There are hundreds of thousands of kilometers of roadway in the U.S. Have you ever wondered how those roads stay clean? If you’ve not thought of it before you could assume they clean themselves through rainfall and the motion of traffic.
If the roads were left to themselves, then in a short period of time they would become unusable. The roads need to be constantly cleaned to keep them safe and free from lots of different types of debris. Street sweepers are the silent workhorses that do this thankless job.
You may wonder how do street sweepers work? The answer involves two opposite physical forces. Read and you’ll see how the humble street sweep is an engineering marvel.
One Vehicle Two Engines
It’s a rare vehicle that can boast two engines. One of the engines creates the pushing force that drives the truck. This is a typical diesel engine but some vehicles use alternative energy sources that are cleaner and renewable.
The second engine creates the pulling force that sucks debris into the vehicle. It also powers the two big broom heads in a circular motion.
The brooms can be operated together or separately. Both broom heads spin towards the center of the truck as this drives the debris together into a tighter pile that can be sucked up into the collection unit.
4 Stage Process
If you were to ask a driver for street cleaner tips they’d probably say one of the key factors is the speed of the vehicle. It needs to be slow enough to allow all 5 stages of the cleaning process to occur but fast enough for the work to be efficient and cost-effective.
The first process is to release water onto the street that has the effect of dampening down the dust and debris. The second stage is the ‘sweeping’ bit that gathers that matter together.
Third, a strong air force is applied across the sweeping head to drag the dirt and matter from the head and up into the collection unit. The final stage releases water onto the street afterward so as to give it a final wash.
Roadblocks to Clean
Would you believe one of the biggest obstacles to street cleaning is people? We park our cars and are oblivious to the nighttime work of the cleaners.
You should ask yourself are there any street sweepers near me and what days do they come into my street? When you know this, you can help the work of the street cleaner by making sure you park your car in another street or on the opposite side to being cleaned.
How Do Street Sweepers Work – Final Word
In this article, we’ve given you a quick street sweeper guide. You’ve read about how do street sweepers work. Armed with that knowledge you can help these hard workers do their job by being more aware and moving your car to accommodate them.
Next time you’re tucked up in bed and you hear the street sweeper go by you can take satisfaction in knowing a little bit more about the remarkable street sweeping vehicle. Check out other articles that match your lifestyle and interests on our site.
