Construction is an asset-intensive industry. Companies depend on building equipment, power tools, construction vehicles, and all heavy machinery for essential functions like excavation, construction, and demolition. This equipment must always be kept in safe, proper, and optimal working order so construction workers can do their jobs. This underscores the vital importance of construction equipment maintenance. 

Preventing downtime, extending lifespans

Construction companies use an array of costly and complex equipment. When this equipment is poorly maintained, it can impede the accuracy, quality, and consistency of building work. Poorly maintained construction equipment can pose significant safety hazards to construction personnel and the occupants of any structure built under less-than-ideal conditions.

Most construction companies maintain large asset portfolios that include equipment such as bulldozers, excavators, cranes, loaders, and graders. This equipment requires routine servicing, such as lubrication, parts replacement, calibration, regular inspections, safety checks, and repairs for everyday wear and tear and unexpected breakdowns. 

Equipment maintenance technicians must ultimately focus on preventing downtime and extending the lifespan of critical construction equipment. 

Your construction equipment maintenance checklist

Heavy equipment maintenance in construction includes the upkeep of various types of equipment and the critical components used to power it. Below is a list of the most common types of equipment and key components that construction company service technicians must care for.

Excavators require:
• Hydraulic system inspections for oil levels, leaks, and the integrity of hoses and seals
• Boom and arm checks for cracks or damage in welds and joints
• Undercarriage examination of tracks, rollers, drive sprockets, and other structures and moving elements
• Engine maintenance, including regular oil changes, filter replacement, and coolant level checks
• Electrical system tests, including battery, lighting, and control panel functionality

Bulldozers require:
• Blade inspections for wear and alignment
• Track checks for wear and tension adjustments
• Transmission checks for slippage or leaks, as well as fluid and filter changes 
• Hydraulic system monitoring for leaks and proper movement 
• Cooling system checks to ensure adequate coolant levels and that the radiator is clear of debris 

Cranes require:
• Boom and cable inspection for wear, lubrication, and stress fractures
• Counterweight verification, ensuring correct and secure positioning
• Outrigger and stabilizer checks to ensure proper extraction and retraction
• Hook and block checks for signs of wear, deformation, or cracks
• Electrical and hydraulic systems control testing, and power system performance monitoring

Loaders require:
• Bucket and attachment point checks for cracks, wear, and connection integrity
• Tire inspection for damage, tread wear, and proper inflation
• Hydraulic system monitoring for leaks, fluid levels, and pressure 
• Engine upkeep, including oil changes, air filter checks, and coolant system evaluations
• Drive system checks for lubrication, transmission wear, and axle wear

Graders require: 
• Moldboard blade inspections for alignment, wear, and damage
• Circle and drawbar checks for smooth operation and excessive wear
• Hydraulic system inspections for fluid levels, and the condition of hoses and fittings
• Tire checks for wear and inflation
• Engine maintenance, including routine oil changes, filter changes, and checks on belts, hoses, and coolant levels

Dump trucks require:
• Tire inspections for air pressure and tread wear
• Engine and transmission maintenance, including routine oil changes, air filter replacements, and transmission fluid checks
• Hydraulic system checks, including hoses and pistons
• Brakes inspection for wear and functionality
• Suspension checks for wear on leaf springs and shocks

Backhoes require:
• Boom and bucket inspections for cracks, joint wear, and general functionality
• Tire checks for tread wear, air pressure, and alignment
• Hydraulics inspections for leaks, pressure, and fluid levels
• Engine checks, including regular filter, engine oil, and coolant changes
• Transmission upkeep, including checks for leaks and fluid changes

Concrete mixers require:
• Drum inspections for cleanliness, cracks, or deformations
• Engine maintenance, including routine oil changes as well as air filter and fuel system checks
• Hydraulic system monitoring, including fluid levels and drum-turning mechanism
• Chute and discharge checks for buildup and general functionality

Forklifts require:
• Forks and mast inspections for cracks, bends, and alignment
• Tire checks for inflation, wear, or damage
• Hydraulics system monitoring for leaks and fluid levels
• Brakes and steering testing for responsiveness and wear
• Battery monitoring including functionality, charge level, and connections

What causes construction equipment failure? 

Construction equipment failure may be caused by a variety of factors such as the unpredictable conditions equipment is exposed to on the job site and its inherent complexity. Simply stated, most construction equipment has a lot of moving parts.

