When Less Is More
Contractors are always looking for ways to do more with less. A technique or system of working that uses less fuel, less labor, or less material while maintaining or improving productivity is a goal contractors are always trying to achieve. For those in site preparation, laser-guided grading systems on compact equipment are reducing the amount of labor and decreasing the cost needed to complete grading. For those who have always wondered how these systems work—and how they can benefit your business—here’s a brief overview.
Bobcat Co. is a compact equipment manufacturer that offers a laser-controlled grading system for skid-steer, compact track and all-wheel steer loaders. The laser system consists of a transmitter set on a tripod, one or two laser receivers placed on masts on the attachment, and a hand-held receiver and remote used to set up the system. Easy to set up, the laser system performs single-slope or dual-slope grading. The only requirements are a loader with a seven- or 14-pin attachment control kit, auxiliary hydraulics, and a box blade or grader attachment.
One Contractor’s Success Story
The biggest advantage of a laser-guided grading system is the ability to create a grade within a quarter-inch of what is desired. Being so precise and near grade provides enormous savings in the costs of materials, especially concrete. Trace Construction, based near Indianapolis, IN, uses a Bobcat laser system for flatwork grading for new distribution centers, big box retail stores, warehouses, hospitals, and schools in Indiana.
When more concrete is used than what was planned for, Trace Construction obviously makes less of a profit. The contractor signs contracts stipulating margins of error—the percentage of waste—for concrete costs. A recent project for Trace Construction was an 800,000-square-foot distribution center, and if the company were to go more than a half-inch over the desired subgrade on the entire area of the building, 1,500 yards of additional concrete would be needed. Joe Shetterley, vice president of Trace Construction, says that would cost him $12,000. “We bid with a percentage of waste of 1%, 2%, or 3%,” says Shetterley. “That money goes in our pocket because the accuracy of the laser ensures we’re only using as much concrete as we need.”
 |
Photo: Hawkeye Contracting
The system consists of a transmitter on a tripod, laser receivers on masts on the attachment, and a hand-held receiver. |
Trace Construction is also saving money by grading large areas with compact equipment. The company uses the laser system on Bobcat T190, T250, and T300 compact track loaders instead of larger dozers that have typically been used on job sites of this size in the past. Compact track loaders use less fuel than dozers and are also less expensive and easier to transport because the loaders are transported on trailers pulled by pickup trucks.
Not only does the laser system save large sums of money, but it also makes money. The laser system is much more efficient than other methods of grading. The traditional way to grade is to have two people with a string line-mark the grade while an operator moves material with the loader, which is a slow process. Shetterley says Trace Construction could grade up to 30,000 square feet at a time using this method. After purchasing the laser system, the company could take on larger projects like the distribution center with fewer workers. Larger projects, combined with the laser system’s concrete-saving precision, add up to larger profits.
“We would not be able to do big areas without this system. Before these lasers came out, we never got to do this type of grade work, because it was too big. The project owner would hire a dirt contractor to do the work with dozers. Now that we have the laser grader, we control our own grade and have taken on larger work,” says Shetterley.
Setting up a System
Obviously, determining the grade is the place to begin, and doing so with a laser system is much easier than other methods. For single-slope grading, the highest and lowest points are established. Dual-slope grading requires a third point to be determined at a 90-degree angle to one of the first two points.
To find the height difference between two grade stakes, set the laser transmitter at zero-percent grade. Place the hand-held laser receiver on a precision grade rod at the grade stake on grade and move it up or down until the laser locks onto the receiver. The Bobcat system beeps when close and emits a solid tone when the receiver is on grade with the transmitter.
Next, the percentage of slope is determined. For example, a job site may have two grading stakes that are 100 feet apart with a 12-inch height difference between them. To determine the percentage of slope, all numbers must be in inches, so 100 feet is converted to 1,200 inches. The difference in height (12 inches) is divided by the distance between stakes (1,200 inches) and multiplied by 100%. In this example, the slope is 0.01, or 1%.
