Page 513 - Moving the Earth_ The Workbook of Excavation

PIT OPERATION

PIT OPERATION 10.19

Loading from the Pile. Topsoil is comparatively light and normally has a low digging resistance.
However, it tends to push ahead of narrow buckets, instead of entering them, and this factor, coupled
with the small size of the usual pile, reduces production to below that of hard digging in a bank.
Difficulty in filling the bucket may be reduced by thorough chopping of sod and weeds before
piling, building large piles, and building piles on undug areas so that the bottom of the bucket will
work in firm soil.
The front-end loader is the best equipment for loading because of flexibility, ability to load
from either pile or field, to clean up as it works, to pile when not loading, and high production in
relation to purchase price. Trucks are backed into the end of the pile, in variable positions to keep
them at an angle of about 45° to the digging, as shown in Fig. 10.15. These wide buckets get heap-
ing loads until the end of the pile is reached. The remnants can be pushed to the next pile.
The excavator is also used. It may have trouble filling the bucket, but its principal difficulty is in
cleaning up. If the pile is narrow, as in Fig. 10.16(A), it can walk down the center and scrape in the
sides by swing dragging. If the pile is heavy, as in (B), it can dig the bulk from one side, easily clean-
ing as it goes, and come back through the small remnant. In either case, it is best to have a bulldozer
work with it, at least part-time, cleaning up. A light rubber-tire dozer is generally adequate.

FIGURE 10.15 Loading topsoil with front-end loader. FIGURE 10.16 Loading topsoil with shovel.