Calculating Return Time - 3.2 | 16. Loading Time and Gravimetric Capacity | Construction Engineering & Management - Vol 2
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Understanding Gravimetric Capacity

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0:00
Teacher
Teacher

Today, we're focusing on gravimetric capacity. Can anyone tell me what that means?

Student 1
Student 1

Is it the maximum weight a machine can handle?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! It’s the safe operating load the manufacturer specifies. Overloading can lead to serious issues, including increased wear on tires. Remember, 'weight makes machines ache' — a mnemonic to remember the importance of adhering to these limits.

Student 2
Student 2

What if the density of the material changes? How does that affect things?

Teacher
Teacher

Great question! You'll need to check your load weight against this gravimetric capacity to ensure safety.

Student 3
Student 3

And what's the first step if I want to check?

Teacher
Teacher

You'll need the density of your material. Multiply that with the volumetric load to find the actual weight. Rounding out today's session, remember: always check your machinery limits!

Calculating Haul and Return Times

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Teacher
Teacher

Now let’s calculate haul time! What are the necessary components?

Student 1
Student 1

The distance and speed of the truck?

Teacher
Teacher

Correct! You derive speed from the performance chart, considering resistances. Once you have that, you can compute haul time. Can someone explain how return time differs?

Student 2
Student 2

It’s calculated when the truck is unloaded, so the speed should be higher!

Teacher
Teacher

Precisely! The return speed generally increases since the truck is empty. Making sure you consider these variables is crucial!

Student 3
Student 3

What about congestion? How does that figure in?

Teacher
Teacher

Congestion can definitely delay both dumping and haul times. Therefore, understanding site conditions is essential.

Balancing Excavators and Trucks

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Teacher
Teacher

Let’s discuss balancing trucks and excavators. What key factor do we need to consider?

Student 4
Student 4

The bucket capacity versus truck capacity?

Teacher
Teacher

Yes! Ideally, your truck capacity should be 4 to 5 times the capacity of the bucket. Why do you think this balance is critical?

Student 1
Student 1

To avoid waiting times and keep productivity high!

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! By calculating the balance number of trucks based on cycle times, we can optimize our operations. When is it more advantageous to round down?

Student 2
Student 2

When it ensures that the excavator doesn’t sit idle waiting for a truck!

Teacher
Teacher

Spot on! Rounding down keeps the loader engaged. Remember, maximizing productivity and minimizing idle time is key.

Calculating Production Rates

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Teacher
Teacher

Now let's calculate truck production! Who knows how to estimate it based on our previous discussions?

Student 3
Student 3

It's truck payload divided by truck cycle time, right?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! And remember to adjust for efficiency—how many operational minutes are available?

Student 4
Student 4

Fifty minutes out of the hour based on job efficiency!

Teacher
Teacher

Great! So when you calculate truck production, adjusting for both payload and efficiency will yield your final production rate. Let’s make sure we practice this with real data.

Introduction & Overview

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Quick Overview

This section explains how to calculate return time for trucks based on their loading conditions and machine capabilities, emphasizing safe operating limits.

Standard

The section discusses the calculation of return time for trucks, focusing on the importance of not exceeding the gravimetric capacity of machines. It covers the factors affecting loading time, dumping time, haul time, and the optimum balancing of trucks and excavators.

Detailed

In this section, we delve into the intricacies of calculating return time for hauling trucks, focusing on several key elements. We first establish how loading time is determined by the number of bucket loads multiplied by the bucket cycle time, and proceed to examine the significant concept of gravimetric capacity—the maximum safe load given by the machine manufacturer.

Employees must ensure that the total weight of the load does not exceed this capacity, considering variations in material density. The section highlights that overloading can result in excessive wear and tear on machinery, particularly tires, leading to increased operational costs over time.

Next, we look at factors affecting dumping time, such as the type of dumper and the nature of the material, further enhanced by site congestion. The section utilizes information from author Peurifoy et al. to guide estimations for favorable and unfavorable dumping conditions. Following this, we explore haul time factors, including distance, speed derived from machine specs, and site resistances, with computations reflecting truck operations under unloaded conditions.

By breaking down these components, we gain a clearer understanding of balancing between the number of trucks and excavators to achieve optimum productivity, based on the balancing of capacities for maximum efficiency. The section concludes by prompting calculations for optimal truck numbers based on given parameters.

