Rollers

Rollers, or sometimes called compactors, are used for compacting soil, gravel, asphalt, etc... for constructing roadways or large foundation areas where concrete will be poured. The main use for these rollers are to smooth out roadways prior to laying asphalt. It is similar to a fine grade for finishing a grade around a building.

How does a roller work? It uses its weight and vibrating action from inside the roller to compact and flatten the area it covers. One thing I didn't realize is that in some rollers, you can fill the inside of the drum(front smooth roller) with water to achieve the particular weight that the roller needs for the job. For different applications, a roller needs to have certain weight standards in order to smooth different surfaces. If the roller is too light, then the end result will not be met and the area being rolled will not be compacted enough. Thus, your final product will be unsatisfactory.

Below is a video that I took from the Prices Fork Elementary school compacting a mid-size stone temporary road for equipment to get in and out. Since winter is already here, stone roads are needed for equipment to drive on. If these temporary roads aren't in place, equipment may sink into the wet soil and create a mess around the job site - a nightmare for any contractor.

The top image was taken from - http://www.davidtate.com/compaction.htm