MICROMINE MINE PLANNING TRAINING

Course Duration: 24 hours

For: All current Micromine/GPick users
Introduction

Chapter 1 Before We Begin

This course assumes that you already that you are familiar with basic Micromine
and VizEx functionality and are capable of creating and have an orebody model
and now want to plan your mining operation.

Micromine in the future will incorporate most display functions into VizEx. For
example two completely new functions - Pit Design and Wireframe Boolean were
added to VizEx 9.1, and a whole new way of managing drillhole data, the drillhole
database was created. The VizEx environment also supports seamless transitions
between 2D and 3D views. We shall therefore use VizEx functions in preference to
standard Micromine functions where they are available.

Purpose
This course is designed to familiarise current Micromine and GPick users with
mine design tools provided by Micromine.

Objectives
As a result of this course, participants will have learnt to:

Design and constrain open pits and stockpiles

Create wireframes, drape strings onto wireframes, and intersect two or
more wireframes
Create Grade Shells from an OBM
Do production planning by Grade control and Selective mining
Setup Blast Holes
Export to and import from Pit Optimiser Software
Calculate the capacity of a dam and drainage ditch
Design Buildings & Facilities
Design and manipulate vehicle models
Extract mine designs from paper to computer
Design underground workings, stopes and longwall panels
Assigning Oreblocks to Stopes and longwall pannels
Calculate Tonnage/ volume per stope or longwall pannel
Stope, longwall pannel Scheduling

Approach
This course will be dominantly hands-on. Each new topic will commence with a
brief introduction, followed by a practical exercise. A small training database will
be used for all exercises.
Chapter 2 Open Cut Mine Design
Go to 3D Viewer
Load | Block Model load BLOCK_MODEL.DAT
Load | Wireframe DTM TOPO

Examine your data in 3D to determine the mine method.

The orebody exists between 1600m RL and 1420mRL almost 200 m therefore mining will be by open
cut followed by underground method.

By utilising the characteristics of the resource apparent from 3D, the appropriate
mining method is indicated, characteristics are as follows -
The depth of the deposit
The grade distribution
The ore body thickness
The ore body attitude

2.1 Block Model Import.

Should you want to import a block model from another software use the new File
| Import | Block Model function to import text-based (MINEMAX, DATAMINE,
GEMCOM, SURPAC) Block Model file formats.

2.2 Constrain by Geology and Geotechnical Data and

Design an Open Pit with a Ramp

2.2.1 Introduction to Pit Design

Pit designs: Use string editing and pit design functions to digitise a pit outline and
apply constraints to the pit design process.

Old Micromine: Load File | Project | Open | MINEDESIGNPROJECT

Load | Mining | Pit Design

From V9.1 Pit Design, although licensed as a separate Micromine module, is now
completed within VizEx. Designing a pit is an interactive process where you set up
the pit and Ramp parameters and then construct the pit bench-by-bench, taking
manual control where required.

The Pit Design module represents a major addition to VizEx. Using this function,
you can design a pit making use of a framework of existing data (such as a block
model, drillhole data, geological interpretations, optimised pit shells, etc.). You
start the Pit Design module in the same way as the standard Graphic Editor;
however, if youre editing a Pit Design and have licensed the Pit Design module,
additional tools will become available to you. VizEx will automatically slice
whatever data you display, in synch with the current bench of your design, so that
you are not distracted by irrelevant data. You have full control over all global
parameters affecting the pit and Ramp.

Occasionally, as the pit design progresses, VizEx may produce a cross-over in a

crest or toe. Fortunately, you can easily manage these by using the Fix Crossover
tool, which corrects any crossing line segments.
2.2.2 Setting Up a New Pit
Let us assume you are designing a pit within a complex geotechnical
environment. You can create a block model defining the various pit parameters
through space, and allow VizEx or Pit Design to vary them automatically as the pit
design progresses.

Mining | Pit Contraints. This menu item allows you to interactively define
slopes and bench widths for sectors at various levels within a pit outline. The
resulting constraint file can be exported as an ASCII file for importing into the pit
Design function, where it will be used to project slope angles and bench widths in
different parts of the pit.

Exercise 1 Constraining Your Pit Design.

1. Select Mining | Pit Constraints from the main menu.

2. Enter the name of the constraint file to be created or modified.

3. Define the display limits and sector divisions and subdivisions.

4. Open Select Blocks and click More to specify North, East and X and Y
and colours for background ore blocks to be displayed.

5. (Optional) Select Strings and click More to specify North, East and X
and Y and colours for background strings to be displayed. Use the geology
string file which shows an area on massive intrusives (where steep slopes
are acceptable), a sheared country rock that can only support shallow
slope angles complicated by a fault zone which can accept an intermediate
slope angle.

6. Run the function to bring up the interactive graphic display.

7. Set the Low Z (RL) and High Z for the lower RL and upper RL of first level
(Level 0).

8. Use Edit to select division, sub-division or area. Then Interactively set

the desired slope and bench width values for each area, division and sub-
division at this level based on geology.

9. Click Next on the menu bar and repeat steps 7 and 8 for the next level. Do
this for each level that is to be defined.

10. Select Export from the menu bar and enter the name of the ASCII
constraint file. You can then import it into the Pit Design function or
VizEx.

11. Close the window to exit and save the file.

2.2.3 Pit Design

Before designing a pit, you should set the display limits, or load another display
object, for example an ore body block model, that defines your area of interest.
After loading a block model, you should also set the starting RL for the block
display.

To begin the pit design process, select Load | Pit Design from the menu or
double-click the Pit Design form set type in the Form Sets pane. To create a
new pit file, right-click the File prompt and select New from the pop-up menu.
The Pit Design tab allows you to set the primary pit parameters. The Pit Design
File is just like any other Micromine string file, but it includes an additional Road
field.

