A THREE-DIMENSIONAL DYNAMIC PROGRAMING METHOD

FOR OPTIMAL ULTIMATE OPEN PIT DESIGN

by

Thys B. Johnson1 and William R. Sharp2

ABSTRACT

A three-dimensional dynamic programing method is presented for determin

ing the optimal ultimate open pit limit. The method given is based on the
block concept and is an extention of the two-dimensional Lerchs-Grossmann
approach. The three-dimensional technique presented herein is fast and simple
and may be used for an initial open pit evaluation when only limited data are
available or as a more refined model when the entire deposit is well
delineated.

The method is illustrated by simple numerical examples and is also pre

sented in algorithmic form. A computer program was written in Fortran IV
which implements the three-dimensional algorithm and some computational
aspects are discussed.

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this Bureau of Mines paper is to present a three-

dimensional dynamic programing method for determining the optimal ultimate
limit for an open pit mine. In this paper the "optimal ultimate pit limit" is
defined to be that contour which results in an extracted volume of material
which provides a maximum profit subject only to the geometric constraints of
safe wall slopes.

The pit limit model is based on the block concept, and it is assumed that
a profit value can be assigned to each block representing the net worth of the
block if it were processed through the total mining system (mining, concen
trating, refining, etc.) by itself.
Minable units, such as blocks, provide an excellent means of describing
the flow of products in the almost continuous total mining system, and since
the block concept has become an almost universally accepted means for mine

1Supervisory operations research analyst.

2Mining engineer.
Both authors are with the Division of Mine Systems Engineering, Bureau of
Mines, Denver, Colo.