Arab Academy for Science, Technology & Maritime Transport

College of Engineering & Technology

Construction & Building Engineering

CB 524
Methods and Equipment for Construction 2
Excavation Equipment:
Shovel

Spring, 2015
Instructor: Ahmed Elyamany

Courtesy of Dr. Ahmed Alhady

 EXCAVATORS TYPES

•There are two types of excavators:

1- Front Shovel (power shovel):
To excavate usually in levels higher
than the ground level.
2- Back Shovel (back Hoe):
To excavate usually in levels lower than
the ground level.
• Two types based on control method:
• Cable control.
• Hydraulic control. 2
EXCAVATORS TYPES

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EXCAVATORS MOUNTING TYPES

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EXCAVATORS MOUNTING TYPES

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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL

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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL

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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL

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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL
USES
•Excavating (advantage: face excavation due to its
strong hydraulic power, especially for hard
materials). (disadvantage: under ground level
excavation due to water table and soil conditions).
•Loading trucks.
•Operating in cut and fill.
•Wide area excavation.
•Forming heaps.
•Trench excavation. (Backhoe or trencher are
better).
•Loading soils. (Dragline and clamshell are better).
•Excavate under ground level. (Backhoe is better).
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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL
OPERATION METHODS

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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL

PRODUCTIVITY FACTORS:

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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL
Productivity Factors
1. Front Shovel Bucket Capacity:
•There are two major capacities for the front
shovel bucket:
1. Struck Capacity (SC).
2. Heaped Capacity (HC).
•HC = 1.15 SC.

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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL
Productivity Factors
1. Front Shovel Bucket Capacity:
•Bucket fill factor

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 EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL
Productivity Factors
1. Front Shovel Bucket Capacity:
•EXAMPLE 1:
A 2 cy hydraulic front shovel is excavating in common
earth. What is the excavator practical capacity in m3
(Bank Measure)? Take the lower value for the bucket

(dipper) fill factor.

• Solution:
• Based on Table 8.1, k = 1.0
• Based on a given table (conversion factor), f = 0.8 (from
loose to bank measure).
• Then, capacity =
14

2 cu yd*0.76(m3/cy)*0.8(f)*1.0(k) = 1.216 m3 BM
EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL
Productivity Factors
2. HEIGHT OF CUT
•Optimum height of cut is defined as the
height that will result in a full dipper
(bucket) in one pass.

•If the height of cut shallow, the bucket does

not fill up in one pass. To solve this problem:
a) Apply more pressure.
b) Make two passes.
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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL
Productivity Factors
2. HEIGHT OF CUT
• If it is higher than the optimum, then, the
bucket will be filled before pass completion.
To solve this problem:
a) Apply less pressure on the bucket.
b) Dig upper part first, then, clean
bottom part later.

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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL
Productivity Factors
2. HEIGHT OF CUT
•Percent of optimum height (POH):

 
   ∗ 
POH =

 
  

•Optimum height = (30% - 50%) of max.

digging height for the shovel.

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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL
Productivity Factors
2. HEIGHT OF CUT
•The optimum height is 30% of max. digging
height for material that is easy to excavate
and load, such as loam, sand, or gravel.
•The optimum height is 40% of the max.
digging height for Common earth.
•The optimum height is 50% of the max.
digging height for tough materials, such as
stick clay or blasted rock.

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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL
Productivity Factors
3. ANGLE OF SWING
•Angle of swing of a shovel is the horizontal
angle, expressed in degrees, between the
position of the bucket when it is excavating
and the position where it discharges the
load.
•The total cycle time includes digging, swing
to the dumping position, dumping, and
returning to the digging position.
•Increasing the swing angle will increase the
cycle time and vice versa. 19
EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL
Productivity Factors

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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL
Productivity Factors
OTHER FACTORS
•Size of hauling units should be 5-6 times as
large as shovel bucket volume.
•Conditions of the shovel itself has a very big
effect on productivity.
•Operator skills plays a good role in affecting
shovel productivity.
•Similarly, job & management conditions
affects greatly the shovel productivity.
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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL
Selection
The front shovel should be selected according to
two major factors:
1. Excavated material cost per cubic yard:
a) Job size.
b) Transportation expenses.
c) Excavating and blasting cost.
d) Fixed costs.
e) Wages.
2. Job conditions in which the shovel will operate.
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EXCAVATORS
Front Shovel - Selection

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EXCAVATORS: FRONT SHOVEL

GENERAL OUPUT MODEL (GOM)

Hourly output (cy/hr or m3/hr) =
P = (3600 *Q * f * k* f1 * f2 * t)/CT
Where; k = bucket fill factor (Table 8.1).
P = productivity in cy/hr or m3/hr.
Q = bucket capacity in loose cy or m3.
f = earth volume change conversion factor.
f1 = swing-depth factor (Table 8.2).
f2 = job and management conditions.
t = operating time factor.
CT = cycle time in seconds. 24
 EXCAVATORS FRONT SHOVEL
Example 2
A hydraulic excavator excavating bank clay has a
heaped capacity of 1.5 cu yd. Its maximum digging
height is given by the manufacturer as 7 m. The
average angle of swing is 120°. The average height of
cut is 2.94 m. The operating time is expected to be 50
min per hr. Management and job conditions are
assumed to be fair. What is the hourly rate of
production in m3bm/hr, if the shovel's cycle time is 19
seconds? Take the shovel's optimum height of cut as
equal to 30% of its maximum digging height. Take the
smallest applicable value for the bucket fill factor.

