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CHAPTER 3
OPERATING CYCLE OF
EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENT
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
3.1 INTRODUCTION
LC = BV + RSV
Where:
LC = loading capacity or heap capacity
BV = machine loading box volume
RSV = additional volume of the soil reposed over the box plane
SRV 450
BV
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Soil volume in its original site (natural state) in the terrain is always less
than its volume after being cut and transported (displaced). The
difference in volumes before and after soil cutting depends on:
Soil type
Moisture content
Soil cohesion
In general, the coarse granular soils and gravel get considerably smaller
friable volume after being cut than rocks, and the moist cohesive soils get
a little bigger friable volume than their volume when being dry.
CFF = soil volume before cutting (SVBC) / soil volume after cutting
(SVAC)
Table 3.1 presents the correction factor of soil friability for some soil
types.
Table 3.1
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Table 3.2
Tracked 50 0.83
Wheeled 45 0.75
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Some of these phases require time variable from cycle to another such as
the displacing and return phases. Some other operations such as filing the
bowl and discharging the soil take fixed time period.
Therefore, the time for one operating cycle is calculated as:
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
The air resistance or drag is negligible due to the low speed of motion.
The motion resistance is generated as a result of soil compaction and
bulldozing that occurs during motion.
The rolling resistance coefficient varies according to the soil type and
traction mechanism from 0.02 up to 0.16 or even more.
Table 3.3 shows average values of the rolling resistance coefficient on
various types of soil.
Concrete 0.02 -
Compact clay & gravel 0.03 -
Compact clay 0.05 0.2
Low dense clay 0.08 0.04
Loose sand & gravel 0.10 0.05
Loose sand 0.16 0.07
Where:
W = weight of the equipment
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Table 3.5 gives average values of the traction coefficient which is defined
as the ratio between the traction force multiplied by the weight on the
driven traction elements. This is written as:
= Ft / Wadh
where:
Wadh = weight on the driven traction elements
Ft = traction force
Table 3.5
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Table 3.6.
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
It is important to firstly determine the cycle load as the scraper weight has
effect on haul speeds, after that it should be remembered that scrapers
work in teams assisted by one or more pusher tractors.
a) Work data:
Scraper data is usually given as:
b) Cycle Load:
From Manufacturer`s specifications take the heaped volume capacity of
the scraper. This must be multiplied by a fill factor depending on material
to be loaded. Table (3.7) is a rough guide.
Table (3.7)
Material Fill factor
Conventional scraper Elevating scraper
Soft clay 0.75 1.05 0.90 1.00
Sand & gravel 0.70 0.90 0.85 0.95
Rock-well blasted 0.50 0.80 N.A
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
c) Cycle Time:
Cycle time is made up of two main parts:
Fixed time
Is the time required to load and subsequently unload the scraper, plus any
other non-traveling time, waiting for the push tractor, maneuvering etc.
Table (3.8)
Scraper Fixed time, seconds
type Load Dump Wait & Total
Maneuver
Conventional 30 60 10 20 30 60 70 -140
Elevated 55 80 15 25 10 -25 80 - 130
Variable time
This is the time to travel from the cut (loading area) to the fill or dump
(unloading area) and the return.
The haul road is divided into sections having gradient and rolling
resistance.
If the job is done at high altitude (over 3000 m) the power loss may be
significant. Therefore, the total resistance is divided by an altitude factor.
The altitude factor is calculated as:
This will give the maximum theoretical travel speed for a given total
resistance.
The theoretical travel speed should also be multiplied by a speed factor.
Figure (3.2) shows the speed factor in relation to the haul section length.
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Cycles per hour = Working minutes per hour x 60 / Cycle time (sec)
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
The forms shown in figs.(3.3, 3.4) can be used to calculate the scraper
output.
To complete the required calculations for scrapers output some
relationships showing the data of scraper engine, and pusher engine
power as related to heap capacity are required.
These are given in Figs.
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
e) Solved example:
Solution:
Procedure of calculation is as follows:-
First calculate cycle load
estimated cycle load
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
a) Cycle Load:
From Manufacturer`s specifications take the heaped volume capacity of
the wheel loader. This must be multiplied by a fill factor depending on
material to be loaded. Table (3.9) is a rough guide.
Table (3.9)
b) Cycle Time:
As a starting point for calculations, the basic cycle time for a wheel
loader is taken as 25 seconds.
This includes bucket filling and dumping.
The time must be adjusted for varying conditions, as those shown by
Tables (3.10).
Digging conditions
Table 3.10
Dumping conditions
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Table 3.11
Conditions Adjustment,
seconds
Common ownership of truck (one size & Up to -2
loaders
Independent owned or mixed sizes of Up to +3
trucks
Small or fragile target Up to +4
Dumping on ground from embankment Up to -2
Travel distance
Travel time is calculated as:
Haul distance is taken as the distance between the point of bucket filling
to the dumping point.
Maximum speed in each gear can be found from machine specifications
as shown by Fig. (3.25).
c) Hourly output:
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Cycles per working hour = working time per hour x 60 / Total cycle
time (s)
d) Truck size:
The effective capacity of haul can be achieved if the loader can fill the
truck from four tom six bucketfuls.
e) Form of calculations:
Fig.(3.11) shows a typical form of calculations.
Procedure can be run as follows:
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment
f) Solved example
A loader has to excavate and load stiff dry clay into a mixed fleet of
trucks. Assuming a 45 minute hour work efficiency, can an output of 200
m3/ h be achieved?
Given data:
Bucket heaped capacity 3.5 m3, Static tipping load = 10971 kg
Bank density = 1800 kg/ m3, loose density = 1400 kg/ m3
Fill factor = 1.00
Solution:
Fig. 3.12 shows the results of calculation of hourly output of the wheel
loader.
Chapter 3 Operating Cycles of Earthmoving Equipment