Over the last four years Potgietersrust Platinums (PPRust) has successfully
implemented new geotechnical strategy and tactics to reduce risk, improving safety but
also maximising profitability. A large database of core logging, face mapping and rock
testing has been assembled and used in the slope design process. The data has also been
used for optimising blast designs on a daily basis through the use of a geotechnical
block model. This greatly improves blast fragmentation and therefore loading and
milling efficiencies. Slope management includes a limit blasting programme, daily
visual inspections, and state-of-the-art slope monitoring equipment, namely
GroundProbe radar, Riegl lasers and GeoMoS automated prism monitoring. Slope
optimisation incorporates all the field data, operational controls, cost of failure, full
economic analysis of various slope angles and fault tree analysis. Savings on waste
stripping of hundreds of millions of Rands were gained from the optimisation as slope
angles could be increased due to improved geotechnical knowledge and management.
PPRust’s geotechnical work is considered the benchmark for Anglo American open pit
operations.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:wits/oai:wiredspace.wits.ac.za:10539/3899 |
| Date | 10 October 2007 |
| Creators | Little, Megan Jane |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 11566582 bytes, application/pdf, application/pdf |
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