Here are some of the leading causes of construction equipment failure, as well as the important role that preventive maintenance can play in offsetting these failure risks.

Wear and tear can cause deterioration of components like tracks, hydraulic systems, and engine parts. Regular inspections, lubrication, and replacement of worn parts can prevent small issues from developing into major failures. 

Overloading and overuse can place excessive strain on components like hydraulic systems, engines, and structural parts, leading to premature failure. Properly training machine operators to adhere to OEM recommendations, conducting frequent inspections, and adjusting procedures can help prevent overloading. 

Insufficient lubrication can cause friction between moving parts, leading to overheating, wear, and eventual failure of components like bearings, pistons, and gears. Scheduled oil changes and even oil analysis can significantly reduce the risk of component failure.

Contaminants such as dirt, dust, and debris can enter an equipment’s engine, hydraulic system, or air filters, causing clogs, inefficiencies, and part failures. Scheduled cleaning and servicing can prevent contaminants from damaging sensitive parts.

Hydraulic system failures can occur due to leaks, degraded seals, or contaminated hydraulic fluid, which can cause critical components like lifts, arms, and attachments to malfunction. Regular fluid changes can prevent contamination, and routine checks can reduce the risk of leaks. 

Electrical issues such as faulty wiring, dead batteries, or malfunctioning alternators can cause equipment failures. Checking the integrity of wiring, replacing old or weak batteries, and routinely testing electronic systems can dramatically reduce the risk of system overload, outages, or fire. 

Fuel system problems such as contaminated or poor-quality fuel can clog fuel filters and injectors, reducing engine performance and eventually leading to failure. Preventive maintenance should include routine tasks such as regularly inspecting fuel systems, replacing fuel filters, and using high-quality fuel.  

Corrosion and rust of metal components can weaken structural integrity and cause failure. By applying rust inhibitors, regularly cleaning equipment, and conducting visual inspections, your maintenance team can catch corrosion early and make the necessary replacements or repairs before it spreads.

Aging equipment is more susceptible to failure and may simply lack the efficiency and reliability of newer models. Replacing worn parts, updating software, and retrofitting components can keep older equipment running longer and more efficiently.

Construction equipment maintenance strategies

Clearly, equipment maintenance in construction encompasses a vast array of heavy equipment. Moreover, onsite construction equipment maintenance can occur under variable and unpredictable outdoor conditions. Each situation might call for a distinct maintenance approach. That’s why your construction equipment maintenance team needs to have several different skills and equipment management strategies at its disposal. 

Here are a few of the most common equipment maintenance strategies and how they might be applied in the construction industry. 

Reactive maintenance

Also referred to as “run to failure” maintenance, reactive maintenance is triggered only after equipment malfunctions or fails. Although not an ideal scenario, it’s absolutely critical that construction equipment maintenance teams have procedures in place for managing unexpected equipment breakdowns. 

For instance, if a bulldozer has an unforeseen hydraulic failure on a job site, a maintenance team must be prepared to quickly and safely make the proper parts replacements and repairs on location.

Preventive maintenance

Preventive maintenance is a proactive maintenance strategy that involves routine inspections, regularly scheduled equipment servicing, and upkeep for normal wear and tear. This strategy is based on a combination of manufacturer recommendations, industry best practices, and internal standard operating procedures (SOPs) to reduce the occurrence of construction equipment malfunction or failure. 

For instance, a construction company that performs regularly scheduled oil changes, filter replacements, and hydraulic inspections of its excavators significantly reduces the risk of onsite failure as well as the delays, downtime, and safety risks that come with equipment failure. 

Condition-based maintenance 

Condition-based maintenance uses advanced sensors and IoT (internet of things) devices to monitor the performance of construction equipment in real time. For instance, your concrete mixer could be fitted with vibration sensors. Abnormal vibrations might indicate potential issues with your mixing drum, which may, in turn, prompt immediate corrective maintenance before the issue can escalate into failure.

Why is construction equipment maintenance important? 

An effective equipment maintenance plan is important in any asset-intensive business. But having a robust program in place is of even greater importance in the construction industry. 

This is because the productivity and profitability of most construction companies depend entirely on the availability and efficiency of heavy machinery like cranes, forklifts, and excavators. Without a way to ensure these assets are up and running, your operation would come to a grinding halt. 

