| Earthwork operations are a critical component of major heavy civil projects, which often need to be successfully completed before other phases of construction operations can begin. As either stand alone or mining operations, they play a large role in Alberta's economy. If delayed, project schedules can often become irrecoverable and necessitate additional cost expenditures. Academic research has been performed; however, the industry has not significantly changed its "best practice" in over 100 years.;This research addresses the lack of adoption of previous academic developments and establishes the need for advancement in the face of inadequate current practice. Furthermore, new quantitative methods are proposed to simplify earthmoving simulation modeling and planning operations, including a) the use of an invariant input, the average weighted haul distance, and b) simulation derived formulas for accurate fleet selection. The methods were developed and validated through use of data provided by a major Canadian industrial earthworks contractor. |