The Pit Parameters group allows you to define the default settings to be applied
when you generate each bench in the pit. These are:

Batter height: Vertical distance between a toe at the current level and
the crest at the next RL.
Contour interval: Generates additional contour strings between
successive toes and crests.
Batter slope: Default angle, measured from the horizontal, between
successive toe and crest strings.
Berm width: Horizontal distance between a toe and corresponding crest
at the same RL. Optionally, you can select the Taper berms at road
crossings option to taper the berm where it crosses a road.

If you use the Variable constraints option, the batter slope and berm width
values specified in that file will be used instead of the default values.

The Expand group settings (UP or DOWN, OUT or IN) determine how the walls of
the pit or waste dump will expand from one bench to the next. Typically you will
select the Expand UP and OUT options to generate a pit from a digitised base
string.

The Display Options tab allows you to set a suitable line colour, line type, and
line width for the types of string that make up the pit outline.

Exercise 2 Set up a New Pit Design

This exercise will introduce you to setting up a new pit. To save time, some of the
work has already been done for you:

1. Open the Saved Views node and double-click the Lesson Four (b) form
set to load it. VizEx will load a pit design file and an orebody block model
into the display. The pit design file is currently empty.
2. Double-click the Training pit design Display object to open the Pit
Design dialog. Note the pit parameters in this dialog: Youll be designing a
pit with 5m benches, 60 batter slopes, and 4m berms. Click Cancel to
close the dialog once youre done. Click Variable constraints and specify
the file made earlier.
3. Ensure that Training pit design is the selected object, and click the
Graphic Editor toolbar button to activate the graphic editor. Also ensure
that the Select tool is active.
4. Click the New String button and digitise an oval shaped string around the
red and green blocks near the centre of the screen. Close the string by
clicking the last point over the first. This will form the base of our pit.
5. Optimise this string by clicking the Smooth followed by Weed String
buttons. The toe is now almost complete, with the exception of a Ramp. It
should resemble this diagram:

Picture
2.2.4 Setting Up a New Pit Ramp
To set up a new Ramp, you click a point on the pit base string and select Road
from the pop-up menu. If youve already saved a Ramp, you can simply choose it
from the list of roads, otherwise click the Edit option to create a new one.
You can only access the Road menu if you right-click a point.

When setting up a new Ramp, you specify four parameters: The Width of the
road, its Gradient and the Gradient units, and the direction of the road
(Clockwise or anticlockwise). Once youve set up a new Ramp, clicking OK on the
Road Properties dialog will cause VizEx to insert a road entrance into the base
string. You can manually edit the shape of the pit around the road entrance if
desired.

Exercise 3 Set up a New Ramp Design and Start Creating a

Pit
Lets use an existing Ramp:
6. With the points in the base string still highlighted, right-click a point
around the middle of a long edge and select Road from the pop-up menu.
It doesnt matter which side of the pit base you choose.
7. From the sub-menu that appears, choose the Training Ramp option. This
is an 8m wide, 1-in-10, clockwise road. When you click the menu option,
youll see VizEx add the road entrance to the pit base.
8. Move some of the points on the outside of the road entrance so that there
are no major kinks in the shape of the pit. Your new pit base should now
look like this:

Now were ready to build the pit:

9. Click the Project to Berm toolbar button to create the next bench in the
pit. Several things will happen at this time:
VizEx will build the next bench in the pit;
The RL of the plan display will increment by one bench; and
The block model display will update to reflect the current bench.

If this were a real pit design exercise, you would probably modify the shape of the
new pit crest to encompass any excluded ore blocks. Alternatively, you might be
using an optimised pit shell as your design basis.
The points that make up the new pit crest are colour-coded according to their
status: Black points are ordinary points, and the red one represents the current
road point.

A magenta (purple) point represents a region where there is an acute angle in the
string. You should zoom in and correct these points before proceeding to the next
bench.

10. Click the Project to Berm button a couple of times to continue building
the pit, watching for any magenta points in the string.
11. If your pit design has a crossover in it, simply click the Fix Crossover
button to correct it.
12. After youve built a few benches, rotate the view into 3D so that you can
see the progress of your new pit.
13. Click the Graphic Editor toolbar button to exit the graphic editor. You can
save your edits if desired.
 14. Select Edit | Remove All from the menu to clean up the display. Pit
Design is a complex function that is well beyond the scope of this
workshop, but this exercise has given you a taste of the new functionality.

2.2.5 Pit Optimisation

Micromine does not in itself optimize pits. However it does support Export to and
import from a Pit Optimiser software. Micomine recommend MINEMAX PLANNER
for optimization. Use the new File | Export | OBM function to export a Micromine
OBM file as a text-based MINEMAX block model file, which can be used by
MINEMAX PLANNER for optimisation.

Micromine will handle WHITTLE pit optimization files as well.In this case use
Mining | Pit Optimisation.

2.2.6 Wireframe Boolean Operations

Wireframed objects rarely exist in isolation, but instead typically interact with one
another. For instance, a designed pit shell will usually intersect the natural
topographic surface, or an orebody might intersect an oxidation state boundary.

VizExs Wireframe Boolean function allows you to intersect wireframes and save
the resultant Boolean components as new wireframes. You can access this
function from within VizEx by choosing Tools | Wireframe Boolean, or from the
main Micromine menu by choosing 3D | Wireframe Boolean. A useful benefit of
this function is its ability to produce intersection strings, which represent the trace
of the intersection between the two wireframes. You might use the intersection
string of a PIT and DTM Boolean operation to pass to your surveyors.

The Wireframe Boolean dialog allows you to choose the two input wireframes,
and then create up to four output wireframes based on any of the four Boolean
results. If desired, you can also define an intersection string file or report file.
The following table summarises the four possible Boolean results for any two
wireframes. Youll notice that the meaning of the result is slightly different for
surfaces than solids.