Benefits of preventive construction equipment maintenance

In contrast, construction companies with comprehensive equipment maintenance strategies in place typically enjoy benefits such as:

• Reduced onsite downtime during critical, time-sensitive, and weather-dependent work such as excavation, grading, or lifting
• Extended equipment lifespan, reducing the frequency of costly capital expenditures on new equipment and ensuring long-term peak performance on the job site
• Improved workplace safety conditions, reducing the risks of accident, injury, fatality, or catastrophic equipment failure in the inherently dangerous construction field
• Increased energy efficiency, because well-maintained engines and hydraulic systems help construction and demolition machinery to consume less fuel
• Improved regulatory compliance, particularly with the many important safety and environmental regulations affecting the construction industry
• Cost savings, because regular maintenance can prevent minor problems such as worn components from escalating into major, costly repairs
• Less frequent and severe equipment breakdowns, leading to fewer interruptions to daily workflows and productivity 
• Streamlined inventory management as a result of more predictable maintenance planning that enables procurement teams to forecast and fulfill spare parts needs 
• Improved resource allocation through planned maintenance activities that make it easier to manage and plan team member workloads and schedules

Preventive vs. reactive construction equipment maintenance

It’s essential to have procedures in place for both routine maintenance and reactive emergency repairs. However, striking the right balance can be difficult. While each approach has its own benefits and drawbacks, applying them at the right time, and under the right circumstances, can help construction teams achieve the best of both. 

For instance, while we have covered many of the benefits of preventive construction equipment maintenance, that approach also has drawbacks, including the potential for over-maintenance, especially when routine upkeep is triggered based on arbitrary time intervals. Similarly, tipping the balance too far in the direction of reactive maintenance has its own disadvantages. 

Drawbacks of reactive construction equipment maintenance

Reactive maintenance means that repair or upkeep is triggered only when a piece of equipment malfunctions or fails. Though a reactive maintenance approach might be necessary in some situations, relying solely on a reactive maintenance strategy for construction equipment maintenance can come with many drawbacks:

• Unexpected downtime, with breakdowns causing project delays, missed deadlines, and broken service agreements
• Higher repair and maintenance costs due to more frequent and severe equipment failures
• Heightened safety hazards, with heavy construction equipment failure carrying a high risk of injury, accident, or fatality
• Noncompliance penalties due to workplace safety violations, environmental failures, and misalignment with industry standards
• Shortened equipment lifespan, with the accumulation of unmanaged wear and tear ultimately reducing the lifespan of construction machinery
• Increased operational costs for emergency repairs, maintenance technician overtime, and expedited spare parts shipping
• Establishing a maintenance program for construction equipment

An effective construction equipment maintenance program should improve the performance and reliability of your equipment, reduce downtime, improve job site safety, and more. Here are step-by-step instructions for how to establish your construction equipment maintenance program.

1. Set clear, measurable goals such as minimizing downtime, reducing repair costs, extending equipment lifespan, or improving safety.

2. Assign maintenance team roles, ensuring accountability and a clear sense of responsibility from construction equipment operators and site managers to mechanics and maintenance supervisors.

3. Build a complete asset inventory of all construction equipment (e.g., excavators, bulldozers, cranes), including detailed documentation on make, model, operating hours, serial numbers, purchase dates, original equipment manufacturer guidelines, warranty details, and maintenance history.

4. Develop a plan that includes a maintenance schedule for preventive tasks, inspections, and repairs based on manufacturer recommendations and equipment use.

5. Schedule preventive maintenance tasks based on the criticality of specific assets as well as according to timed intervals, usage metrics, or seasonal needs. 

6. Train team members on the proper care of various types of critical construction equipment and provide training on how to identify potential equipment issues before they escalate into failure.

7. Monitor equipment performance using data-driven maintenance metrics like mean time between failures (MTBF) and mean time to repair (MTTR) to gauge the effectiveness of your maintenance program and make adjustments where needed.

8. Integrate inventory management with your construction equipment maintenance strategy to ensure available stock and on-time delivery of commonly used spare parts such as filters, belts, hydraulic hoses, and seals.

9. Conduct regular reviews and solicit feedback from personnel to identify and address patterns or recurring issues that might require program adjustments.

10. Implement a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) to help streamline, automate, and simplify the development, administration, and continuous improvement of your construction equipment maintenance program.

Find out how Limble’s industry-leading CMMS can help your construction company reduce your operating costs, prevent downtime, and help build a better future for your business.

Published Nov. 1, 2024, by Limble.