Open Pit Design Essentials

Course Notes

Terms

• The batter angle is the face angle for a single bench or bench face angle.
• The average of several batter angles is a pit wall angle.
• The berm is also known as a catch bench or safety bench.
• A crest represents the transition from one bench to another.

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Tool Comparison

Tool Strengths
Open Pit > Open Cut Design > Project
Manually project berms and strings for precise,
String
level-by-level control over the pit or dump
Open Pit > Open Cut Design > Berm String design.

Open Pit > Open Cut Design > AutoPit Quickly create preliminary pits and dumps.

Open Pit > Automated Pit Designer > Achieve a preliminary pit design with ramps
Create Pit Design using interactive tools that automatically
update your design quickly.
Open Pit > Automated Pit Designer > Create preliminary designs that respect
Strategic Pit Designer optimisation output.

Open Pit > Ramps > Design Pit/Dump Allows robust control over the design to create
an exact final result.

General Pit Design Tips

• Before starting a design, gather data to help visualize what you want to capture with your
design. Good sources include block models, orebody triangulations, and pit optimisation output
All pit designs should have some basis for what is in and what is out
• Consider geotechnical parameters at every stage of design.
• Rapid analysis tools that allow for quick generation of multiple scenarios allow the engineer to
determine the best preliminary designs to pursue.

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Object Attributes

Attribute Description
Indicates the method used to generate the string.
PRU: projected upward
Object Name
first characters PRD: projected downward
BRU: bermed outward
BRD: bermed inward
Object Name
last characters The average elevation, or level, of the string.

Value The average elevation of the string.

Clockwise: projects and berms a pit

Direction
Anti-clockwise: projects and berms a dump
W Value
first digits Batter angle

W values
last digits Berm width.

Group PIT$TOE, PIT$CREST, and PIT$HAUL group toes, crests, and haul strings.

Features PIT$BERM and PIT$PROJ indicate the method used to create the string.

• The Property Editor is the fastest way to query object attributes.

• To control string colors, select Open Pit > Ramps > Graphics.
• Direction assumes the point of view is above data in plan view.
• Point W Values
o Flag point W Values with berm widths and batter angles to respect varying geotechnical
parameters.
o Widths and angles expect two-digit, numeric values. Additional digits describe decimals
• Hover over a string to display the width in the Status bar at the bottom of Workbench.
• To display several attributes simultaneously, select Analyse > Label > Advanced Object
Label.
• The features PIT&BERM and PIT&PROJ are hard coded to Open Pit design tools. You cannot
alter these special features.

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Work with Design Tools
• Right-click to exit many Open Pit tools.
• Control object visibility from one of the Visibility toolbars.
• There are two Visibility toolbars: one above the View window and the other beneath.
• Select by Group to choose all toe, crest, or haul strings quickly.
• When projecting or berming strings, apply Condition parameters for a smoother result.
• If a W Value contains zero as the batter angle, Vulcan will assume the default batter angle
defined in the panel.
• Select Design > Object Edit > Reverse to change the direction of a single string.
• Select Design > Object Edit > Consistent to apply a direction of Clockwise or Counter-
Clockwise to a selection of multiple strings.
• Always consider the snap mode located on the Digitise toolbar beneath the View window.

Troubleshooting Projections
When strings do not project as expected, consider:

• The direction of points: clockwise vs. anti-clockwise.

• Does the input string contain sharp angles?
• Are the projection parameters geometrically feasible?
• Are W Values populated correctly?
• The number of points on the string. Too many points in a downward or inward projection can
cause crossovers. Too few points in an upward or outward direction can cause sharp edges
and other anomalies.
• Errors in string adjustments during the projection will propagate.

Open Pit Sections

The following tools will help you create sections.

Tool Strengths
Generate sections at any location or
View > Create Section orientation. Define default clipping widths and
step sizes.

Graphics Toolbar > Quick Section Create a quick, vertical section.

Configure a specification of section locations

View > Create Sections Definition that you can call quickly from the Graphics
toolbar.

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The following tools will help you work with existing sections.

