The Romance of Construction Plant and Tools

Excuse me? Well, anything is beautiful when you look at it with the right eyes, even construction plant and tools! Trust me, read on.

The Romance of Construction Plant and Tools

What is Construction Plant?

The phrase ‘construction plant’ is used to describe the heavy machinery and equipment used during construction works. It includes, for example, cranes, vehicles (like bulldozers, cherry pickers, dumpers) and heavy lifting equipment such as hoists and loaders. There is also a whole host of other tools that are used by hand. You can read more about ‘construction plant’ here.

Why Am I Even Writing About Construction Plant?

This blog was born from the madness caused by my tinnitus (written about in an another blog). We had several large vehicles, diggers, excavators, dumpers etc on the road near the house. They were digging a trench for new electricity cables and the constant vibrating sound played chaos with my ears.

My method of coping with situations like this is to look for the beauty (or romance!) in the equipment being used. And to my surprise, looking back at my portfolio, this is not the first time I have found construction plant attractive. I must be mad (no comments please).

Construction Cranes In The Landscape

Construction cranes can be a blot on the landscape but sometimes they add something to a scene that tells a story.

Cranes Towering Over London Landmarks

For example, this photograph of Blackfriars Bridge in London is one that I took a few years ago. The bridge goes over the River Thames towards the City of London, England, UK. In this photo from left to right you can see Telephone House (Grade II listed), Audit House (with scaffolding), Carmelite House which is a new office building and Sion Hall (also Grade II listed). These buildings are part of the riverside character created by the Whitefriars Conservation Area.

The construction plant adds an interesting perspective to the image, the tall crane disappearing upwards into a threatening, stormy sky. It still seems everywhere I look in London there is a construction site and cranes towering overhead but I guess in a large city the building work is never ending. New building among the old historical structures.

Cranes Take Over The Skyline in Copenhagen

When I was in Copenhagen in Denmark, I walked along the Christianshavn side of the Inderhavnen. There was a wonderful view across the moored vessels towards a major construction site on the other side. I loved the contrast of the building site and three cranes on the right hand side of the image, compared to the traditional Danish building to the left and the boat in the foreground.

Who said construction can’t be pretty? I added a texture to this image to reinforce the idea of pieces put together.

Construction Vehicles Stand Out From The Crowd

The Jaunty Little JCB

This bright JCB caught my eye one day as I walked along Brighton seafront in Sussex, England. It stands parked in front of a marquee that has been erected in preparation for the Brighton Marathon. You can just see the sea in the background and concrete slabs sit in front of the JCB. The vehicle is parked after a long day of moving sand and shingle to create a flat surface for the marquis and other event buildings. And I thought it was rather jolly!

The Dog and the Digger

But my favorite of my construction plant images has to be this one, taken in my home town of Paciano in Umbria, Italy.

This piece of equipment was sitting idly at the side of the road having done its job of taking off the surface of the road. The vehicle has large caterpillar tracks and a spiky drum at the front for tearing up tarmac and dig a trench (a bit like the one that is making all the noise outside my house!). The driver has gone to operate a different machine to add depth to the trench. From nowhere this little tan dog appears, furiously wagging his tail, and heads straight for the vehicle and the caterpillar tracks at the back (where he proceeds to cock his leg!).

So the next time you come across construction plant try and look for the beauty underneath the dirt and practicality. You might be surprised!

Before you go

My name is Dorothy Berry-Lound an artist and writer. You can find out more about my art and writing at https://dorothyberryloundart.com.

You can follow me on Facebook.

Thank you for reading!