Pipe & Excavating

Question 1

Bank Cubic yards (BCY)

Answer 1

Soil resting in its natural, undisturbed condition

Question 2

Loose cubic yards (LCY)

Answer 2

When soil is excavated or in some wat disturbed from its natural state, it swells, increasing in volume

Question 3

Compacted cubic yards (CCY)

Answer 3

When soil is compacted, it shrinks, decreasing in volume.

Question 4

Optimum hourly production rate for excavation equipment formula

Answer 4

Number of completed cycles per hour x volume of material moved each cycle

Question 5

Struck capacity

Answer 5

Represents bucket contents when filled to the level of the rim, with no material heaped over it. Struck capacity is the same as the water-carrying capacity of the bucket.

Question 6

Load Factor - excavation equipment performance

Answer 6

Captures another facet to soil swell - essentially converts loose cubic yards to bank cubic yards -

Bank volume / (bank volume x 1.25)

Question 7

Load Factor for Sand - Dry, loose soil

Answer 7

0.89

Question 8

Load Factor for Sand & Clay - Loose Compacted

Answer 8

0.79

Question 9

Production for a track excavator cycle times are longer because

Answer 9

it takes more time to maneuver around obstructions like trees and power lines

Question 10

What are the four operations of a loading project?

Answer 10

excavation, loading, hauling and backfilling

Question 11

When should track loaders be utilized for a project (versus a wheeled loader)?

Answer 11

Where good traction and reduced ground pressures are required. Where working surfaces are abrasive enough to cause excessive tire wear.

Question 12

What is the most common bulldozer used for?

Answer 12

The light utility dozer with applications for residential and commercial foundations, fine grading, trench backfill, landscaping, light logging and swamp dozing.

Question 13

What dozer skill and technique has the biggest influence on dozer efficiency?

Answer 13

Blade position and depth of cut are the primary. The direction of the dozing pass, gear selection, travel speed and the slope on which the machine is working are also variables.

Question 14

What is the ideal travel speed for initial blade loading on a dozer?

Answer 14

1.5 mph

1.5mph - 4mph is the practical maximum

Question 15

How much does the blade capacity increase when pushed down a negative 40% grade?

Answer 15

load capacity on the dozer blade doubles

Question 16

When slopes are greater than 60% for a dozer, they are called?

Answer 16

Knee Shakers

Question 17

What is the rule of thumb for dozer speed?

Answer 17

Average dozing speed under load is 2mph

When the machines isn’t under load it will be 4 to 5 mph

Question 18

What is a blue top in finish blading?

Answer 18

When a road base or site is approaching the correct grade level, engineers place hubs at the exact finish elevation. The grader operator cuts just to the top of the hub and no farther.

Question 19

Which piece of equipment is the most cost-efficient earthmover available?

Answer 19

With the exception of extremely large excavators, scapers (pans)

Question 20

Scraper load time is dependent on what variables?

Answer 20

1. The size, power and type of scraper
2. The amount of pusher power that’s available
3. Soil condition, traction, and total resistance
4. Traffic at the cut
5. Operator skill

Question 21

Pushers are often used in tandem to increase loading rate. What is the rate?

Answer 21

Each pound of push (including the scraper’s effort) loads one pound of soil into the bowl per minute of load time.

Question 22

Survey Cut

Answer 22

A cut (C) is always lower than the reference point

Question 23

Survey Fill

Answer 23

A fill (F) is always higher than the reference point

Question 24

What is a survey hub?

Answer 24

A small stake driven into the ground to identify some reference point. Near the bub will be a reference stake, which identifies the hub’s elevation and situation in relation to the pipeline.

Question 25

Expressing slope as a ratio in surveying

Answer 25

Horizontal distance: Vertical distance

Question 26

What are the two most common back-hoe controls

Answer 26

Right joystick:
Close bucket (left)
Open bucket (right)

Question 27

Backhoe production rate: time required to excavate a set =

Answer 27

Digging cycles per set X average cycle time

Question 28

Backhoe production rate: digging cycles per set

Answer 28

Volume of dirt in set X dirt moved per cycle

Question 29

Which backhoe specializes in digging trenches up to about 8’ deep?

Answer 29

The tractor-loader-backhoe

Question 30

What are the four steps in excavating around a crossline?

Answer 30

1. Remove the dirt from behind crossline
2. Remove dirt piled against back of pipe
3. Excavate in front of crossline
4. Remove loosened dirt under crossline

Question 31

Formula to calculate a sheepsfoot roller compaction idea output on a CCY/HR basis

Answer 31

(roller width(ft) x speed(mph) x compacted lift thickness(in) x 16.3) / number of passes

Question 32

Silt and clay require a precise combination of all of the following Except? (weight, vibration, air, moisture)

Answer 32

Air

Question 33

Typically, solid rock will have a minimum angle of repose of ____ degrees.

Answer 33

90

Question 34

Since each soil type has a different weight-to-volume ratio, the proctor test find the point taken is at ____.

Answer 34

100% density and optimum moisture content for the soil that is being compacted.

Question 35

Except for extremely large excavators, _________ are the most cost-efficient earthmovers available.

Answer 35

Scrapers (pans)