About Bulldozers

A bulldozer is a crawler, or a tracked tractor, equipped with a large curved blade, sometimes called a dozer. This construction vehicle is used to push material or debris in a single direction in order to move it or to evenly distribute it. Bulldozers can be found at building construction sites, mining operations, and military installations. The iconic image of the bulldozer, as well as its name, has both positive and negative connotations.

History

Bulldozers were first used in America during the 1920s as a replacement for animal-pulled agricultural tools. Bulldozers ran on tracks that allowed them to easily maneuver on soft ground. During the 1930s, bulldozers helped created the landscape of the United States as we know it today, through clearing, flattening, and new construction. During World War II, bulldozers were used to build fortifications, roads, and airstrips wherever there was a theater of war.

Function

The "dozer" is a vertical curved blade, wider than it is higher, and is set in front of the unit. The blade can be raised or lowered. A bulldozer can weigh between six and 40 tons and have engines between 50 and 700 horsepower. When the blade is lowered, material being pushed rolls forward with the bulldozer's movements. If the blade is slightly elevated, an even coat material is smoothed out, such as when gravel is spread.

Uses

Bulldozers are often seen on construction sites. Bulldozers are used to flatten land or clear away debris. Angledozers are bulldozers with dozer blades angled away so debris is moved to the side. These are useful for moving surface debris and topsoil. Bulldozers help road construction by moving material in even coats. Bulldozers are also used for military applications for the building of outposts, firebases, and other fortifications.

Negativity

Although bulldozers are a powerful tool for construction, they are synonymous with destruction. Bulldozers have a very harmful image, seen as the destroyers of natural habitats, human habitats, and cultural icons. They are often portrayed in the news at the opposite end of protesters.

Future Bulldozers

NASA has unveiled to the public a project for using lunar bulldozer robots. These robots would be used to build landing pads or outposts on the moon, but most importantly for creating an environment that would allow rockets to land and take off. Without a hard surface, the rocket's propulsion would blast lunar dust, damaging or destroying everything in the blast radius. These lunar bulldozers would be multipurpose vehicles possibly controlled by long distance operation and supervised autonomy.