Bulldozers In the Construction Environment

The history behind the name ‘bulldozer’ suggests the strength of a bull and the dose of violence it would need to push a group of people into something.  The name became connected with this heavy machine around the 1930s as something using violence to intimidate, clear or level.  Due to most ‘dozers’ having tracks instead of wheels, a common name for them is a crawler loader.

Komatsu’s bulldozers were primarily built for the construction industry, as they are powerful, tracked, heavy equipment with excellent ground-holding capabilities and mobility through rough terrain.  On wet or sandy ground, the tracks distribute the weight evenly to prevent the unit sinking.  Komatsu dozers are renowned for their durability and reliability in all environments.

Uses of Construction Dozers

Track dozers are the strong, steady, highly mobile work horses on a construction site.

1. The rear ripper fitted to most dozers enables the machine to loosen impacted soil and debris on a construction site.  Once the soil has been loosened, this enables the heavy blade to come into its own. 
2. The blade’s main role is to push and level materials that have been loosened to prepare the ground for construction, roadways or pavements. 
3. Bulldozers are also able to dig and excavate as required.  On sites with existing structures which need removed, dozers are often part of the demolition squad of construction equipment that will be utilised to remove a redundant structure.

Komatsu Dozer Information

The average construction track dozer does not go much faster than 10km per hour (approximately the speed of a bicycle).  However, the bulldozer’s functions and role mean that speed is not what these machines are built for. 

Some special Bulldozer notes:

• A point of interest is that dozers do travel backwards faster than forwards! 
• It is unwise to use a bulldozer on a tarred or paved road, as the weight of the unit and the strength of the tracks will cause major damage to these surfaces. 
• Remote control for dozers is now becoming a reality in the construction world.