KEVOS® MAKEOS · Materials
Stockpile Haulage Plan (Pile Mass, Truck Loads, Loading Time, Ground Pressure)
How much material is in this stockpile, how many truck loads and loader passes will it take to move it, and is the ground under the pile strong enough?
Plan for moving a conical or ridge-shaped stockpile of bulk material: pile height from the angle of repose, volume and mass (as the stockpile weight tool), truck loads at the payload, loader bucket passes at the bucket size and fill factor, loading time at the cycle time, and the peak ground pressure under the highest point of the pile against the allowable bearing pressure.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Pile shape | choice | Round cone or a ridge with sloping ends. |
| Base diameter (cone) | m | Base diameter of a conical pile. |
| Base width (ridge) | m | Base width of a ridge pile (the shorter side). |
| Base length (ridge) | m | Base length of a ridge pile. |
| Angle of repose | ° | Angle of repose of the material (about 30–40° for most granular materials). |
| Bulk density | kg/m³ | Bulk (loose) density of the material. |
| Truck payload | t | Legal payload of one truck. |
| Loader bucket size | m³ | Rated (heaped) bucket capacity of the loader. |
| Bucket fill factor | % | Share of the rated bucket actually loaded each pass. |
| Loader cycle time | s | Time for one loader cycle (dig, travel, dump, return). |
| Allowable ground bearing pressure | kPa | Allowable bearing pressure of the ground under the pile (from a geotechnical assessment). |
Method and formulas
- Cone: h = (D ÷ 2) tan θ, V = π D² h ÷ 12; ridge: h = (A ÷ 2) tan θ, V = A h (3B − A) ÷ 6 (as the stockpile weight tool).
- Truck loads = mass ÷ payload (rounded up); bucket passes = volume ÷ (bucket × fill) (rounded up); loading time = passes × cycle.
- Peak ground pressure = ρ g h under the highest point.
- Example: the pile is 3.501 m high, 146.65 t; moving it takes 8 truck loads and 51 loader passes (0.56667 h).
Limitations
- Ideal pile shape at the angle of repose; real piles are often flatter or have a flat top.
- Bulk density varies with moisture and compaction.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Plan removal of a gravel, coal or ore stockpile
- Estimate a stockpile’s tonnage for inventory
- Check ground bearing under a new pile
Who it is for
- Site supervisors
- Plant engineers
- Logistics planners
What you get
- Pile height, volume and mass
- Truck loads, loader passes and loading time
- Peak ground pressure against the allowable
Interpreting the result
- The pressure under the peak of a pile is three times the average: check the ground there.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 382–383. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
WORKOS tools are screening and decision-support utilities. Verify important financial, engineering, safety, legal or operational decisions using appropriate professional standards and your organisation’s approved data.
Open the Stockpile Haulage Plan (Pile Mass, Truck Loads, Loading Time, Ground Pressure) calculator
