Engineering Fundamentals Series
Ripping: Tools,
Techniques, and
Applications
Introduction The condition of rock also af-
fects its rippability. Although
The art of ripping has been sedimentary rocks offer the best
around since the Remans built the opportunity to rip and igneous
Appian Way, but only in the last and metamorphic the least, decom-
decade has ripping emerged as a posed granite and other weath-
close competitor with drilling and ered igneous and metamorphic
blasting in breaking up heavy rock rock often can be ripped econom-
formations. That is not to say rip- ically. Little or no trouble is en-
ping is as effective in every case, countered with hardpan, clays,
or even applicable in all cases, but shales, or cemented gravel. Like-
it does provide a cost efficient op- wise, highly stratified or lamina-
tion in many situations—ifthe op- ted rocks offer good possibilities
timum ripping techniques are for ripping. However, thickly-
used. bedded rock formations generally
Originally designed only to must be drilled and blasted.
loosen hard pan, the ripper has The physical characteristics
evolved into a powerful tool, its that favor ripping may be summa-
capability increasing as the weight rized as follows:
and horsepower of tractors in- . Fractures, faults, and planes
creased. The tractor–mounted rip- of weakness of any kind;
per extended the range of ripping . Weathering, resulting from
because of the additional weight it temperature and moisture
brought to bear on the ripper changes;
tooth. Tandem ripping added the ● Brittleness and crystalline na-
weight and power of a second ture;
tractor, extending the rippability . High degree of stratification
range even further. or lamination;
Of course, the use of ripping de- . Large grain size;
pends on the type of material to be . Moisture permeated clay,
ripped. Not all rock can be ripped. shale, and rock formations;
Determination of rippability—an and
art in itself—is often inconclusive c Low compressive strength.
but there are certain universal
principles that can be considered Ripper Types
in the first step toward optimizing
ripping techniques. A second fundamental to op-
Each of the three basic rock timal ripping is choosing the right
types, igneous, sedimentary, and equipment for a particular job.
metamorphic, exhibits character- There are three types ofrippers—
istics that bear on rippability. Ig- the hinge, the parallelogram, and
neous rocks are the most difficult the adjustable parallelogram. In
to rip because they lack the strati- the hinge ripper the linkage carry-
fication and cleavage planes es- ingthe beam and shank pivots on a
sential to ripping hard rock. fixed point at the rear of the
Sedimentary rocks are generally tractor. The resulting arc from up
the most easily ripped since they and down movement causes up to
are built of layers differing in ma- 3W differential in the tip-ground
terial, texture, color, and thick- angle. Thus, the tooth angle
ness. Metamorphic rocks vary in changes as it enters and proceeds
rippability with degree of lamina- to ripping depth.
tion or cleavage caused by trans- The parallelogram ripper’s
formation from pre-existing rock. linkage maintains the same tip-
MINING ENGINEERING
Fig. 1— Fixed par-
allelogram with
droop snoat tip. , “
P
ground angle regardless of tooth
depth. This type of ripper has ad-
vantages over the hinge–type
when ripping above maximum
depth, but does not provide the ag-
gressive tooth angle necessary for
hard-to-penetrate materials. The
adjustable parallelogram com-
bines the benefits of both the
hinge and the parallelogram rip-
pers. It has the additional benefit
of being able to vary the tip angle
to the optimum angle of penetra-
tion. It can also be adjusted while
moving, for the optimum ripping
angle in any material.
Several other factors that are
important in selecting the right
ripping equipment are down pres-
sure available at the tip of the rip-
per, tractor flywheel horsepower,
and the tractor’s gross weight.
Down pressure at the tip deter-
mines whether ripper penetration
can be obtained and maintained.
Flywheel horsepower rating de-
termines whether the tractor has
the power to advance the tip. The
tractor’s gross weight determines
whether the tractor will have suf-
ficient traction to use the horse-
power:
The best ripping procedure de-
pends on the job’s actual condi-
tions. While conditions, vary, it is
still possible to apply certain
proven techniques to a typical rip-
ping situation. Caterpillar Tractor
Co.’s Handbook on Ripping says
optimum ripping efficiency can
be realized if—before actual rip-
ping begins—these questions and
answers are considered.
