DIFFERENT EXCAVATION EQUIPMENTS

Excavation
- the action or process of excavating
Excavate
- to uncover (something) by digging away and removing the earth that covers it
- to dig a large hole in (something)
- to form (a hole, tunnel, etc.) by digging
Backhoe loader
A backhoe loader, also called a loader backhoe or tractor backhoe, is a heavy
equipment vehicle that consists of a tractor fitted with a bucket on the front and a
small backhoe on the back. Due to its relatively small size and versatility, backhoe
loaders are very common in urban construction projects. These machines travel on
rubber tires, and can actually travel at speeds of approx. 25 mph/40 kmh. This
makes these machines very popular where travel between worksites or excavations
is required often.
Excavator (tracked)
Excavators, also known as a track hoe, are heavy equipment consisting of a
boom, dipper stick, bucket and cab on a rotating platform. The cab sits atop an
undercarriage with tracks or wheels. All movement and functions of the excavator
are accomplished through the use of hydraulic fluid. The tracked excavator is very
versatile in the mining, forestry, construction and pipeline industries.
Excavator (wheeled)
Wheeled excavators offer mobility to travel up to 23 mph (37km/h) and can
move quickly from job to job minimizing the need for additional transportation. They
are ideally suited for a number of applications, like ditch cleaning or road
maintenance that require travel while using a work tool.
Chain trencher
A chain trencher cuts with a digging chain that is driven around a rounded
metal frame, or boom. It resembles a giant chainsaw. This type of trencher can cut
ground that is too hard to cut with a bucket-type excavator. This type of trencher
can cut narrow and deep trenches. The angle of the boom can be adjusted to
control the depth of the cut. To cut a trench, the boom is held at a fixed angle while
the machine creeps slowly.

TYPES OF EXCAVATION EQUIPMENT

Excavators are heavy equipment consisting of a boom, bucket and cab on a
rotating platform (known as the "house"). The house sits atop an under carriage
with tracks or wheels. All movement and functions of the excavator are
accomplished through the use of hydraulic fluid, be it with rams or motors.

A Typical Modern Excavator

Types of Excavator:
Compact Excavator
Wheeled Excavators
Backhoe Loader
Dragline Excavator
Bucket Wheel Excavator
Long Reach Excavator
Power Shovel / Shovel
Suction Excavator
Hydraulic Excavator
1. Hydraulic Excavator

The hydraulic excavator is most commonly used for digging rocks and soil, but
with its many attachments it can also be used for cutting steel,
breaking concrete, drilling holes in the earth, laying gravel onto the road prior to
paving, crushing rocks, steel, and concrete, and even mowing landscapes. Hydraulic
excavators have an operating weight of 20,000 pounds (9,072 kg) or higher. The
invention of the hydraulic excavator, with its easier operation and cheaper
production has replaced the cable excavator.

Hydraulic Excavator
2. Wheeled Excavators
Wheeled excavators easily navigate streets and hard surfaces to deliver
powerful bucket forces in well-balanced, high-stability machines. Even with all that
muscle outside, operators find quiet comfort inside spacious air-conditioned cabs.
Low-effort levers deliver smooth boom and bucket control.

Wheeled Excavators

3. Backhoe Loader

Backhoe loader, also called a loader backhoe and commonly shortened to

backhoe, is a heavy equipment vehicle that consists of a tractor fitted with a
shovel/bucket on the front and a small backhoe on the back. It is actually only the
arm and bucket used to excavate material by drawing it back towards the machine.
It is also commonly called a rear actor or back actor. Due to its (relatively) small size
and versatility, backhoe loaders are very common in urban engineering and small
construction projects (such as building a small house, fixing urban roads, etc).
A machine that moves on its own chassis and is only equipped with a fixed backhoe
is called a hydraulic excavator. Still backhoe attachments are available for any
number of different pieces of equipment.

The backhoe arm and bucket is hydraulically operated. This means it consists
of hydraulic lines, a reservoir of hydraulic fluid, a pump, and a series of pistons.
The pump exerts pressure on the hydraulic fluid, which is then released into the
piston. The piston then expands to lift and swing the arm, and press the bucket into
and out of the soil. By reversing a valve, the fluid flows out of the piston and back
into the reservoir, lowering the arm

Backhoe loader
4. Dragline Excavator
Dragline Excavation Systems are heavy equipment used in civil engineering and
surface mining. In civil engineering the smaller types are used for road and port
construction. The larger types are used in strip mining operations to move
overburden above coal, and for tar-sand mining. Draglines are amongst the largest
mobile equipment ever built on land, and weigh in the vicinity of 2000 metric tons,
though specimens weighing up to 13,000 metric tons have also been constructed.

