Open-pit mine survey
Survey of the actual state of a quarry with GNSS RTK, total station, laser scanner and drone: bench crests and toes, slopes, haul roads, stockpiles, mine plan and sections.
An open-pit mine survey records the actual state of surface mining operations: bench crests and toes, slope angles, haul roads and ramps, blast blocks, ore and rock stockpiles, waste dumps and spoil areas. It is the basis for production accounting, slope stability control and for checking that the pit is developed within its design boundaries.
The method depends on the size and relief of the pit. In small and medium quarries bench edges are measured point by point with GNSS RTK and a reflectorless total station. On high and hazardous faces, where people should not approach, we use terrestrial laser scanning or drone photogrammetry; these methods give a dense point cloud of the slopes and improve crew safety. In every case control points are tied to the national coordinate system by GNSS.
In the office a digital terrain model is built, and a mine plan and cross-sections along the alignments specified by the client are drawn in AutoCAD/Civil 3D. Compared with the previous survey, the volume of extracted rock and the position of the workings relative to the licence boundaries become clear. When periodic surveys use the same system and control network, the results match each other fully.
When you need it
- Periodic production accounting and reporting
- Checking that the pit is worked within design boundaries
- Monitoring the condition of slopes and benches
- Documenting the actual state for sale, lease or audit of a quarry
- Base data for a development plan or new design
What's included
- Setting up or restoring the control network
- Survey of bench crests, toes and slopes
- Survey of roads, ramps, stockpiles and waste dumps
- Laser scanning or drone photogrammetry where required
- Digital terrain model
- Mine survey plan and cross-sections
How we work
- Agreeing pit boundaries, scale and survey method
- GNSS measurement of control points
- Field survey
- Data processing and terrain modelling
- Preparation of plan and sections, handover
Deliverables
- Mine survey plan of the pit (DWG, PDF)
- Cross-sections and digital terrain model
- Coordinate list of control points
- Point cloud and orthophoto on request
