A contracting company has been awarded a contract for the construction of a large office development. This development includes a parking lot that requires the construction of a large structural fill. The nearest suitable borrow source for the fill is about 5 miles away, and the fill material there has a swell of 20 percent and will shrink by 12 percent when compacted to the design density. The company needs to determine what equipment to use for excavating the fill material and how many dump trucks with 18 LCY capacity will be required for hauling the excavated material to the structural fill location. A total of 1,200 CY of structural fill needs to be excavated.
Perform the following tasks:
- Explain a step-by-step process by which the contractor can arrive at decisions about the following issues:
- What equipment should be used for loading and hauling?
- How many dump truck loads, given a dump truck with 18 LCY capacity, will be required for hauling the excavated material to the structural fill location?
- Discuss the production and management considerations that you will make to ensure the optimum performance of each of your selected equipment.
- Discuss the possible alternatives for loading and hauling that the contractor may consider for the project.