4.2. Effects of Terrain on Productivity

So, this cutting and pushing will go together. So, the time required to push, backtrack and maneuver into position, so that is called as a cycle time of the bulldozer. So, you are going to cut the earth, push the earth, dump it at the required place, then backtrack, backtrack in the sense you are going to return, return back to the original position where you want to do the dosing operation again.

The cycle time of a bulldozer includes several activities: cutting, pushing, dumping, and backtracking. When operating a bulldozer, it is not just about pushing material; it also involves maneuvering to ensure the bulldozer can efficiently return to its starting point after dumping the material. Each of these actions requires time, and when added together, they form the complete cycle time of the machine.

Think of the cycle time as making a sandwich. First, you gather your ingredients (cutting), then you assemble the sandwich (pushing), you put it on a plate (dumping), and finally, you return to the counter for more ingredients (backtracking). Each step takes time, just like the bulldozer's actions.

So, other things are maneuvering, maneuvering in the sense whatever adjustments you do, like for increasing the speed, accelerating or decreasing the speed, changing the gear, so the time needed for changing the gear, all those things comes under the maneuvering. So, we call this as fixed time, this is fixed time and this one is variable time, your push and backtrack is called this variable time.

Maneuvering time refers to the adjustments made during the operation of the bulldozer, such as changing speed or shifting gears. This time can be classified into fixed and variable. Fixed time pertains to the routine controls needed irrespective of external conditions, while variable time depends on the specific conditions like the haul distance, which affects how long it takes to push or backtrack.

Consider driving a car. When you need to change lanes, you might take a moment to signal and check your mirrors (maneuvering time). Regardless of traffic conditions, these actions are part of your driving routine (fixed time), but how long you can accelerate to change lanes could vary based on traffic (variable time).

Because it is variable depending upon your haul distance. So, greater your haul distance greater will be a push time and return time or backtrack time. So, this is solely dependent upon your haul distance, so that is why we call it as variable obviously it depends upon the speed also.

The push and backtrack times are variable and depend primarily on the haul distance. The farther you need to push material, the longer it will take. Additionally, the speed of the bulldozer also plays a critical role; the greater the speed, the less time it takes to push or return. This relationship illustrates why understanding both the distance and speed is crucial for estimating operational efficiency.

Imagine you have a cart filled with groceries. If you're at the end of a long driveway and must push the cart to your house, it will take more time than if you were close by. If you could run faster (like increasing speed), you would cut down the time it takes to reach your house, just as a faster bulldozer reduces push and backtrack time.

So, to know the push time and the backtrack time, I need to know the travel distance or the dozing distance or the haul distance. I need to know the travel distance and I also need to know the speed.

To accurately determine the push and backtrack times, it's essential to have specific measurements: the distance the bulldozer must travel (dozing distance) and the speed at which it can move. These factors are crucial for understanding how terrain impacts overall productivity, particularly how the bulldozer performs in different conditions.

If you're going for a run, knowing the distance of your route is vital. If it's a flat pathway, you might run faster than if it's uphill (difficult terrain), so just as with the bulldozer, knowing both the distance and your pace helps you estimate how long you'll be out.

So, now let us see how to estimate the productivity of the bulldozer. So, we are going to estimate the productivity a loose meter cube per hour. As I told you whenever you express the volume, you should be very specific that whether you are expressing the volume in the loosen state or bank state, that is natural state or in the compacted state.

Estimating bulldozer productivity requires understanding the unit of measure you're using. Productivity is typically expressed in loose cubic meters per hour, which means you're accounting for the volume of material once it's been disturbed and loosened, not in its original compacted form. This distinction is essential for accurate reporting and planning.

Think about baking cookies. If a recipe calls for flour in its compressed state, but you need to know how much flour you have once you fluff it up, it changes the measurement. Just like flour expands when it's loosened, earth expands when it's excavated, making understanding these states essential for getting accurate amounts.

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