INTEGRATION OF GEOTECHNICAL DATA INTO BLOCK MODELS WITH

APPLICATION TO GEOTECHNICAL HAZARDS

GAP Batista1, JM Seery2 JEF Ramires3 and JH Silva4

1.

Bastion Geotechical, Perth WA Australia 6005, G.Batista@bastiongeotech.com.au

2.
Bastion Geotechical, Perth WA Australia 6005. J.Seery@bastiongeotech.com.au

3.
AngloGold Ashanti, Crixás GO Brazil. JERamires@anglogoldashanti.com.br

4.
AngloGold Ashanti, Crixás GO Brazil. JHSilva@anglogoldashanti.com.br

Data Management, Rock Mass Model, Visualisation, Geotechnical Modelling, Geotechnical Hazard

ABSTRACT
Geotechnical engineering is the sector that manages one of the mine's greatest risks, rock
mass instability. The geotechnician's challenge is to develop an optimized design with a risk
management plan that meets the company's risk requirements and governmental safety standards.
The risks involve several factors, one of which is the geotechnical uncertainties that must be
minimized through proper investigation, so that the geotechnical conditions provide an environment
in which the project is more assertive and, therefore, will reduce the risk.
Projects must be additive, for that the database standards must be explicit. Data
management must follow a process flow, starting with the collection and ending with a data package
available during the analysis. To ensure data reliability and the development of a geotechnical model,
the process flow must follow a script based on data collection with an international standard,
obtaining data secured to ensure that it is not lost, acquisition of data reporting the accuracy of the
filling, data validation with appropriate interpretations and data package readily available with all
fields filled, updated and collected correctly.
Geotechnical models must contain data on structural, lithological, rock mass, stress and other
data following a standard that provides representativeness to the project. The model is expected to
provide an estimate of the likely conditions for the geotechnician can take the most assertive decision
to manage the risks involved.
With that knowledge, will be presented the best data management and geotechnical model
practices developed at Serra Grande Mine (MSG), located in central sector of Brazil, belonging to
AngloGold Ashanti (AGA), which has the largest gold production in Brazil. MSG was responsible for
25% of AGA Brazil's production in 2019 with gold extraction mainly from narrow ore bodies in the
sublevel mining method at a depth of 700 to 1000m.
This paper demonstrates how AGA's senior geotechnical managers establish a link in their
international operations ensuring standards. How MSG's geotechnical teams develop the work by
reducing the risks of the production plan. Finally, how the team synergistically manages the risks
involved in the project. The paper is a continuation of the papers already published by Hamman et
al. (2017), Seery et al. (2018), Hamman et al. (2019) that emphasizes the need to manage
geotechnical risk with current best mining practices.