Table 2: Wireframe Boolean results

Boolean Two Two Mixture
Result Surfaces Solids A = Solid
B = Surface
A in B A below B A inside B A below B
A out B A above B A outside B A above B
B in A B below A B inside A B inside A
B out A B above A B outside A B outside A

Exercise 4 Intersect a pit shell with a natural surface

Intersecting a pit shell with the natural surface is a common Boolean operation,
and it provides a natural example for us to try:

1. Turn off the Topographic contours Display object, and turn on the
Sample open pit DTM object. Youll see both the pit and your topographic
DTM; note how the pit extends above the topographic surface.
2. Select Tools | Wireframe Boolean from the menu.
3. For Wireframe A, double-click to set the Type to PIT and the Name to
SAMPLE.
4. For Wireframe B, set the Type to DTM and the Name to TOPO.
5. Set the first Output Type to DTM and the new Name to RESULT. Also
choose an appropriate Colour.
 6. Click the A in B and B in A checkboxes. A in B will return the pit beneath
the surface, and B in A will return the surface beyond the pit.
7. Click Run to create the resultant wireframe, and then Close to close the
Wireframe Boolean Operations dialog.

Now to load the resulting wireframe:

8. Double-click the Wireframes object in the Form Sets pane.

9. On the Wireframes dialog, double-click the Type prompt and choose
DTM from the list.
10. Double-click the Name prompt and choose RESULT from the list.
11. Set the Draw Style to 3D Shaded.
12. Turn off the Colour coding? option.
13. We wont bother saving this as a form set, so simply click OK to load the
wireframe. If you rotate your display into a 3D orientation, it should
represent the following diagram:
14. Once youre happy with the result, select Edit | Remove All from the
menu to clean up the display.

We saved two Boolean components into the singe output wireframe, but in reality
you would probably want to save them to separate wireframes. The choice of
what components get saved is entirely yours.

Chapter 3Production Planning

3.1 Grade control

The Grade Control function is a mine planning tool. To use it you build a display
containing up to nine datasets including two outline sets. Once you have done
this, you can calculate volumes and tonnes, based on the grades of the material
within existing geological or design outlines or new outlines you create. By
adjusting the shape of the outlines and re-calculating volumes and tonnages in an
iterative process, you can develop a grade control plan. The primary orientation of
the display will be plan. Grade control is normally only carried out in section when
working underground.
The function produces three outputs:
Grade, area, volumes and tonnages. These can be saved in a data file.

Outline information in a form suitable for the Survey | Set Out Calcs
function. Using this output, you can calculate bearings and distances from
known survey stations to the outline vertices.

You can add outlines to polygonal model and mine design files from the
display. You can also delete outlines from models and mine designs and
create new outlines.
The function stores the information from the input files and, in the display, checks
if values are inside or outside selected outlines. You must re-run the function
when you change the input.
A further application of the Grade control function is the preparation of multiple
display plots.

Exercise 5 Grade Control

1. Define the display limits in terms of X, Y and Z coordinates.

2. Select the sources of data that you want to display.

 3. Click the More buttons for the options you have selected and fill out the
dialog boxes that appear. Note that with the Stacked Sections and
Trenches you can also display values, hatching and graphs.

Options used for grade estimate calculations

Points and Values

The function and behaviour of Points and Values are similar. Typically they are
used to display individual samples and interval data from trenches or drillholes.
Use this option to display point locations using a "+" (cross). The crosses can be
colour coded.
To make calculations using drillhole values, use the Points or Values options to
display a drillhole interval file. The points or values can also represent samples
from a stope, composits from a blast hole on an ore bench, data from a rock saw
cut on an ore bench. or material types derived from the Gridded Seam Estimate
functions.
If the thickness of a bench and/or the SG of the material are to be taken from the
input file in Points or Values, you must enter the names of these fields. The values
in the Thickness field are used to calculate volumes in the selected outlines and
to weight the grade.
See Display | Simple for details.

Ore estimate Blocks

Use this option to display block models created using Modelling | 2D Block
Estimate | Interpolation , Modelling | 3D Block Estimate | Inverse Distance
Weighting , Gridded Seam Estimate | Interpolation and the kriging options under
Modelling | 3D Block Estimate.
To use a block model in the calculation, enter the name of the block model file in
the Ore estimate blocks dialog box. Estimates will be calculated using values in
the Estimate field, even if you do not enter its name. If you want to use the SG in
this file in the tonnage calculations, you must enter the name of the field where
the SG values are stored.
If you want to use the thickness from this file, the _RL field will be used. The
thickness is used to weight the grade.
You will obtain the most accurate grades and volumes using a block model in the
Grade Control function. This is because the blocks are sub blocked, and only
those sub blocks in the outlines are used in the calculations.

Geology and Design Outlines

Geology and Design outlines are treated in the same way in Grade Control. See
Modelling | Polygonal Section Estimate | Plans from Sections for details on how
these outlines are created.

Options for display only

Contours
Use this option to display contours (or any string file). You can prepare contours in
the Display | Contours and Strings | DTM functions.
Contours are often used to display the analytical results of the bench above.
These can be used for guidance when you set out the current bench.

Strings
This option is similar to Contours but includes the ability to display values (Display
field) and symbols (Symbol field).
You can use the Display field to display the contents of any field and the Symbol
field to display symbols at the string vertices. Which symbol is displayed is
controlled by the number in the Symbol field and the corresponding symbol in the
current symbol set. You can specify the symbol set in Options | Symbols.
You can use this option to display the survey set out for the bench above as a
guide to planning for this bench.
See Strings | Edit for details.

Stacked Sections
Use this option to display drill intersections. The drilhole values will not be used
for calculation of resources. To make calculations using drillhole values, use the
Points or Values options with a drillhole interval file, with coordinates, as the
input.
See Dhole | Stacked Sections for details.

Trenches
Use this option to display trenches. Trench values are not used for resource
calculations. To make calculations using drillhole values, use the Points or Values
options with a trench assay file, with coordinates, as the input.
See Display | Trench for details.

