Indien Roads Congress

Special Publication 22

RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR THE SIZES FOR
EACH TYPE OF ROAD
MAKING MACHINERY TO
CATER TO THE
GENERAL DEMAND OF
ROAD WORKS

NEW DELHt 1986

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 Indian Roads Congress
Special Publication 22

RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR THE SIZES FOR
EACH TYPE OF ROAD
MAKING MACHINERY TO
CATER TO THE
GENERAL DEMAND OF
ROAD WORKS

Published by
The Indian Roads Congress
Copies can be had by V.P.P.
from the Secretary,
Indian Roads Congress.
Jamnagar House, Shabjahan Road,
New Delhi-hO 011

NEW DELHI 1986 Price Rs ~ 24

(Plus packing &
postage charges)

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IRC SP 22

First published June, 1980

Reprinted October, 1986

(The Rig/its of’ Publication and of Translation are Reserved)

Edited and Published by P.C. Bhasin, Secretary, Indian Roads Congress,

New Delhi. Printed at PRINTAID, New Delhi

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 RECO~4MI~NDATIONSFOR THE SIZES FOR EACH
TYPE OF ROAD MAKING MACHINERY TO CATER
TO THE GENERAL DEMAND OF ROAD WORKS

1. INTRODUCTION
The need for mechanisation in road works is assuming consi-
derable importance in recent times to meet the compelling demand
to improve the quality and speed in completion of large road
construction programme launched in the country. The fluctuations
in the availability of labour force, labour management and climate
conditions of certain areas not condusive to the deployment of
large labour force are other factors promoting the growth of
mechanisation comparatively at a faster rate. Therefore, a stage has
come when it is necessary to focus attention to standardising the
road making machinery. The fixing of sizes is a first step towards
this end in order to ensure reasonable uniformity in the
manufacture of machinery and its spare parts.

A subcommittee of the Road Making Machinery and

Mechanisation Committee of the Indian Roads Congress was set up
earlier to go into the problem of fixing two or three economical
sizes for each type of road making machinery to cater to the
general demand of road construction work. The draft recom-
mendations made by this subcommittee were approved by the
Manufacture of Road Making Machinery and Mechanisation
Committee in their meeting held at Gandhinagar on the 28th
November, 1972. The Executive Committee in their meeting held at
New Delhi on the 17th February, 1973 approved these recommenda-
tions which were later considered by the Council in their 81st
meeting held at Cochin on the 26th April, 1973 when it was decided
to refer back these recommendations to the “Highway Construction
and Mechartisation Committee” (redesignated in place of Manufac
ture of Road Making Machinery and Mechanisation Committee) for
revising the same, in light of certain observations made by them.

The modified list indicating the recommended sizes for each

type of road making machinery to cater to the general demands

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of road construction works as finalised by the Highway Construc-
tion and Mechanisation Committee (personnel given below) in their
meeting held at Calcutta on the 19th December, 1977 and later
approved by the Executive Committee and the Council in their
meetings held on the 3rd and 19th January, 1979 respectively is
given in Appendix. Items of bridge works are not covered in these
recommendations as it is intended to bring out separate recom-
men dations.

The intention, however, is not to prevent the manufacturer

from developing other sizes of equipments or even equipments
other than those listed here depending upon demand and proven
better performance level. Continual review of the list of equipment
and their sizes on the basis of further experience, increase in the
extent of mechanisation, and future production pattern in the
country is not only desirable but also necessary.

