Excavating Equipment

The selection of the appropriate type and size of

construction equipment often affects the required
amount of time and effort and thus the job-site
productivity of a project. It is therefore important for site
managers and construction planners to be familiar with
the characteristics of the major types of equipment
most commonly used in construction.
Excavating Equipment

An excavator is defined as a power-driven digging

machine. The major types of excavators used in
earthmoving operations include hydraulic excavators
and the members of the cable-operated crane-shovel
family (shovels, draglines, hoes and clamshells). Dozers,
loaders and scrapers can also serve as excavators.
 Hydraulic Excavators
Backhoe
A backhoe is an excavator designed primarily for excavation
below grade. It digs by pulling the dipper back toward the
machine. This machine is also called hydraulic hoe or hydraulic
excavator-backhoe.
 Production Estimating
Production (LCY/H) = C * S * V * B * E
Where ,
C = Cycles/h (Table 3-3)
S = Swing-depth factor (Table 3-4)
V = heaped bucket Volume (LCY or LCM, Loose Cubic Yard or metre)
B = Bucket fill factor (Table 3-2) ,
E = job Efficiency
Example:
Find the expected production in loose cubic yards per hours of a
small hydraulic excavator. Heaped bucket capacity is 0.75 CY (0.57
CM). The material is sand and gravel with a bucket fill factor of 0.95.
Job efficiency is 50 min/h. Average depth of cut is 14 ft (4.3 m).
Maximum depth of cut is 20 ft (6.1 m) and average swing is 90.

Solution:
Cycle output = 250 cycles/60 min (Table 3-3)
Swing-depth factor = 1.00 (Table 3-4), Bucket Volume= 0.75 LCY
Bucket fill factor = 0.95, Job efficiency= 50/60 =
0.833
Production = 250 * 1.00 * 0.75 * 0.95 * 0.833 = 148 LCY/h
Or = 250 * 1.00 * 0.57 * 0.95 * 0.833 = 113 LCM/h
Power shovel
Power shovel is used to excavate & load the earth into trucks or
tractor-pulled wagons or conveyor belts. Capable of excavating all
classes of earth except solid rock. Can be operated on soft ground.
May be mounted on rubber- tired wheels. It is useful for small jobs
where considerable traveling is necessary & where the road
surfaces and ground are firm.
Size of a power shovel:
Size of power shovel indicated by the size of dipper (bucket) in m3.
Due to the swelling of soil the bank measure volume of a dipper will
be less than the loose volume.

If a dipper of 2 m3 is used for excavating a soil with 25 % swelling,

therefore the bank measure volume is equal 2.0/1.25 = 1.6 m3

Power shovel are commonly available in the following sizes

(0.3-2.0) m3
Output of power shovels
The out put of power shovel is affected by the following factors
1- Class of material.
2- Depth of cut.
3- Angle of swing
4- Job condition.
5- Management conditions.
6- Size of hauling units.
7- Skill of the operators.
8- Physical condition of the shovel.
9- handling of oversize material .
10- cleanup of loading area.
11- hauling -unit exchange
‫لمادة‬HH‫وع ا‬HH‫ن‬
‫عمق‬/‫ ارتفاع‬H‫لقطع‬HH‫ا‬
‫ن‬H‫لدورا‬HH‫زاوية ا‬
‫لعمل‬HH‫ظروفا‬
‫لمشروع‬HH‫ادارة ا‬
‫لة‬H‫لناق‬HH‫لمكائنا‬HH‫ ا‬H‫جم‬H‫ح‬
‫لمشغلين‬HH‫ارة ا‬H‫مه‬
‫لمجرفة‬HH‫لة وهيئة ا‬HH‫ا‬H‫ح‬
‫لكبيرة‬HH‫لمادة ا‬HH‫تل ا‬H‫لة ك‬HH‫ازا‬
‫لتحميل‬HH‫نظيفمكانا‬HH‫ت‬
‫لسحب‬HH‫لنقل او ا‬HH‫تا‬H‫بديل وحدا‬HH‫ت‬
Out put of a power shovel

60
Out put (m3/hr) = cycle time * Time factor * Capacity

Cycle time= Load + Swing loaded + Dump + Swing empty

Actual depth of cut

Optimum depth % = Optimum depth of cut * 100
Example – 1
Determine the out put of power shovel if;
Size of shovel (dipper) =1.6m3
Type of soil is good common earth, Depth of cut (actual) = 3.6m
Average angle of swing of 60˚.
Solution:
from Table 8.2
Optimum out put =229
Optimum depth = 3.1
The percent of optimum depth = (3.6/3.1) * 100 = 116%
From table 8.3 the depth swing factor is 1.13 by interpolation
The probable out put = 229 * 1.13 = 259 m3/hr.
Example -2:
Determine the probable out put in m3 for a power shovel which have the
following properties
Size of the shovel (Dipper)= 0.8 m3, Type of soil is Stiff & hard soil,
Depth of cut (Actual) = 2.25m, Average angle of swing is 75˚
Job condition is fair & Management is good.
Efficiency = 50/60
Solution:
Optimum out put = 111m3/hr and Optimum depth is = 2.7m
Percent of optimum depth = 2.25/2.7 * 100 = 83.3%
Depth- swing factor = 1.05 (by interpolation)
Job management factor = 0.69
Probable out put = 111*1.05*0.69 = 80.4 m3/hr
If consider the working hours (Efficiency =50/60)
The probable out put = 80.4*(50/60) = 67 m3
Example-3:
Determine the number of power shovels to excavate 400,000 m3 of
sand & gravel material at 4 months.
If :
Size of power shovel = 1.2 m3
Depth of cut ( actual ) = 3 m
working minutes /hour = 55 min.
Angle of swing = 110˚
working hours /one day = 8hr.
Percent of stopping = 15%
Job conditions is Good.
Management conditions is Fair
Solution
Time factor = 55/60 = 0.92
Job-management factor = 0.71
Optimum depth factor = 2.1 m and Optimum out put = 206 m3/hr
Optimum depth % = 3/2.1 * 100 = 142.86 %
Depth –swing factor = 0.84
Actual out put = 206*0.92*0.71*0.84= 111.82 m3/hr
= 111.82* 8 = 894.56 m3/day
Actual working day = ( Duration * ( 1-stoping ) )
= (4*30)*(1-0.15 ) = 102 days
Out put /4month = 894.56*102 = 91245.12 m3/4month
No. of power shovel = Quantity of soil/output of shovel
= 400000/91245.12 = 4.4 shovels
Apply 4 shovel for 102 days & 1 shovel for 41 days (0.4*102 = 41)
DRAGLINES
The dragline is a versatile machine capable of wide range of
operations. It can handle materials that range from soft to medium
hard. The greatest advantage of a dragline over other machines is its
long reach for digging and dumping.
Example:
Clamshell
Chain Trencher
Cranes
Dozers
Loader
Grader
Scraper
Trucks
Compactors