Can You Identify This Construction Equipment?

A trencher, as you might expect, is used to dig trenches. It cuts into asphalt or pavement and can dig those trenches to lay piping or cable on a construction site. There are also small versions for smaller jobs if you don't need to cut through the pavement.

A bolster can be used like a chisel to precisely cut bricks or metal. It's what's known as a "cold chisel." For brick use, you need to make a line, score it, and then hammer the bolster in to break the brick cleanly.

A bump cutter or screed might look like a mop or a large squeegee, but its purpose is for leveling concrete surfaces such as floors and foundations by cutting down any uneven or high spots.

A circular saw is a handy item on any job site for cutting frames, planks and assorted wooden items. It was invented over 100 years ago for use in splitting timber, and it was initially called a "rip saw."

An excavator is a pretty standard piece of construction equipment. The most common use is for digging out holes and lifting the rubble, but they can also be fitted with jackhammer ends to break stone and asphalt.

Crowbars are tools that seem to have an endless number of uses from digging into the soil to pulling out nails. They're also one of the oldest tools you'll ever come across — even Shakespeare wrote about them.

A backhoe loader is a pretty recognizable tool with a digging bucket on one end and a shovel in front. These tend to be much smaller than equipment like an excavator and are therefore more common in urban construction areas.

Hard hats have been a part of construction for many years now. Franz Kafka, author of "The Metamorphosis," was actually credited with creating one of the first hardhats for civilian use even though there's no evidence to support that claim.

Scaffolding is pretty integral to any building and maintenance as it affords workers a chance to access parts of construction at a significant height while offering support and the ability to have tools and equipment readily available.

The cleverly named tile cutter is specifically designed to split tiles to whatever necessary size or shape is needed for a job. It works by scoring a line in the tile then clamping down with pressure to split it apart.

Drills are remarkably old tools, as in tens of thousands of years old. Of course, a power drill is a much more modern adaptation, and the first electric drills were created in the late 1880s.

Construction sites are always full of heavy, bulky and awkward items. If you need to transport something a little more safely, a wheelbarrow is a great way to do it and save yourself a potential injury.

Pile drivers have existed for quite a while, and early versions of the device were made with simple wooden frames and counterweights. Modern versions may be hydraulic or use a diesel and air hammer system to force poles into the ground.

A sledgehammer is an invaluable tool in construction and, of course, destruction. Useful for knocking out walls of all kinds, it's also handy for driving in spikes and supports thanks to the impressive weight of the hammerhead.

A nail punch is a handy tool if you're looking to hide all the nails in the work you're doing. Line the nail punch up with the hammered-in nail and hit it with the hammer to force the nail head just below the surface so it can be covered seamlessly with wood filler.

A skeleton gun is basically a frame for something like a tube of caulking or silicone sealant. Place the tube in the gun, and it will allow you to control and lay a bead of whatever it is that you're using.

Bulldozers are some of the heaviest machines on a construction site, and they're designed for incredibly heavy work. They're so powerful there are actually armored, military bulldozers in service around the world.

Jackhammers, also known as pneumatic drills, are the powerful union of hammer and chisel in one remarkably aggressive package. They can be powered by hydraulics, compressed air or electric motors, and are chiefly used to bash rock to pieces.

If you've ever wondered how a dirt road gets flat and level enough to drive on, wonder no more! A grader also called a motor grader or a road grader can smooth out the surface of a road to keep it level and safe.

Chisels are probably as old as the idea of using a rock to smash something. Modern chisels are made of hardened steel and can be used in woodworking but also for something like brickwork when parts need to be chiseled free.

Steamrollers date back to the 1800s, and they work on the time-tested principle that you can smooth and level anything by crushing it with incredible weight. The roller on a typical steam roller can weigh over 30 tons.

End frames are helpful when you need to make sure your brickwork is perfectly even. The frames get mounted on the end bricks, and a line runs from one side to the other as a handy guide to line up everything.

The ultimate tool of destruction is the mighty wrecking ball. It's literally just a giant, heavy ball that you smash things with. It's generally used when you have an entire building made of brick that you need to smash to the ground.

One of the most dangerous tools on a construction site, a nail gun is capable of shooting a nail at about 90 miles per hour. Some are capable of firing three nails per second, which is why the CDC says around 37,000 people a year go to emergency rooms with nail gun injuries.

A dump truck is a pretty common sight on any construction site whenever rubble, soil, rocks and assorted other items need to be hauled from one place to another. Some dump trucks can carry 14 tons or more.

A concrete mixer, sometimes called a cement mixer, generally comes in two varieties. There are the large ones that are carted around on the backs of trucks, and then the smaller units that are more portable meant for mixing small batches.

A plumb bob is clearly a pretty simple little tool and it's used for measuring something's vertical alignment. If you want to know if something is straight up and down, hang this off of it.

An oscillating multi-tool is useful for any number of reasons on a job site. It can be used as a plunge cutter for digging into and splitting hardwood, a sander, a grinder, a buffer, a polisher and more.

A concrete float is a very simple item for concrete finishing. You grab hold of the handle on the back and then simply smooth the float across your finished concrete surface like an iron to smooth it out.

A mason square helps you get the perfect angle with your walls. You can lay bricks down with the mason square as a guide and then any subsequent bricks laid in relation to those first ones will be straight, too.

Cranes come in multiple sizes, but some of the biggest ones are used for massive construction projects like skyscrapers. The Taisun Gantry Crane in China is capable of lifting 20,000 tons, so these things are pretty intense.

A good, old-fashioned handsaw can be all you need sometimes when it comes to some cutting on the job site. These things are so old that there are actually ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics depicting them in use.

A jack plane is a bench plane that you can run across the surface of wood the peel a layer off in much the same way you'd peel down a potato. The cut is rough and will need to be smoothed out later, but it's an excellent way to fit wood to size.

A ladder is an essential piece of equipment on so many job sites, and it's also a common one for injuries. In fact, they run ladder certifications courses in places like Europe just to ensure you actually know what you're doing on one.

A coping saw is an excellent tool for doing intricate cutting work as the C-shape frame and the thin blade allow you to really get into what you're cutting and do some delicate angles and different shapes.

An angle grinder is obviously useful for doing some grinding work, but thanks to a variety of replaceable attachments, you can also use it for cutting, sanding, buffing and polishing as well.

Sometimes called a tamper, an earth rammer is like a tiny, hand-held steam roller. It's used to stamp down earth to keep it nice and level for when you plan to lay down stones, paving or even fencing.

You can't get much done in any construction setting without measuring tape. There's an old saying that goes "measure twice, cut once" which speaks to the importance of measuring. It's the basis for getting anything done correctly.

A pickax is usually associated with mining and busting rocks, but on a construction site it's great for digging into hard soil when you need it loosened up and a typical tool like a spade or a shovel won't work.

A polisher is essentially just a large buffing tool that you can use to shine up something like floor tiles or any other type of flooring that could use a good shine on them to make them look clean and new.