CALCULATION OF

TRANSPORT & DIGGING

CAPACITY IN OPEN
CAST MINES
K D PRASAD
B.Tech(Mining), ISM, Dhanbad
GM(Mining), BCCL
 Definition
• Continuous Capacity – the continuous passes per hour are
determined from swing time and this multiplied by bucket capacity
gives the hourly production capacity that would be expected.
Continuous capacity is determined first and then discounted for
production utilisation later.
• Swing Time – is the time in seconds that it takes for the operator to
crowd the bucket in to muckpile, pull out, turn and dump in to the
haulage vehicle and return to the muckpile. The swing time for
shovels is usually less than the similar cycle time for front end
loaders. However, this depends on nature of muckpile and skill of
the operator.

Safety Management 2
• Fill Factor is the percent of total capacity of the bucket that is actually
filled during each pass in to the muckpile. Coarse, poorly blasted ore
usually gives a low fill factor. Finer ore and relatively smooth bottom
will give a high fill factor.
• Actual Bucket Capacity = Bucket size x Fill factor
• Production Utilisation = overall job efficiency x mechanical
availability x annual outage factor
• Employing 75% overall job efficiency, 85% mechanical availability
and 95% annual outage factor, the Production Utilisation is 60.6%

Safety Management 3
 Typical cycle time calculation
for 85t truck

No. Description Value

1. maneuvering for position at shovel (in minute) 1
2. loading time (in minute) 3
3. accelerating the loaded truck (in minute) 1
4. haulage to dumping point 1067m away (in minute) 2.5
5. decelerate and positioning for dump (in minute) 1.5
6. dumping time (in minute) 2
7. return empty time (in minute) 1.5
8. total cycle time (in minute) 12.5

transport capacity calculation 4

 annual production /truck /year
for 85t truck
No. Description Value
1. cycle time continuous ( in minute) 12.5
2. trips per hour continuous = 60 /12.4 0.8
3. tons per hour continuous = 4.8 x 85 (t/hr) 408
4. overall job efficiency 75% 0.75
5. mechanical availability 85% 0.85
6. annual outage factor 95% 0.95
7. production utilisation = 75% x85%x95% = 60.6 60.6
8. sheduled hours per year = ( 365-52-11)x24 hr 7248
9. production hours = 7248 x 0.606 hr 4392
10. annual production /truck /year = 4392 x 408 (t) 1791936

transport capacity calculation 5

 Calculation of Numbers of Truck
Description Value
say mine capacity = 12.7 million t 12700000
say truck capacity = 85 t 85
annual production /truck /year = 4392 x 408 t 1791936
trucks required = 12700000/1791936 7.09
trucks in use (no.) 8
trucks in fleet = 8/0.85 (no.) taking 85% availability 9
costing hours = [7248-{7248x0.15} - {7248x0.05}x 41111
7.09 hr

transport capacity calculation 6

 Calculation of Annual Digging
Capacity of 7.65m3 Shovel
No. Description Value
1. bucket size m3 7.65
2. fill factor for well blasted rock = 80% 0.80
3. average bucket capacity = 7.65 x 0.80 m3 6.12
4. swing time second 28
5. passes per minute, continuous operation 60/28 2.14
6. cubic metre per hour continuous 6.12 x 60/28 x 60 787
7. swell factor 67% 0.67
8. weight of bank m3 in place in t 3
9. loose m3 1/0.67 1.49
10. weight of loose ore 3/1.49 t 2

digging capacity calculation 7

 Calculation of Annual Digging
Capacity of 7.65m3 Shovel
No. Description Value
11. tons per pass continuous 6.12 x 2 t 12.24

12. tons per minute continuous 12.24 x 2.14 t 26.19

13. tons per hour continuous 26.19 x 60 t 1571

14. tons per annum continuous 1571 x 302 x24 t 11389507.2

digging capacity calculation 8

 Calculation of Numbers of Shovel
No. Description Value
1. annual production required t 12700000
2. annual shovel hours 12700000/1571 hr 8084
3. sheduled hours per year ( 365-52-11)x24 hr 7248
4. overall job efficiency 75% 0.75
5. mechanical availability 85% 0.85
6. annual outage factor 95% 0.95
7. production utilisation = 75% x85%x95% = 60.6% 60.6
8. sheduled hours per year = ( 365-52-11)x24 hr 7248
9. production hours = 7248 x 0.606 hr 4392
10. shovels required = 8084 shovel hours /4392 1.84 =2
11. Shovel in fleet = 2 /0.85 (mechanical availability) 2.35
numbers of shovels calculation 9
 Calculation of Numbers of Shovel
No. Description Value
12. costing hours [7248-{7248x0.15} - {7248x0.05}x 10669
1.84 hr
• Two shovels would be in use, and rather than owning a third
shovel, the operation could be equipped with a 9.18m3 front
end loader, rubber tyre mounted, which could back up the
shovels and do the other utility work. It can be noted in this
calculation that the annual tonnage can safely be made when
one shovel is shut down for short periods of time and
production could be easy to sustain on annual basis, if front
end loader can be used as back up.
• Certainly two shovels and one large front end loader are
adequate for the annual tonnage required.
• By courtesy B.A.Kennedy editor of Surface Mining Book

numbers of shovels calculation 10