SLOPE STABILITY MONITORING
common database , displayed online , analysed and archived . As an integral part of a professional risk management , DMT SAFEGUARD enables fast and informed decisions for any project phase . DMT SAFEGUARD enables the integration of data and sensors independent of type , format , manufacturer and source . Through automated data evaluation , alarm messages , eg in case of detected ground movement , can be generated and submitted to the user . DMT SAFEGUARD will be set up in a virtualised UNIX environment running at DMT ' s datacentre .
“ With DMT SAFEGUARD a precise integration of RIEGL ’ s VZ-i Series scanners into a web-based platform is available . The individual customisation options allow additional sensors to be integrated directly on site or external data sources to be integrated as well . GIS functionalities allow the integration of maps in order to display the most important data . Real-time documentation options , document management , an automated real-time assistance system and sophisticated reporting complete the service .”
Reutech cracks berm monitoring
In open pit mining operations , accidents , which are dump-point related , have the potential to be catastrophic in terms of casualties , damage to equipment and loss of productivity . This implies that the compliance of safety berms , with the required height standards , has become imperative to safeguard personnel and equipment . Berm monitoring has thus become a safety critical aspect in open pit mining .
Traditionally , the monitoring of berms has been done in various ways , with the predominant method being through periodic visual observations . The current , most common method of determining berm heights is to rely on a reference object . In this case , a large traffic cone of known height is used . Standard practice is for one or two cones to be placed against the berm at either end of the tipping face . The dozer operator and relevant supervisors are then able to use the cones as a reference object , however this method is not accurate and brings with it many uncertainties . The cone needs to be placed near the tipping face , however this results in the cone being near dumping activity and the cone often becomes damaged or partially covered .
A second flaw of using the cone as a reference object is determining the most useful placement of the cone . Multiple cones cannot be placed along regular intervals along the tipping face , since they will be an obstruction to the tipping activities and will ultimately be destroyed . Current practice is for the cones to be placed at either end of the tipping face . In some cases , this results in the cones being extremely far apart
The Berm Monitoring System ( BMS ) is used to ensure and improve safety in the process of back filling mines and waste dumps
and cannot be efficiently used as a reference object .
Plus , with the dynamic open pit mining environment , periodic visual observations do not provide continuous monitoring , and leave room for safety berm non-compliance between observations . This has subsequently driven the requirement for automated , continuous monitoring of safety berms .
This drive for a technological solution that fulfils these requirements , has led to the development of the Berm Monitoring System ( BMS ) in a joint venture by Horts Geo-Solutions , Reutech Mining and Syperion .
The BMS provides for the detection of noncompliant safety berms in a rapid , efficient and reliable manner . With a 360 ° scanning capability , the BMS caters for continuous height and position monitoring . This is of critical importance in the dynamic open pit mining environment , where the characteristics of berms are constantly changing , as the waste dump advances .
The BMS measurements are done with a RIEGL Laser Scanner , which scans the area of interest in 3 minute intervals . Communication to the control room is via Wi-Fi and interfacing to the BMS is achieved via a Human-Machine Interface ( HMI ) web-based application . When a non-compliant safety berm is identified , an alarm will be automatically triggered in the control room , via the HMI . An instruction with location information is then provided to the dozer operator to repair the berm .
The BMS may be trailer mounted for mobility , or mounted in a fixed installation . The mobile BMS is totally autonomous with its own solar and battery power solution .
The BMS ultimately provides open pit mines with the opportunity to increase safety , taking the mining industry one step closer to a zero fatality rate . The BMS solution removes this human error and is able to provide a quantitative measure of the berm compliance .
Automated and remote slope monitoring
After a rupture in the containment structure at the Fundão dam at the Germano plant in Mariana , Brazil , nearly 32.6 million m 3 of mining tailings were released on November 5 , 2015 . Downstream , the Santarém dam retained a large portion of the tailings , however , the remaining portion flowed on to Bento Rodrigues located 8 kilometres away . After the failure of Fundão , Samarco contacted Measurand to determine if ShapeArray would be a suitable monitoring instrument for the site . As part of the automation of geotechnical instrumentation at the Samarco Mine , Samarco Mineracao selected SAAF model ShapeArrays for installing in key geotechnical structures on site . Measurand and its Brazilian distributor TecWise , assisted Samarco with the installation of vertical ShapeArrays in boreholes located in the Sela and Tulipa Dams to monitor for lateral deformation , and the installation of
Samarco installed vertical ShapeArrays in boreholes located in the Sela and Tulipa tailings dams to monitor for lateral deformation
56 International Mining | AUGUST 2022