The Usage of Various Kinds of Jacks in Construction

Jacks are widely used in various construction and engineering projects. From mechanical jacks to hydraulic ones, the following are a few common usages of jacks in construction activities and processes.

One of the most laborious processes in construction and heavy engineering processes is the moving and lifting of heavy structures. It is also this area that science and technology constantly improves with new innovations and techniques. In construction, tungalyftactivities can be a regular part of moving megaton structures, earthwork operations, bridge launching, tank constructions, etc. There are a variety of equipment and machinery such as cranes and hydraulic strands that are used for these purposes. However, at the heart of most of these equipments and operations is the presence of a jack, or collection of jacks. Jacks, specifically of hydraulic jacks, are devices used in construction, automation, mining, and other industries for the lifting and moving of heavy loads. They also find use in activities that require the application of great force (metrohydraulic.com, "TYPES OF HYDRAULIC JACKS", 2015).

Depending on the load that has to be lifted or moved, jacks come with different load-bearing specifications and maximum lifting capacities. Jacks can bear anywhere from 1 ton to many tons for industrial use. There are various kinds of jacks, ranging from simpler mechanical ones to complex hydraulic ones. The following are the usages of different kinds of jacks:

Vehicles

Some of the most common forms of jacks such as garage jacks, or car jacks, are used to lift vehicles by technicians and engineers performing maintenance on them. Some jacks such as scissor jacks employ mechanical advantage which enables humans using the jack to hoist up a vehicle by manual force. Such jacks can also be electrically operated, which would let a car or a van be lifted up or lowered automatically.

Caissons

Caissons, where engineering and construction activities are concerned, are huge chambers that are watertight. Caissons have mechanisms built-in, in order to keep water out of the holding chamber and are used for ship repair works, concrete dam constructions, etc. Hydraulic jacks and skidding techniques find application in moving heavy structures for caisson production purposes (The Construction Civil, "CAISSONS – TYPES OF CAISSONS", 2013).

Buildings

Often, construction engineers would need to lift buildings to expose the foundation for various purposes such as transferring the structure elsewhere or for conducting repairs. Special jacks called house or screw jacks are used for this purpose. Jacks are used in series to hoist the building, which can then be supported temporarily by wood cribbing. One common use of this technique is to raise the level of a building that could be easily flooded during rains, or that needs to be moved to make way for expanding roads.

Apart from the usages mentioned above, there are various other applications of jacks and specialized heavy lifting equipment. A constructions company, for example, would use various combinations of such equipments and techniques in their everyday operations. One construction company that specializes in heavy lift techniques is Bygging Uddemann. More information regarding such techniques and equipment such as strand jacks, rods, etc, can be found on their website.

Jacks are widely used in various construction and engineering projects. From mechanical jacks to hydraulic ones, the following are a few common usages of jacks in construction activities and processes.