Earthmoving is a necessary procedure when you're building a new home, as you'll need to dig a foundation for your house. There are many considerations that need to be taken when it comes to performing your own excavation. You'll need to make sure that it's safe and that you dig just deep enough, but you also need to make sure you have the right equipment. For earthmoving projects, it's common to use either a scraper or an articulated hauler to get rid of the soil dug up from the ground. To choose between these two types of earthmoving equipment, there are a few things you should think about.
Scrapers
A scraper is a common piece of equipment used for a variety of excavation projects. It's a machine that scrapes the dirt from the ground by using a hopper that's attached to the machine, but it can also be used for transportation only in combination with an excavator. Scrapers are the best choice when it comes to earthmoving projects performed on sandy soil, as this is the type of soil that's the easiest for the hopper to grasp. However, it is not very adapted for wet conditions, and using it on clay soil can cause it to stick and therefore malfunction. If you have a long way to haul the soil, you also need to think about the fuel consumption of a scraper. As a scraper often uses two separate engines to power the driving mechanism and the hopper, it's more likely to use more fuel than other types of earthmoving equipment. If you have a long way to haul the soil, this might become a substantial expense.
Articulated haulers
The other type of earthmoving equipment common for projects like these is an articulated hauler. These machines have no excavating equipment, but can only be used to haul the soil. They have no restrictions on what type of soil they can haul, and can therefore be used also with wet soil. They also tend to be more roomy than scrapers, meaning that they can transport more soil in one go. This also makes these types of machines more economically preferable compared to scrapers as you won't have to drive as many times to dump the soil. This also makes them more preferable for deep excavations, as that produces more soil. Scrapers are also inappropriate for deep excavations, as the hoppers won't be able to dig very deep. Articulated haulers might also be more fuel efficient due to only having one engine.
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