Surfaces as a Guide

1. General Rule

The easier way to work with surfaces is by using a topography generated by MiningMath, then manipulating only the Z coordinates. The surfaces generated in MiningMath has always the same format, which means that each one of them has an equivalent number of lines and the data follows the same order from the first row to the last one. Therefore, you can choose the topography file and use it as a guide, which could facilitate conversions to original coordinates from your other software, the filter of regions and pits, the creation of force and restrict mining files, and a lot of options using this concept. It is worth mentioning that this approach could be easily done by using a simple worksheet and loading the CSV files generated in the viewer for further analysis.

1.2 Be careful with geometries

If you are considering geometries, mainly the Mining Width with surfaces imported from a different software package, there will be conflicts between the geometric criteria of MiningMath and the geometric criteria from the surfaces imported.

1.3 Offer a freedom in the last interval

You must give some freedom in the last interval so that MiningMath can also optimize the number of periods. It means that you should use <end> instead of using a lock period range, such as from 16 to 16 for instance.

2. Guide Mining In Deeper Areas

In order to add more material from deeper areas, you can use a base surface to increase its depth where you wish to get closer to what the project requires. Focusing on the main areas in early periods, you provide tips to the algorithm so that it can understand your approach by using surfaces. The following steps will reproduce an efficient workflow to promote this optimization:

2.1. Maximum Potential In The Bottom

  1. Download this excel file to use as a guidance advance in the steps.

  2. Insert the data in the yellow cells based on your block model information.

  3. Paste the coordinates of the topography surface

  4. Drag the formulas IX, IY, Z_Bottom, and Z_Top until the end of your data.

  5. Define a plan Z to create a surface plan, import it on the viewer, and identify the elevation in which you want to force the bottom area below it.

  6. Create a restrict mining surface to identify the maximum amount of ore, respecting the geotechnical aspects, could be extracted.

  7. Set up your scenario and run..

Note: As a result, you will get the maximum potential that can be extracted bellow the elevation that was chosen.

2.1. Mix Surfaces To Add Material From The Bottom

  1. Place the Z coordinate from the base surface that you what to increase the depth to extract more material in the bottom

  2. Paste the coordinate from the maximum potential scenario

  3. Calculate the difference between them.

  4. If the area of the maximum potential surface is bellow the surface base, it will consider the elevation lowest one. Therefore, it will consider the additional ore that can be extracted in the bottom along with the base surface used.

  5. Use the mixed surface as force and restrict mining at the range that you want to achieve it.


Note: After this step, MiningMath will generate operational surfaces so that you can use it on your projects considering the timeframes required.