Information for this article was derived
from the Handbook of Ripping, prepared
by Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria, IL
61629
JANUARY 1983 13
I
Shanks
How many shanks (teeth) should
be used? Normally, in moderate to
difficult materials, single shank
ripping will maximize production
and be much easier on the opera-
tor and machine. One shank should
be used in material that breaks
out in large slabs so the slabs ei-
ther fracture or pass around the
single shank. When two or more
teeth are used in that situation,
they can act as a rake and wedge
large slabs under the ripper
beam. Or, one tooth in difficult
materials may become stalled by a
hard spot. This causes off-center
loads on the ripper beam and
mounting, and the tractor. With
one shank, the load is centered
and full force is exerted at a single
point. Even if the material will
permit use of two teeth, produc-
tion can often be increased by
using a single shank because it al-
lows smoother operation and less
slippage and stalling. Two teeth
can be most effective in softer,
easy-to-rip materials that are go-
ing to be scraper loaded. Three
teeth should be used only in very
easy to rip material such as hard-
pan or true shale.
Direction
Which direction is best? Gener-
ally, ripping direction is dictated
by job layout. However, under cer-
tain conditions, ripping direction
will greatly affect production and
results. When ripping in a scraper
cut, it is always best to rip in the
same direction that the scrapers
will load. If the rock formation
lays in such a manner that cross
ripping is required, the final pass
should always be in the direction
of the scraper loading. Following
this procedure yields several ad-
vantages. It greatly aids scraper
loading, reduces the chances of
damaging or springing the scraper
bowl, allows the ripping tractor to
double as a pusher in certain situ-
ations, and permits traffic to flow
in the same direction.
Occasionally a rock formation
will be found containing vertical
laminations or fractures that run
parallel to the cut. In this case,
ripping in the same direction as
the cut may result only in deep
channels, making it necessary
first to rip the material across the
cut to obtain proper material frac-
turing.
Ripping downhill whenever
possible helps the tractor take
14 JANUARY 1983
maximum advantage of its weight rip often can be lightly blasted
and horsepower. However, uphill (called preblasting or pop blast-
ripping is occasionally used to get ing) and then ripped successfully.
more rear-end down pressure or Generally, this method is used on
to get under and lift slabby hori- jobs where scrapers are to load
zontal material. In cases where and haul the material which must
the material is laminated and the be in very small pieces. Spacing
plane of the laminations is in- for charges depends on the mate-
clined to the surface of the rial. Wide centers are fine for
ground, ripping from the shallow shale, but in hard igneous rock
end (where laminations reach the small holes on close centers are
surface) toward the deep end is best. Ripping then fractures the
more productive. The ripper tip is material into smaller pieces. This
kept in the ground. When ripping method has produced cost savings
is done in the opposite direction, in difficult materials but must un-
the tip tends to ride over the lami- dergo careful cost evaluation.
Fig. 2—This pitch I
angle is best for rip- I
ping because the
force exerted on the
small area of the tip
initially fractures
and weakens the
material. Then, as
the shank passes
through, the mate-
rial is broken from
the bottom to the
top.
I
nations and is forced out of the
ground.
