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A Heuristic Methodology for Economic and Geomechanical Optimization in Sublevel Open Stoping Mining Method

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Abstract

The top-down extraction sequence in the sublevel open stope method leaves rib pillars to support the excavations, so the stability of the pillars and stopes makes dilution control critical in this method. This work introduces an integrated methodology for the net profit and geomechanical optimization of the layout of open stopes and rib pillars with the use of a genetic algorithm. Parameters such as the minimum size of stopes, minimum size of pillars, maximum accepted dilution, and maximum acceptable percentage of pillar failure need to be informed by the user. A profit function capable of attributing economic value to the geometric set analyzed, including the geomechanical performance, is established. The geomechanical performance of the geometric sets is obtained by autonomous numerical models in the FLAC3D software and includes the average percentage of pillar failure and the potential dilution. The algorithm is verified using a case study of a mining panel of an underground gold mine with a top-down mining sequence. An 8% increase in net profit was obtained relative to the engineer’s design method, considering 70% of hangingwall support efficiency for both methods. The percentage of pillar failure decreased threefold. When considering no hangingwall support, the net profit increase is 22% relative to the engineer’s design method. The proposed methodology proved that it is possible to carry out an integrated optimization, considering the costs inherent to mining and the cost of the geomechanical performance, reducing the need for secondary support compared to the engineer’s methodology.

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Data Availability

The code that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request. The case study data are not publicly available due to data use restrictions.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Micromine for providing the academic software license. They also thank the Federal University of Pampa (UNIPAMPA) for providing the necessary infrastructure, the Rock Mechanics Lab at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) for granting the FLAC3D 7 license, and the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for financial support (process 407752/2022-6).

Funding

This work was supported by Micromine providing the academic software license, Federal University of Pampa (UNIPAMPA) for providing the necessary infrastructure, Rock Mechanics Lab at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) for granting the FLAC3D 7 license, and the Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for financial support (process 407752/2022-6).

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Author notes

  1. Andre Cezar Zingano and Italo Gomes Gonçalves contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rock Mechanics Laboratory, Federal University of Pampa, 111 Pedro Anunciação Ave., Caçapava do Sul, 96570-000, RS, Brazil

    Diogo Peixoto Cordova & Italo Gomes Gonçalves

  2. Mining Engineering Department, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, 9500 Bento Gonçalves Ave., Porto Alegre, 90650-001, RS, Brazil

    Andre Cezar Zingano

Authors
  1. Diogo Peixoto Cordova
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  2. Andre Cezar Zingano
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  3. Italo Gomes Gonçalves
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Contributions

Diogo Peixoto Cordova: conceptualization of this study, collected data, methodology, software. Andre Cezar Zingano: software, methodology, provided expert feedback. Italo Gomes Gonçalves: software, methodology, provided expert feedback.

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Correspondence to Diogo Peixoto Cordova.

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Cordova, D.P., Zingano, A.C. & Gonçalves, I.G. A Heuristic Methodology for Economic and Geomechanical Optimization in Sublevel Open Stoping Mining Method. Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-024-00980-w

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