Construction equipment upkeep is the lifeblood of effective and efficient construction management. It’s a concept that drives construction forward and helps eliminate costly delays due to equipment failure. More importantly, effectively implementing the best practices for construction equipment upkeep helps to avoid potential safety accidents caused by machinery failures.

In my years of managing mobile service and installation teams, I saw no shortage of construction sites. Whether a new building was being assembled or a new receiving bay was being renovated on older buildings, I’ve seen firsthand how rough and tough construction equipment tasks can be. Furthermore, I’ve witnessed poorly managed construction equipment fail, causing costly delays and sometimes causing accidents.

In this article, I’m going to share 8 of my job-tested, proven best practices for construction equipment upkeep. We’ll look at some ideas that could help you streamline and strengthen your equipment and upkeep prowess. Furthermore, I’m going to share my secret weapon when it comes to effectively managing construction equipment upkeep. Let’s start by understanding a bit more about what happens when you ignore equipment upkeep.

Understanding the Importance of Construction Equipment Upkeep

Fatalities & Injuries Relating To Equipment

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the construction industry holds the record for the most fatal work injuries. ⁽¹⁾ Of the fatal work injuries, the most prominent, according to research, are falls to a lower level, accounting for 35% of fatal injuries in construction from 2011 to 2021. ⁽²⁾ However, two of the four top reasons for death in construction incidents were ‘struck-by’ and ‘caught-in/between’ accidents. As you can assume, many of these are directly related to equipment use.

Injuries and accidents aren’t the only reasons why it is imperative to complete regular and thorough construction equipment upkeep. Let’s take a moment to review actual construction equipment costs.

Example Cost of Repair Vs. Upkeep – Portable Construction Crane

A typical construction crane is a lattice-boom crawler crane. Let’s compare repair costs versus maintenance.

• Engine failure – diagnosis, and repair costs can start at $36,000 ⁽³⁾ (just the crane repair, not including time lost due to lack of operational equipment)
• Annual cost of crane preventive maintenance: $5,000 ⁽³⁾

As you can see, it would likely cost a company less to maintain equipment than to wait for it to fail. Furthermore, waiting for equipment failures is like playing Russian roulette with your construction project management. At any moment, under-maintained equipment could break down, causing you to scramble for replacement equipment and equipment repairs.

The last point is that well-maintained equipment has a longer useful life than neglected equipment. By performing preventive maintenance, you extend the length of time equipment is beneficial, providing fewer machinery purchase requirements over time.

By now, you understand the importance of the upkeep of construction equipment. Let’s move on to the eight tips I have from my experience managing installation teams and the heavy equipment associated with their work.

Best Practices for Construction Equipment Upkeep

Over the 20+ years I worked and managed in construction-related industries, I developed a systematic approach to managing equipment. Whether it was an arc or mig welder, a service truck, a scissor or articulating boom lift, or any number and type of other equipment I managed, following this simple 8-stage approach led to lower costs and longer equipment life cycles. Following are my best practices for construction equipment upkeep in eight easy-to-follow stages.

Regular Inspection and Maintenance Schedules

First and foremost, when managing equipment, you need to set a regular inspection and maintenance schedule. To make things simple, I would confirm the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance and schedule and set appropriate calendar dates to take the equipment out of service and have maintenance performed. Often, I would schedule this far in advance so I could similarly schedule replacement rental equipment to cover the time the company-owned equipment was out of service.

Further to scheduling manufacturer-recommended maintenance, I also typically set scheduled services for equipment based on several factors:

1. Use frequency – How often do we use said equipment?
2. Type of use – Is the equipment intended for work that is hard on components?
3. Trends of failure and wear and tear from previous equipment use.

With these three concepts in mind, I would create an equipment inspection, cleaning, and maintenance schedule that coincides with requirements based on my findings of these three elements of equipment use.

Pro Tip: If you want an easy way to track equipment failures, maintenance, inspections, and similarly related data for your equipment, try the 1st Reporting app. It makes it easy to perform equipment inspections, note failures and breakdowns, and track trends over time.

