When a tracked excavator operates on soft ground (such as muddy ground, swamps, loose sand, etc.), the core cause of getting stuck is that the ground contact pressure exceeds the ground-bearing limit, leading to track sinking and reduced adhesion. Systematic measures should be formulated from four dimensions: pre-operation preparation, in-operation control, equipment protection and modification, and emergency response. These measures can not only prevent getting stuck but also avoid risks in a timely manner when they initially appear. The details are as follows:

Pre-Operation Preparation: Avoid Risk Sources in Advance

1. Assess Ground-Bearing Capacity

Before operation, determine the softness of the ground by test digging or observing surface settlement. For areas suspected of insufficient bearing capacity, lay steel plates, subgrade plates, or gravel cushions to increase the ground contact area and reduce ground contact pressure. This is a core preventive measure against getting stuck.

Subgrade plates should preferably be made of high-strength alloy. Their length must cover the entire length of the track, and their width should be no less than 1.2 times the track width to avoid uneven local stress.

2. Plan the Operation Route Reasonably

Define fixed routes for excavation, rotation, and movement. Avoid frequent rolling in the same area to prevent a decrease in ground compactness.

Choose routes in areas with slightly higher terrain and relatively hard ground as much as possible. Avoid low-lying waterlogged areas and humus accumulation areas. At the same time, reserve an emergency evacuation route to ensure the equipment can quickly move to a safe area in case of sudden sinking.

3. Check Equipment Condition

Ensure the track tension is appropriate. Excessively loose tracks may fall off, while overly tight tracks will increase ground contact pressure.

Check that the support rollers and carrier rollers do not jam, to avoid excessive local stress pressing the ground during operation.

Adjust components such as the bucket and boom to reasonable positions to prevent equipment center-of-gravity deviation, which increases the risk of one-side track sinking.

In-Operation Control: Precise Control to Reduce Ground Disturbance

1. Control Equipment Movement Speed and Posture

When driving on soft ground, use low-speed and constant-speed driving. Prohibit sudden acceleration, sudden steering, and frequent start-stop to avoid the track exerting shear force on the ground and damaging the soil structure.

When steering, use small-angle slow steering as much as possible. If necessary, complete steering through the "forward-stop-fine adjustment" method to reduce sinking caused by lateral rolling of the track.

2. Optimize Excavation Operation Methods

Follow the principle of "digging from far to near and in layers". Avoid deep digging at close range directly in front of the equipment to prevent the reaction force from bucket excavation causing the machine body to sink.

During excavation, keep the track parallel to the excavation direction as much as possible. Use the coordinated movement of the boom and arm to apply force, reducing machine body shaking.

It is strictly forbidden to dig under one side of the track, to avoid equipment center-of-gravity imbalance and side sinking.

3. Keep the Machine Body Stable and Control Ground Contact Pressure

Adjust the machine body to a horizontal state during operation, so that the support rollers bear force evenly and prevent excessive load on one-side track.

During excavation, do not overfill the bucket to reduce the pressure of the equipment's overall weight on the ground. If the position needs to be adjusted, prefer the "translation" movement method instead of frequent lifting and lowering of the machine body.

Equipment Protection and Modification: Improve Adaptability to Soft Ground

1. Replace with Wide Tracks or Install Track Pads

Replacing standard tracks with wide tracks can significantly increase the ground contact area and reduce ground contact pressure (for example, for a 15-ton excavator, the ground contact pressure of wide tracks can be reduced by more than 30%).

Extended and widened track pads can also be installed on the original tracks to enhance grip on the ground and reduce sinking depth.

2. Install Auxiliary Support Devices

For equipment operating on extremely soft ground for a long time, hydraulic auxiliary outriggers can be installed. During operation, the outriggers are deployed to support the machine body, transferring part of the weight to the outriggers and reducing the pressure of the tracks on the ground.

Anti-slip pads or base plates must be equipped at the bottom of the outriggers to prevent the outriggers from sinking into the ground.

3. Optimize Equipment Counterweight Distribution

Adjust the machine body counterweight reasonably. Transfer part of the movable counterweight to the middle of the machine body to avoid counterweight concentration on both sides of the track, which would cause excessive local ground contact pressure.

However, it should be noted that counterweight adjustment must not affect the excavation stability and operational flexibility of the equipment.

Emergency Response: Timely Rescue When Getting Stuck Initially

1. Stop Operation Immediately and Avoid Blind Operation

When slight track sinking is detected, stop excavation and movement immediately. Do not force the accelerator to try to rush out, as this will cause the track to sink deeper and even damage the chassis components.

At this time, lower the bucket to the ground and use the bucket's supporting force to lift the machine body, relieving the pressure of track sinking.

2. Use Self-Rescue or External Traction for Rescue

If the equipment is not seriously stuck, adjust the bucket angle to insert the bucket into the solid ground ahead. Through the coordinated movement of boom lifting and track, slowly pull the machine body out of the pit.

If the equipment is deeply stuck, call in loaders, trailers, and other equipment for traction. During traction, use a dedicated traction rope and fix it to the designated traction point of the machine body. Keep the traction speed slow and uniform to avoid damaging the equipment.

3. Clean Soft Soil Around the Tracks

If the tracks are covered with mud or loose soil, first use the bucket to clean the soil around the tracks and support rollers to reduce the resistance of track operation, then carry out the rescue operation.