Mining Planning and Design

Mine Planning and Design Solutions:

New Generation Software Packages Help Make Mining a
Safer, Environment-friendly and Economic Process
M.K. Prabhakar, Associate Editor
Editor

T
he rapid strides made in the field
of software development have
literally touched every conceivable
field. Mining is no exception. The
emergence of modern mine planning
software has had a drastic impact on
mining operations. Gone are those days
when the word ‘mining’ used to conjure
up images of candle-lit headlamps and
men in cages being lowered to the depths
of the earth’s crust carrying pick-axles.
With the advent of mine planning software
and automated machinery, mining
operations are at the cutting edge of
technology. Mine planning and design
has come a long way from the earlier
days of hand-held calculators and basic
spreadsheets. One of the biggest
drawbacks earlier was the fact that
while all the design issues had to be
addressed in 3D, the planning was
being done in 2D. What this in turn
meant was a long drawn mine planning
process. Mine planning and design are
areas that have undergone a sea change;
thanks to the advent of modern mine
planning and design solutions.
The arrival of mine planning software
has meant that reaching the “most” ore
at the lowest possible cost is no longer
as difficult a proposition as it was
earlier, without the use of such
sophisticated tools. Good mine
design, which involves preparing the
optimum layout for exploration , so very
essential for the success of mining