Proper Training for Equipment Operators

It may seem obvious, but training equipment operators is critical to ensuring the equipment is used appropriately for safety, job performance, and equipment useful-life longevity. I found that my equipment operators always did better when they had a deeper understanding of the equipment they were trained to operate. Sending machine operators to an equipment repair facility for a lesson on equipment specifics always helped to provide better operation.

Equipment operators who understand the strengths and weaknesses of their equipment share better observations when inspecting equipment. They also have a better understanding of the equipment’s limitations. All that said, I can tell you that the heavy equipment operators who went to talk with equipment mechanics were many improved operators after their lessons in equipment repair, maintenance, and limitations. Many equipment rental companies are often willing to have one of their mechanics spend an hour with your operators as it will give them the security of knowing you are more likely to use their rental services more often. It builds loyalty, so usually, rental companies are willing to work with you to set up this sort of meeting for free.

Another great way to empower your equipment operators is by providing them with the tools they need to make their job easier. For example, you could provide them with the 1st Reporting app that works on any mobile device. Then, upload equipment manuals and empower them with digital equipment inspection tools to enable them to perform their daily equipment pre-use inspections easily and quickly. 

Using Quality Replacement Parts and Fluids

The importance of using OEM parts for many types of equipment is critical. Furthermore, many types of equipment have specific requirements, and often, you won’t even find non-OEM parts. However, I’ve found that many parts are critical. Still, there are a few you can match with non-OEM (typically things like hydraulic lines, as long as they are rated appropriately).

When it comes to things like replaceable equipment-needed fluids, it’s best to stick with high-quality replacements. Don’t try to save a few dollars by purchasing a slightly different or cheaper alternative to manufacturer-recommended fluids. Like your blood, the fluids you use in your machines will make the difference between premature equipment failure and longer useful equipment life.

Documentation and Record Keeping

Like many managers, I like to keep good records. When it comes to preventive maintenance, good record-keeping is crucial for tracking and responding to trends in equipment use and wear. 

An excellent mobile inspection software, a solution like 1st Reporting, is ideal for maintaining equipment records. From pre-use inspections to maintenance work orders, the 1st Reporting app makes construction equipment management easy and highly effective.

Digital record keeping and equipment documentation are enhanced ways to extend and optimize equipment-related management. Using a tool like the 1st Reporting app to determine trends in equipment use, failures, and maintenance is easy with the built-in KPI reporting. Imagine getting all your equipment reports digitally submitted and, with the click of a button, generating a report that reveals equipment trends. No more will you have to comb through dozens of dirty, poorly written equipment reports. With a tool like 1st Reporting, you’re a few clicks away from removing the headache of multiple equipment inspection form reviews.

Implementing a Preventive Maintenance Program

I’ve stated before how crucial preventive maintenance is, so it should come as no surprise that I recommend implementing a robust preventive maintenance program. Follow my advice noted earlier about scheduling equipment service, and you’ll be well on your way to improving your equipment’s life cycle and helping reduce potentially costly equipment failures.

GPS and Telematics for Equipment Monitoring

Using GPS tracking is essential when you manage a fleet of equipment. This management becomes all the more critical when multiple work sites and job locations are involved. That’s one of many reasons I love using the 1st Reporting app for machine management.

Before each day, I ensured my equipment operators completed and submitted an equipment pre-use inspection. I also ensured all my operators had the latest and updated equipment training (both for operation and inspection) to provide the highest quality of observation and documentation.

Using a mobile app like 1st Reporting to complete daily equipment inspections made managing that much easier. Each form completed using 1st Reporting is automatically GPS-enabled. That means that you can easily see all the types of reports and where team members submitted them on the customizable map view in the 1st Reporting manager dashboard.

Advanced Techniques for Construction Equipment Upkeep

Exploring advanced maintenance techniques can help you bridge the gap between effective, efficient, and efficacious equipment management. My last two best practices for construction equipment upkeep management involve predictive maintenance and the use of automated maintenance systems.

