PAST AND FUTURE OF CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT - III

To predict the construction equipment of the future, it is divided into equipment of the near future and that of the distant future. Equipment of the near future can best be decribed by extrapolating from present machines. New equipment must now be designed under the constraints of OSHA, EPA, and the labor unions. It will be safer, have less noise, and provide more comfort for the operator. Equipment in the distant future will incorporate new systems of excavation, concrete mixing and placing, and use of new materials. Use of automation, electronic controls, and new devices will increase productivity and decrease labor requirements.