Real Estate

How to Calculate Cut and Fill for a Construction Site

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Before you can build an office building, a house, a shopping center, a parking lot, or any other structure, the site must be qualified.

Estimating the amounts of cut and fill required to grade the construction site is one of the most complicated and tedious processes in estimating construction. Calculation of construction materials, areas to be painted, number of doors and windows, etc. is child’s play compared to estimating cut and fill amounts for a construction site. The reason for this is that the unenhanced site almost always has an uneven surface. The amount of dirt to be removed from the unimproved site or introduced can be very difficult to determine because of this.

There are three main ways to calculate cut and fill for a construction site. The first two are “by hand” and require the construction site plan, a ruler, a pencil, a calculator, and hours of time. The third method requires excavation software, a computer, and some computer skills.

The first “by hand” method uses the grid method to calculate cut and fill for the building site. In this method, the site is divided into grids of equal size. Grid squares are typically 1 inch to 2 inches in size on the paper plane. For each corner of each grid, both the existing elevation and the proposed or final elevation are calculated and noted on the plan. Once all elevations are determined, the difference between the existing elevation and the proposed elevation at each corner is also noted on the plan. Then, for each square on the grid, these elevation differences for each of the four corners are added and averaged by dividing the sum by 4. If the average of the elevation differences for a square on the grid is negative, then this is a cutting area. In cut areas, existing elevations must be reduced to proposed elevations or “cut”. If the average elevation difference is positive, that means the existing elevations must be raised to the proposed elevations or “filled in.” Then all the negative numbers are added and added to determine the total depths of cut. Then the positive numbers are added and added as the total fill depths. Then each of these cut and fill totals is multiplied by the area of ​​the squares on the grid to determine the number of cubic feet of cut and cubic feet of fill. And finally, these volumes of cut or fill are divided by 27 to determine the total number of cubic yards of waste and cubic yards of fill at the site (excavators work in cubic yards instead of cubic feet). Finally, the difference between the total cut volume and the total fill volume is calculated. If there is more cutting than filling, then the dirt must be removed from the construction site and trucked. If there is more fill than cut, then soil must be imported to the construction site. The time required to calculate cut and fill using the grid method is approximately eight hours for a single sheet site plan of moderate complexity. Accuracy with this method is +/- 20%.

The second method used to calculate cut and fill is called the cross section method. In this method, the estimator draws a set on equally spaced horizontal lines along the site plane 1 to 2 inches apart. Then, for each cross-section line, the estimator plots, on graph paper, both the existing surface and the proposed surface vs. the distance along the cross section. Then count the number of squares on the grid where the existing surface is above the proposed surface. This is the cut area for that cross section. Then count the number of squares on the grid where the existing surface is below the proposed surface. This is the fill area of ​​the cross section. Repeat these steps until all cross sections of the site plan are completed. Then you average the cut area between each pair of cross sections and multiply it by the distance between the cross sections and divide that number by 27. This is the cut volume between the adjacent cross sections. Then repeat these steps for the infill areas to determine the infill volume between all adjacent cross sections. Then add up all the cut volumes and all fill volumes to determine the total cut and fill for the construction site. If there is more cut than fill, then construction site dirt must be removed. If there is more backfill than cut, the earth must be imported to the construction site. The time required to calculate cut and fill with the cross section method is approximately 20-30% longer than with the grid method. Accuracy with this method is approximately +/- 15%.

The third and final method of calculating cut and fill for a construction site is to use excavation software. In this method, elevation data is plotted from the paper site plan using a large format digitizer, plotted on screen using a PDF of the construction site plan, or imported directly from an AutoCAD file. The computer then analyzes the drawing to construct both the existing and proposed surfaces. Then, for hundreds of thousands of points throughout the site, the software calculates the difference between the existing elevations and the proposed elevations to determine the total volumes of cut or fill for the construction site. The time required to calculate cut and fill using the excavation software is approximately one quarter of the time required for the grid method. Accuracy with this method is approximately +/- 5%.

The advantages of both the grid method and the cross section method for calculating cut and fill is that they both use inexpensive and commonly available supplies. The downside is that they both require long hours of work and have moderate accuracy.

The advantage of using excavation software to calculate cut and fill is a much higher estimation speed and much higher precision. The downsides are cost, which can range from several thousand dollars to several tens of thousands of dollars for software and hardware, and requires the estimator to have some computer skills.

