3
The results demonstrated that double-leg anchors
could be successfully installed in the expected geological
conditions. Protecting the cable system during movement
was critical, particularly for minimizing wear and ensuring
stable operation while maneuvering on steep slopes.
Evaluate the Spider Capabilities to Excavate Waste
Rock and Work with Containers
The spider excavator was evaluated for its ability to excavate
waste rock, containerize the material into super sacks held
by a frame, and relocate the super sack to a staging area. The
super sack was staged on a level surface within a fabricated
metal frame that held the sack open. Figure 3 shows the
excavator on the terrain and moving the super sack. The
pilot study demonstrated that the spider excavator could
effectively navigate steep slopes while excavating material
from an inclined area and placing it into super sacks mea-
suring 35 inches wide by 35 inches long by 40 inches deep.
The agility of the spider excavator was evident as it
traveled 100 feet downslope in 10 minutes and moved
horizontally approximately 35 feet in a similar time frame.
The maximum reach of the excavator was determined to
be 26 feet and 9 inches, which was adequate for many of
the tasks. The lifting capacity of the spider excavator used
for the pilot study was 2,500 to 6,000 pounds. The largest
size of the material that could be moved was limited by the
capacity of the excavator, typically restricted by the super
sack dimensions.
The excavator successfully filled super sacks, each tak-
ing approximately 3 minutes to load. The time to set up,
fill, and stage the super sack took around 10 minutes to
complete. To containerize approximately 1,000 cubic feet
of material located 50 feet below a cliff face and stage the
impacted material upslope 50 feet would take up to 2 days
and approximately 34 super sacks. The super sacks needed
to be placed on a level surface, necessitating preparatory
work to create benches. The pilot revealed that while super
sacks were effective, they needed further modifications to
improve ease of use, such as resizing the sacks or modifying
the frame to facilitate removal. It is assumed that efficien-
cies would be realized for full-scale operation.
Figure 2. Pilot study site layout
The results demonstrated that double-leg anchors
could be successfully installed in the expected geological
conditions. Protecting the cable system during movement
was critical, particularly for minimizing wear and ensuring
stable operation while maneuvering on steep slopes.
Evaluate the Spider Capabilities to Excavate Waste
Rock and Work with Containers
The spider excavator was evaluated for its ability to excavate
waste rock, containerize the material into super sacks held
by a frame, and relocate the super sack to a staging area. The
super sack was staged on a level surface within a fabricated
metal frame that held the sack open. Figure 3 shows the
excavator on the terrain and moving the super sack. The
pilot study demonstrated that the spider excavator could
effectively navigate steep slopes while excavating material
from an inclined area and placing it into super sacks mea-
suring 35 inches wide by 35 inches long by 40 inches deep.
The agility of the spider excavator was evident as it
traveled 100 feet downslope in 10 minutes and moved
horizontally approximately 35 feet in a similar time frame.
The maximum reach of the excavator was determined to
be 26 feet and 9 inches, which was adequate for many of
the tasks. The lifting capacity of the spider excavator used
for the pilot study was 2,500 to 6,000 pounds. The largest
size of the material that could be moved was limited by the
capacity of the excavator, typically restricted by the super
sack dimensions.
The excavator successfully filled super sacks, each tak-
ing approximately 3 minutes to load. The time to set up,
fill, and stage the super sack took around 10 minutes to
complete. To containerize approximately 1,000 cubic feet
of material located 50 feet below a cliff face and stage the
impacted material upslope 50 feet would take up to 2 days
and approximately 34 super sacks. The super sacks needed
to be placed on a level surface, necessitating preparatory
work to create benches. The pilot revealed that while super
sacks were effective, they needed further modifications to
improve ease of use, such as resizing the sacks or modifying
the frame to facilitate removal. It is assumed that efficien-
cies would be realized for full-scale operation.
Figure 2. Pilot study site layout