SURFACE MIINING

MinE322

Fall 2008
Time: TBA
Place: Room 205
Instructor: Salah Badr, PhD
Mining Engineering Department
Cell: 0540725437 - Office: 66752
sbadr100@gmail.com , sbadr@mines.edu

The class shade lights on surface mines design and the main operations. A
considerable literature on surface mining is covered. The main work tasks in surface
mines are discussed and design approaches are covered. The mining unit operation
are covered in details and design examples introduced The student at the end of this
class will have the required engineering tools to decide at a surface mining approach,
know pit geometrical design and practice unit operation including drilling, blasting
and hauling.

Syllabi

1. Prospecting, exploration and reserve categories. ( 1 week)

2. Ore deposit modeling (compositing, block model) ( 2 week)
3. Pit limits determination (floating cone) ( 1 week)
4. Pit geometrical layout design (bench design and haul roads) ( 1 week)
5. Production phases planning and scheduling ( 1 week)
6. Unit operations: drilling, blasting, loading and hauling ( 2 week)
7. Mine closure and reclamation ( 1 week)

Grading and Absentia

2 Quiz  weighting 3+2 points  time TBA

5 Homework  weighting 5x5 points  time per 2 weeks
1 Mid term  weighting 20 points  time November
1 Mid term  weighting 20 points  time December
1 Final  weighting 30 point  time TBA

Home works must be tidy, word processed and submitted in decent form – penalties
for late submitting is 25% for each day late.

Textbooks: “Open Pit Mine Planning and Design” W. Hustrulid and M. kuchta, A.A.
Balkema/Rotterdam/Brookfield. 3ed edition 2003.
understanding of the fundamentals of the mine planning process including design,
scheduling and evaluation, and the tools available to assist in the planning process.
The course covers: the mine planning process; strategic planning and tactical
planning; mine design, economic cut-off grade and optimisation; resource estimation;
scheduling; feasibility studies; economic modelling; equipment selection; mine
systems selection; performance benchmarks for operations; project risks; environment
and mine site rehabilitation planning; government regulations; and an introduction to
computer tools to assist in mine planning.

On completion of the course a student should have an understanding of the process to

derive an optimum mine plan including an appreciation the various factors and
constraints to be considered in the mine planning process; an ability to design a pit
shell; construction of a production schedule and creation of an economic model to
analyse a mining scenario.
Assumed Knowledge: MINE3710, MINE3400

Implausible