For landscaping projects, typical slopes are 1% or 2%. Parking lots have slopes that are zero % or 1% and roadway slopes vary from 1% to 25%. Flatwork, of course, does not have a slope, unless a floor drain is required.
The laser transmitter is set up at a point where the grade is known and properly positioned. For single-slope grading, point the handle of the Bobcat transmitter up the grade. As it’s turned on, the transmitter self-levels.
Dual-slope grading requires a different transmitter alignment. On the Bobcat system, symbols show the open and closed sloped parts of the transmitter. Think of the open slope as the X-axis of a graph and the closed slope as the Y-axis, with the graph on the surface of the ground. The transmitter is placed at the origin, and sight guides are used to point the transmitter at a grading stake or other direction to grade. The desired grade is then set and entered into the transmitter.
Set the transmitter in a place that will not lose contact with the receiver. Trees, poles, and other obstructions should not be in between the transmitter and where the loader is working. Once the transmitter is set properly with the correct alignment, raise it so the laser beam is higher than the loader cab, to avoid interference. Using the hand-held receiver on the grade rod, find the height of the transmitter so the receivers are set at the same height on the attachment.
To set up the laser receiver on the box blade, which is ideal for single-slope grading, park the loader on a level surface. Tilt the box blade forward and lower the lift arms until the receiver mast is perpendicular to the ground. Make sure the cutting edge is on the ground and use a level to ensure the mast is vertical. Adjust the tilt-stop and end wings to make sure the mast stays vertical when the lift arms are down and the end wings are flat with the surface. Using a tape measure, place the center of the laser receiver on the mast at a height equal to the transmitter.
To set up the laser system on a grader attachment, suited for single- or dual-slope grading, park the loader on a level area. Lower the attachment forward until the front tires or tracks are 2 to 4 inches off the ground. Lower the cutting edge to the ground and use a level to make sure both receiver masts are perpendicular to the ground. Place the center of the laser receivers on the mast at a height above the cutting edge equal to the height of the transmitter.
Operating Compact Loaders With Laser Grading Systems
To operate the attachment and the laser system, start the loader, engage the auxiliary hydraulics, and activate the laser system. To activate the Bobcat system, press the detent switch on the right joystick.
At this point, the system takes over the operation of the attachment. If set up correctly, all the operator needs to do is windrow material across the work area. When using a laser system, set the throttle of the loader to one-half or two-thirds, which is a travel speed of 3 to 4 miles per hour, the perfect speed for the system to work to its fullest potential. Moving too fast does not allow the system to adjust the uneven grade, and operating too slowly wastes time and lowers productivity.
Each job site is unique, and operation of the loader and laser system should be adjusted accordingly. Rough grading should be completed without the laser system, because the system will only slow grading in areas with extreme variations in high and low elevations.
Once rough grading is finished, engage the laser system. As a rule of thumb, begin by working the high spots of the work area and push the spoil to the low areas. When grading near buildings, begin next to the building and move material out.
The number of passes to grade a slope depends on the degree of the slope and the amount of rough grading that was already completed. When using the grader attachment for dual-slope grading, make one or two passes up and down the slope and one or two passes across the slope.
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The Bobcat single-slope transmitter has a working radius of 1,300 feet and can make adjustments to the grade in one-eighth-inch increments. The dual-slope transmitter has an operating radius of 1,500 feet and provides refined grade increments of one sixty-fourth of an inch. When doing a final grade, the operator should be able to cover 110,000 square feet in an hour, with the base material within plus or minus a quarter of an inch of the desired grade.
Efficiency. Decreased labor and material costs. Increased profits. These are the benefits contractors can expect with a laser-controlled grading system for compact equipment. These systems are easy to set up and easy to use, and turn compact loaders into precise and productive machines.
Author's Bio: Eric Morse is a public relations consultant in Des Moines, IA.
