Vibrating plates are construction equipment that is used for compressing certain types of materials in order to make them ready for construction projects that need surfaces that are stable. The vibratory plate compactors are available in many different designs which are equipped with different accessories. However, the major feature is the plate that’s used to compact surfaces. The core accessory of the vibrating plate is the heavy, flat plate which often rests on the grounds whenever the compactor is turned off. These plates are vibrated or driven up and down using either diesel or petrol engines.
These machines are powered by the engines and are walk-behind types. They’re able to impart a very powerful effort for vibratory compactions to the asphalt and any such loose materials. It does this via a steel plate that’s mounted on the bottom. The surface area of this plate can range between 1.5 metres and 3 metres. Here’s everything you should know about the construction vibrating plates:
Why Vibrating Plates Used
Construction vibratory plate compactors are mostly used for the compaction of soil that exists on a patio or small driveway. Without proper compaction of the disturbed soils, any construction project like the addition of a concrete surface can really be problematic. For instance, when the soil that hasn’t been compacted shifts and settles from being exposed to thawing cycles, water, freezing and pressure resulting from the foot or vehicle traffic, the result will be uneven and unstable surfaces.
How the Vibratory Plate Compactors Work
When the machine is moving, the heavy plate that lies on the machine’s bottom quickly moves up and down. This results in combined impacts that are rapid, impact force and the plate weight forces the soil that’s underneath it to pack and compact more tightly. The best type of soil that the vibratory plate compactors will produce good results on is the granular type of soil. These are those types of soil that contain higher gravel or sand content in them. For sufficient compaction of a given surface, the machine can be made to pass over an area two or four times. However, the manufacturer of the specific compactor should be able to provide guidance based on the case presented by each and every buyer of the machine. It can be a forward-only compactor or reversible type. The forward-only compactors can be driven from one end to the other and then turned around for the second pass. The reversible type of compactors, on the other hand, can be moved both forward and backward, eliminating the need to turn it around is a consequent pass is to be made.
The Benefits of Vibrating Plates
There are various benefits of the vibrating plates that one can achieve if they opt for it in carrying out their construction jobs using it. They include:
1. Uniformity
During construction, uniformity is of very great importance. Since the surfaces that are compacted are likely to serve as the base for the addition of materials like concrete, the uniformity aspect of the surfaces are even more important. These machines are very easy to use in achieving uniform surfaces.
2. Reduced Efforts
Of all the machines that can be used for compacting surfaces, the vibrating plates are the ones that require the least amount of effort to do. Since the working mechanism takes all the effort away from the person controlling the machine, a very minimal amount of effort is needed to operate it.
3. Cost-Effective
The vibrating plate compactors are a very cost-effective solution for doing compaction type of work at home. Rammers are the alternatives for the vibrating plates but have been proven to be less cost-effective.