4. Click OK to run the function. The data you have selected will be displayed.
The best way to use this function is to set up a grade control element, turn it off,
and then set up the next display. When they are all set up correctly, turn on those
that you require. Too many display elements are difficult to interpret, especially if
colour files are used in each.
If you are processing large block model files processing speed will increase if you
exclude blocks not required for the calculation with a filter.

3.2Calculating Areas, Volumes, Tonnes and Grades in the

Display
Once you have tagged outlines and entered the calculation parameters, you can
calculate areas, volumes, tonnes and grades within those outlines.
Do the following:
.

Choosing which outlines will be used in the calculation

1. Select Geology or Design to control the type of outlines you want to use in
the calculation.

The name of the file used in the estimate calculations and the outline files are
displayed at the top of the control panel in the display. If you are using
Geological outlines and Design outlines, you must select Geology or Design to
list the outlines in one of these files. The outlines in this list can be used in the
estimate calculations

2. You must then tag or untag the outlines you want to use in the estimate
calculation. Outlines appearing the list but not tagged, will not be included
in the calculation.
Use T and U with the highlight over the outline name to tag or untag it.

Use Ctrl+T to tag them all and Ctrl+U to untag them all.

Use + to add the contents of an outline to the calculation. Use - to subtract

the contents of an outline from the calculation.
By applying these tags to the outlines in the list you can :
Calculate estimates for single or multiple outlines.

Include and exclude outlines from the calculation.

Included or exclude interior outlines from enclosing outlines.

A plus sign [+] appears beside each selected outline name, indicating the tonnes
and grade will be included in the aggregate calculation. If the tonnes and grade of
an outline are to be deducted from the aggregate then select it using the minus
[-] sign, more than one outline can be selected using the minus sign. A negatively
tagged outline need not be within a positively tagged outline to have its value
deducted from the aggregate. An outline within the file that is not tagged will not
be included in the calculation.

3. Make sure you have entered the calculation parameters - Z thickness, SG,
etc.

4. Click the Calculate button.

When the calculation is complete, the results are displayed at the lower right
corner of the window. If more than one outline is tagged, write the results to a file
to see values for individual outlines.

3.3 Creating a Surveyors Setout File in Grade Control

You can create a file that contains the grid coordinates of the outline vertices for
the outlines included in a grade control calculation. You can do this at the same
time as you are calculating estimates. This can be used as input to the Survey |
Set Out Calcs function where you can calculate bearings and distances of the
vertices from a fixed survey station.
Note that outlines tagged with + or - will be included in the output file.
To create a setout file :
1. Enter the name of a Setout file and give it a suitable title, preferably one
that indicates its origin.

2. Enter the ID of a known point, this is then referenced in the Station file
used in setout calculation to generate the bearings and distances from the
observation point to the outline vertices.

3. Click the Setout button. If the file exists, you will be given the option to
append the setout values. Otherwise enter a new name.
The function writes a file with the given name and the extension .DAT to the
project folder. It will contain the Setout Station identifier, two of Northing, Easting
or RL as appropriate, the outline code, and two blank fields HA and HD. These are
for use in Survey | Set Out Calcs to calculate horizontal angles and distances of
the vertices of the outlines.
Add fields (File | Modify) to the output file if you want to identify the individual
points of each outline. Sort the file to arrange its contents in a suitable order for
field surveying.

3.4 Creating Grade Shells from OBM

The Wireframe Grade Shells function enables you to display a series of shells
within an ore body. Each shell represents a grade, that is, all blocks within the
shell have a grade greater than or equal to the cutoff grade the shell defines.
The function requires a block model (OBM) file and a colour set based on one of
the fields in that OBM file as input. The colour set defines cutoff values for each of
the shells.

When you run the function, it creates a series of wireframes of the type GRADE
SHELLS (not mandatory). Each wireframe is given the name you define in the
Name prefix response with the cutoff it represents appended. For example, a
wireframe might be given the name NVG(>=30.78) where: NVG is what you
entered in the Name prefix response, and >=30.78 is the upper limit of one of the
ranges in the colour numeric set. The function also generates a wireframe
containing all the grade shells. This is given the same name prefix to which (All)
is appended.

In the 3D Viewer or wireframing modules you can either load wireframes (Load |
Wireframe) of each of the grade shells or you can load them all at once. You can
also use the Transparency control in the Appearance dialog to make the inner
layers more visible and the edge smoothing control in the same dialog to produce
more natural looking displays.

Exercise 6 Wireframe Grade Shells

Do the following:
1. Select Modelling | Wireframe Grade Shells from the main menu.

2. Enter the name of a block model and the names of the East, North and RL
fields within it.

3. In Cutoff field, enter the name of the field containing the values from
which the grade shells will be calculated.

4. Select (F3) GRADE SHELLS in Output Wireframe Type.

This is not a requirement, you could set it to any type of wireframe, however,
using a consistent system of wireframe types makes it easy to find your work
in other functions.

5. Enter the name prefix for the wireframes.

6. Click OK to run the function.

7. Click 3D Viewer and open the GRADESHELL wireframe you just created.

3.5 Blasthole Setup

This function creates a drillhole collar file from a basic rectangular blast pattern
that you specify. The hole spacing is definable and the rectangle can be rotated to
any bearing. Holes may be in a square or diamond pattern, with a nominated
azimuth and dip; they can also be restricted to an outline to create a non-
rectangular blast pattern.
You can create an assay file with regular or irregular sampling, and you can add
assay fields to that file ready for subsequent entry of values.

Exercise 7 Defining the Blast Hole Pattern

Specify the boundaries of a rectangular area, and the spacing of the blast holes
within it.
1. Enter the origin of the blast hole pattern rectangle (the SW or bottom left
hand corner) as Northing and Easting coordinates, and the RL value.
 2. Enter the Bearing, which is the rotation measured clockwise from grid
north, and applies to the side specified by the Northerly length.