Tool Strengths

Graphics Toolbar > Sections Call a specification of pre-existing sections.

Graphics Toolbar > Slice Control properties of the section view.

Graphics Toolbar > Toggle Grid Display Display a dynamic grid in a chosen plane.

Graphics Toolbar > Grid Properties

The overview window can help you better

Graphics Toolbar > Overview Window understand where you section lies in the data
field.

Block > Viewing > Load Dynamic Model Loads blocks that you can view in section.

• Right-click a blank space in the Graphics toolbar to launch the Sections toolbar.
• There are two ways to define section properties.
o Right-click a blank space in the Graphics toolbar and select Grid Properties.
o Right-click the Toggle Grid Display button.
• There are two ways to define grid properties.
o Right-click a blank space in the Graphics toolbar and select Slice.
o Right-click the Toggle Sliced View button.
• The thinner the section, the more precise the profile line.
• Enter a Section Width that is slightly less than your bench height to view strings from a single
bench.
• Press [Page Up] or [Page Down] on your keyboard to quickly step through sections.
• It is easy to confirm design parameters in section view. Select the Analyse menu for options.
• If you chose to display all blocks, apply Block Selection Criteria for better visibility and to limit
the number of blocks that display.
• When creating a Level section with View > Create Section, Facing determines whether the
back button moves you up in elevation or down.
• To easily share your pre-defined section list, store the sdf.spec at a network location.
• If you load Dynamic block Slices you will need to create a section view to view the blocks.
• When loading Dynamic Slices, select Apply Z offset to better control block display.
• If blocks fail to load when creating Block Slice Files, consider creating the BSF a few inches or
centimetres from your plane.

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Data Dimensions and Measurements
• Design > Dimension will display measurements as design data for record-keeping, plotting, or
analysis.
• Analyse > Details calculates measurements to the report window.
• When querying with Dimension tools, the Attributes configuration allows you to control
decimals and apply units. Refer to help for more details.
• Design > Dimension > Mirror options help you quickly rotate your dimension data.

Block Slice Files

• Block slice files are hard coded for use with the model you use to create the file.
• An appropriate block model legend is required to load blocks.
• If you loaded your Block Slice File as an underlay, click Remove All Underlays from the
Standard toolbar to remove all slices quickly.
• To load multiple slices quickly, select Block > Viewing > List Slice.
• To remove a group of loaded slices without removing all slices, select Block > Viewing >
Remove Slice.
• Select Block > Viewing > Slice to create slices.
• Select Multiple Slices to create several slices at a set step.
• When you create multiple slices, define your plane at the lowest number; be it an easting,
northing, or elevation. Subsequent slices generate by adding the Slice step you define to the
first slice you create.
• If you name your Block Slice Files strategically, some options offer the option to enter a file
name Pattern to load or remove specific files.
• Right-click the Block Model in Vulcan Explorer and select Header to generate information
about the block model to the report window.
• Block Selection Criteria is hard coded to the slice file. Once you apply selection criteria, you will
need to recreate a new slice to alter the criteria.
• If a slice fails to load or generate, check the Vulcan Console tab in the Report window for more
detailed messages.
• If slices fail to generate, consider:
o The parameters. At least one block on the plane must meet the parameters you define.
o Block model extents: The plane must intersect the block model extents.
o The legend: The legend must have the ability to display at least one block on the plane.

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File Extensions

Extension Description
A triangulation, or wireframe, which represents an object in 3D. Examples
00t include orebody triangulations, topographic surfaces, or solids that represent
material movement.

bsf A block slice file that defines a plane of interest. You can save the BSF and call
it again in the future.

dgd A design database file that contains design layers. Layers store design data
such as points, lines, polygons and text.

pit_spec Specification file that controls the graphical attributes and group assignment for
pit strings. Open Pit > Ramps > Graphics

sdf.spec Contains pre-defined sections that you can navigate quickly from the Sections
toolbar. Each specification can store several section lists.

scd A project colour scheme file that contains legends for display of drillholes, block
models, and more.

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