P.K. Thakur Convenor

0. Viswanathan Member-Secretary
MEMBERS
C.M. Antony P.K. Sen
T.D. Bijiani D. Ajitha Simha
Brig. Gobindar Singh H.N. Singh
Ram Babu Gupta S.N. Sinha
S.K. Kelavkar Prof. C.G. Swaminathan
M.R. Malya A Rep, of C.W. & P.C.
P.M. Nadgauda Rep. of D.G.B.R.
K.K. Nambiar (L.M. Verma)
IC. Patel A Rep. of Ministry of Industrial
K.R. Patel Development
Brig. A. Ramaswami D.G. (R.D.) and AddJ. Secretary to
H,S. Rastogi the Govt. of India—Ex-offiefo
Rep, of E-in-C., A.H.Q.
(Brig. Ramesh Lal)

2. FACTORS GOVERNING THE PROPER SELECTION

OF TYPE AND SIZE OF EQUIPMENT
Various factors are required to be considered when selecting
the type and size of equipment needed for road works. Some
of the factors governing selection are:
(1) equipment already available, and bow well the additional
equipment match;

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(ii) facilities available for operation and maintenance, inclu-

ding the personnel available:
(iii) nature and quantity of work, terrain, and specification to
be adopted;
(iv) time schedule for completion;
(v) output norms for completing the work on schedule; and
(vi) cost of production.

3. ADVANTAGES OF STANDARDIZATION
The advantages of standardization, in principle, are as
tollows
(1) Reasonable standards can be ensured for the manufacture
of equipment and spare parts thereof and for their
operation and maintenance.
(2) A close liaison between the manufacturers on the one
hand and the construction engineers and contractors on
the other hand could be arranged, so that problems of
both can be discussed together and resolved to the best
advantage, and equipments modified wherever necessary
to suit the local conditions. This may be difficult if the
number of types and sizes of each equipment is large.
(3) The equipment can be used economically not only
for a particular work in the project for which it is pro-
cured, but also for other kinds of work in the same road
project.
(4) The operation and maintenance of standardised equip-
ment is comparatively easier.
(5) The delivery of equipment and spares is expeditious and
disposal easy at favourable cost.
(6) Trained personnel can be made available without dif-
ficulty.
4, RECOMMENDATIONS
(1) Preparation of sIte including jungle cle*rance
The equipment most frequently used for preparation of site,
clearing, and grubbing, including removal of trees, stumps and
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bushes is the crawler tractor ~ ith a dozer blade attached Other

attachments such as tooter, stumpers, tree stingers, etc., facilitate
the removal of trees and stumps. The following sizes of tractors
would be utilised for this type of work:

Draw-bar Horse Power

Light Clearance 90-120
Heavy Clearance 160-200

(2) Earthwork
It is generally found that for earthwork involving lifts of
more than 3 metres and borrow-pits located at long leads from the
road-side land, it may be necessary to use heavy earth-moving
machinery for hauling and depositing earth.

The equipment generally used for medium hauls is scraper,

which is of two types, viz., (i) Towed scraper pulled by Tractors
and (ii) Self-propelled Motorised scraper. While the towed scrapers
are usually economical for leads upto 300 metres, motorised
scrapers are economical for leads beyond 300 metres.

The towed scrapers commonly required for the job and also
indigenously manufactured is of about 13 cubic metres heaped
capacity. The tractor needed for pulling the towed scraper should
be of 180-250 Drawbar Horse Power.

Motorised scrapers of about 15 to 17 cubic metres, heaped

capacity are at present manufactured in the country, and this size is
suitable wheie large quantity of earthwork involving long leads is
involved. Normally motorised scraper requires a pusher while
loading. A heavy duty tractor of 230-300 Drawbar Horse Power
would be suitable for use as pusher.

There are locations involving a short haul of less than 100

metres, where earthwork has to be done by use of dozers alone.
Particularly, on hill roads, the pioneering work is done by dozers.
For such initial pioneering work, dozers of size 90-120 Drawbar
Horse Power would be suitable. For major dozing and removal
of excavated rock, a bigger size 160-200 Drawbar Horse Power
would be needed. Dozers are also used for ditching, back filling,
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trimming, pusher loading and spreading. While crawler

dozersar e preferred for working in muddy, loose, soft soil or rock
cuttings, rubber tyred dozers, are preferred when distance involved
is considerable because of greater output due to higher speed and
manoeuvreability involved.

