Road sweeper
Road sweepers are vehicles that are used to keep roads, pavements and other hard surfaces clean and free from debris. Road sweepers either clean with brushes or with air.
Conventional road sweepers use jets underneath the vehicle body to spray water onto the road surface. This helps to loosen particles and reduce airborne dust. Brushes then scrub the dirt off the surface, while a cylindrical broom-like brush sweeps the debris onto a conveyor belt which leads to a storage container, or hopper, inside the vehicle. Alternatively, a vacuum mechanism may suck up the debris.
Typically, the brushes are capable of spinning at around 4,000 revolutions per minute (rpm).
Regenerative road sweepers use a hydraulic system that forces air into a swirling effect inside a contained sweeping head. A negative pressure on the suction side is then used to suck the debris into the hopper. The truck is fitted with filters that use centrifugal separation to clean the air of the debris, allowing the air to be reused.
These road sweepers are often noisier than conventional sweepers, as an extra engine is required to power the vacuum pump.
Many modern road sweepers are PM10 certified, which means they are capable of collecting and holding particulate matter as small as 10 μm (micrometres), which is often a leading cause of stormwater pollution.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.
Barratt Lo-E passivhaus standard homes planned enmasse
With an initial 728 Lo-E homes across two sites and many more planned for the future.
Government urged to uphold Warm Homes commitment
ECA and industry bodies write to Government concerning its 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment.
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1929-1990. Book review.
The emancipation of women in art.
CIOB Construction Manager of the Year 2025
Just one of the winners at the CIOB Awards 2025.
Call for independent National Grenfell oversight mechanism
MHCLG share findings of Building Safety Inquiry in letter to Secretary of State and Minister for Building Safety.
The Architectural Technology Awards
AT Awards now open for this the sixth decade of CIAT.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson awards
Deadline for submissions Friday 30 May 2025.
The benefits of precast, off-site foundation systems
Top ten benefits of this notable innovation.
Encouraging individuals to take action saving water at home, work, and in their communities.
Takes a community to support mental health and wellbeing
The why of becoming a Mental Health Instructor explained.
Mental health awareness week 13-18 May
The theme is communities, they can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and a sense purpose.
Mental health support on the rise but workers still struggling
CIOB Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025 shows.
Design and construction material libraries
Material, sample, product or detail libraries a key component of any architectural design practice.
Construction Products Reform Green Paper and Consultation
Still time to respond as consultation closes on 21 May 2025.
Resilient façade systems for smog reduction in Shanghai
A technical approach using computer simulation and analysis of solar radiation, wind patterns, and ventilation.