Advances in Pit Wall Mapping and Slope Assessment using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Technology

Abstract

As mining in open pits progresses deeper, keeping slopes stable becomes more complex. Multi-bench scale instabilities can result in significant economic loss. To address this concern, systematic documentation and evaluation of the performance of benches in open pit mines is essential for pit slope assessment. This includes collecting structural and geomechanical data for rock mass characterization as well as information on the geometry and configuration of the benches. Advances in technology have made the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for photogrammetry data collection more feasible. This thesis presents methodologies to integrate the UAV technology in open pit mine operations for collecting high quality data. The collected data was processed and useful information was extracted for design compliance audits, blast optimization studies, and slope stability analysis. This research aims to demonstrate the advantages and limitations of using this technology to collect and process field data.