 This Civil Engineer Air Force Qualification Training Program videotape contains backhoe operations, excavate, load and backfill material. The Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency has developed the following video to support the Air Force Qualification Training Program. This video covers step-by-step procedures for a specific task identified in the specialty training standard of the Career Field Education and Training Plan. This video does not take the place of on-the-job training. It is not intended to replace the applicable technical reference. However, this program is intended to enhance the on-the-job training process, standardize the training procedures, provide spin-up training and provide the minimum knowledge on a task or piece of equipment when a unit does not have the equipment. We hope you'll find this video a valuable training tool. How many times have you been jolted from a sound sleep by the telephone ringing? If you've been a pavement and construction equipment operator very long, then this has bound to happen to you. Being on emergency standby means that if something is going to break it will always happen at the most inopportune time it's Murphy's Law. With most new construction utility system installations are being placed underground. You can bet if there is a problem it will be underground. Utility system problems rarely happen on the surface where it's easy to fix. Trying to find the break's exact location isn't much fun. Digging it by hand is even worse. A piece of construction equipment that no civil engineer organization should be without is the backhoe. We're talking about the industrial tractor with a bucket mounted on the front and a boom, dipper and bucket mounted on the rear. This particular backhoe we're using is equipped with an extendable dipper stick. Retracting and extending the dipper stick expands the backhoe's digging capability. This program will discuss how to excavate and load material with the rear backhoe bucket and highlight backfill procedures with the front bucket. Before we cover the backhoe excavating procedures let's define the term excavation for the purpose of obtaining a digging permit. Excavation to Air Force civil engineers means digging or opening any surface to a depth that exceeds four inches below the existing grade. Plowing or tilling the soil is not considered excavation. However you still need to make a thorough check of an area before beginning this type of work. There's always the possibility of cutting electrical or communication lines that were not buried as deep as they should have been. So before you do any excavating obtain a base civil engineering work clearance request AF Form 103. This form is coordinated with the appropriate local agencies prior to any excavation work. It will identify what utilities are located in the immediate area and who needs to be contacted prior to excavating. Excavating without an approved 103 is dangerous and can result in serious damage to critical base communications. Cutting through an electrical utility cable can cause loss of power and could result in serious injury or death to the backhoe operator. Without this form you are responsible for any damage. This form should be attached to the work order which authorizes you to do the job. If the AF Form 103 does not accompany the work order contact your supervisor immediately. For most on base projects you would drive the backhoe to the work site. When you arrive at the work site position the backhoe so it's centered on the trench line with the rear tires facing the start of the excavation. The trench line may be marked by grade stakes or surveyors marker paint. Place the transmission in neutral. Set the parking brake and level and lower the front bucket to the ground. Do not raise the front tires off the ground. Swing the seat around and lock it in place. Adjust it so you are comfortably positioned in front of the rear control levers. Open the rear windows for better visibility and ventilation if you have an enclosed cab. Lower the rear stabilizers until they're firmly on the ground. Apply enough pressure on the stabilizers to raise the rear tires off the ground. Leaving the rear tires on the ground reduces the machine stability and causes unnecessary stress on the rear tires and axle assembly. If you're working on an uneven surface you may need to extend one stabilizer out further than the other in order to level the machine. A wooden board or block under the stabilizer pad may also be required on the low side to aid in the leveling process. Another situation you might encounter is loose or soft soil. Place some type of material like heavy boards or matting under the stabilizers to prevent sinking into the ground. Before you start to dig you must unlock the boom from the transport position. To do this grasp the boom lock handle with one hand and pull back to raise the boom lock. Lower the boom slightly and release the boom lock handle. Continue lowering the boom until it is positioned at approximately a 45 degree angle. Uncurl the dipper and bucket until they are over the starting point to be excavated. Lower the boom until the bucket touches the ground. The backhoe is now ready to start the excavation so let's go through the digging cycle. Start by slowly pulling the dipper back toward the backhoe. The swing arc of the dipper will force the bucket down into the ground. As the dipper goes through the swing arc curl the bucket so the bucket teeth remain parallel. This will force the teeth and the front cutting edge of the bucket to penetrate into the soil. This simultaneous movement of two controls