Production Rates: Hourly Output
What is Production Rate?
How much material a machine moves per hour or per day. Used for estimating schedule, cost, equipment needs.
Example Production Rates
| Equipment | Condition | Cubic Yards/Hour |
|---|
| D6 Dozer | Loose soil, 150 ft push | 350-450 |
| Cat 320 Excavator | Truck loading | 350-500 |
| Loader | Stockpile loading | 90-150 |
| Grader | Finishing (slow) | 4-8 acres/day |
Factors Affecting Production
- Material: Loose soil faster than rock or clay. Rock can be 50% slower.
- Distance: Longer haul = fewer trips/hour. Shorter = faster.
- Operator skill: Experienced ops are 20-30% faster than novices.
- Ground conditions: Soft/muddy ground slows equipment. Hard ground speeds it up.
- Equipment condition: Well-maintained = faster. Worn/slow = lower output.
Scheduling with Production Rates
Example: 5,000 cubic yards of cut × D6 dozer at 400 cy/hr = 12.5 hours. At 8 hrs/day = ~2 days (realistic: add 20% contingency = 2.4 days)