The appropriate method for your business to calculate cut and fill for your bids depends on the number of excavation takeoffs you need to do each year. If you are only doing a few excavation takeoffs per year and you or your estimator are not very busy, then “manual” methods are probably adequate. If you are an excavator or general contractor who does a lot of cut and fill estimates, purchasing the necessary excavation hardware and software will greatly increase your ability and accuracy in bidding for jobs that require excavation.

Shopping Product Reviews

Automation of industrial processes

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The rapid expansion of a huge international market requires the industrial sector to optimize production processes to achieve greater market share and increase competitiveness. To achieve this, engineering has promoted the development of areas such as mechanics, electronics and robotics to manage and consolidate the automation of industrial processes.

Automation is the implementation of intelligent systems and technologies to operate machinery and control production processes, independent of human operation in jobs that require greater effort and pose a great risk to the health and well-being of workers. Currently, there are three types of automation according to the degree of production and needs of a certain industry:

Fixed automation:

Designed for large-scale manufacturing: A specialized machine or equipment is used to produce a part of a product, or the product itself, in a fixed and continuous sequence. This type of automation is ideal for producing large volumes of products that have a long life cycle, invariable design, and broad consumer demand. Its main limitations are the high initial cost and the lack of flexibility of the team to adapt.

Programmable automation:

Suitable for smaller production volumes, segmented by batches, programmable automation allows the sequence of operation to be changed or reprogrammed, using software, to include product variations. Among the most used equipment for this type of automation are numerical control machines, robots and programmable logic controllers.

Flexible automation:

Designed for a medium production level, flexible automation is the extension of programmable automation. It reduces the programming time of the equipment and allows to alternate the production of two products (in series) by mixing different variables. Flexibility refers to the ability of teams to accept changes in product design and configuration, thus reducing costs for companies.

Advantages of industrial automation

  • Lower manufacturing costs
  • Increase the efficiency of the production process.
  • Accelerate response to market demands.
  • It replaces man with complicated industrial processes that endanger his physical integrity
  • Promotes business competitiveness.
  • Improves process safety and production quality.

Disadvantages of industrial automation

  • Generates technological dependence
  • Requires a large initial investment
  • Lack of trained personnel to manage the equipment.
  • Susceptibility to technological obsolescence
  • Workers’ resistance to change

One of the main challenges of implementing automated systems in industries is balancing the work done by computer equipment and robots with the work done by operators. While technology helps optimize processes and limits human intervention, it does not completely replace it. The mistake is to associate industrial automation with unemployment since human presence is necessary for the management, supervision and control of complex production processes.

Sports

Will you really lose 23 pounds in a 3 week period?

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The three week diet system has gained popularity in a very short time. This program was only developed in 2015. It is actually a weight reduction plan that aims to experience more positive results very quickly. This healthy eating plan is done, this means that you lose weight quickly, between 12 and 20 pounds in just a period of 3 weeks, as long as you follow the diet to the letter.

Most people who start a healthy eating plan are basically unable to achieve their desired goal as they give up before discovering the results they want. Diets that aim to reduce weight by two pounds per week are all thorough, but my motivation, like my willpower, wanes fairly quickly unless you have a compelling chance of hitting your weight loss goals. .

I am not alone. Dieting for weeks with limited results demotivates people and these people tend to stop trying. This was the reason why nutritionist Brian Flatt developed the Three Week Diet; a system that made your body lose body fat quickly and accelerate weight loss.

Eliminating any extra fat and then maintaining the momentum to sustain your weight can be difficult, the three week diet manual doesn’t exclusively tell you what to do for 21 days, it also advises what to do with the three week period. weeks considering the diet to maintain his new weight.

So how does the weekly diet work? The main overwhelming 3-week holistic diet plan is the Healthiest Eating Plan, which consists of 4 different phases.

Phrase 1 it was the hardest thing for me. It lasted a week and that was the phase where I lost the most weight by far. I was 9 pounds lighter by the end of the week.

Phase 2 it was almost 1 day however I also lost a pound this time

Phase 3 It was from the 9th to the 11th. This was quite unusual and I lost another 3 pounds.

Phase 4 it was when it comes to the remaining days, that is, 12 to 21. The main goal associated with this 9 day phase would be to continue losing weight and return to a better “normal” diet. I got to lose another four pounds at the end of the phase. So less drastic, but effective nonetheless.

