CAD Options-Pit Generation

Intelligent Mining Software “Solutions”

MineMap IMS -Pit Generation

Table of Contents

Introduction

General Procedure For Generating Pits and Dumps

Creating the Base Polygon

The Pit Generation Wizard

The ‘Parameters’ Property Page

The ‘Benches In Descending Order’ Property Page

The ‘Pit Wall Region’ Property Page

The ‘Haul Road’ Property Page

The ‘Pit Wall Region’ Dialog Box

Introduction

MineMap IMScan generate pits (complete with haulroad) and dumps based on an existing polygon and either specified elevations or model seams. Pit designs are usually carried out in stages where each stage is checked and possibly modified before building the next as follows:

Define parameters up to a bench (e.g. the first safety bench) and generate the polygons.
Edit the resulting polygons.
Use the top polygon of the current design as the base of a new pit.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 as required.

This process allows for detailed design criteria.

General Procedure For Generating Pits and Dumps

Load the requiredMineMap IMS CAD file.

Create a base polygon if the CAD file does not contain one.

If the pit design requires model seams then load the required model.

Select the <Strings<Generate<Pit… option to display the first page of the Pit Generation wizard and select the required options on each property page (seeThe Pit Generation Wizard for more details).

Select the base polygon from the 3D Viewpane when prompted.

If more than one region parameter set is selected:

Wait for prompt to select the starting point of the pit wall regions.

Select the point from the 3D Viewpane to display the Pit Wall Region dialog box.

Select the required parameters and press the <OK> button.

Repeat until all regions are selected.

If a haul road is required:

Wait for the promptto select the starting point of the road.

Select the point from the 3D Viewpane.

Press the <Generate Pit> button to generate the pit.

NOTE: Make sure that the “Show all points” toggle is on for accurate point selection.

Creating the Base Polygon

MineMap IMS requires a polygon which represents either the base of the pit or the top of the dump. To create a base polygon:

Create a new CAD layer or select an existing CAD layer and load it.

Create the required polygon (see MineMap IMS CAD – Strings Options for details on creating polygons). The polygon should have a sufficient number of points to accurately reflect the base, especially around curves or sharp turns.

If the pit has a haul-road then the base polygon should include a suitable starting point. Figure 1 shows a sample polygon with the starting point of the haul-roadcircled in red.

Figure 1: Haul road starting point

The Pit Generation Wizard

The ‘Parameters’ Property Page

This is the first page displayed by the wizard and is used to specify how the polygons are generated.

Figure 2: Parameters property page

To specify the parameters:

If the base polygon should not be modified then select the ‘as is’ option. Otherwise the base polygon will be modified by a model seam before use.

Select the method used for placing the generated benches.

Select the direction in which the polygons will be generated. A pit is generated outwards and upwards or inwards and downwards while a dump is generated inwards and upwards or outwards and downwards.

If a model is used then select the start and end seams and select the check box if a grid should be generated on the bottom seam.

Press the <Next>button to display the next property page.

The ‘Benches In Descending Order’ Property Page

This property pageis used to specify the batter angle and width of each bench for up to four distinct regions.

To specify the bench parameters:

If the benches are based on elevations then the property page will display a list of elevations. This list is either empty or contains previously specified parameters (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Benches In Descending Order property page for elevations

If the benches are based on model seams then the property page will display a list populated with the seam names of the currently loaded model (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Benches In Descending Order property page for model seams

Bench creation is only available for benches that are based on elevations. Simply press theNew…button to display thePit Bench Parameters dialog box (Figure 5).

Figure 5: Pit bench parameters for elevations

Enter the batter angle for parameter set 1. The batter angle defines the slope down to the next bench.

Enter the bench width for parameter set 1.

Repeats the steps above for each required parameter set or leave the fields blank to disable that parameter set.

Press the <OK> button to return to the property page.

To edit an item simply click that field in the list and enter a new value or select that item and press the <Edit… button to display the Pit Bench Parameters dialog box.If the benches are based on elevations then the dialog box is the one shown in Figure 5, otherwise it is the one shown inFigure 6.

Figure 6: Pit bench parameters for model seams

a)Enter the batter angle for parameter set 1. The batter angle defines the slope down to the next bench.

b)Enter the bench width for parameter set 1. If the benches are based on model seams then the bench width is applied at the top of the seam.

c)If the benches are based on model seams then enter the maximum vertical height between berms and the ‘safety’ width of additional berms which may need to be created for parameter set 1.

d)Repeats the steps above for each required parameter set or leave the fields blank to disable that parameter set.

e)Press the <OK> button to return to the property page.

Select the <Next> button to display the next property page.

The ‘Pit Wall Region’ Property Page

This property page is used to select the regions that will be used during polygon generation (Figure 7).

Figure 7: Pit Wall Regions property page

To select the regions:

Select the required parameter sets.

Enter the number of points that will be used for smoothing the pit or dump outline. These points are generated either side of the change point when more than one parameter set is selected.

Select the <Next> button to display the next property page.

The ‘Haul Road’ Property Page

This property page is used to specify haul road parameters if a haul road is required (Figure 8).

Figure 8: Haul Road property page

To specify parameters for a haul road:

Select the check box if a haul road is required.

Select the direction of the haul road with respect to the start point of the road.

Enter the width and gradient of the haul road.

Press the<Finish>button toclose the wizard and select the required items in the 3D View pane.

The ‘Pit Wall Region’ Dialog Box

This dialog box only appears if more than one pit wall region is active. If a haul road is required then the dialog box is the one shown in Figure 9 otherwise it is the one shown in Figure 10.

Figure 9: Pit Wall Region dialog box when a haul road is active

Figure 10: Pit Wall Region dialog box when a haul road is not active

To specify pit wall regions:

Select the parameter set associated with this region from the drop down list.

Press the<Select next region’s start point>button to select the start of another region. The start of a new region is also the end of the current region.

Select the start point of the next pitwall region in the3D View pane.

Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 for all required regions.

Select the final parameter set.

If a haul road is active then press the<Select haul road point> button to select the haul road. If a haul road is not active then press the <Generate pit>button to generate the pit or dump.

Example

Consider the situation in Figure 11. Here only two parameter sets are specified but four pit wall regions are required.

Figure 11: Base pit with four regions

Define region 1:

Select point1 in the 3D View paneto indicate the start of region 1 and display the Pit Wall Region dialog box.

Select parameter set 1 to associate that parameter set with the pit wall region.

Press the<Select next region’s start point> button to define region 2.

Define region 2:

Select point 2 in the 3D View paneto indicate the start of region 2 (and the end of region 1) and display the Pit Wall Region dialog box.

Select parameter set 2 to associate that parameter set with the pit wall region.

Press the<Select next region’s start point> button to define region 3.

Define region 3:

Select point 3 in the3D View paneto indicate the start of region 3 (and the end of region 2) and display the Pit Wall Region dialog box.

Select parameter set 1 to associate that parameter set with the pit wall region.

Press the<Select next region’s start point> button to define region 4.

Define region 4:

Select point 4 in the3D View paneto indicate the start of region 4 (and the end of region 3) and display the Pit Wall Region dialog box.

Select parameter set 2 to associate that parameter set with the pit wall region.

Press the<Select haul road point>button or the<Generate Pit>button to finish defining regions.

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