Motor grader is useful for spreading and grading of earth-

work. As the grader blade can be adjusted to any angle in vertical
plane, grader is effectively used for trimming and maintaining the
side slope of an embankment. This machine is also used for
spreading stone materials for bases and sub-bases and in the absence
of paver finisher, it can be utilized for spreading bituminous maca-
dam and asphaltic concrete. Since the quality of bituminous maca-
dam and asphaltic concrete work will not be as good as with paver
finisher, the use of grader for this purpose should be only under
compelling circumstances. With the attachment of scarifier, the
hard gravel and WBM surface can be loosened and reshaped
with grader blade. Motor graders of about 110 BHP are made
indigenously.

Front end loaders are either tracked or tyred type. This

machine is very useful in loading materials in trucks. This unit
can also be used to feed hoppers or bins ofi hot mix plants with
aggregates expeditiously. The machine is also useful for light
excavation, dozing and land clearing. The front end loaders of
0.5 to 1.5 cubic metres capacity are made indigenously.

(3) Soil stabilisation

Soil stabihisation is aimed at maintaining or increasing the
performance o soil as a construction material, by mixing with it
other soils and/or special stabihising agents,like cement, lime, flyash,
and compacting the resulting mixture at about optimum moisture
content. At present the soil stabilisers are not being manufactured
indigenously as sufficient demands are not there. However, for
scarifying the top loose soil upto the required depth, pulverising
the soil and mixing thoroughly with sand, etc., the rotillor
is being made in the country, and is capable of working to a
width of 1.25 metre, and a depth of 200 mm.

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(4) Compaction of earthwork, sub-base and base
The most versatile equipment ‘used in the country for compact-
ing earthwork, sub-base and base courses is the conventional
3-wheeled static Roller of 8-10 tonnes capacity. This equipment
isalso used for bituminous work.

For compaction of non—cohesive soils, vibratory rollers would

he suitable. At present vibratory rollers of 3.6 tonnes capacity are
being manufactured in the country. A slightly bigger size, will
have higher output. and when manufactured in the country could
prove very useful for road works. Even though license has been
given, perhaps due to lack of demand, the manufacture of bigger
size vibratory rollers ha,s not yet been taken up. For restricted
application such as Municipal road works, where at present
standard 8-it) tonnes static rollers are being used, it would be
desirable to use roller like tractamount Roller of 8 tonnes capacity
which have multi—purpose application. The tractor can be used
for operating roller and as wheeled type tractor for haulage. The
use of these on miscellaneous works such as Municipal works,
can free the 3-wheeled 8-10 tonnes rollers for use on large-scale
road construction.

Sheepfool rollers of single or double drum are needed, s~here

compaction of clayey soil is required. For compaction of shoulders
and restricted locations behind bridge and culvert abutments, where
a heavy roller cannot be used effectively, earth ranimcrs or
pne umatic ramniers will be required. As these compaction equip-
ments are not in general demand, the sizes have not been specified.

(5) Watering
Watering is an important aspect in the compaction of earth
work and for consolidation of granular and stabilised sub-bases
and base courses. In such cases, truck-mounted water-tankers,
and trailer-mounted water-tankers of capacity of about 3500-4500
litres would be required.

(6) Bituminous work

For ensuring good riding’ surface and controlled quality of
workmanship, the use of equipment in bituminous work is finding

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importance increasingly. The use of equipment in bituminous work

also helps execution of road works expeditiously to the quality
req uired.

For bituminous hot-mix work, the bigger size of hot mix plant
20-30 tonnes per hour and 30-45 tonnes per hour capacity, and the
smaller size plant, 6-10 tonnes per hour would be required depend-
ing on the magnitude of work. All these sizes are at present being
indigenously manufactured. It would be desirable to have all
these plants made mobile for the ease in shifting from one location
to another.