November-December 2009
When Less Is More
Photo: Hawkeye Contracting<br>
Bobcat Co. offers a laser system for skid-steer, compact track, and all-wheel-steer loaders.
Contractors are always looking for ways to do more with less. A technique or system of working that uses less fuel, less labor, or less material while maintaining or improving productivity is a goal contractors are always trying to achieve. For those in site preparation, laser-guided grading systems on compact equipment are reducing the amount of labor and decreasing the cost needed to complete grading. For those who have always wondered how these systems work—and how they can benefit your business—here’s a brief overview.
Bobcat Co. is a compact equipment manufacturer that offers a laser-controlled grading system for skid-steer, compact track and all-wheel steer loaders. The laser system consists of a transmitter set on a tripod, one or two laser receivers placed on masts on the attachment, and a hand-held receiver and remote used to set up the system. Easy to set up, the laser system performs single-slope or dual-slope grading. The only requirements are a loader with a seven- or 14-pin attachment control kit, auxiliary hydraulics, and a box blade or grader attachment.
One Contractor’s Success Story
The biggest advantage of a laser-guided grading system is the ability to create a grade within a quarter-inch of what is desired. Being so precise and near grade provides enormous savings in the costs of materials, especially concrete. Trace Construction, based near Indianapolis, IN, uses a Bobcat laser system for flatwork grading for new distribution centers, big box retail stores, warehouses, hospitals, and schools in Indiana.
When more concrete is used than what was planned for, Trace Construction obviously makes less of a profit. The contractor signs contracts stipulating margins of error—the percentage of waste—for concrete costs. A recent project for Trace Construction was an 800,000-square-foot distribution center, and if the company were to go more than a half-inch over the desired subgrade on the entire area of the building, 1,500 yards of additional concrete would be needed. Joe Shetterley, vice president of Trace Construction, says that would cost him $12,000. “We bid with a percentage of waste of 1%, 2%, or 3%,” says Shetterley. “That money goes in our pocket because the accuracy of the laser ensures we’re only using as much concrete as we need.”
|
Photo: Hawkeye Contracting
The system consists of a transmitter on a tripod, laser receivers on masts on the attachment, and a hand-held receiver. |
Trace Construction is also saving money by grading large areas with compact equipment. The company uses the laser system on Bobcat T190, T250, and T300 compact track loaders instead of larger dozers that have typically been used on job sites of this size in the past. Compact track loaders use less fuel than dozers and are also less expensive and easier to transport because the loaders are transported on trailers pulled by pickup trucks.
Not only does the laser system save large sums of money, but it also makes money. The laser system is much more efficient than other methods of grading. The traditional way to grade is to have two people with a string line-mark the grade while an operator moves material with the loader, which is a slow process. Shetterley says Trace Construction could grade up to 30,000 square feet at a time using this method. After purchasing the laser system, the company could take on larger projects like the distribution center with fewer workers. Larger projects, combined with the laser system’s concrete-saving precision, add up to larger profits.
“We would not be able to do big areas without this system. Before these lasers came out, we never got to do this type of grade work, because it was too big. The project owner would hire a dirt contractor to do the work with dozers. Now that we have the laser grader, we control our own grade and have taken on larger work,” says Shetterley.
Setting up a System
Obviously, determining the grade is the place to begin, and doing so with a laser system is much easier than other methods. For single-slope grading, the highest and lowest points are established. Dual-slope grading requires a third point to be determined at a 90-degree angle to one of the first two points.
To find the height difference between two grade stakes, set the laser transmitter at zero-percent grade. Place the hand-held laser receiver on a precision grade rod at the grade stake on grade and move it up or down until the laser locks onto the receiver. The Bobcat system beeps when close and emits a solid tone when the receiver is on grade with the transmitter.
Next, the percentage of slope is determined. For example, a job site may have two grading stakes that are 100 feet apart with a 12-inch height difference between them. To determine the percentage of slope, all numbers must be in inches, so 100 feet is converted to 1,200 inches. The difference in height (12 inches) is divided by the distance between stakes (1,200 inches) and multiplied by 100%. In this example, the slope is 0.01, or 1%.