Cross Ripping
What is cross ripping and when
is it used? Cross ripping is ripping
an area with a series of passes in
one direction (easy to west for ex-
ample), then ripping it in a per-
pendicular direction (north to
south). In general, cross ripping
makes the pit rougher; it in-
creases scraper tire wear, and it
requires twice as many passes. It
does help break up hard spots or
material that comes out in large The parallelogram ripper’s linkage main-
slabs and will loosen vertically tains the same tip-ground angle regard-
laminated material in which less of tooth depth, giving it excellent
single pass ripping produces only penetration characteristics.
deep channels. When material is Tandem Ripping
extremely hard to penetrate, cross
ripping often will separate frac- Should tandem ripping ever be
ture planes set up by the first pass considered? With today’s innova-
and may allow a ripper to be used tions and advancements in tractor
where blasting would be re- design—elevated sprocket, float-
quired. Cross ripping can be re- ing bogie suspension, increased
quired when material size must be weight and horsepower—the the
reduced to meet crusher throat need to employ a second tractor
limitations. for tandem ripping has all but dis-
appeared. In fact, only when the
Blasting ripping tractor encounters a very
small area of material that cannot
Should material ever be blasted be ripped with a single-shank rip-
before ripping? Rock that is ex- per might tandem ripping be at-
tremely difficult to penetrate or tempted.
MINING ENGINEERING
I

A Caterpillar D9L track-type tractor rips

in material that breaks out in slabs.
+

tandem ripping should be used

only for short periods in small
areas and with extreme care.

Gear and Speed

The best ripping procedure
the job’s actual conditions.
MINING ENGINEERING
.,,.,,
Fig. 3—if the pocket or knot is too Iorge
to lift out, moke several passes in dif-
ferent directions looking for weak spots
or fractures, vorying shank angle and
depth
Because of the high cost of tan-
dem ripping (almost double) other
alternatives should be evaluated
before any substantial tandem
ripping is attempted. Alternatives
may include renting a larger
tractor or blasting small areas. If
tandem ripping is occasionally
used, the dozer blade on the push-
ing tractor must be kept in the
“float” position. Otherwise the
rear of the ripping tractor sud-
depends on denly could be raised by the push-
ing dozer. All things considered,
What gear is best for ripping?
Proper gear and speed selection is
critical in obtaining maximum
ripper production and efficient
tractor operation.
First gear is used in most rip-
ping situations because a speed of
1.6-2.4 km/h (1-1.5 mph) at about 2/3
throttle gives the most economical
production. Even a small increase
in speed above the optimum can
result in rapid under-carriage and
ripper tip wear, excessive track
slip, and ultimately lower produc-
tion. Excessive speed generates
excessive heat at the ripper tip
and greatly shortens tip life.
Therefore, when ripping in easy-
to-rip materials it is better to use
two or three shanks than to use
one shank and increase ripping
speed.
Occasionally, seemingly una-
voidable track slip will occur in
first gear in tough ripping situa-
tions. The solution may be to se-
JANUARY 1983 15
 lect second gear and use less
throttle. When using this tech-
nique, it is usually a good idea to
lift the ripper, back up from the
point of resistance, and begin
again in second gear. This is very
effective when passing from soft to
hard pockets of rock. Use the de-
celerator to maintain enough
power to pass through the soft
rock, but not enough to spin out
when the shank strikes hard pock-
ets.
Depth
What is the best ripping depth?
Ripping depth is determined hy
job requirements, material hard-
ness, and thickness of laminations
and degree of fracturing. Ideally,
ripping should be done at the max-
imum depth that penetration and
traction allow unless proper
breaking and sizing is necessary.
This results in the maximum pro-
duction per unit of fuel and tip
wear material used.
Sometimes, however, it may not
be practical to rip at maximum
depth. When opening a cut on a
very hard or smooth surface, mak-
ing a series of shallow cuts sig-
nificantly improves traction and
penetration by providing a bed of
loose material from the track
grousers to grip. Where considera-
ble stratification is encountered,
it is usually best to rip and remove
the material in its natural layers
rather than try to make a full
depth pass. An initial pass at less
than full depth often will break
the material loose so that the sec-
ond pass can be made at optimum
depth and achieve more complete
fragmentation.
Ripping depth and number of
shanks should be considered to-
gether. While deep ripping with a
single shank usually yields maxi-
mum production, many soft or
thinly laminated materials often
can be better handled by multiple
shanks at a more shallow ripping
depth.
