Applications: Earthworks

General earthworks covers a whole range of jobsite applications, such as trenching, foundation excavation, pipe laying, slope work and general excavation. Even the most simple job can benefit from installing machine control.

Trenching Example

If an operator needs to dig a length of 100 metre trench with a depth of 2 metres and a cross sectional area of 1.5 metres, the total volume of material he would need to remove is 100.00 x 2.00 x 1.50 = 300³

If on average he over excavates this trench by only 15cm he will remove 100.00 x 2.00 x 1.65 = 330³

An error of only 10% may seem insignificant, but if the trench had been excavated to the specified dimensions the operator would have used 10% less fuel, 10% less material would have been removed and disposed of, and the job would have been completed in much less time.

This is the simplest example, and 1D or 2D machine control would provide a more than adequate solution, but what about a more complex job? This is where 3D machine control really comes into its own, as all of the above benefits are still valid, but there are the additional advantages of having the ability to upload the job into the cab of the excavator, and the significantly reduced need for expensive staking out (in some cases it can be almost eliminated completely). No stakes to run over or knock out, and no waiting for the surveyor to comeback.