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Description:
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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 . |