3. Enter the Northerly length and Easterly width, which define the actual
lengths of the sides of the rectangle, irrespective of its rotation.

4. (Optional) Select Restrict to outline? and click More to specify a set of

outlines that will restrict the holes to those within the outlines.

5. Select Square pattern? to lay out the holes in a rectangular pattern. Clear
it to use a staggered (diamond) layout.

6. Enter values for the North spacing and East spacing. This is the spacing
between holes.
The diagrams illustrate the effects of various parameters.

Defining the holes

The values you specify apply to every hole in the pattern.
7. Enter the Hole azimuth; this is a bearing in degrees, measured from 0 for
North and increasing clockwise. It will have no effect on a vertical hole (dip
of 90.

8. Enter the Hole dip; this is the angle the hole makes with the azimuth, in
the range 0 (horizontal) <N>to - 90 (vertical).

9. Enter the Hole depth.

Numbering the holes

10. Enter the First hole number in the text box. It can start with non-numeric
characters which will be repeated when the numerics are increments (such
as BH1, BH2 etc.).

11. If you select Number east?, holes will be numbered from the origin along
the first east line, then the next and so on. Clearing the box will cause
numbering to progress up the north lines.

Specifying Assay fields

Click on the Assay Fields button to define up to five fields that will be added to the
assay file.
The fields will be defined as six characters with two decimal places.

Specifying the samples

If you entered an Assay file name, you can specify whether the sampling intervals
will be regular or irregular, and define the sample numbering. You can also add
assay fields to the file.

Regular samples
To set up regular sample intervals, enter a value in the Regular sample increment
box. The first sample will be from the surface to that value below, and at similar
regular intervals until the bottom of the hole is reached.
If you select Write partial samples? box, the last sample interval will be included
even if it does not extend to the full depth. Otherwise, only whole intervals will be
sampled.
Irregular samples
If you do not enter a Regular sample increment, you can click the Irregular
samples button to bring up a dialog box for entering sample depths.
Enter up to six sample depths.

First sample number

Enter a value into the First sample number field to specify the starting number.
You can put non-numeric characters at the front and these will be repeated when
the numeric value is incremented. For example, B100, B101 etc.

Chapter 4Mine Site Infrastructure & Equipment

4.1 Calculate the capacity of a dam and drainage

ditch

4.1.1 Creating Wireframes

VizEx allows you to generate a wireframe directly from strings in the display,
which is especially useful if youve just finished a pit design (see below) and want
to produce a pit shell, or if youve edited some photogrammetric data and want to
produce a DTM.

To use this option, simply start the Graphic Editor, select the desired string file
and then click the Create DTM button. Youll be asked for a wireframe type and
name, and then VizEx will produce the new wireframe. This function automatically
uses the input strings as breaklines (great for contours, pit crests and toes) and if
desired will automatically use a selected string as a constraint.

4.1.2 Using Constraints

If theres a selected string in the display when you click the Create DTM button,
VizEx will use that string as a constraint. This is great if youre only interested in
making a DTM from a small portion of your string data. If it doesnt already exist,
you can quickly create the constraint string, produce the DTM, and then
immediately delete the constraint string if it isnt needed.

VizEx will incorporate the 3D points from the constraining string in the output
wireframe, so you should digitise the constraint by snapping to the underlying
string file. If you dont do this, the output wireframe may have precipitous edges!

Exercise 7 Create a topographic DTM for a Tailings Dam and

Calculate the Volume.
First, lets create the DTM:
1. Open the Saved Views node in the Form Sets pane and select the
NVG_SOUTH form set. Contour lines will appear in the graphic display
representing an area south of the NVG pit.
2. Click the Topographic contours object in the Display pane to select it.
3. Click the Graphic Editor button to activate it.
4. Ensure the Select tool is active.
5. Click Snap To and New String and digitize a simple string representing
the limits of your proposed tailings dam by snapping to existing contours.
Right click and Close the string. Click the Create DTM toolbar button.
6. On the Build DTM dialog, double-click the Type prompt and choose DTM
from the list.
7. Set the Name to VALLEY and click OK. VizEx will build the wireframe. Now
we need to load it:
 8. 8. Double-click the Wireframes object in the Form Sets pane.
9. On the Wireframes dialog, double-click the Type prompt and choose
DTM from the list.
10. Double-click the Name prompt and choose VALLEY from the list.
11. Set the Draw Style to 3D Shaded.
12. Turn on the Colour coding option and click More.
13. Double-click the Colour set prompt and choose Topo contour colours
from the list. Close the Colour Coding dialog.
14. Click Strings and create a new string file called DAM_WALL.
15. Activate DAM_WALL and create a New String with 2 points representing
the top of a plane representing the proposed dam in relation to the VALLEY
DTM. Make sure ypu overlap the VALLEY DTM in plan. Click on the VizEx
Properties button (hammer) and set the Sting Editor | Expansion
Distance to 60 the OK. Then select the Dam Wall string and the Expand
String button.
16. Click Strings and F4 on DAM_WALL to open it. Set the RL of the first two
lines as 1490.00 and the RL for the next two lines (with ~ indicting the new
string) to RL 1440.00. Click Close and Yes to Save Changes. Click OK.
17. With DAM_WALL still active click the Create Wireframe button and call
the wireframe type DTM DAM_WALL. Load both wireframe DAM_WALL and
VALLEY each with different colours. You can see part of the valley extends
beyond the dam wall.
18. Click Tools | Wireframes Boolean and set A as DTM | VALLEY, B as
DAM_WALL the out put as DTM TAILINGS_DAM and check A out B box.
Load Wireframes DTM TAILINGS_DAM and click the View North and Plan
buttons to examine the results.
19. Exit VizEx and click Strings | DTM | Volumes. Select DTM and RL and
make the DTM TAILINGS_DAM and the RL equal to 1468. Do not check the
boundary file, but check Triangles and OK. In the resulting display the cut
volume represents the contents of the Tailings Dam filled to the 1468 RL.
Try some different RLs to see the difference and at what volume the dam
could overspill.
Note that using a larger topographic DTM and boundary sting files you could
investigate a number of valleys to check their rough volumes for tailings
disposal. Only when you have your chosen valley do you need to create a
sloping dam wall to improve accuracy of volumes.