Predictive Maintenance

I worked for years in the commercial overhead door and loading dock industry. One of the processes we implemented for clients was to offer a form of predictive maintenance. You see, we worked a lot with counter-balance systems that used torsion springs to counter the weight of the overhead doors. You’ve probably seen similar springs on your garage door at home. Back then, I would precisely calculate the spring wire gauge, length, and diameter to ensure a specific power and cycle life. Hence, we knew the number of approximate cycles before the spring was likely due to a break from the stress of repeated uses. Our system was to include trackers that counted door cycles so we could pre-emptively replace springs in a controlled service before they were at the end of their useful life. This process enabled scheduling repairs rather than scrambling to work around sudden breakages.

The point I’m making here is that by documenting maintenance and use, we can effectively predict breakdowns in a more educated guess than purely speculative guessing. As most machinery has either mileage or an hour’s meter, it is typically acceptable to enable a predictive repair procedure for your construction equipment that coincides with proven equipment life cycles.

Documenting and using data for predictive maintenance is a lot easier when you have a tool like the 1st Reporting app at your disposal. Aside from the seamless integration with Microsoft Power BI, 1st also has built-in KPI reporting that helps you find trends in equipment inspections, repair orders, and other equipment-related documentation.

Automated Maintenance Systems

Automated maintenance systems are one step beyond general predictive maintenance in the sense that by using tools like the 1st Reporting app, you can automate aspects of equipment management. For example, with the custom notification system in 1st Reporting, you can ensure that construction equipment managers get an appropriate notification when a piece of equipment is inspected, used, repaired, and other relative events. The app has a powerfully customizable notification system that empowers you to automate communications that are an intrinsic part of an equipment maintenance or upkeep process.

Similarly, using a system like the 1st Reporting app can help you create custom forms with automatic relevant report creation. For example, using the 1st Reporting’s custom form builder, you can add a ‘relationship’ form element that dynamically creates and attaches your chosen other forms, like repair work orders, annual inspection forms, or other forms of your choosing. This element enables you to create entire workflows automatically to help ensure equipment stage policies and procedures are maintained and documented according to your organization’s needs. 

Final Thoughts on Maximizing Machinery Efficiency

Ensuring optimal construction equipment upkeep is vital for enhancing productivity, safety, and cost-efficiency in any construction project. By adhering to equipment management best practices such as regular inspections, proper operator training, and using quality replacement parts, you can significantly extend the lifespan of your equipment and prevent costly breakdowns. Leveraging technology, like the 1st Reporting app, can further streamline maintenance processes, providing real-time data, GPS tracking, and automated notifications.

Implementing these practices will safeguard your investment and ensure smooth and efficient operations. Embrace the power of preventive and predictive maintenance, utilize advanced tools, and transform your equipment management strategy. Start incorporating these techniques today to witness a remarkable improvement in your construction project outcomes.

Additional Resources

Want to learn more about Mobile Reporting in the Construction Industry? Take a look at a few of our other guides:

• Construction Project Management: Mobile Reporting for Real-Time Updates & Progress
• Enhancing Construction Daily Log Creation For Better Project Management
• The Construction Checklist App For More Than Just Field Reporting
• Revolutionize Field Data Capture with 1st Reporting

Article Sources 

1. “Number and Rate of Fatal Work Injuries, by Private Industry Sector.” 2022. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2022. https://www.bls.gov/charts/census-of-fatal-occupational-injuries/number-and-rate-of-fatal-work-injuries-by-industry.htm.
2. William Harris, MS, Thomas Yohannes, MPH, Amber Brooke Trueblood, DrPH, “Fatal and Nonfatal Focus Four Injuries in Construction,” CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training, n.d. https://www.cpwr.com/wp-content/uploads/DataBulletin-March2023.pdf.
3. “Construction Equipment Costs You Must Consider – Tenna.” 2020. Tenna. August 17, 2020. https://www.tenna.com/equipment-tracking-guide/construction-equipment-costs/.