For landscaping projects, typical slopes are 1% or 2%. Parking lots have slopes that are zero % or 1% and roadway slopes vary from 1% to 25%. Flatwork, of course, does not have a slope, unless a floor drain is required.
The laser transmitter is set up at a point where the grade is known and properly positioned. For single-slope grading, point the handle of the Bobcat transmitter up the grade. As it’s turned on, the transmitter self-levels.
Dual-slope grading requires a different transmitter alignment. On the Bobcat system, symbols show the open and closed sloped parts of the transmitter. Think of the open slope as the X-axis of a graph and the closed slope as the Y-axis, with the graph on the surface of the ground. The transmitter is placed at the origin, and sight guides are used to point the transmitter at a grading stake or other direction to grade. The desired grade is then set and entered into the transmitter.
Set the transmitter in a place that will not lose contact with the receiver. Trees, poles, and other obstructions should not be in between the transmitter and where the loader is working. Once the transmitter is set properly with the correct alignment, raise it so the laser beam is higher than the loader cab, to avoid interference. Using the hand-held receiver on the grade rod, find the height of the transmitter so the receivers are set at the same height on the attachment.
To set up the laser receiver on the box blade, which is ideal for single-slope grading, park the loader on a level surface. Tilt the box blade forward and lower the lift arms until the receiver mast is perpendicular to the ground. Make sure the cutting edge is on the ground and use a level to ensure the mast is vertical. Adjust the tilt-stop and end wings to make sure the mast stays vertical when the lift arms are down and the end wings are flat with the surface. Using a tape measure, place the center of the laser receiver on the mast at a height equal to the transmitter.
To set up the laser system on a grader attachment, suited for single- or dual-slope grading, park the loader on a level area. Lower the attachment forward until the front tires or tracks are 2 to 4 inches off the ground. Lower the cutting edge to the ground and use a level to make sure both receiver masts are perpendicular to the ground. Place the center of the laser receivers on the mast at a height above the cutting edge equal to the height of the transmitter.
Operating Compact Loaders With Laser Grading Systems
To operate the attachment and the laser system, start the loader, engage the auxiliary hydraulics, and activate the laser system. To activate the Bobcat system, press the detent switch on the right joystick.
At this point, the system takes over the operation of the attachment. If set up correctly, all the operator needs to do is windrow material across the work area. When using a laser system, set the throttle of the loader to one-half or two-thirds, which is a travel speed of 3 to 4 miles per hour, the perfect speed for the system to work to its fullest potential. Moving too fast does not allow the system to adjust the uneven grade, and operating too slowly wastes time and lowers productivity.
Each job site is unique, and operation of the loader and laser system should be adjusted accordingly. Rough grading should be completed without the laser system, because the system will only slow grading in areas with extreme variations in high and low elevations.
Once rough grading is finished, engage the laser system. As a rule of thumb, begin by working the high spots of the work area and push the spoil to the low areas. When grading near buildings, begin next to the building and move material out.
The number of passes to grade a slope depends on the degree of the slope and the amount of rough grading that was already completed. When using the grader attachment for dual-slope grading, make one or two passes up and down the slope and one or two passes across the slope.
The Bobcat single-slope transmitter has a working radius of 1,300 feet and can make adjustments to the grade in one-eighth-inch increments. The dual-slope transmitter has an operating radius of 1,500 feet and provides refined grade increments of one sixty-fourth of an inch. When doing a final grade, the operator should be able to cover 110,000 square feet in an hour, with the base material within plus or minus a quarter of an inch of the desired grade.
Efficiency. Decreased labor and material costs. Increased profits. These are the benefits contractors can expect with a laser-controlled grading system for compact equipment. These systems are easy to set up and easy to use, and turn compact loaders into precise and productive machines.