4.1.3 Draping Strings

When digitising a string in plan view you may sometimes wish to allocate Zvalues
to the points based on an existing wireframe (such as a DTM). For example, you
may have digitised a road or stream from an orthophotograph and now want to
give your newly produced string Z-values for display in 3D. Or, you may have
digitised old drillhole collars from a photograph and now want to give them Z-
values for cross-section plotting. This is easy provided you have a DTM of the
area. To drape a string onto a wireframe, simply load both the string and
wireframe into VizEx. Start the Graphic Editor and then click the Drape on
Wireframe button. Its that easy!

Exercise 8 Drape a string onto a DTM

In this exercise, youll digitise a string into the Topographic contours object and
then drape it onto your newly created DTM:

1. Click the New String toolbar button to create a new string.

2. Digitise a string across the topographic map, using five to ten points. Press
Esc when youre done.
 3. Switch to a 3D or cross section view to confirm that the new string has only
a single RL, similar to the diagram below. Once youre satisfied of this,
switch back to Plan view.
4. Click the Drape on Wireframe button. Youll notice that numerous
additional points have appeared, but in plan view the string doesnt seem
to have moved.
5. Switch to a 3D or cross section view and observe that your new string now
has RLs based on the wireframe, as shown below.
6. Close the graphic editor and answer No to save changes.
7. Return to a Plan view.

When you drape a string, VizEx will use the upper surface of all visible wireframes
that are in the Display pane. VizEx also inserts points into the string wherever it
crosses a triangle edge, which improves the accuracy of the draped result.
Exercise??? Calculate the volume of a tailings dam.

4.1.4 Create a Wireframe from a String

Exercise 9 Create a Ditch from a Single String

Take the string created above.

1. Use 3D | Wireframe from String and enter the details of the above
string

2. Pick trapezoid 2 and set X to 2 Y to 3 and B to 1 Set the Y offset to 2

and set Attributes and call the DTM DRAIN. It will automatically be set as
an EXTRUDE type wireframe.

3. Use VizEx and load the Wireframe DTM VALLEY and Wireframe
EXTRUDE DRAIN. You can see that they dont quite fit.

4. Click Tools | Wireframes Boolean and set A as DTM | VALLEY, B as

EXTRUDE DRAIN the output as DTM DRAINAGE and check B in A box.
Load Wireframes DTM DRAINAGE and click the View North and Plan
buttons to examine the results.

5. Exit VizEx and click Strings | DTM | Volumes. Select TWO DTMs and
RL and make the DTM VALLEY. Do not check the boundary file, but check
Triangles and give a report name then OK. In the resulting display the cut
volume represents the contents of the Drainage Ditch. This could be used
to calculate the volume of soil removed for payment.

4.2 Plant Site and Building Facility Design

It is well within the capabilities of Micromine to produce plans and 3D models

of any buildings that you might want to display. These might be

Ecxercise 10 Creating a 3D Plant Site

First lets prepare a site for the plant.

1. Open the Saved Views node in the Form Sets pane and select the
NVG_SOUTH form set. The Site for the plant is the roughly T-shaped
valley to the northeast of the tailings dam. First we need to make a
larger floor to the valley by straightening the walls.
 2. Open the Pit Design dialog. Right click the file name and New. Call it
PLANT_SITE. Note the pit parameters in this dialog: Youll be designing
a pit with 4m benches, 45 batter slopes, and 2m berms, expanding up
and out. Click Cancel to close the dialog once youre done.
3. Ensure that PLANT_SITE is the selected object, and click the Graphic
Editor toolbar button to activate the graphic editor. Also ensure that
the Select tool is active.
4. Click the New String button and digitise a rectangular shaped string
around the valley floor, straightening the edges to maximize the space
for the plant. Close the string by clicking the last point over the first.
This will form the base of our pit.
5. Enter the Pit Design dialog and select PLANT_SITE and F4. Check the
RL of the string and change it to 1460.00. Close the file, save changes
and OK the Pit Design dialog.
6. Activate the Select tool and select the new string in the pit design and
click the project to berm button 9 times.
7. with the last string selected click the Create DTM button and name it
DTM PLANT_SITE
8. Click Tools | Wireframe Boolean
9. For Wireframe A, double-click to set the Type to DTM and the Name
to NVG_SOUTH_TOPO.
10. For Wireframe B, set the Type to DTM and the Name to PLANT_SITE.
11. Set the first Output Type to DTM and the new Name to
NVG_SOUTH_MODTOPO. Also choose an mid-green Colour.
15. Click the A in B and B in A checkboxes. A in B will return the topo beneath
the site, and B in A will return the site preparation cuts into the topo.
16. Click Run to create the resultant wireframe, and then change the settings
to A OUT B and DTM Name to PLANT_SITE_WASTE and run again. Close to
close the Wireframe Boolean Operations dialog.

Now to load the resulting wireframes in 3D viewer.

17. To calculate the volume of waste cut from the plant site to make an earth
dam for the tailings pond. Open Strings | DTM | Volumes set it to 2
DTMs and make first DTM PLANT SITE and the second DTM
NVG_SOUTH_MODTOPO and run to calculate the volume to be extracted.
18. Open VizEx and create a new string file called PLANT and add some new
strings representing buildings tanks conveyors etc. using curve and other
tools.
19. Check the RL of the strings and modify to match the 1460 RL of the plant
area. Use Strings | Edit to edit PLANT.STR and Edit | Copy | RL or
Bearing to create the ends of tanks, buildings etc. Use 3D | Viewer Load
| Strings PLANT.STR and use New Wireframe and Wireframe Close
End to produce the buildings alternatively, import plant / building designs
from CAD DXF files and then shift coordinates and extrude as necessary.