Audio Book

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Understanding Return Time Calculation

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Now let us see how to balance the interdependent machines, trucks and the excavators. I hope you remember earlier we have discussed how to balance the interdependent machines your scraper and the pusher? In a similar manner we are going to discuss how to balance the number of trucks and the excavator? So, balancing is very important, just now we discussed balancing the capacity of the interdependent machines very important.

Detailed Explanation

In this section, we focus on how to calculate the return time for trucks in a construction setting. Understanding return time is crucial because it helps us determine how efficient our hauling operations are. To do this, we need to consider key aspects like the truck's condition (loaded vs. empty) and the various resistances it faces during operation. Calculating return time involves using the truck's speed, which can be gathered from manufacturer performance charts that provide information on how different loads affect the speed and efficiency of equipment.

Examples & Analogies

Imagine you are driving a car loaded with groceries. While your car is heavy with groceries, it moves slowly to the grocery store. Once you unload the groceries and drive back home, your car returns quickly since it’s light. Similarly, in truck operations, when the truck is loaded with materials (like rocks or dirt), it takes longer to reach its destination than when it is empty, which is why calculating return time is so important.

Key Factors Affecting Return Time

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So, returning time depends upon the distance and the truck speed in an unloaded condition when we use the performance chart. Here, the truck will be in the unloaded condition, empty weight, and consider the resistances also. So you know the distance and speed I can calculate the return time, obviously the return speed will be more, so the return time will be less as the truck is in the empty condition.

Detailed Explanation

The return time for a truck is primarily influenced by the distance it needs to travel back to the loading point and the speed of the truck when it is empty. Empty trucks can travel faster compared to loaded trucks because they face less weight-induced resistance. When calculating return time, it is essential to get the speed from manufacturer charts, taking into account the specific conditions like terrain and any other resistances (like rolling resistance due to the truck’s tires on the road). Hence, knowing both the distance and the speed gives us the capability to calculate how long it will take for the truck to return.

Examples & Analogies

Think of a delivery truck that unloads packages at a mall. When it's loaded, it moves slowly because it’s carrying heavy boxes. Once the truck is empty, it speeds back to the warehouse much faster. This illustrates how the load affects travel time, emphasizing the importance of considering the truck being empty while calculating return time.

Definitions & Key Concepts

Learn essential terms and foundational ideas that form the basis of the topic.

Key Concepts

  • Gravimetric Capacity: The specified maximum loading weight a machine can safely handle.

  • Loading Time: Calculated from the number of loads multiplied by the loading cycle time.

  • Dumping Time: Influenced by the truck type and site conditions.

  • Haul Time: Determined by the driving distance and the performance specifications.

  • Return Time: Typically less than haul time since trucks are empty.

  • Balancing Equipment: Finding the right number of trucks per excavator to maintain productivity.

Examples & Real-Life Applications

See how the concepts apply in real-world scenarios to understand their practical implications.

Examples

  • If a truck's gravimetric capacity is 10 tons, and it carries a material of density 2 tons per cubic meter, the maximum volume it can carry is 5 cubic meters.

  • For a loader with a bucket cycle time of 1 minute, and needing to fill a truck that takes 30 minutes to dump and return, the loading time is 5 times the cycle time, leading to a total truck cycle time of 35 minutes.

Memory Aids

Use mnemonics, acronyms, or visual cues to help remember key information more easily.

🎵 Rhymes Time

  • If you load too much, you'd be in a clutch, machines won't budge, instead of the rush!

📖 Fascinating Stories

  • Imagine a giant machine at work, it can only lift so much. Load it too high, and it breaks down—just like our friend who ate too much pizza and couldn't move!

🧠 Other Memory Gems

  • Remember LDR—Loading, Dumping, Return for the order of operations in truck cycles.

🎯 Super Acronyms

BITE for balancing

  • Bucket size
  • Ideal truck number
  • Timing cycles
  • Efficiency management.

Flash Cards

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Glossary of Terms

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  • Term: Gravimetric Capacity

    Definition:

    The maximum safe load weight that a machine can handle as specified by its manufacturer.

  • Term: Loading Time

    Definition:

    The duration needed to load materials onto a truck, calculated based on bucket loads and cycle time.

  • Term: Dumping Time

    Definition:

    The time taken to unload materials from the truck, influenced by the type of dumping mechanism and site congestion.

  • Term: Haul Time

    Definition:

    The duration it takes to transport a load from one location to another, determined by distance and truck speed.

  • Term: Return Time

    Definition:

    Time taken for a truck to return empty after unloading, generally calculated similarly to haul time.

  • Term: Balancing

    Definition:

    The process of optimizing the number of trucks and excavators to maximize productivity and reduce idle time.