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What Are Motor Graders?

Shannon Kietzman
Shannon Kietzman

Motor graders are used in excavation and precision finishing in the final shaping of surfaces where pavement will be laid. They come in all types and sizes and are used for a number of construction jobs.

Motor graders have a blade carried between the front and rear wheels. The blade is referred to as a grader and is controlled either mechanically or hydraulically. The blade can be extended from either side of the grader. Both ends of the blade can also be raised or lowered depending on the application, and are operated through a set of gears located within the cab of the grader.

Rough grading is performed with heavier engineering vehicles, such as bulldozers.
Rough grading is performed with heavier engineering vehicles, such as bulldozers.

These graders may be used for shallow ditching and fields. Most models, however, are used for roadwork. They are used to smooth out the surfaces on which roads are being laid, as well as to make the surface flat. Rough grading is performed with heavier engineering vehicles, such as scrapers and bulldozers. Although these look a lot like motor graders, they are a different type of equipment with a different purpose.

The area will be graded and batter boards put up to mark the corners and sides of the structure before the foundation is poured.
The area will be graded and batter boards put up to mark the corners and sides of the structure before the foundation is poured.

These graders are also commonly used in the maintenance of unpaved roads. Roads that are unpaved tend to become rutted during harsh weather. As a result, they frequently need to be smoothed over. In addition, these machines are used for removing rocks from a road surface on unpaved roads, which is generally caused by normal usage, as well as in areas of rockslides.

Today’s motor graders have the ability to be calibrated for more delicate use as well. Therefore, these large machines can now be used for jobs in which the roadway would have been torn up in the past from the use of the machines.

A surface must be graded before it can be paved.
A surface must be graded before it can be paved.

With the advancements made in motor graders, they are now also used to set native soil foundation pads. At large construction sites where buildings are being razed, these graders can clean the foundation in half the time a scraper would take. The machines are also used for asphalt operations in order to cut and remove asphalt for base preparation. In addition, they are used to lay down hot or cold mix, to fill ruts, and for general road construction clean up.

Motor graders are more versatile these days than ever. Large construction companies are discovering these graders can do more than the job they were originally designed for, and as a result, graders can replace several other pieces of equipment. Motor graders are also being developed with more sophisticated control units, allowing for more intricate work.

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    • Rough grading is performed with heavier engineering vehicles, such as bulldozers.
      By: mihashenk
      Rough grading is performed with heavier engineering vehicles, such as bulldozers.
    • The area will be graded and batter boards put up to mark the corners and sides of the structure before the foundation is poured.
      By: thejimcox
      The area will be graded and batter boards put up to mark the corners and sides of the structure before the foundation is poured.
    • A surface must be graded before it can be paved.
      By: alisonhancock
      A surface must be graded before it can be paved.