58 The Masterbuilder - April 2012 · www.masterbuilder.co.in


operations , owes itself to the arrival of
specialized mine planning software.
Contrary to popular perception
mine planning software has been in
existence for well over three decades
now. It was in the 1970s that mining
companies began to use them
extensively, especially in the western
parts of the world. One of the primary
factors which lead to the early use of
such software was economics.
Wastage had to be reduced and this is
where specialized software with their
modeling capability gained prominence.
The industry had been waiting patiently
for tools that would help them stop
wasteful mining and the arrival of
specialized mine planning software
meant that the perfect solution was
available. The intense competition
among nations, quite literally, digging
deep into their reserves of natural
resources, was another factor that was
fuelling the demand for such software
packages.
Many of the earlier mine planning
software packages were actually
products of research initiatives of leading
Universities. The growing market for
such software meant that by the early
1980s several leading software
development companies had jumped
into the bandwagon and began
peddling their mining solutions. Many
of the leading companies that had
been funding their own research
initiatives for developing mine planning
software abandoned their efforts mid-
way after the entry of leading software
development companies into the fray.
Integration with other Software
Packages
Another important reason for the
increased usage of mine planning
software in recent times has been the
With deposits getting marginal underground mining has gained preference over open pit mining,
leading to increased use of mine planning and design software
www.masterbuilder.co.in · The Masterbuilder - April 2012
Mining Planning and Design
ability of developers to come out with
features that enable these packages
integrate with other software products.
For example, Geographical Information
Systems (GIS) which is a staple of the
mining industry, with its all pervasive
influence on working procedures in
mining operations is compatible with
almost all the latest mine planning
software packages. Modern day
packages enable import and export of
GIS formats, leading to an integrated
environment, where every possible
data is used for optimized algorithm
computation, leading to superior
quality of modeling and mine design.
Similarly, modern day mine planning
software packages are able to
communicate data with other software
packages in a generic file format.
Developers are making sure that they
incorporate features that enable easy
integration with other database or
spreadsheet software packages.
Economics & Environment
The increased usage of mine planning
software tools has been necessitated
to a large extent by the increased
emphasis on economics, safety, and
environmental considerations today.
Open pit operations that were the
norm, for example in the case of coal
mining during the 70s and 80s are no
59
Mining Planning and Design
Modern mine planning systems enable accurate reserve estimation
longer considered the only choice.
Underground mining technology has
undergone a revolution, thanks to the
ability of mining engineers to predict
reserves more accurately using
specialized software. The greater
depth of deposits and the increased
emphasis on environmental consi-
derations and safety has meant that
mining engineers, quite literally leave
no stone unturned in making sure that
the project adheres to all these aspects,
while also making economic sense.
With investments running into
millions of dollars, accurate geological
data and reserve estimation, enabling
almost perfect economic projection
has become the norm these days. The
modern day mine planning software
tools are able to handle large sets of
data with speed, enabling mining
engineers to assess the given geological
data, prepare 3D models, and analyze
the economic and geological viability
of mining operations. The use of
specialized software tools enables
engineers to conduct structural
interpretations and find out whether
there is any structural interference,
aspects which in turn help in determining
the method of mining. The high capital
investments involved in underground
mining has made the use of sophisticated
data prediction tools imperative these
60 The Masterbuilder - April 2012 · www.masterbuilder.co.in
days. This is apart from the advantages
in terms of safety and environment that
the use of specialized software enables
in underground mining projects.
Mining companies are required to
follow stringent environmental and
rehabilitation codes in order to
minimize environmental impact these
days and this is an area where mine
planning systems play a key role. The
codes and regulations pertain to
environmental impact assessment,
development of environmental
management plans; mine closure
Mine planning software ensures optimum utilization of mining equipment
planning (which is usually done before
the start of the mining operations) and
environmental monitoring during the
mining operation and after the closure.
Modern mine planning and design
software packages are being designed
keeping in mind all these crucial
considerations.
Modular Design
The latest versions of mine planning
systems deal with a variety of functions
that are present as part of mining
operations. The simpler versions that
earlier existed were adept at non-
integrated functions, which is not the
case today. For example, since the
entire mine planning process deals
with assimilation and manipulation of
various data, software developers
have to take into consideration the
database management factor into
account. The database management
component has to be in turn integrated
with other components dealing with 3D
modeling and visualization, which play
a key role in mine design. Similarly the
software package must contain tools
that help in reserve calculation.
Developers today are focusing on
modular software packages, where
each module is able to communicate
with each other, while all of them together
communicate with a core program.
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Mining Planning and Design
3D modeling and simulation have helped in cutting down costs and speeding up the mining process
Visualization & Simulation
The ever-increasing graphical
capabilities of modern mine planning
software packages has been one of the
key reasons behind their rising popularity.
Developers have realized that in order
for a product to be successful in the
market, the user has to be able to
interact with it easily and effectively.
Many of the latest software packages,
apart from having an extremely user-
friendly GUI (Graphical User Interface)
also allow for further customization of
the settings. Enhanced graphical
environments enable 3D visualization,
apart from making the process of
integrated use with CAD functionality
more effective.
Representation of data in a dynamic
setting is what makes the latest mine
planning software tools enable mining
engineers to do a thorough analysis of
the mining operations in a simulated
environment. Dynamic representations
of the mining process can help in
highlighting issues related to grade
estimation. For example, a mining
engineer can now ‘slice’ an entire block
and find out its impact on the structural
integrity of an underground mine.
Some of the latest mine planning
software tools also enable integration
with real life machinery functions. With
sophisticated mining equipment being
use, it becomes important that the
62 The Masterbuilder - April 2012 · www.masterbuilder.co.in
machinery functions are taken into
consideration as part of the mine
design process.
Simulation is the name of the game
these days from aviation to mining. The
latest mine planning systems are
increasingly reliant on dynamic
visualization processes. Simulation of
processes such as shovel and
earthmoving operations or blasting
when offered in a 3D environment give
an accurate picture of the actual
extraction process to mine engineers.
Modern day packages such as Xpac,
SimMine, Vulcan, CAE Mining, etc,
come with sophisticated visualization
modules. The comprehensive set of
tools enables mine engineers to analyze
blocks by moving them in a variety of
ways, thanks to the interactive design
icons that are part of the mine planning
systems. Optimum utilization of mining
equipment is also ensured due to the
simulation processes. For example,
engineers can now accurately predict
equipment cycles as part of the particular
project. Similarly the limitations that
could be possibly be encountered with
certain types of mining equipment can
also be accurately determined even
before the project, which in turn enables
project managers to cut down on
expenditure making the mining
process more economically viable.
Apart from their ability to simulate actual
operational conditions, modern software
can also help mining engineers to make
modifications and show the impact
immediately. This way project managers
can analyze multiple scenarios and
arrive at the right solution.
A Minefield of Opportunities
The trends indicate that the mining
industry is increasingly becoming reliant
on mine planning software. As reserves
become more marginal, developers
are faced with newer challenges to come
out with solutions in an increasingly
competitive market. Software solutions
offer the only way out when it comes to
making even marginal deposits an
economically viable option. Developers
are also faced with the challenge of
ensuring that the mine planning software
packages continue to become more
user-friendly, even when becoming
more sophisticated due to the changing
nature of the mining processes. Making
workflows to be captured easily and
making them repeatable is the challenge
that lies before software developers.
This would mitigate the issue of shortage
of skilled labour, a critical factor to
consider in a country like India, to a
large extent.
A spurt in availability of latest mine
planning software is inevitable in a
country like India, where the government
has clearly spelt out its intention of
increasing focus on newer explorations.
The approval of the Mining and Mineral
(Development & Regulatory) Bill 2011
by the Union Cabinet late last year was
a step that signaled the intentions of
the government which is keen to
increase the contribution of mining
sector to the GDP , which is abysmally
low at about 3 % to about 9 % in a few
years time. With further reforms
expected in the mining sector in India,
and with the entry of overseas players,
the next few years could see an intense
competition among leading mine
planning software developers to
garner their share of the market.
Photo Courtesy
www.zocalopublicsquare.org,
www.minecad.com, www.sovereigngoldgh.com
www.greatmining.com, www. deswiksoftware.com