4.3 Creating a Vehicle For your Open Pit

Whilst coming up with a brief for a mine planning training course we thought it
would be a good idea to create some 3D vehicles with which to populate
Micromine 3D pit views etc.

Exercise 11
1. Open VIzEx an Image e.g. excavator.jpg in Viz Ex and geo-reference it
using dimensions such as the known length and height of the vehicle.
Make the extreme bottom left of the vehicle profile X= 0, Y = 0.
2. Set up a new string file e.g. EXCAVATOR.STR. Make fields X, Y, Z (each 6
spaces long with two decimal places) and Join 10 characters long. Make
join a character field as you can name the varios strings to keep track of
them. Remember you are digitizing a profile of the vehicle in plan that you
later want to make into a 3D model. Therefore to make the vehicle profile
compatible to your other files East = X, North = Z and RL = Y. Click on
EXCAVATOR.STR in VizEx and then click new string button and start
digitizing. Enter the Join value and an RL each time you start a new string.
Right click whilst a string is selected to close it.

3. Baisically digitize each separate piece of the vehicle that has a different
depth as a separate string e.g.:

Body1 and Body2 string

TyreFL1 & 2, TyreRR1 & 2
Wings
Excavator Arm Up
Excavator Arm Down
Etc.

VizEx has useful string fuctions such as curve that can be used to create tyres
and wheel rims. Assuming wheels and tyres are the same size you only need
to make one string of each an can use String Editor | copy string and
move string functions to create more strings. The vehicles do not have to be
very detailed as they will mostly be very small compared to pit size.

4. Edit the strings in string Editor and duplicate strings where necessary for
tyre walls etc. Give the strings recognizable names as the join value. This
will help you keep track of the strings especially if you have to open the
string file to edit it.

5. Use 3D | Wireframe Types to create a new wireframe type called

VEHICLE_PARTS.

6. Load 3D | Viewer | Load | EXCAVATOR.STR then Wireframe them in 3D

viewer. You will need to create several wireframes to represent a vehicle.
Name and colour code them them accordingly e.g. EX_ARMDOWN,
EX_TRACK_L, EX_TRACK_R. You will probably have to return to the string
file to edit strings during this process.

7. Use 3D | Wireframe Sets to create a Wireframe set using VEHICLE_PARTS and

Name = EX_* to represent the excavator.

8. Use File | Export | Wireframe and export the Excavator wireframe set as
a DXF file.

9. Straight away use File | Import | Wireframe DXF and import the DXF file
as a single wireframe.

10. Then use File | Export | Wireframe to Micromine triangles and points
files called EXCAVATOR_T.DAT and EXCAVATOR_P.DAT.

11. Check your open pit file string with File | Utilities | Min/Max and record
the rough center of the Pit in X Y and Z coordinates.

12. Use File | Modify and add fields East North and RL to the file EXCAVATOR_P.DAT.
 13. Use File | Fields | Calculate and add the coordinates from above to the X
Y Z coordinates of EXCAVATOR_P.DAT to create East North and RL values.

14. Use File | Import | Wireframe and using the Micromine setting import
the EXCAVATOR_T.DAT and EXCAVATOR_P.DAT files using the new East
North and RL values. Save the wireframe as a VEHICLE with the name
EXCAVATOR.

15. Use 3D | Viewer and Load | Wireframe of the PIT - open pit created
earlier with a green colour.

16. Also Load | Wireframe VEHICLE EXCAVATOR and colour it yellow. You will
see the wireframe of the excavator hovering in space over the pit. Zoom in and click
on the excavator. Select the pointer tool and click on the excavator, it will get a
bounding box around it any you can then move it to any location you like in the pit.
(You can even move it into the pit wall which is what happens if the pit collapses).
You can also rotate it).

Save the results as an inventor file (3D | File | Save) and you can recall it with all
parts of the view in the position you set them to.

It is up to you to do more vehicles, but we shall make any vehicle triangle and
point files sent to us available to other clients by email on request.

Chapter 5 Underground Mine Design

Many of the functions we have used above can be used for underground mine
design.

5.1 From paper to computer

Mine design or previous mining can be easily brought into the computer from
paper using Micromine. Simply scan the hardcopy and digitise over the top in Viz-
Ex. In order to make extrusion to wireframes easier it is best to digitize a
consistent loacation with repect to the cross-section of the workings e.g. center
back

5.2 Generate Openings

This function generates rectangular mine openings in section, from string files of
horizontal workings. The output is a string file in which each string represents a
mine opening, with definable spacing between openings. Input files may describe
floor or back surveys or both, and you can define tolerances within which
openings will be generated.
Strings in the input file do not have to be closed, but the records must
consecutively identify points around one side of an opening.
An input file can describe workings on several levels, but the program works best
if the workings are approximately the same height and width. If there are large
differences (for example, you may have drives and large stope outlines), you
should separate them into different files in order to generate the openings. You
can then append the output files.
A useful application is to digitize old mine workings and generate openings. You
can then convert the files and append them to polygonal section outline files so
the old workings appear on outline plots. The openings files can be used to
generate separate plot files.
Exercise 12 Generate openings
1. Select Mining | Generate Openings from the main menu.

2. Enter the name of the file containing your data. If required, define a filter
to selectively control which records will be processed.

3. Enter the Easting, Northing and RL field names.

Defining the openings

These values determine whether an opening will be generated at each position
determined by the section spacing. Tolerance (x) applies to the width and
Tolerance (z) applies to the height.
4. Enter the String field and/or Join field name and the Wildcode (if any).

