Are you making your database work for you or is it under-utilised?

Collecting and capturing data but not using it efficiently is alike a tradesman walking around with an empty toolbox: it looks good but is not of much use.

The same can be said about the geotechnical databases held for many mines which are seriously under-utilised.

While data collection is needed for most aspects of a mining project, from securing approvals to understanding cost-effectiveness and market demand, its uses can and should extend far beyond this.

The fact this is not always the case is astounding to me, especially given the fact that the average cost of data collection, with fully cored geotechnical boreholes, is more than $50,000.

Analyse your data, don’t just collect it

The whole point of data collecting and capturing (converting it to electronic form) should be to analyse and interrogate it to improve a site’s ability to develop site-wide designs.

For companies which have meticulously collected and captured all available data during the logging process, using this data effectively can have profound impacts on visualisation and understanding of the subsurface conditions.

This, in turn, allows for the development of robust models and identification of possible failure mechanisms, which can be used to modify mine plans which subsequently can enhance safety performances and increase recoverable ore profiles.

Not maximising on the geotechnical data or information potential is a good lesson to those companies which -take shortcuts during site investigations and data collection processes. That approach often proves to be costly the further you travel down the data analysis process.

Once data has been carefully collected and captured, geophysics can maximise its use by developing correlations for sonic velocity and intact rock strength, v-shale to determine the extent of carbonaceous materials in a pit floor or bulk modulus to identify potential shears in the pit floor.

Using this data effectively can significantly help in the analysis of the geo-mechanical properties of the rock mass and aid in identification of fault positions and trends.

So why would you not want to maximise the value of the data collected, particularly as companies look to find cost-efficiencies during times of economic uncertainty by reducing exploration spend?

The Cartledge Mining and Geotechnics team recently worked on a project which involved us undertaking a Floor Domain Study for a client who had recorded incidents of lowwall spoil instability leading to operational delays and High Potential Incidents (HPIs).

What was needed was an improved understanding of the lowwall mechanics of the site and identification of what was causing other issues, including poor in-pit spoil capacity and historical floor treatment practices.

Using sonic velocity correlations, v-shale and bulk modulus we developed a detailed understanding of the sub-floor conditions comprising 3 discrete layers with different geomechanical properties.

This allowed us to develop a map of the pit floor and provide optimized floor treatment options. This created significant value for our client by reducing coal dilution, time and cost of floor treatment, while also improving the spoil room by steepening the overall spoil slope angle.

This is one of many examples of CM&G’s capability, using data to develop structural geological interpretations for  sites, - which can then be used to develop pit design domains based on structural orientations and rockmass characteristics.

Using what you already have

At CM&G, we have been able to use relatively little data to develop structural geological interpretations of sites and use it to develop pit design domains based on the position and orientation of identified faults.

Geological and geotechnical databases hold a wealth of information which can be and should be interrogated to its full value. Unfortunately, with changing personnel and management, many databases can become neglected and forgotten.

Now is the time to re-visit your geological and geotechnical databases and reconsider the possibilities they can hold.

You don’t have an empty toolbox sitting inside; it is brimming with useful tools, so make the most of it.

Cartledge Mining and Geotechnics provides geotechnical solutions for the life-cycle of projects, from advisory services through to construction support. Its team has worked on and project managed geotechnically and commercially complex, large civil projects in residential and mining environments. Team members have also worked for large multi-disciplinary and small boutique consultancies, multi-national mining houses and R&D roles across the globe, including Australia, PNG, Indonesia, America, South Africa, Madagascar, Suriname, Zambia, Zimbabwe, China, Nigeria and Italy.