A dragline bucket system consists of a large bucket which is suspended from a

boom (a large truss-like structure) with wire ropes. The bucket is maneuvered by
means of a number of ropes and chains. The hoist rope, powered by large diesel or
electric motors, supports the bucket and hoist-coupler assembly from the boom.
The dragrope is used to draw the bucket assembly horizontally. By skillful maneuver
of the hoist and the dragropes the bucket is controlled for various operations. A
schematic of a large dragline bucket system is shown below.

Dragline Excavator
5. Bucket Wheel Excavator
Bucket-wheel excavators (BWEs) are heavy equipment used in surface mining
and civil engineering. The primary function of BWEs is to act as a continuous
digging
machine
in
large-scale
open
pit
mining
operations.
To excavate materials continuously, the BWE uses a rotating wheel that is
positioned at the rear of the boom. The wheel consists of buckets, also known as
buckets. It can have any number of buckets, depending on the project and model.
The rotating wheel penetrates the face while the boom swings from both sides and
the bucket collects the dirt. As the material falls onto the conveyor belts, it is
transported to further conveyors until it reaches a discharge point. The conveyors
used are usually connected so they can be dismantled when the BWE needs to be
transported.

Bucket Wheel Excavator

6. Long Reach Excavator

The long reach excavator or high reach excavator is a development of the excavator
with an especially long boom arm, that is primarily used for demolition. Instead of
excavating ditches, the long reach excavator is designed to reach the upper stories
of buildings that are being demolished and pull down the structure in a controlled
fashion. Today it has largely replaced the wrecking ball as the primary tool for
demolition.

Long Reach Excavator

7. Power Shovel / Shovel

A power shovel (also stripping shovel or front shovel or electric mining shovel) is a
bucket-equipped machine, usually electrically powered, used for digging and
loading earth or fragmented rock and for mineral extraction.
Since its creation, the shovel has evolved into many forms. Beginning as a steampowered device, inventors and manufacturers continued its development for the
two centuries after its birth.
The result is a long line of machinery, many of which have crossed industries and
become multi-functional and crucial to a majority of applications. The steam shovel,
a simple device used to lift dirt, has branched off first as cable excavators, and then
as hydraulic excavators. The wide variety of excavators is evidence of the impact
shovels have had on the industry.
The shovel has also served as the basic prototype for other equipmentstripping
shovels, draglines, and bucket excavators, all of which have play important parts in
how dirt is extracted from the earth.
The arm of the shovel, also known as the boom, is controlled by switches and gears.
This can be done by hydraulics, pneumatics, or in as in the cable excavator, by
cable wires. The bucket strikes the earth and scoops the material. In some

situations, there is a dump truck or other vehicle for the purpose of dumping. In
stripping shovels, the shovel is capable of breaking through hard rock for the
purpose of uncovering raw materials or minerals.

Power Shovel
8. Suction Excavator
A suction excavator or vacuum excavator is a construction vehicle that removes
earth from a hole on land or removes heavy debris on land, from various places, by
powerful suction through a wide suction pipe which is up to a foot or so diameter.
The suction inlet air speed may be up to 100 meters/second = over 200 mph.
The suction nozzle may have two handles for a man to hold it by; those handles
may be on a collar which can be rotated to uncover suction release openings (with
grilles over) to release the suction to make the suction nozzle drop anything which it
has picked up and is too big to go up the tube.
The end of the tube may be toothed. This helps to cut earth when use for
excavating; but when it is used to suck up loose debris and litter, some types of
debris items may snag on the teeth. The earth to be sucked out may be loosened
first with a compressed-air lance or a
powerful water jet.

Cleaning out a sewer manhole

Its construction is somewhat like a
gully emptier but with a wider suction
hose and a more powerful suction.
Excavating with a suction excavator
may called "vacuum excavation" or
"hydro excavation" if a water jet is
used.