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EXCAVATORS FRONT SHOVEL
Example 2
Parameters in the GOB model:
Capacity: Q = 1.50 x 0.76 =1.14 m3 loose measure
Earth volume change conversion factor from loose
to bm (from table in handouts): f = 0.79
Cycle time CT = 19 sec
Optimum height of cut = 7.00 x 0.30 = 2.10 m
Percent of optimum height: = 2.94 x 100 / 2.10 = 140%
Depth-swing factor (from table 8.2):
f1 = 0.81

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 EXCAVATORS FRONT SHOVEL
Example 2
Job and management efficiency factor (from table in the
handouts): f2= 0.65
Bucket fill factor (from table 8.1): k = 1.00
Operating time factor: t = 50/60 = 0.83
Rate of output with GOM model:
P = (3600 *Q *f* K*f1*f2*t)/CT =
= (3,600*1.14*0.79*1.00*0.65*0.81*0.83)/19 =
= 74.57 m3 bm/hr.

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 EXCAVATORS FRONT SHOVEL
Example 3
2,300 m3 of bulk pit excavation is composed of common
earth. The excavation period given in the contract is 3
days. The contractor has to account for 20% bad weather
and working time of 8 hrs/day. The average depth of cut is
3.00 m whereas the average angle of swing will be 60°.
Job and management conditions are expected to be good.
The operating time is 50 min/hr.
Excavator Maximum Estimated cycle Hourly costs of
bucket capacity digging times for this owning and
heights Job operating
1.75 cy 10.0 m 24 sec $35/hr
2.00 cy 13.0 m 25 sec $40/hr
2.50 cy 14.5 m 26 sec $45/hr
3.00 cy 15.5 m 27 sec $50/hr 28
 EXCAVATORS FRONT SHOVEL
Example 3
•Questions:
1. Select the right size of power. The optimum
height of cut in this operation that involves
relatively soft material is to be taken as 30% of
the maximum digging height of the excavator.
Take the smallest applicable bucket fill factor (k).

2. What is the unit cost of excavation?

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 EXCAVATORS FRONT SHOVEL
Example 3
• (3.1) Total working time = 3 days @ 8 hrs/day = 24 hours
• Net working time (excluding bad weather) = 24 hrs x 0.80 = 19.20
Hours
• Required hourIy output = 2,300 m3 / 19.20 hrs = 119.79 m3 bm/hr
Using the GOM model:
• Try 1.75 cu yd front shovel:

Capacity: Q = 1.75 (cy) x 0.76 (m3/cy) =1.33 m3 loose

Earth volume change conversion factor from loose to bm (from
handouts): f = 0.80

Bucket fill factor (from table 8.1): K = 1.00

Optimum height of cut = 10.00x0.30 = 3.00 m

Percent of optimum height = 3.00 x 100 / 3.00 = 100%
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 EXCAVATORS FRONT SHOVEL
Example 3

Depth-swing factor (from table 8.2): f1 = 1.16

Job and management efficiency factor (from handouts): f2 = 0.75

Operating time factor: t = 50/60 = 0.83
• Rate of output with GOM model:

P = 3,600 * Q * f * K * f1 * f2 * t /CT =

P = 3,600x1.33x0.80x1.00x1.16x0.75x0.83/24 = 115.25 m3 bm/hr.

Since the rate of output (115.25 m3 bm/hr) does not satisfy the
required rate of output (119.79 m3 bm/hr), the 1 3/4 cu yd front
shovel is not appropriate.

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 EXCAVATORS FRONT SHOVEL
Example 3
•Try 2.0 cu yd front shovel:

Capacity: Q = 2.00 x 0.76 =1.52 m3 loose

Earth volume change conversion factor from loose to bm
(from handouts): f = 0.80

Bucket fill factor (from table 8.1): K = 1.00

Optimum height of cut = 13.00x0.30 = 3.90 m

Percent of optimum height = 3.00 x 100 / 3.90 = 77%

Depth-swing factor (from table 8.2): f1 = 1.11

Job and management efficiency factor (from handouts):
f2 = 0.75
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 EXCAVATORS FRONT SHOVEL
Example 3

Operating time factor: t = 50/60 = 0.83
• Rate of output with GOM model:
• P = 3,600 * Q * f * K * f1 * f2 * t /CT =
• P = 3,600x1.52x0.80x1.00x1.11x0.75x0.83/25 = 120.99 m3 bm/hr.
• Since the rate of output (120.99 m3 bm/hr) does satisfy the
required rate of output (119.79 m3 bm/hr), the 2.00 cu yd front
shovel is appropriate.
•(3.2)
• Unit cost of operation = 40 $/hr / 120.99 m3 bm/hr = $0.33 per
m3 bm

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Thank You

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