Career Details :: Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators
Description
Operate equipment used for applying concrete, asphalt, or other materials to road beds, parking lots, or airport runways and taxiways, or equipment used for tamping gravel, dirt, or other materials. Includes concrete and asphalt paving machine operators, form tampers, tamping machine operators, and stone spreader operators.
Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience may be helpful in these occupations, but usually is not needed. For example, a drywall installer might benefit from experience installing drywall, but an inexperienced person could still learn to be an installer with little difficulty.
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma and may require some vocational training or job-related course work. In some cases, an associate's or bachelor's degree could be needed.
Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees.
Tasks
- Starts machine, engages clutch, pushes and moves levers, and turns wheels to control and guide machine along forms or guidelines.
- Lights burner or starts heating unit of machine and regulates temperature.
- Cleans, maintains, and repairs equipment, according to specifications, using mechanics' hand tools, or reports malfunction to supervisor.
- Operate machine to mix and spray binding, waterproofing, and curing compounds.
- Drives and operates curbing machine to extrude concrete or asphalt curbing.
- Operates machine or manually rolls surfaces to compact earth fills, foundation forms, and finished road materials, according to grade specifications.
- Monitors machine operation and observes distribution of paving material to adjust machine settings or material flow.
- Operate machine to spread, smooth, or steel-reinforce stone, concrete, or asphalt.
- Installs dies, cutters, and extensions to screed onto machine, using hand tools.
- Drives machine onto truck trailer and drives truck to transport machine to and from job site.
- Sets up forms and lays out guidelines for curbs, according to written specifications, using string, spray paint, and concrete/water mix.
- Operates machine to clean or cut expansion joints in concrete or asphalt and to rout out cracks in pavement.
- Fills tank, hopper, or machine with paving materials.
Related Careers
- Dragline Operators
- Grader, Bulldozer, and Scraper Operators
- Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators
- Operating Engineers
- Pile-Driver Operators
- Rail Yard Engineers, Dinkey Operators, and Hostlers
- Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators
Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Controlling Machines and Processes
- Operating Vehicles or Equipment
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Performing General Physical Activities
- Monitor Processes, Material, Surroundings
Important Skills
- Operation and Control
- Equipment Selection
- Product Inspection
- Equipment Maintenance
- Operation Monitoring
Frequent Work Context
- Degree of Automation
- Hazardous Equipment
- Outdoors
- Using Hands on Objects, Tools, Controls
- Consequence of Error
Institutions Offering Related Majors
No institutions found.