C85 on slopes: what the numbers really say

Anyone who works on sloped terrain knows that the problem is not just going uphill. It is going uphill with a load, coming down safely, holding the trajectory on a side slope, doing all of this without losing control of the machine. When the job site is flat, any machine will do. When the ground rises, the numbers start to matter.

Front gradients: uphill and downhill

The C85 declares a front gradient when empty of 77% (38°). With a loaded skip, the front gradient drops to 71% (35°). These are the maximum gradients that can be tackled without a load and with a load respectively, in the frontal direction, meaning with the machine facing the slope head-on. On a job site this means being able to work on ramps, embankments and steep slopes, going up and down along the line of maximum gradient.

Side gradients: the figure that is often underestimated

Less immediately obvious but just as concrete is the side gradient. When empty the C85 reaches 82% (39°) on a side slope. With a load, this value comes down to 34% (19°). The difference between empty and loaded is significant, and it is the figure to think about when planning a traverse route across the slope. An operator who needs to move across a hillside with a full skip must stay within the 34% (19°) stated on the datasheet.

Tracks and weight distribution

Tracks offer a structural advantage over wheeled machines on sloped terrain: they distribute weight over a longer contact surface and maintain grip even where the ground is slippery, muddy or covered with wet grass — conditions where wheeled machines lose traction. This does not change the declared figures, which remain those on the technical datasheet, but it explains why a tracked machine like the C85 is the natural starting point for work at elevation or on uneven terrain.

How to use these numbers on the job site

Before taking the machine onto sloped ground, it is worth measuring or estimating the gradient. The gradients declared by the C85 can be summarized as follows:

• Front empty: 77% – 38°
• Front loaded: 71% – 35°
• Side empty: 82% – 39°
• Side loaded: 34% – 19°

The most restrictive value is the side gradient at full load: 34% (19°). On a slope stabilization job site, where you often have to travel along the contour line with material on board, this is the number not to exceed. Planning the route accordingly — perhaps preferring routes that face the slope head-on where possible — allows you to stay within the declared values and work with a margin of safety.

Knowing the machine’s limits before entering the job site is the first step to using it well: bring the C85 onto your terrain and see for yourself what it can do.