9. Wheel Loaders
The wheel loader, also known as a front end loader or bucket loader, is one of the
most widely used machines in construction today and is noted for its extreme
versatility and payload capacity to perform multiple tasks at a low cost. Wheel
loaders are primarily used in construction applications such as material handling,
digging, load-and-carry, road building, and site preparation.

Wheel Loader

OPERATIONS
Draglines
Operation

1. In a typical cycle of excavation, the bucket is positioned above the material

to be excavated. The bucket is then lowered and the dragrope is then drawn
so that the bucket is dragged along the surface of the material. The bucket is
then lifted by using the hoist rope.

2 . A swing operation is then performed to move the bucket to the place

where the material is to be dumped. The dragrope is then released causing
the bucket to tilt and empty. This is called a dump operation.

3 . On crane-type draglines, the bucket can also be 'thrown' by winding up to

the jib and then releasing a clutch on the drag cable. This would then swing
the bucket like a pendulum. Once the bucket had passed the vertical, the
hoist cable would be released thus throwing the bucket

Clamshell

1. Position and level the crane, ensuring the digging operation is as close
to the radius as the dumping operation. This prevents you from having to
boom up and down, resulting in a loss of production.

2. Select the correct size and type of bucket for the crane.

3. When lowering the clamshell bucket, if too much pressure is applied to

the closing line brake, the bucket will close and an excess amount of wire
rope will unwind from the holding line hoist drum. To avoid this, you should
release the holding line and closing line brakes simultaneously when
lowering the open clamshell into the material for the initial bite. Engage the
closing line control lever to close the bucket. Control the digging depth
by using the holding line control lever and brake.

4. If, during hoisting, the hoist line gets ahead of the closing line, the
bucket will open and spill the material. The operator must hoist both the
closing and holding lines at the same speed to keep the bucket from
opening and spilling material.

5. When the clamshell bucket is raised enough to clear all obstacles,

start the swing by engaging the swing control lever. Hoisting the bucket can
be performed; a sit is swung to the dumping site. The spring-loaded tagline
will retard the twisting motion of the bucket if the swing is performed
smoothly.

6. Dumping and unloading the clamshell is performed by keeping the

holding line brake applied while the closing line brake is released. Apply
the closing line brake quickly after the load is dumped top prevent the
closing line from unwinding more wire rope than is needed to dump the
material. After the bucket is emptied, swing the open clamshell back to the
digging site. Then lower the open bucket and repeat the cycle.

Front Shovel

Hydraulic shovel digs with a combination of crowding force and

breakout force.

Crowding force is generated by the stick cylinder and acts at the

bucket edge on a tangent to the radius through point A.

Breakout force is generated, by the bucket cylinder and acts at the

bucket edge on a tangent to the arc of the radius through point B.

The bucket is rolled up after filled with material to reduce pillage

during the swing cycle.

Wheel Loaders

Wheel loader today is comprised of a pivoted frame,

usually articulated, with the engine mounted over the rear wheels, and a cab
or canopy resting over the front or rear end frame. The pivot arrangement of
the machine is key in giving the wheel loader the capability to maneuver and
work in small turning circles.

Trenchers

A chain trencher cuts with a digging chain that is driven around a

rounded metal frame, or boom. It resembles a giant chainsaw. This type of
trencher can cut ground that is too hard to cut with a bucket-type excavator.
This type of trencher can cut narrow and deep trenches. The angle of the
boom can be adjusted to control the depth of the cut. To cut a trench, the
boom is held at a fixed angle while the machine creeps slowly.

Back Hoe
The pump exerts pressure on the hydraulic fluid, which is then released into
the piston. The piston then expands to lift and swing the arm, and press
the bucket into and out of the soil. By reversing a valve, the fluid flows out of the
piston and back into the reservoir, lowering the arm.
WHEN TO USE EXCAVATING EQUIPMENT:
1. Backhoe loader
Backhoe loaders are used a lot in the construction & excavation industry. This
includes utilities like home building, maintenance, and demolition sites.
Because of their small size and versatility, they're used for digging holes,
transporting materials & equipment, breaking asphalt, and even paving
roads. A backhoe is the most common variation of the farm tractor, with a
loader assembly on the front and a backhoe attachment on the back. It is also
easier to operate than other similar machines.
2. Track hoe and Wheeled excavator

Tracked excavator/ Track

hoe

Wheeled Excavator

Productivity

Able to do Heavy Digging

Cannot dig as
aggressively as track hoe

Safety and stability

More when used for heavy

duty tasks. Safer than
wheeled excavator.

