SCS900 Open Pit Mining Progress

Mining Progress
Open Pit Mining is where mountains move on a daily basis. This can bring some unusual challenges in
managing geographic information (CAD maps).To be keeping current topography up on a daily bases and
then communicating that information to the engineers, planners & operations can become an
overwhelming task. This is the challenge; this is commonly referred to as “Mining Progress”. The
Advanced Measurement Module for SCS900 is a tool for the challenges of Open Pit Mining.

Shared Data
Things change fast in mining. It takes teams of operators, engineers, technicians, surveyors & geologist
to run a mine. All these groups require good information for planning. Having a common place for a
central CAD map where layers & geographic information are defined is crucial for planning. Keep your
mine progress updated, current and accessible to everybody.

The Mining Extension for SCS900 is a geographic data management system for mining, from field to
office, from design to final limits.

First Step

Define your map. Most mines probably already have a defined map that everybody uses. It can be
managed inside any CAD type program. . . AutoCAD, MineSight, Vulcan... How well are your objects/
layers defined? Are all your crest and toes in defined layers? Take your best most current topography
and define and simplify your layers. Think about what is needed. Remember, simple is good. Examples
for some of these layers that can be used in an AutoCAD drawing to depict an Open Pit Mine are:

 Broken Crest
o Layer for blasted material
o Color Dark Blue
o Line type “dashed 2”
 Feature Crest
o Layer for any generic feature (not Broken, Hard or dump)
o Color Yellow
o Line type “dashed”
 Hard Crest
o Layer for un-blasted hard crest
o Color cyan
o Line type “dashdot”
 Ramp Crest
o Layer for Ramps
o Green. . . .
 Defining naming conventions for
standard topography helps
everybody read and understands the
maps.

Layers
 Broken Crest
 Ramp Crest
 Hard Crest
 Toe
 Dump Crest
 Contours

Next,…

Create a Feature Code Library based on your defined map objects/layers . Using SCS900 you can load
your already defined CAD layers. The Feature Code Library allows data to be captured in the proper
layer from the field. This is very valuable for managing geographic data. Surveyors mapping in progress
will be able to map and create data in the field in right in the layer, color, line type & or symbol. Capture
as much data as possible while in the field. Capture data about the object while at the object.

Example, if you’re walking the hard crest above the shovel and using GPS to define the new crest SCS900
allows you to map in the “Hard Crest” layer as you walk. Then once back in the office the data collected
can be imported right into the CAD map already defined.
What happens if the surveyors are not using defined layers?

When multiple people are mapping and managing data the data can be become chaotic. Each person
has ideas about naming conventions and how to manage data. Data created from the field is the most
valuable and that is where the data should be defined. Who creates the data should define the data. The
definitions need to be based on the whole team of engineers .Otherwise the same features will have
multiple names e.g. “hard crest”, H-Crest”, “crest-h”, “h-c”

This is a common problem in mining progress.

For further help on creating a Feature Code Library for your Mining Application
see quick start guide to Feature Code Library & go to www.sitechsw.com/blog