CVEN3101 ENGINEERING OPERATIONS AND CONTROL

Workshop 6 on Earthwork & Building Cost Estimating Solutions

Question 1

158 metric tons of loose clay with a density of 1,826 kg/m3 is to be transported to a
job site located at 10 km away using a 10 m3 dump truck. To load the truck, a small
tractor loader is rented at a cost of $ 50 /hour. The production rate of the loader is 72
m3/hour. The speed of the dump truck with load is 25 km/hour, while return empty is
38 km/hour. It takes 3 minutes to dump the load. The cost of the truck is $ 30 /hour,
the truck driver is $ 20 /hour. The cost of transporting the loader to the site is $ 600,
and the loader operator cost is $ 27 /hour. The average working time is 45 minutes in
one hour. Determine the total time, total cost, and the cost/unit of transporting the
clay.

Solutions

1. Quantity of Work
Volume of clay = 158×1000/1826 = 86.528 m3

2. Cycle Time
Load = 10/72 = 0.139 hour
Haul = 10/25 = 0.4 hour
Dump = 3/60 = 0.05 hour
Return = 10/38 = 0.263 hour
Total cycle time = 0.852 hour/trip

3. Production Rate
Number of trips per hour = 1/0.852 =1.174
Quantity hauled per hour = 10×1.174=11.74 m3/hour
Production rate = 11.74×45/60 = 8.805 m3/hour

4. Total Time = 86.528/8.805 = 9.827 hours

5. Cost
Truck = 9.827×30 = $ 294.81
Driver = 9.827×20 = $ 196.54
Loader = 9.827×50 = $ 491.35
Operator = 9.827×27 = $ 265.329
Total = $ 1248.029
Transporting loader = $ 600
Total project cost = $ 1848.029

6. Unit Cost
Cost per cubic meter = 1848.029/86.528 = $ 21.358 /m3
Cost per ton = 1848.029/158 = $ 11.696 /ton

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Question 2
Find the volume of excavation required for the area shown below. The value at each
grid intersection represents the depth of cut at that location.

Solutions

1. Corner points
= 1.83 + 1.04 + 1.22 + 0.61 = 4.7 m

2. Border points
=1.77 + 1.59 + 1.4 + 0.92 + 0.85 + 0.92 + 1.07 + 1.46 + 1.46 + 1.68 = 13.12 m

3. Interior points
= 1.52 + 1.4 + 1.28 + 1.49 + 1.22 + 1.1 = 8.01 m

4. Average depth
4.7+13.12×2+8.01×4
= = 1.31 m
48
5. Area
= 91.4 × 121.9 = 11,142 m2

6. Volume
= 11,142 × 1.31 = 14,596 BCM

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Question 3

Use the profile and mass diagram to find the following values:
• The total volume of (1) Cut, (2) Fill, (3) Waste, and (4) Borrow.
• The average length of haul for Section 1.

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Solutions:

J
H I
A C

The total volume of

(1) Cut: around 195 (103 BCM) (the values are roughly estimated based on
the chart)
a. Cut area 1: Cumulative volume between points C & H = 110 (10 3
BCM)
b. Cut area 2: Cumulative volume between points I & J = 85 (10 3 BCM)
c. Total cut = 110 + 85 = 195 (103 BCM)

(2) Fill: around 235 (103 BCM) (the values are roughly estimated based on the
chart)
a. Fill area 1: Cumulative volume between points A & C = 60 (10 3
BCM)
b. Fill area 2: Cumulative volume between points H & I = 95 (10 3 BCM)
c. Fill area 3: Cumulative volume between points J & E = 80 (10 3 BCM)
d. Total fill = 60 + 95 + 80 = 235 (103 BCM)

(3) Waste: 0 BCM (Cut volume is less than fill volume, no waste of soil, but
need to borrow soil for filling)

(4) Borrow: 40 (103 BCM)

a. Fill volume – Cut volume = 235 – 195 = 40 (103 BCM)

The average length of haul for Section 1 = 580 m (the length of line F-G)

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Question 4

Estimate the cost of installing a timber shoring system for a trench 48 m long, 1.2 m
wide and 2.5 m deep. The upright will be nominal 50 x 250 mm lumber (actual 38 x
235 mm), 2.6 m long. The uprights are installed at 400 mm spacing between two
planks. Three horizontal rows of nominal 100 x 150 mm (actual 89 x 140 mm), 2.6 m
long wales will be placed on each side of the trench for the full length of the trench.
Trench braces will be placed 1.2 m apart along each row of wales. The upright will
be driven one plank at a time using an air compressor and a pneumatic hammer.
Three labourers combined will install the upright at 6/hr and wales and braces at 5/hr.

The following material cost will apply: upright $480/m3, wales $540/ m3 and braces
$6.5 each. The following equipment cost will apply: air compressor $14.6/hr and
pneumatic hammer $4.5/hr. Labour costs are $32.8/hr for driving upright piles and
$25.6 for installing wales and braces.

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Solutions

1. Quantity of materials:
Number of pieces of upright for two sides = 48 / (0.235+ 0.4) x 2 = 151.2, use 152
pieces. (Note: Use actual size to determine the number of pieces for upright)
Quantity of lumber for upright = 152 x (0.05 x 0.25 x 2.6) = 4.94 m3

Number of pieces of wales for one row = 48/2.6 = 18.5, use 19 pieces
Quantity of lumber for wales = 19 x (0.1 x 0.15 x 2.6) x 3 x 2 = 4.45 m3

Number of pieces of braces = 48 / 1.2 x 3 = 120

2. Time to perform the job:

3 labourers installing upright = 152/6 = 25.3 hrs
3 labourers installing wales and braces = (19 x 3 x 2 + 120) / 5 = 46.8 hrs

3. Labour cost:
Labourers driving upright = 25.3 x 3 x 32.8 = $2489.52
Labourers installing wales and braces = 46.8 x 3 x 25.6 = $3594.24

4. Material cost:
Upright = 4.94 x 480 = $2371.2
Wales = 4.45 x 540 = $2403
Braces: 120 x 6.5 = $780

5. Equipment cost:
Air compressor & hammer = 25.3 x (14.6+4.5) = $483.23

6.Summary of costs:
Labour = $6083.76
Material = $5554.2
Equipment = $483.23

Total cost = $12121.19