How far would you push dirt before you would ...

[Bumpus]

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How far would you push dirt before you would start hauling it with Dump Trucks, Scraper Pans, End Dumps, ETC.

There has to be a cut off place somewhere, because it would just not be profitable to push any further.

Also how big or small of a job ( using a large or small dozer ) would it have to be in volume to change or make your decision.
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[joispoi]

Generally, 100 meters is the longest push.

 

[JDOFMEMI]

As above, 100M, of 300ft give or take is the rule of thumb.

The right answer for YOUR job may vary. How big is the job, and what type of equipment do you have, both on the job already, as well as in your fleet.

I have seen foremen mad tthat dirt got pushed 100ft when a scraper could have done it, and I have pushed dirt 1,000ft.

In the first example, there were lots of scrapers on the job, and it would be easy to get them to take the dirt, even on a short haul.

In the second example, the dozer was a D-9H with a U dozer, the volume was only 1,500 cy, and we did not own a scraper. It was cheaper to push it with what we owned than to rent a scraper as well as pay to have it hauled in and out again.

Now if you have 1,500 cy to go 1,000 ft and all you have is a D-4, well, that may change the answer.

If the right equipment for the job is available in your fleet there is no reason not to use it, but if it is a choice of using what you own and taking a little longer versus renting the right machine, you have to weigh the economics of it and then decide.

 

[JASONM]

Here, in La., I find that nobody runs U-Dozers, so I wouldn't have anything to share on those insitu push-conditions. But I seem to like 100 FT, not 100 meters, as a basis for budgeting. Most of the dozers here are straight blades and can't carry carry much material for anything further than 100 ft.
If you can roll it, (on wheels), then that's what you need to be trying to do. I'll deploy a motor scraper almost everytime for dirt moves greater than 100 ft...... and if not a motor scraper, then I'd pull (in this order) a box-blade or finishing bucket, a tractor-drawn pull pan or motor scraper up to 800 ft one way, then anything longer than 800 ft, I'd employ a bottom-dump trailer loaded with a mass excavator.
I see lots of folks travelling hauling long distances w/ motor scrapers or tractor-drawn pull pans; I just don't see the economics of that.

 

[qball]

if i am getting paid to run the dozer, i'll push it to oregon.
if it's my job and my iron, not very far at all.

 

[AusDave]

Here, in La., I find that nobody runs U-Dozers, so I wouldn't have anything to share on those insitu push-conditions. But I seem to like 100 FT, not 100 meters, as a basis for budgeting. Most of the dozers here are straight blades and can't carry carry much material for anything further than 100 ft.
If you can roll it, (on wheels), then that's what you need to be trying to do. I'll deploy a motor scraper almost everytime for dirt moves greater than 100 ft...... and if not a motor scraper, then I'd pull (in this order) a box-blade or finishing bucket, a tractor-drawn pull pan or motor scraper up to 800 ft one way, then anything longer than 800 ft, I'd employ a bottom-dump trailer loaded with a mass excavator.
I see lots of folks travelling hauling long distances w/ motor scrapers or tractor-drawn pull pans; I just don't see the economics of that.

Straight blades can work fine if you doze in a slot. In fact pushing a load any distance with any type of machine should be done in a slot unless you are spreading the material as you push.

AusDave

 

[Kingston]

Up here the big boys don't do too much pushing any more. We've got lots of hard sand and it eats up the bottoms real fast. You'll see 330 and 345 class excavators chucking for shorter distances or loading end dumps for longer distances.

 

[Greg]

One thing here depends on how much to move. If it were 1,000 cu yd and was going to go 100 feet would probably drop the blade and hook up the pan behind the D7. Larger quantity bigger pan and D8. Blades are off my Cats and pans hooked up 90% of the time.

No way I can move 10 yards with a D7 blade or 18 with a D8 blade each pass.

 

[rabbit]

Here, in La., I find that nobody runs U-Dozers, so I wouldn't have anything to share on those insitu push-conditions. But I seem to like 100 FT, not 100 meters, as a basis for budgeting. Most of the dozers here are straight blades and can't carry carry much material for anything further than 100 ft.
If you can roll it, (on wheels), then that's what you need to be trying to do. I'll deploy a motor scraper almost everytime for dirt moves greater than 100 ft...... and if not a motor scraper, then I'd pull (in this order) a box-blade or finishing bucket, a tractor-drawn pull pan or motor scraper up to 800 ft one way, then anything longer than 800 ft, I'd employ a bottom-dump trailer loaded with a mass excavator.
I see lots of folks travelling hauling long distances w/ motor scrapers or tractor-drawn pull pans; I just don't see the economics of that.

Interesting. We always figured that a D8 with U blade could push material 1,000 ft and make money. We have done it with two D6's and straight blades. Down a trough like the man says. Last road job I was on in California we moved material 3 miles with 631's. If the grade is half way smooth they can travel pretty fast. Or,,, Maybe that what we had to work with...