First Pass
Is a difficult first pass nor-
mally encountered? Usually the
first pass is the most difficult be-
cause in consolidated material
there are no voids for loosened
material to move into. Proper
technique and penetration angle
is a must. On subsequent passes,
material can move into voids cre-
ated by the previous pass. For this
reason, a decision to blast should
never be made based on poor per-
formance during the first ripping
pass.
16 JANUARY 1963
Spacing
What pass spacing should be
used? Pass spacing helps deter-
mine the production rate because
the fewer the number of passes,
the shorter the amount of time re-
quired to cover the area. Optimum
spacing is necessary to maximize
production and hold down costs.
Using the maximum recommended
spacing is not always advisable
because material end use and re-
moval methods must also be con-
sidered. The closer the spacing,
the smaller the ripped fragments
of material. Thus crusher require-
ments and loading methods (espe-
cially when scrapers are involved)
Fig. 4—When opening a cut on a smooth
surface run one tract on the previous cut
to get better traction.
can determine the correct spac-
ing.
When full penetration can be
obtained, pass spacing of one half
the tractor width is usually recom-
mended. This allows one track to
ride over the material just ripped,
thus increasing traction and fur-
ther crushing the material. Using
this as a base, pass spacing can ei-
ther be increased or decreased
depending on the fracturing char-
acteristics of the material and end
use requirements.
Material Removal
What about removing the ripped
material? First, for best results,
never remove all the ripped mate-
rial covering an area if deeper rip-
ping must be done. Dozers and
scrapers always should have sev-
eral inches of crushed material
resting on top of the solid forma-
tion for increased traction and to
help cushion the tractor. The
coefficient of traction is much
greater for a tractor working on
crushed rock than on a smooth
solid bed of rock.
Where scrapers are to remove
and haul the material, it is impor-
tant to consistently rip to a uni-
form depth. This eliminates pro-
truding knobs of hard rock and
shallo; spots that could force the
scraper cutting edge out of the
ground. This is damaging to cut-
ting edges and the scrapers them-
selves, possibly reducing the use-
ful life of the unit and increasing
its maintenance costs, A good rule
of thumb is to rip no deeper than
can be ripped on the most diffi-
cult part of the cut area and thus,
no deeper than the scrapers can
readily load.
Conclusion
By optimizing ripping tech-
niques as Caterpillar suggests, the
operator now has a choice in most
materials of whether to rip or
blast. The first consideration
probably is one of cost—will it be
cheaper to rip or to blast? This ini-
tial cost consideration must then
be weighed with other influenc-
ing factors. Can the economics of
maximum use of the equipment
available or already on the job be
achieved? Which method best
serves the end use of the mate-
rial—will it be wasted, used in an
embankment, or is it to be graded
material crushed to size?
Transporting and loading meth-
ods must also be considered. O~ti-
mum performance of bulldoz~rs,
scrapers, ‘wheel loaders, trucks,
shovels, elevating loaders, and
conveyors require materials of
varying specifications.
As a rule of thumb, where rip-
pers can be used on a production
basis, they can loosen material for
one-third to one-half the cost of
drilling and blasting. In most
cases there is an even greater dif-
ference in costs. Drilling and
blasting generally will average
52-78@/m3(40-60@per bank cu yd)
where typical volumes of material
have to be shot in construction
and small mining jobs. Therefore,
to be economical, ripping produc-
tion has to be great enough for cost
per cubic meter (cubic yard) to be
the same.
In very large construction and
mining jobs, drilling and blasting
costs can be as low as 20-39t/m3
(15-304 per bank cu yd). In these
projects a tractor would have to
rip 306-382 m3/h (400-500 bank cu
yd per hr) for ripping to be eco-
nomical.
In the final analysis, the eco-
nomics of blasting versus ripping
will depend on the total volume to
be ripped and/or blasted, on the
size and relative efficiency of
drilling and blasting techniques
and tools, environmental consid-
erations, and the production of a
tractor ripping the material.O
MINING ENGINEERING