Road rollers are heavy equipment primarily used to compact surfaces, including soil, concrete, asphalt, and gravel, among many others. They are mainly used in construction, agriculture, and landfill sites. Six main types of road rollers are available and each is designed for specific applications.<\/p>\n
1. Sheepsfoot roller<\/strong><\/p>\n Also known as a tamping roller, the sheepsfoot roller is characterised by a drum with various rectangular or round bulges (feet). It is possible to fill the drum with damp sand or water to increase its weight. It\u2019s mainly used in the compaction of cohesive soils like clay. It does, however, not work well with sandy soils.<\/p>\n 2. Cylindrical roller<\/strong><\/p>\n It is the most common and widely recognised road roller. It has a drum made of either iron, stone, or concrete, and can be drawn using animals, vehicles, or by hand. Cylindrical rollers are used for basic tasks like compacting soil.<\/p>\n 3. Vibratory roller<\/strong><\/p>\n A vibratory roller usually has one or two wheels and is used to smooth surfaces. It has an eccentric shaft inside that generates vibrations. It\u2019s mostly used for compressing granular base coarse but is sometimes useful for compacting asphaltic concrete.<\/p>\n 4. Pneumatic tyred roller<\/strong><\/p>\n It is fitted with a heavy loaded wagon containing various rows of four to six tyres close to each other and is sometimes referred to as the rubber-tyred roller. It is effective in compressing:<\/p>\n \u2022 soft base coarse materials
\n\u2022 layers of loose soil
\n\u2022 cold laid bituminous pavements
\n\u2022 nearly dry fine-grained cohesive soil
\n\u2022 closely graded sands<\/p>\n