Like many weight loss diet plans, it has been both a diet and an exercise program. The movement plan is made up of a daily walk (not too strenuous!) And an optional fat-boosting workout.

Three Week Healthy Eating Plan Phase 1 in Action

There is no way to escape from that. Phase 1 was difficult. It is a 3 meals a day product of any crash diet. It is very restrictive in the different types of food and in the cooking methods that you could eat freely. Fortunately, I had included unlimited amounts of some vegetables, so I was able to submit to them beyond the prescribed volumes of meat and fish.

I weighed myself every day and it was really motivating to have access to the needle onto the sliding scale. It was finally a reliable job. I can’t deny that I was hungry and a bit cranky until I started drinking coffee again!

I also implement exercises. Again, it wasn’t easy, but marking the days separately, really understanding that it was finally only for a short time made a difference.

At the end of phase 1, he was overjoyed to see that he had broken all previous records and lost a whole 9 pounds. I remember phase 1 of your eating routine, it seemed almost impossible that I could do it emotionally for the entire week without cheating, and that’s okay, I cheated few. But after getting through the initial week, I soon felt quite euphoric and much slimmer.

Phase 2

Phase 2 is basically a one-day fast. Following the restriction from a given previous week, it seemed like this was difficult, but honestly, I was surprised to find that this was one of the easiest days of the entire program. In my opinion, following the week before to the letter had opened me up to success. And again, I was delighted to become a pound lighter the next morning.

Seriously, I would tell you that every time you buy the three week diet book, don’t skip the fasting phase. There really is a rationale for the way a nutritious diet is built and, to my surprise, it certainly works.

Phase 3

This phase lasts 4 days and is actually undoubtedly the most unusual and counterintuitive. So much in fact that we started to investigate it myself so you can be sure that I was doing the right thing. Fortunately, I found it wasn’t that far-fetched when I thought about it either, and indeed there was some solid science behind this phase considering the plan.

I went to the trouble to find this phase quite challenging as it was the first one where I was asked to calculate the calories I was eating. I found it’s pretty easy to get calorie values ​​off the internet for just about any food you can think of and then it’s just a concern to use scales (more accurate than cup measurements) to make sure your portion sizes are correct.

I didn’t lose as much weight when I was expecting in this phase, but I think it was considering that I didn’t start weighing things for the third day that I discovered that my previous estimates of exactly how much I should eat were far from base.

Still another phase, another 1.5 pounds and also surely would have been more if I had planned it correctly.

Phase 4 – The last countdown. Phase 4 is the longest and lasts 9 days. It involves a gradual return to a healthier nutritional diet than normal. Specifically, the number of calories you consume daily during this phase is based on your whole body body mass index or BMI. There is a section in the manual that explains how to calculate this from body fat and height and then how you can work out what you need to consume according to the result.

I continued to take myself into account each day and the pounds continued to drop, albeit at a slightly slower rate. However, I was pleased to return a highly competent normally balanced diet in which food resources were not expressly prohibited (unless I had skipped a manual page.

I noticed that my belly fat was gradually disappearing and my jeans were less tight, even after washing! My waist had shrunk 2 inches and I had the ability to tighten my belt with 3 additional holes.

Until the end of the phase, he was only four pounds heavier.

Is that rapid weight loss program successful?

Absolutely. I followed the nutritional routine for 3 weeks and, aside from a few cheating, I lost a total of 14.5 pounds. I went to the trouble of doing most of the mandatory exercise but not much of the optional workouts. I found the workouts to be quite difficult, but again I’m not in shape to begin with. Despite being difficult, the level of weight that I lost in its normal relatively short period of time made it a good idea. Surely I could have lost more if I had planned better, exercised countless, and not cheated.

I would have the opportunity to go a couple of weeks without regaining some or all of this weight !! Then re-implement the full diet. The other time, phase 1 was much less complicated: I think my forms were implemented and I did not deliver the coffee now. I didn’t lose as much weight, but I am now 30 pounds lighter than I was 8 months ago and for the first time I can honestly say that I am satisfied with my appearance.

The double benefit is that I currently know how to maintain my weight and also if I go crazy on vacation and put myself between the few kilos, I am sure that I will be able to lose them again without much effort.