Rini Novrianti Sutardjo Tui

Physical Characteristic and

Conditions of Earthmoving

Material Classifications

Soft and Easy

Digging

Medium Hard
Digging

Wet and sticky clay

Weathered rocks

Hard Digging

Slate
Compacted materials
Sedimentary rocks
Conglomerate
Breccia

Very Hard Digging

and Fresh Rocks

Top soil
Sand
Sandy clay
Clayey sand

Fresh igneous rocks

Fresh metaphoric rocks

Material Influences towards Equipments

1
Determining types of
equipments to be
used and estimated or
capacity of
production.

2
Calculating the

volume of work.

3
Estimating working

ability of
equipments based
on material
characteristics.

Physical Characteristics of Material

Concerning characteristics

Swelling

Bearing
Capacity

Weight

Physical
Characteristics
Form

Hardness

Material Swelling

Bank

Bank condition

is the
original condition of material and has
not been disturbed. It is measured in
Bank Cubic Meter (BCM).

Loose condition is material

Loose

condition after being disturbed. It is

measured in Loose Cubic Meter
(LCM).

LCM BCM %swell BCM

Compacted condition is
Compacted

material condition after being re-piled

up followed by compacting activity. It
is measured in Compacted Cubic
Meter (CCM).

Type of Material

Sand

Swell Factor (%)

5 10

Top Soil

10 25

Soil

20 45

Clay

30 60

Rock

50 60

Swell and Shrinkage Factors

Swell Factor

Shrinkage Factor

BL
Sw
100%
L

CB
Sh
100%
C

Load Factor

L vB
LF
B vL

vB LF vL

Bearing Capacity of Material

Ground
Pressure

Bearing
Capacity

Work Conditions
Accessibility and
transportation

Haul road
condition

Vegetation

Operating
efficiency

Kind of material and its

change of volume

Finishing
specifications

Climate
Altitude
Time element

Fill specification
Production costs