Computer in Mine Planning

Computer techniques have been developed to assist in the preparation of the sections

and in making the necessary calculations. In this way a large number of potential designs

can be evaluated quickly and inexpensively. Since the procedure largely follows the manual

process, it is easy for the mine planner to understand what the program is accomplishing and

to actively participate in computer-assisted design. The output of the process is a functional

mine plan together with a working set of cross-sections. This section will discuss via an

iron-ore example, originally presented by Luke (1972) the logic involved in the process.

The process begins with a description of the topography and the geologic data. The

topographic relief and the overburden-bedrock contact are defined by a series of straight

line segments. The end points of each segment making up the individual contour line (string)

are defined either by hand or using a digitizer. In this case the surface relief will be denoted

as the surface contour and the top of bedrock as the overburden contour.