Villa, D & Mikulich, D 2024, 'Parametric mine design applied to block caving ', in Daniel Johansson & Håkan Schunnesson (eds), MassMin 2024: Proceedings of the International Conference & Exhibition on Mass Mining, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, pp. 110-121.
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/2435_A-10/)
Abstract: Underground mine design is generally an iterative and manual process that regularly requires updates as new assumptions and technical considerations become available. Traditionally, these changes can take weeks or months of design hours for the long-term planning team, affecting the timeframe of the entire process and limiting the ability to study various design alternatives. Because of timeframe limits and the need for more ability to effectively analyze different designs, often a mine will result in a sub-optimal design, decreasing the overall long-term profitability and may lead to additional operational challenges moving forward. 

Technology in Parametric Engineering and Design is widely used in Civil, Aviation and Manufacturing industries. This technology was introduced to mining applications to automate and accelerate the underground design process, since in parametric Engineering all design items are parametrically linked; it means that any change in a parameter leads to the automatic update, this option allow controlling the parametric model to create the mine design, outputting design centerlines and 3D tunnel shapes. Due to the parametric nature of the model process and templates, this allows for rapid scenario simulation and analysis of multiple alternatives. 

This paper examines the application of Parametric Design in a Block caving layout by changing critical parameters at the extraction level, such as tunnel and drawbell spacing, orebody offsets and how these adjustments has been automatically transferred to other levels like undercut. Additionally, these changes has been measured based on the redistribution of the draw points by calculating ore recovery, dilution, pillar size and draw point interaction.