should be done throughout the digging cycle. It takes coordination to operate both controls at the same time. A little practice will help you master this technique. When the dipper reaches the back of the backhoe or the bucket is full release the dipper control. Finish curling the bucket and raise the boom. This completes the digging cycle. Our next step is to swing the loaded bucket toward the dump site. Before we swing the bucket let's discuss this potentially hazardous situation. The danger area is sometimes referred to as the pinch zone. This zone covers the 180 degree boom swing arc from outrigger to outrigger. It's your responsibility to be sure the area is clear of all people and equipment before swinging the boom. If someone is in the pinch zone ground the bucket and remove your hands from the controls until they have moved back out of the way. Never swing any part of the rear bucket assembly over or in the direction of people or equipment. With the area clear swing the bucket over to the dump site. Raise the boom and uncurl the bucket to dump the material. Keep the stockpiled material as far away from the excavation as possible. Shake the bucket to remove all the material. After the material is dumped swing the boom back over the excavation for another digging cycle. During the swing reposition the boom, the dipper and the bucket so you'll be ready to start digging when the bucket is over the excavation point. With the bucket positioned back down into the ground continue the digging cycle by lowering the boom pulling the dipper and curling the bucket simultaneously. When you have completed filling the bucket raise the boom, verify the pinch zone is clear and swing toward the stockpile site. Position the bucket over the stockpile and dump the material. At this point the excavation site is checked for proper depth. It has been dug to the required depth but the length of the excavation must be extended. The backhoe operator can easily move the backhoe forward from the rear operator's position. Check the area to ensure it is clear of people and equipment. Raise the front bucket just off the ground and make sure the front tires are pointed straight ahead. With everything in front clear, turn your attention back to the rear of the machine. Position the dipper almost vertical with a slight lean toward the backhoe. Lower the bucket teeth into the ground and raise both outriggers high enough to clear the ground. Make sure the area in front of the backhoe is clear and release the parking brake. Apply pressure to the dipper and boom controls. This will slowly force the backhoe to roll forward. Continue to apply pressure until the dipper and boom are extended all the way out. If the backhoe didn't move very far reposition the bucket and try this procedure again. You can also move the rear of the backhoe side to side from the rear operator's position. Slowly attempt to swing the boom. This will cause the rear of the backhoe to shift to one side or the other. When the backhoe has been correctly repositioned, lower the rear outriggers to level the backhoe. Don't forget to lower the front bucket. Reposition the rear bucket down to the ground and start the digging cycle all over again. Excavating with the backhoe takes a lot of practice to be able to operate several controls at one time. The operator must be able to feel as well as see what is taking place down below ground level as the bucket fills with material during the excavation process. With the excavation complete, the backhoe can easily set a piece of pipe or culvert down into the trench. There are a number of safety issues that you need to be aware of and we will discuss them throughout this section. First and foremost is determining how much weight you can safely lift. Always check the backhoe lifting capacity and the object to be lifted. Failure to do so can cause an accident. Before we begin this operation, let's take a minute to verify that all personnel working around the suspended load and down in the trench are wearing their required safety items. This should include safety towed boots, gloves and hard hats as a minimum. Position the backhoe perpendicular to the trench, lower the front bucket, and position the rear outriggers firmly on the ground. Lock the boom in the transport position. Swing the boom to the side of the backhoe. Uncurl the bucket and extend the dipper stick until the bucket is next to the object to be lifted. With the bucket on the ground, shut the engine down. Some buckets have chain hooks welded on them. If yours doesn't, a chain or sling can be attached to a bucket pinhole or wrapped around the bucket. Always use a properly rated lifting device for the item to be lifted. For our particular demonstration, we're using a small chain because the pipe we're lifting is light and lengthy rather than heavy. Secure the chain around the pipe to be lifted. Try to position the chain in the middle of the pipe for good balance. If the object is properly balanced, it will be a lot easier to control while lifting and positioning. A guide rope tied to at least one end of the pipe is recommended. If you have sufficient people and rope, both ends tied will provide better control. This guide rope can keep the pipe from accidentally swinging into the backhoe, some body or part of the construction project. Check the area to ensure that everyone is back before you attempt to lift the pipe. Keep everyone away from the suspended pipe and never move the pipe over a person's head. Very slowly raise the pipe off the ground. Do not raise it any higher than necessary. Keeping it close to the ground should result in