Estimating productivity of earthmoving operations using spatial technologies

This paper presents an automated method for estimating productivity of earthmoving operations in near-real-time. The developed method utilizes Global Positioning System (GPS) and Google Earth to extract the data needed to perform the estimation process. A GPS device is mounted on a hauling unit to capture the spatial data along designated hauling roads for the project. The variations in the captured cycle times were used to model the uncertainty associated with the operation involved. This was carried out by automated classification, data fitting, and computer simulation. The automated classification is applied through a spreadsheet application that classifies GPS data and identifies, accordingly, durations of different activities in each cycle using spatial coordinates and directions captured by GPS and recorded on its receiver. The data fitting was carried out using commercially available software to generate the probability distribution functions used in the simulation software "Extend V.6". The simulation was utilized to balance the production of an excavator with that of the hauling units. A spreadsheet application was developed to perform the calculations. An example of an actual project was analyzed to demonstrate the use of the developed method and illustrates its essential features. The analyzed case study demonstrates how the proposed method can assist project managers in taking corrective actions based on the near-real-time actual data captured and processed to estimate productivity of the operations involved.