction site somewhere across the UK, the sector generally responds well to suppliers that take the trouble to address its particular concerns.
Over the past few years there has been a drift towards using bigger vehicles and today about only 5% of registered 6x4s are tippers, while more than half of 8x4s are itted with tipping bodies. And while all the truck manufacturers say their 8x4s can handle aggregate deliveries and muck-away duties, Volvo’s FMX range reintroduces the concept of a heavy-duty truck for the construction sector.
When designing the FMX, Volvo Trucks called on the experience of its sister company, Volvo Construction Equipment, which manufactures excavators, loading shovels, dump trucks and so on. Beyond the usual high ground clearance, roof-level air intake and three-part bumpers offered by most manufacturers, the FMX has a wide, lat chassis frame that can be ordered to any length and space for mounting loader cranes and other equipment. It also has belly plates, a central drawbar coupling and individual lights with a mesh guarding option.
To make the driver’s life safer and more comfortable, the FMX has anti-slip steps for muddy boots, a cab-mounted ladder and grab handle for load inspection, and a construction-speciic version of the I-Shift transmission. This has a rock-free function for freeing bogged-down vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz, which topped the multi-axle rigid sales league last year, has also added a PowerShift option to its eight-leggers. The construction industry’s increasing acceptance of automated manual transmissions will be evident at the CV Show, where MAN will exhibit a suitably-equipped 8x4 in the colours of Reading-based excavation and haulage specialist John Mould. Because today’s construction sites are generally better kept, some vehicles no longer need additional traction, allowing the likes of builders’ merchants to use 6x2 trucks and use the extra payload allowance. Another example is Speedy Hire’s new rear-steer DAF drawbar rig. It is based on DAF’s longest wheelbase 8x2 rear-steer CF85 prime mover, with the optional 9-tonne front axles to accommodate the extra weight of a 10-tonne capacity Hiab XS377EP-3 HiDuo crane. This still leaves enough room for a 6.55m latbed body, which, combined with a close-coupled two-axle trailer, allows several pieces of plant to be carried.
While the ‘go anywhere’ capability offered by Land Rover and others still has a place in the construction sector, for the most part it is enough that the loaded vehicle can cope with unmade, wet and muddy site roads.
Manufacturers such as Ford have seized this opportunity with the introduction of an all-wheel-drive (AWD) Transit. This is based on the rear-wheel-drive Transit and automatically provides torque to the front wheels when a loss of traction is detected at the rear. Once the rear wheels regain grip, and without any driver input, the system disengages the front wheels to minimise wear and fuel consumption.
Citroën offers enhanced traction versions (denoted XTR+) of its Berlingo and Dispatch vans. These have multiplate limited-slip differentials, heavy-duty raised suspension, and bigger wheels for increased ground clearance, mud and snow tyres and under-body protection. The option adds about £1,700 to the cost of a standard vehicle and enables it to cope with most site conditions without any driver input.
Watching the weight
As construction materials and equipment don’t always come neatly packaged, weight is a recurring problem. To pre-empt any overloading problems, construction giant Balfour Beatty speciies Axtec’s dynamic axle-weighing systems on all its vehicles at 3.5 tonnes and above. Not only does the system display the axle and gross weights (green if below the limit and red above), but the display also doubles as a monitor for the reversing camera. A one-off installation costs about £1,800 and is said to be accurate within plus or minus 2.5%.
Kettering-based Cumberland Industries faces both the traction and payload dificulties when selecting a mount for its 20m working height double-articulating access platforms.
It opted for a 5.5-tonne 4x4 Iveco Daily as the carrier to give a high level of off-road ability, while retaining more than 435kg of payload allowance when fully fuelled with a driver and passenger. With an all-in cost of about £80,000, the solution is said to be signiicantly cheaper than using a bespoke off-road CV chassis.
Many van manufacturers offer pre-bodied dropsides and tippers, and the implementation of Whole Vehicle Type Approval will see more manufacturers offering off-the-shelf solutions. Citroën already offers glass carriers, six-seat crew conversions and plant carriers.
The biggest exception is Mercedes, which continues to work with regional bodybuilders because it feels they are in a better position to help customers in their local area.
Some construction industry suppliers such as Speedy are carrying out trials of electric vehicles. Again, this trend will accelerate with many construction companies’ clients using environmental consultants when planning new buildings. The consultants consider everything that goes into erecting the building – including the energy used to transport materials and people to and from the site. Contracts worth millions of pounds could be won or lost on having a ‘green’ supply chain.
So, despite its problems, the construction sector will remain willing to pay suppliers capable of providing solutions to its particular set of problems and constraints. ■