less damage if accidentally dropped. And if it happened to weigh more than you thought, you can quickly set it back down and prevent tipping the backhoe. Slowly swing the boom until the pipe is positioned over its resting spot. Avoid swinging it too fast as this might cause it to swing out of control. Remember, the people on the end of the guide ropes will also have to move to maintain control of the pipe during the swinging operation. Watch the guide rope person for directions to ensure proper placement. With the pipe over the trench, slowly lower the dipper. If the pipe is not centered exactly where it needs to be, curl or uncurl the bucket a little to assist in the final alignment in the bottom of the trench. Don't forget to remove any material that became lodged in the pipe. Wait until the backhoe operator signals it's safe to enter the trench. Then unfasten the lifting chain from around the pipe. Also, remove the guide rope while you are still down in the trench. With the trench area clear, raise the dipper up and out of the trench and position the bucket off to the side for chain removal. This completes the steps to move and position material using the backhoe boom, dipper, and bucket. Other items can be positioned with the backhoe following the same procedures and safety precautions just discussed. If the item to be lifted is extremely heavy and hard to handle, double wrap the chain to prevent shifting. On objects that are prone to slip, a sling may be more appropriate. The only thing that remains to be done is to backfill the trench. Instead of using the rear backhoe bucket, we'll be using the front bucket. We'll only highlight these procedures since they are very similar to the front end loader procedures. For more information on the front end loader backfilling procedures, see the AFQTP video identified on the screen. There is one thing the backhoe operator must keep in mind and that is the rear bucket assembly. A number of accidents have happened when the operator forgot about it and accidentally hit something during backfill operations in close proximity to other objects. Some trenching projects might call for sand or gravel to be placed on or around the pipe before the final backfilling operation can begin. In that case, fill the bucket with the appropriate material. Remember to carry the loaded bucket close to the ground as you proceed to the trench. Position the backhoe perpendicular to the trench. Be careful not to roll the front tires into the trench. Raise the bucket just high enough so you can see the pipe in the trench and watch the material as it flows over the pipe. If the pipe is too deep, get a spotter to help with material placement. Very slowly ease the backhoe forward until the front of the bucket is centered over the trench. Watch your front tires closely. Very gently uncurl the bucket so that the material will slowly flow out of the bucket. Take your time. Dumping the material too fast can shift the pipe out of alignment. The sudden impact of all the material being dumped at once has caused pipes to collapse. You may have to move the backhoe forwards or backwards to keep the flow of material in the center of the trench. Several bucket loads may be needed to cover the pipe. Continue to fill the trench in the manner just described. If the trench crosses a road or is really deep, the initial fill material may have to be backfilled in lifts and compacted as required. In some situations, you will be able to skim the ground with the bucket to obtain the desired fill material. Drive through the stockpiled material until you are over the trench line. Raise the bucket and dump the material. Continue moving the remaining stockpiled material back into and over the trench line in the manner just described. What you should end up with is a wind row of material directly down the trench line, leaving this material a little high will allow for settling. To finish this little excavation project, dress up the area. You'd be surprised how many people will notice an area that has been left a mess. A little more effort on your part will make a big difference on the final appearance of this job site. This program discussed the importance of a base civil engineering work clearance request AF Form 103, a mandatory form that is required on every backhoe digging project. Excavating with the backhoe is the coordinated simultaneous movement of multiple controls to accomplish the digging cycle steps over and over again. The speed, accuracy and proficiency of the operator will increase with backhoe seat time. Not only can the backhoe excavate trenches to various depths, it can also be used to accurately place objects and load and unload material. The front mounted bucket is ideal for backfilling trenches and other small projects where a larger front end loader would just be too big to use. The number of projects levied on the base civil engineer each day is enormous. Coping with unexpected emergencies only compounds the schedule. Having a backhoe in your vehicle yard and a proficient equipment operator on the staff will make these emergencies a lot less stressful. Air Force procured backhoe tractors must meet a noise level of less than 85 decibels at the operator's position. If the noise level is 85 or greater, the backhoe must have a decal stating caution, hazardous noise, operator ear protection required. The backhoe operator in this video was not required to wear ear protection in accordance with the reference documents. A special thanks to the Silver Flag exercise site Rapid Runway Repair Cadre for their enthusiastic support during the development of this program.