I am looking for some operator opinion on how to load a large stockpile with a 40+ ton machine into Caterpillar 740 articulated dump trucks. The stockpile consists of subsoil and is too wide and high to load in one passing. What is the best way to approach the job and position the trucks and the excavator to finish the job as quickly and efficiently as possible? I am doing some research as part of a university degree in construction and project management and was hoping I could receive some operator knowledge on the subject. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks guys.
I always try to get the excavator, so I can see in the truck, or at least the same height. I have loaded trucks, when I was 6ft higher than the truck. You have to figure out, how you are going to get that high and dig safe. Almost all situations are different. It may take you a days work to get ready to load. Basically build yourself a ramp/road up to the level you want and then build you a landing/loading place, make it large enough so you dont have any caveins, Dont dig side was to the dump truck, have loading end of excavator, (both end of tracks) facing the dump truck. Some people may disagree with this, but I always have the final drives away from the edge of the platform. I always wanted the heavy end over the most solid dirt, incase the edge gives way. Always give yourself a large part of the platform, so you will have a place to run too, if the edge gives way You need to make a loading ramp for the dump truck also, so you can reach it. just cut the slope down, amost straight, so it can back up to you. I never did like loading a truck from the side view, if I was higher than they were, I was afraid the slope would give away and I would fall in the truck The loading platform for the excavator, can be at the height you feel comfortable with, once you get in place you can dig off one side and one end, as far as you can reach. Then you dig the dump truck end out, so the truck can back up farther and you can reach farther. All this may sound confusing, but just get a feel of it in a safe wy, it wont take you long to figure it out
Double Bench, pull yourself a pad up onto the stockpile at a comfortable height, then bench into the material making a pad as you load out and move forward, once you get to the end of the stockpile load the pad out on the way back, if it is too wide to take in one pass do it in two. When benching forward into the material position your trucks square at the front of your tracks, when you retreat place them 45 degrees at the front.
I'm going to echo what´s already been said. Benching is the key. The tracks should be at the same height as the truck bed for the most efficient loading. If the machine is too high, it must reach further to load the truck and it must make longer movements when scooping the material that´s on the same plane that the truck tires are on. If the pile is that big, bench out your first pass leaving a ramp for the trucks to come up onto pile for your second pass.
Thanks for the help guys, you seem to know what you are talking about. I am based in Ireland and I have a Komatsu PC160 and a Samsung 210 but I mostly do small scale excavations (No highway or mass excavation work so im still learning). The information you provided will be useful in my project. Could I just ask what experience you have in terms of 1. Your job position 2. years experience 3. location and 4. name. I need to provide this information in the dissertation/thesis to prove I got the information from reliable sources and I didn't make the information up myself. I fully understand if you want to remain anonymous. Thanks guys.
Hi ,im contractor with alot of expierence in bulk exvavations, Track the machine to the pile go up on it and load the dumptrucks insuch a way that you are sitting on a shelf digging ,slewing left to empty bucket, so when dumptrucks are empty they drive in under you alongside the digger, its not hard to plan just keep the machine level on a shelf that you cansee into theb po de of the sumtruck, and plan a system that each dumptruck is loaded equally, ie, same amount of loads, an a buckerfulls, always slew to the cab side ofthe machine if and when you can, and never ever tare or dint the back or sides of a machine, good luck with your project!
Thanks cjplanthire.