When working on a residential or commercial construction site you should be working to achieve a high-level finish throughout every step, whether that means using paints for metals, durable cladding or creating a level foundation, you should be using the right tools to achieve this high standard.
In today's blog we’ll be going over the benefits of using a trench rammer on your construction site, to ensure these standards are met.
What is a Trench Rammer?
A trench rammer or earth rammer is a tool that works to compact or compress the soil beneath it, making it a hard and level surface. The compaction of soil is needed to achieve a level and ideal foundation for construction projects. During this compaction process the soils density is increased and air removed, to create a solid ground layer.
A trench rammer is the mechanical tool which delivers a strong direct impact through a relatively small foot to achieve great compaction depth at a high compaction rate. The rammer will use its weight and power to repeatedly impact the soil, forcing deep compaction at a faster rate.
These trench rammers are made up with two parts: an engine unit and a foot, joined by a Cylinder/Piston unit and a series of powerful springs. The foot of the rammer is driven up and down by the engine unit to perform the compaction cycles. A well-engineered machine has a perfect centre of gravity, which is what makes all the difference to these machines – too far forward and the machine will operate violently and not achieve the depth of compaction required; too far back and the machine will not move forward easily and will be difficult to operate.
Benefits of Using a Trench Rammer
Works Well with Cohesive Soil
A lot of construction sites will be built up on cohesive or clay-like soil, which a trench rammer thrives with. A trench rammer is designed for these conditions. The direct impact through a flat foot plate will achieve a deeper compaction in cohesive soils to prevent any budging or shifting in the future.
Easy to Learn
While it's important to have the right tools for the job, there's no point if you don’t have someone who can safely operate them. Compared to most compaction equipment used in commercial projects and across the industry, a trench rammer is a simple tool to get the hang of and move around. Making it the best and safest option for beginners as well as seasoned contractors.
Works Flexibly in Small Spaces
The other challenge that you might face when trying to compact soil is the manoeuvrability of your machine in tight spaces. In these tight spaces it's hard to turn your rammer around and get the desired results you need.
A trench rammer won’t find any trouble squeezing in a tight corner, or a small drain or trench that needs repair or compaction. Since it can fit into any narrow space or drain, your trench rammer actually becomes more efficient than a standard plate compactor in some applications. Making them a useful tool in any commercial project. By using the right tool you’ll save yourself time with manual labour and keep your project on schedule.
The most important thing is to choose the right trench rammer design and specifications for your needs. If you need any help figuring out the best tool for your project, contact our team of experts on 09 283 9658. Or head to our website to find out more about our range of industrial and construction tools.