Date of Award

12-2009

Degree Name

Master of Science in Engineering

Department

Civil and Construction Engineering

First Advisor

Dr. Ahmad Jrade

Second Advisor

Haluk Aktan

Third Advisor

Upul Attanayake

Access Setting

Masters Thesis-Campus Only

Abstract

Heavy equipment selection is a critical key in the success of any construction project. Due to the complexity and variety of factors that involve the selection of right equipment, construction managers refer to different resources to obtain the optimum fleet. This study developed a computer model to help users in this complex task. Operation analysis was conducted for a number of equipment taking into consideration: (1) Soil type; (2) Site conditions; (3) Equipment characteristics; (4) Type of earthwork; (5) Time constraints; (6) Volume of earth involved in earthwork.

In this research, Caterpillar® Performance Handbook was the main resource regarding the specifications of selected equipment in this research. To evaluate the model a case project was selected. The implementation of the model gave optimum selection of equipment to perform the earthwork portion to construct a dam. The optimum fleet was not only based on cost effectiveness but also in terms of versatility. The study consists of a literature review on the related topics. It also quantifies the degree of accuracy of the model by conducting a case study.

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