Calculating CY for Highway Ramps and Overpasses??

[fensoncont.]

Hello,
I bought some blueprint paper at Office Depot and designed my own highway.

I'm just beginning to make the bid tabulaion sheet with the quantities. I don't know what average dimensions are for this work (never viewd real prints of it). My question is what are the average dimensions for the overpass over the highway, and then the dimensions for the ramps from the highway that go to the overpass??? After that how do I calculate the CY for that????

Thanks
Nolan

[imjustdave]

Interesting Q Im querious once you know how many yards, how does one decide how to charge. Say you have a million yards of dirt to move, or you building some road, how does anyone come up with a bid. I spend a few hrs on small home owner stuff I can't even begin to have any idea on building a 5 mile stretch of road...

[fensoncont.]

Whenever I do an estimate like this, I take a grid over the blueprint and split the earthmoving into sections. I discover my average cycle times for each grid. Then use rolling resistance, grade resistance, rimpull, and altitude to determine how fast my machinery is going to travel. Then see how long it takes them to travel the haul route. Then use load factors to see how many CY the machine will carry in BCY. Then I find the cycle time (depending on excavators loading ADT's, push load pans, or push pull pans) and see how many trips it will make in 1 hour. Then I use efficiency factors to adjust the production. Then with the number of machines I'm using I see how long it will take with all those machines running to finish the job. Then use all the hourly rates for each machine and total them up and divide by how many CY of embankment there is. Don't forget to charge for soil testing, its critical on these types of projects!!

I don't have any experience with "real" blueprints of these projects, or full fledge estimating on them. I have taught myself a fair amount, learned from some good friends over the internet. I have also met with people from Poindexter Excavating Inc. and about to meet with ODOT Designers, and about to meet with Miller Bros. Construction people. I'm sure there are people who will get more in depth with this on here than me who are older than 14 lol. But, it seems to work for me!

[Electra_Glide]

My question is what are the average dimensions for the overpass over the highway, and then the dimensions for the ramps from the highway that go to the overpass???

I'm sure it's all in here somewhere...:wink2

http://www.dot.state.ny.us/cmb/consult/hdmfiles/hdm.html

Here's a few suggestions to get you started based on some of what I saw when I was skimming some of the stuff (assuming we're talking about a cloverleaf on an interstae highway):

travel lane width (each lane) = 24' - the total width of the ROW is probably going to be somewhere around 300'

height of the overpass is going to be something in excess of 13' 6" (I'll leave it to Jeff D. to explain why)

radius of the exit ramps is going to be in excess of 700'

There was also a comment I saw somehwre about the "typical" cloverleaf consuming 25 acres.

Have fun...

Joe

[fensoncont.]

Thank you. I'll check out that link!

[fensoncont.]

After I got in the link I can't get the invidual sections to work.

[fensoncont.]

Ok, here it goes, I am using:

700' of ramp
22' wide lane on ramp
142' wide at the bottom
15' high

I know the area of a trapezoid is 1/2 x h x (b1+b2) and the area for a triangle is 1/2 x b x h How do I combine these 2 to get area??

Thanks
Nolan

[Electra_Glide]

After I got in the link I can't get the invidual sections to work.

Most of the links on that that page are .pdf files. You'll need Adobe acrobat on your computer to open them.

I know the area of a trapezoid is 1/2 x h x (b1+b2) and the area for a triangle is 1/2 x b x h How do I combine these 2 to get area??

I can't quite picture what you're trying to calculate. Are you just trying to figure out the volume of material to cut to get the ROW under the overpass? Do you have any way to make a quick sketch and post it?

Joe

[fensoncont.]

Thank you!!

If it would make it any easier just to say: I want to get the volume of a ramp. How do I calculate that volume?? (the same thing you were speaking of that the radius is 700')

[dayexco]

buy a digitizer board, and some cut/fill software, save your brain for cocktails

[fensoncont.]

Where can I find the software?? A link would be appreciated.

[fensoncont.]

I just found some of the software. Way to pricy for me.
I will just use the little brain hahaha

[rino1494]

buy a digitizer board, and some cut/fill software, save your brain for cocktails

LOL....he is only 14 Day.

[digger242j]

buy a digitizer board, and some cut/fill software, save your brain for cocktails

LOL....he is only 14 Day.

Well, if they come out with an estimating game for Playstation... :wink2