Use of an Excavation Compliance Indicator to Assess Conformance to Slope Design

Authors: Seery, J; Lapwood, J

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/708_28

Cite As:
Seery, J & Lapwood, J 2007, 'Use of an Excavation Compliance Indicator to Assess Conformance to Slope Design', in Y Potvin (ed.), Slope Stability 2007: Proceedings of the 2007 International Symposium on Rock Slope Stability in Open Pit Mining and Civil Engineering, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 431-437, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/708_28

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Abstract:
The compilation of factors associated with the construction of a slope has been collectively termed the excavation compliance indicator. The excavation compliance indicator is a tool that can be used to quantify the adherence to slope design in the operational mine environment. It is the collection of measurements pertaining directly to batter face angle and berm width and indirectly to the inter-ramp angle. The characteristics are measured from mine survey as-built pickups and Sirovision triangulations which have been imported into Maptek Vulcan. The characteristics are compared directly to the design batter face angle, berm width and inter-ramp angle. To date, the excavation compliance indicator process has been undertaken on a number of pits in the West Pilbara Mine Operations at Pilbara Iron. The aim of undertaking this analysis is to assess the quality of excavation of slope angles and construction of berms to check conformance to design slope parameters. In the analysis of mine survey as-built pickup data for the Tom Price South East Prongs pit, the as-built batter face angle was found to be on average 4 degrees lower than design batter face angle. It was found that in general, the average as-built batter face angle for the mine survey pickup was no more than 2 degrees lower than the interpreted Sirovision model batter face angle. This work will help to drive the reconciliation process between the geotechnical design parameters and actual excavation performance. There is a direct correlation of the excavation compliance indicator to the drill and blast design and the final wall excavation process.

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