Determining Shovel-Truck Productivity

This paper discusses some of the problems involved in predicting the productivity of a shovel and truck fleet in a new set of operating conditions. More specifically, it concentrates on the problems of predicting the travel times on the haul and return portions of the truck cycle under new profile conditions and the prediction of the interaction effect between the shovel and truck at the loading point. The ability to calculate the travel times for a new road profile is not new. Additional corrections of these calculated times for expected actual operation can be made. In considering the interaction between the loader and the hauler, there are two approaches that can be taken. Probably the most accurate method of predicting the shovel-truck interaction is a simulation of the step-by-step operation considering the variation in cycle times of the shovel and trucks. This is usually called a stochastic simulation and requires input describing how these cycle times vary. However, by understanding the causes of this shovel-truck interaction it is possible to make sufficiently accurate predictions with much simpler methods. Haulage Cycle Established from Existing Operations For the purpose of this discussion let us assume that the problem involves trying to predict the productivity of a single shovel-truck fleet at some future time in an existing operation. Let us also assume for simplification that the new operation to be simulated has the same loading and pit conditions and the same dumping conditions as did the existing operation. Therefore, the only difference would be the difference in the hauling profile for the new operation. The problem then becomes one of predicting the change in the travel times on the haul and return portions of the cycle, and in determining the change in interaction between and the shovel and trucks with the new truck cycle times.