Not as safe as track hoe

when used in heavy duty
tasks.

Versatility

Mainly used in rugged

terrain.

More versatile. Used for

urban environments,
parking lots, and narrow
spaces.

Maneuverability

Needs to be transported
by a special heavy duty
vehicle. Speed: 6-10km/h

Can easily move from one

location to another.
Speed: 35km/h

Costs

Its undercarriage and

tracks are quite
expensive. Changing them
can be time consuming
and expensive.

Its wheels can be easily

replaced, less expensive
and last longer. Lower
operation cost.

3. Wheel trencher
They are also used to cut pavement for road maintenance and to gain access
to utilities under roads.
4. Chain trencher
The chain trencher is used for digging wider trenches (telecommunication,
electricity, drainage, water, gas, sanitation, etc.) especially in rural areas. The
excavated materials can be removed by conveyor belt reversible either on
the right or on the left side.
Factors considered why you should use chain trencher:

Minimise trench excavation volume;

Maximise re-use of trench spoil for either trench backfill or third-party use;

Minimise the quantity of excavated material going to waste;

Reduce or eliminate truck haulage and handling involved in the export of

waste and import of intimate backfill (bedding and padding);

Minimise negative environmental effects of truck haulage and waste disposal;

and

Reduce or eliminate risks and costs arising from use of explosives.

*Trenchers are used for large diameter of networks such as
telecommunication, electricity, drainage, water, gas, sanitation, etc.

BASIC PARTS OF EXCAVATION EQUIPMENTS

Backhoe Loader

Bucket - attached to the end of the backhoe used to excavate

Backhoe - a mechanical excavator that draws toward itself a bucket attached
to a hinged boom
Cab - Operators compartment
Tractor - Has a powerful engine, usually running on diesel fuel, and large
wheels for driving on all terrain.
Loader - used in construction to move aside or load materials

Excavator (Tracked or Wheeled)

Bucket attached to the end of the backhoe used to excavate

Cab - Operators compartment attached on a rotating platform
Counterweight - a weight that balances another weight
Boom - section of the arm closest to the vehicle

Trencher (Chain or Wheel)

Trencher (Chain)

Trencher (Wheel)

Chain Trencher cuts with a digging chain that is driven around a

rounded metal frame, or boom. It resembles a giant chainsaw. This type of
trencher can cut narrow and deep trenches. Wheel Trencher can cut harder
ground than chain-type trenchers

CONSIDERATIONS
Considerations
These are the factors to consider in selecting excavating equipment.

For draglines:

Class of materials
Depth of cut
Angle of swing
Size and type of bucket
Length of boom
Method of disposal, casting, or loading haul units
Size of the hauling units, when used
Skill of the operator
Physical condition of the machine
Job conditions
For clamshells:
Difficulty of loading the bucket
The size load obtainable
The height of lift
Angle of swing

Method of disposing of the load

Experience of the operator

For front shovels:

If the material to be excavated is hard and tough, the bucket of the large
shovel, which exerts higher digging pressures, will handle the material more
easily.
If blasted rock is to be excavated, the large-size bucket will handle bigger
individual pieces.

For front shovels:

If the time allotted for the completion of a project requires a high hourly
production, either multiple small shovels or a large shovel must be used.

The size of available hauling units should be considered in selecting the size
of shovel. If small hauling units must be used, the size of the shovel should be
small, whereas if large hauling units are available, a large shovel should be used.

The actual production of a shovel is affected by the following factors:

Class of material
Height of cut
Angle of swing
Size of hauling units
Operator skill
Physical condition of the shovel
For excavating trenches:
Job conditions
Depth and width of the trench
Class of soil
Extent to which groundwater is present
Width of the right-of-way for disposal of excavated earth
Type of equipment already owned by the contractor

The actual production of an excavating trench is affected by the following

factors:

Depth and width of the trech

Extent of shoring required
Topography
Climatic conditions
Extent of vegetation (such as trees, stumps, and roots)
Physical obstructions (such as buried piepes, sidewalks, paved streets,
buildings)
Speed with which the pipecan be placed in the trench