Construction Machinery & Attachments worked example

Bucket Capacity at 59% machine uptime: a worked example

This worked example runs the bucket capacity numbers for a tougher week than the baseline: 59% machine uptime instead of the typical 82%. Estimate usable bucket production capacity from heaped bucket size, cycles, uptime, and fill efficiency.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Heaped bucket capacity per cycle: 1.75 yd³ / cycle (held at the documented default)
  • Planned bucket cycles: 52 cycles (held at the documented default)
  • Machine uptime: 59 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 82)
  • Bucket fill & usable material yield: 90 % (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Rated bucket volume before losses = heaped bucket capacity per cycle × planned bucket cycles.
  • usable bucket volume works out to 48.32 yd³ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • rated bucket volume before losses works out to 91 yd³ at these inputs.
  • bucket volume lost to downtime works out to 37.31 yd³ at these inputs.
  • bucket volume lost to fill factor works out to 5.37 yd³ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where machine uptime sits at 82% and the headline result is 67.16 yd³, this scenario comes in 28.05% below the baseline at 48.32 yd³.
  • Use it when planning earthmoving or loading production, sizing fleets, or setting shift targets for a specific bucket and material. A result at this level usually justifies acting on the stressed input before touching anything else, because every other figure in the table is downstream of it.

Results at a glance

  • usable bucket volume: 48.32 yd³ (headline result)
  • rated bucket volume before losses: 91 yd³
  • bucket volume lost to downtime: 37.31 yd³
  • bucket volume lost to fill factor: 5.37 yd³

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Bucket Capacity calculator, set machine uptime to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.