SIMAQ School · Calculator
How many machines do I need?
How many machines you need comes from dividing the work (area × lifts × passes) by what one unit does per day, and comparing that with your deadline. Enter area, depth and days in the calculator: it uses each SIMAQ compactor's width, working speed and passes — from the SQ15 PRO plate to the rollers — and tells you how many units hit the date.
A spec sheet tells you weight and force. It never tells you the one thing that decides the purchase: whether it gets you to the deadline.
01
Width isn't width
Passes must overlap or you leave an uncompacted strip between them, exactly where nobody looks. That overlap eats about 10% of plate or drum width: usable width is always less than the catalogue figure.
02
Passes divide
A machine needing six passes produces half as much as one needing three, even at the same width. That's why the right machine for the soil beats the big machine: passes divide output directly.
03
Working speed
Catalogues publish top speed, which is for travelling, not compacting. Real compaction is slow: using the maximum inflates output two or threefold, and that's the error that makes a job planned on paper finish late.
04
Lift thickness sets the laps
Total depth isn't compacted in one go. Each machine densifies to a certain depth, and a thicker lift leaves the bottom loose even when the surface looks firm. A machine that bites thicker lifts makes fewer laps — worth as much as its width.
SIMAQ rollers by width and weight
More drum = more metres per pass; more weight = thicker lifts. Place your job before running the numbers.
Run your job
Enter your real job size and the deadline you have. The calculation uses each SIMAQ machine's width, speed and passes to tell you how many units it takes to hit the date.
2,000 m² at 40 cm, in 10 days of 8 h. How many lifts it takes depends on the machine — see the table.
| Machine | Output | Passes | Lifts | With 1 unit | To hit the date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SQRD L71Ride-on roller 4.2 t · estimated | 1,126 m²/h | 4 | 2 | 4 h | 1 |
| SQRD L61Ride-on roller 3 t · estimated | 780 m²/h | 4 | 2 | 5 h | 1 |
| SQRD L51Ride-on roller 1.5 t · estimated | 504 m²/h | 4 | 2 | 8 h | 1 |
| SQRD L41Ride-on roller 0.8 t · estimated | 329 m²/h | 4 | 3 | 2.3 days | 1 |
| SQRDPWB L102Padfoot (trench) · estimated | 320 m²/h | 4 | 3 | 2.3 days | 1 |
| SQRDWB L34Walk-behind tandem · estimated | 320 m²/h | 4 | 3 | 2.3 days | 1 |
| SQRPTRC L202Padfoot (trench) · estimated | 286 m²/h | 4 | 3 | 2.6 days | 1 |
| SQ15 PROVibratory plate | 143 m²/h | 4 | 2 | 3.5 days | 1 |
| SQ60 PRO 2Rammer · estimated | 76 m²/h | 3 | 3 | 9.9 days | 1 |
Output = usable width × working speed × 50 productive minutes per hour ÷ passes. Usable width deducts 10% overlap (without it you leave an uncompacted strip between passes) and compacted thickness deducts 20% settlement from the loose lift. Working speed is NOT the catalogue top speed: real compaction requires moving slowly, and using the maximum would inflate output two or threefold. This is a planning estimate — a test strip in your own material overrules any table.
The cheap machine can cost more
Halve the deadline and watch the last column. A narrow machine that looked sufficient now needs two or three units — and operators, fuel, transport and maintenance multiply with them. The real comparison between two machines is never price against price: it's how many units and how many days against the delivery date.
And the flip side: in a trench or confined space the big roller doesn't fit, and there the narrow machine isn't the cheap option — it's the only one. That's what the compaction lesson is for: it starts from the soil, not the date.
FAQ
What people ask most
How many machines do I need to compact my job?
Divide the total work (area × number of lifts) by what one machine does per day and compare it with the days you have. This lesson's calculator does it with each SIMAQ compactor's width, working speed and passes.
How do you calculate a compactor's output?
Output = usable width × working speed × productive minutes per hour ÷ passes. Usable width deducts about 10% overlap between strips, and speed is compacting speed, not the spec sheet maximum.
Can I use the spec sheet top speed for planning?
No. Top speed is for travelling; real compaction is slow, and using the catalogue maximum inflates output two or threefold. It's the mistake that makes a job planned on paper finish late.
What happens if my deadline is cut in half?
If the deadline halves, you need twice the units — and operators, fuel, transport and maintenance multiply with them. That's why you compare units and days against the date, not price against price.
Is one big machine better than several small ones?
On open ground, a wider machine that needs fewer passes usually outperforms several narrow ones. In a trench or confined space the big roller won't fit: there the SQRDPWB L102 trench roller or the SQ60 PRO 2 rammer is the only option.
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