An advisory system for scraper selection

Scrapers are useful construction equipment when hauling distances range between 500 to 3000 feet. When preparing an estimate for an earthmoving project utilizing scrapers, the capacity of the scraper and the cycle time for the given project conditions must be calculated. Since travel time varies widely based on the conditions of the haul road and the performance of the equipment, determining the most economical selection (size and model) and the correct number of scrapers and pushers is a rather tedious process. The calculation of travel time between the cut and fill zone involves repetitive calculations. A spreadsheet-based interactive advisory system was created in order to facilitate these calculations and generate a list of recommended equipment. The system contains a scrapers database, performance charts, soil properties, and a user interface to solicit data that is specific to the project such as haul road surface conditions and characteristics. Data such as efficiency (minutes worked per hour) and hourly rates for operators and other workers can also be specified in the user interface. Once the user enters the quantity to be moved the application calculates the production rate, time required for the job, and the estimated unit cost for each scraper in the database. The system then produces a list of all scrapers, sorted in the order of shortest time or lowest unit price.