Productivity of Equipments

The production rates of equipment depend on the following factors :

1) The quantity and type of soil

2) Soil conditions
3) Purpose of the project
4) Topography
5) Climatic conditions
6) Local regulations
7) Project specifications
8) Selection of equipment
9) Skill of operators

Bulldozer : is a tractor unit that has a blade attached to the machines

front .

Bulldozer divided into : 1) Crawler – tractor 2) Wheel – tractor

❖ Based on the method of raising and lowering the blade , a

bulldozer may be classified as cable-controlled or as hydraulically
controlled.

Bulldozers are used in :

1) Moving earth or rock for short haul (push) distance up to 300 ft

(91m) in the case of large dozers .
2) Spreading earth or rock fills .
 3) Back filling trenches .
4) Opening up pilot roads through mountains or rocky terrain .
5) Cleaning the floors of borrow and quarry pits.
6) Helping load tractor-pulled scrapers.
7) Cleaning land of timber , stumps and root mat .

Comparison between crawler bulldozer and wheel :

Advantages for the crawler-mounted bulldozer ;

1) Ability to deliver greater tractive effort

2) Ability to travel over muddy surfaces
3) Ability to operate in rocky formations
4) Ability to travel over rough surfaces
5) Greater use versatility on jobs

Advantages wheel-mounted bulldozer :

1) Higher travel speeds

2) Elimination of hauling equipment to transport the bulldozer to a
job
3) Greater out put
4) Less operator fatigue
5) Ability to travel on paved highways

The output of Bulldozer (Productivity)

❖ The productivity of bulldozer depends on :
1) Soil swelling
2) Time factor
3) Operation cycle time
Swelling Factor

❖ Soil volume is measured in one of these states :

1) Bank cubic meter or yard :
1 cu. m. of material as it lies in the natural state.
2) Loose cubic meter or yard :
1 cu. m. of material after it has been disturbed by loading
process .
3) Compacted cubic meter or yard :
1 cu. m. of material in the compacted state .

𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

Shrinkage factor =
𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡−𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

Shrinkage % = * 100
𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

𝐿𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

Swell factor =
𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑑𝑟𝑦 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

swell % = [ – 1] * 100
𝐿𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡

𝐵
Sw = [ - 1 ] * 100
𝐿

𝐵
Sh = [ 1 - ] * 100
𝐶
where :
Sw = % Swell , Sh = % Shrinkage
 B = Weight of undisturbed earth
L = Weight of loose earth
C = Weight of compacted earth

Ex. : Determine the percent swell and shrinkage for earth whose weights
are as follows ;
Bank unit weight = 1474 kg/m3
Loose unit weight = 1217 kg/m3
Compacted unit weight = 1730 kg/m3

𝐵 1474
Sw = [ - 1 ] * 100 ( - 1 ) * 100 = 21 %
𝐿 1217

𝐵 1474
Sh = [ 1 - ] * 100 (1- ) * 100 = 15 %
𝐶 1730

Time factor

❖ Fixed time (loading , discharge or emptying , speed change )

❖ Variable time ( depends on the distance of the hauling and
coming)

Productivity of Bulldozer = volume of soil / each cycle * No. of cycle / hr