The Paver-finisher of capacity 45 to 75 tonnes per hour, is

considered suitable for paving job. Bitumen boilers of 1000-1 500
litres capacity are good enough for doing bituminous work at site
e.g., tack coat, surface dressing, etc.

(7) Rock-cutting and quarrying

The basic equipment required for rock cutting and quarrying
is air compressor. For initial work in hill roads, small compressor
of 3 to 4.5 cubic metres per minute capacity, capable of operating
single jack hammer is needed. This unit can be transported by
manual labour or by animals from one Site to another. For
subsequent development work, compressors of capacity of about 6
cubic metres and 10 cubic metres per minute, capable of operating
2 jack hammers would be needed. The requirement of compressors
in terms of cubic metres of air for hill road work is somewhat high
because of losses due to long pipe-line.

For crushing rock to produce aggregate, stone crushers of

400 mrnx225 mm and 400 nimx250 mm sizes capable of producing
14-18 tonnes per hour are suitable. Granulators of sizes 300 mm x
175mm and 300 mn’ix 100mm are capable of yielding 5-8 tonnes
per hour and are suitable for producing smaller size aggregates.

(8) Haulage of materials

Tipping trucks are needed for haulage of materials. Tipping
trucks of 5 tonnes and 7.5 tonnes capacity would be suitable for
general use for carriage of earth and and other materials, Three
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tonnes capacity tipping trucks would be suitable for hilly terrain and
where sharp turnings are to be negotiated and smaller loads have
to he transported. A tipping truck with JO tonnes capacity would
he suitable for haulage on good roads and where the quantity o~
material to be hauled is large.

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 .4ppendix

RECOMMENDED SIZES FOR EACH TYPE. OF ROAD MAKING

MACHINERY TO CATER TO THE GENERAL
DEMAND OF ROAD WORKS

S. No. Name cf Equipment Size reco,nuiended bj the Committee

I. (a) Crawler tractor with dozer 90-120 Drawbar H.P. (for light jungle
attachment clearance)
Ib) 160-200 Drawbar H,. P. (for heavy
jungle clearance)

2. (a)’’ro~red scrapers 13 cubic metres heaped capacity

(b) Crawler tractor for pulling 180-250 Drawhar H.P.
towed scraper

3. a) Motorised scraper 15-17 cubic metres heaped capacity

(b) Pusher 230-300 Drawbar H.P.
4. Tipping trucks tilted with (i) 5 tonnes and 7.5 tonnes (For
engines of about 110 H.P. to general application)
125 H.P. (ii) 10 tonnes (for good roads and
large quantity of work)
5. Motor grader 90-120 Drawbar H.P.
6. (a~ Static road rollers 8-10 tonnes
(3 wheeled/tandoni)
(b) vibratory roller 4 tonnes
(c) Traetamount rollers 8 wanes
(d) Water tankers, truck 3500-4500 litres
mounted and trailor
mounted, with sprinkling
arrangement
7. Hot mix plants 6-10 tonnes per hour, 20 to 30 tonnes
per hour and 30 to 45 tonnes per
hour capacity
8. ]L.oader 0.5 to 1.5 cubic metres bucket capacity
9. Paver finisher 45 to 75 tonnes per hour handling
capacity of hot mix aggregate
10. Bitumen boiler 1000 to 1500 litres capacity

Il. Bulk bitumen truck 7000 litres capacity

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12. Air compressor (a) 3 to 4.5 cubic metres per minute
(for initial exploratory work)
(b) 6 cubic metres per minute and 10
cubic metres per minute (for large
work)
13. Stone crusher
(a) (400 mm 225 mm)
(b) (400 mm 250 mm) 14 to 18 tonnes per hour
14. Granulator
(a) (300mm 175 mm)
(b) (400 mm x 100 mm) 5 to 8 tonnes per hour
15. Rotillor Working Width: 1.25 metres
Depth: 200 mm

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