5. Choose the type of input strings (BACK & FLOOR, FLOOR ONLY or BACK
ONLY).
Nominal height
For FLOOR & BACK strings, an opening will be created if the difference between
the floor and the back is within this value plus or minus the Tolerance (z). You can
therefore exclude openings that would be higher or lower than this range.
For FLOOR ONLY or BACK ONLY strings, an opening will be created with new
points at this value above the floor level or below the back level respectively,
provided the floor or back points are within Tolerance (z).
Nominal width
An opening will be generated if the points are within this value plus or minus the
Tolerance (x). You can therefore exclude openings that would be wider or
narrower than this range.
6. Define parameters for the Openings.
7. Specify the Section parameters.

Specifying the sections

Select LOOKING EAST or LOOKING NORTH to determine the section line.
Provided the points in each case fall within the limits specified above, an opening
will be created at the Start section Easting or Northing value, and then at the
intervals specified by Section spacing until the End section is reached.

8. Enter the Output File name.

9. Run the function.

5.3 Stope Design

In Micromine we can create stopes and then calculate ore reserves within stopes

Exercise 13 Stope Design

Open OBM in VizEx and set clipping planes to 10 m View in plan
Create new strings by diitising around the ore blocks to create realistic waste
envelopes.
Use 3D Viewer and wireframe a number of the above strings to create 20m high
stopes with gaps of 10 metres between them for access levels. Save the
wireframes as a set called TRAINING STOPES using 3D | WIREFRAME SETS.
Use Modeling | Assign | Wireframes to assign oreblocks to the stopes created.
Order and Colour code the stope by production.
Calculate the volume/tones of ore in each stope.
5.4 Designing Underground Workings

Exercise 16 Creating Underground Workings to Serve the Stopes

1. Open OBM in VisEx. Also load your wireframes set TRAINING STOPES.
2. Create a new sting file called WORKINGS with a character JOIN value 10
spaces long.
3. Start in plan with new string using a join value SHAFT. Click once to start
the string 50 m west from the orebody then click the LOOKING EAST button
and digitize the second point 100m vertically below the first. Right click the
first and second point to check that the East and North values are
identical. This string will be the center of your main shaft. Click the INSERT
POINTS button and insert points to represent the intersection of the levels.
4. Click the LOOKING NORTH button and digitize a new string called LEVEL_1
to represent the floor of a level to access the uppermost stope use SNAP
TO to snap the first point onto the shaft the swith off the SNAP TO and
digitize the second point under the stope.
5. In plan create a circular string with JOIN value CHINA_S1 2 m diameter with
an RL equivalent to the bottom of the slope.
6. looking east create a vertical string representing the adits, cross cuts
raises declines, shafts etc to access the planned stopes use easily
recognizable join codes to identify the stings
7. Use String Editor & Vis Ex String Functions, to apply curves and gradients
8. The underground miners can drill, blast and bog-out 10 m3 of rock (ore or
waste) in one eight hour shift shift. Calculate volumes from the various
wireframes and use an estimate of development rate to put a time
schedule on each slope. Add a schedule column to WORKING STRING Use
3D | Wireframe from String to extrude new wireframes from the strings
representing tunnels etc. for specific time periods and colour them
accordingly e.g. green for week 1, blue for week 2 and red for week 3. For
the shaft place the origin (+) at the cente of the circle. For the levels put
the origin at the centre of the floor.
9. Use Wireframe properties to put proposed dates on as codes.
10. View in 3D and colour code the stopes by date of production

5.5 Longwall Pannel Design

Use a VizEx and display a coal body model colouring or displaying blocks by coal
quality filtered data
Digitse strings around the coal bodies op specific quality. Eidt strings to give
space for haulage
Use DTM of the top and bottom of each coal seam to crate Z values for 2 copies of
each string.
Use 3D wireframing to create longwall panels.
Assign gridded seam block models to longwall panels. Calculate volumes.

Lesson Summary
To create a DTM:
Load the appropriate string data, then
Digitise a constraint (by snapping) if necessary, and
Select the constraint string.
Click the Create DTM button.
To drape a string onto a DTM:
Load the string and DTM, then
Click the Drape on Wireframe button.
To intersect two wireframes:
From within VizEx, choose Tools | Wireframe Boolean, or
From the main menu, choose 3D | Wireframe Boolean, then
Load the desired wireframes into Wireframe A and Wireframe B.
Enter the desired result wireframe(s), then
Choose the desired Boolean results(s).
To design an open pit:
Select Load | Pit Design, or
Double-click the Pit Design Form Set object, then
Set the Pit Parameters.
Digitise a pit base string, optimising if necessary.
Right-click a point in the base and select a Road option.
Click Project to Berm to build the pit.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
BEFORE WE
BEGIN....................................................................................................
....................................................... 1
LESSON 4
EXTRAS.................................................................................................
....................................................... 43
INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................
.................................................... 43
WORKING WITH
WIREFRAMES.................................................................................................................
.......................... 43
Creating
DTMs .......................................................................................................................
..................................... 43
Using
Constraints................................................................................................................
.......................................... 43
Draping
Strings.......................................................................................................................
...................................... 45
Wireframe Boolean
Operations ................................................................................................................
....................
INTRODUCTION TO PIT DESIGN
..................................................................................................................................
........
Setting Up a New
Pit .............................................................................................................................
........................
Setting Up a New
Ramp ........................................................................................................................
................

LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1: CONTEXT EDITING MODES
..................................................................................................................................
.... 21
TABLE 2: WIREFRAME BOOLEAN RESULTS
............................................................................................................................. 47
Data Required
Topo data
Digital Geologic map and or 3D model of waste as well as ore
Geotechnical data/
Fault models
3D Block Model and gridded-seam model
Stings for underground workings
Strings for drainage ditches
Sample Whittle and Mine Max files
Truck / vehicle image & model strings
Data from VizEx course may suffice, but does not have gridded
seam data.