Haul Road Monitoring in Open Pit Mines Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: a Case Study at Bald Mountain Mine Site
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Haul Road Monitoring in Open Pit Mines Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: a Case Study at Bald Mountain Mine Site Filip Medinac1 · Thomas Bamford1 · Matthew Hart2 · Michal Kowalczyk2 · Kamran Esmaeili1 Received: 1 May 2020 / Accepted: 18 August 2020 © Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc. 2020
Abstract Improved haul road conditions can positively impact mine operations resulting in increased safety, productivity gains, increased tire life, and lower maintenance costs. For these reasons, a monitoring program is required to ensure the operational efficiency of the haul roads. Currently, at Bald Mountain mine, monthly site severity studies, ad hoc inspections by frontline supervisors, or operator feedback reporting is used to assess road conditions. These methods are subjective and provide low temporal resolution data. This case study presents novel unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies, applied on a critical section of haul road at Bald Mountain, to showcase the potential for monitoring haul roads. The results show that orthophotos and digital elevation models can be used to assess the road smoothness condition and to check the road design compliance. Moreover, the aerial mapping allows detection of surface water, rock spillage, and potholes on the road that can be quickly repaired/removed by the dedicated road maintenance team. Keywords Monitoring · Unmanned aerial vehicle · Drone · Haul road · Open pit mining
1 Introduction Road quality has a significant impact on mining operations and is therefore identified as an area for improvement. Roads require constant monitoring because they are prone to defects caused by the daily wear and tear from heavy machinery and rough weather conditions. Insufficient or inadequate vigilance over the design and maintenance of haul roads can have detrimental consequences, negatively impacting productivity, costs, and safety. In addition, maintenance issues that arise due to poor road conditions can increase costs and requirement for countless man-hours, that could be used more effectively. Conversely, good road conditions can improve safety, equipment efficiency, lower fuel consumption, increase tire life, and reduce maintenance requirements. To this end, continuous haul road monitoring and optimization efforts are required to improve operational efficiency at mine sites.
Kamran Esmaeili
[email protected] 1
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2
Kinross Gold, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Thompson et al. [8] discuss the methods available for addressing deteriorating road conditions, which can involve routine maintenance, resurfacing, rehabilitation, and betterment. Some of the methods are simple, such as shallow blading and dust control. Other more complex tasks include ripping, re-graveling, and geometric improvements (betterment). Some of the common issues with haul roads in open pit mines are spilled material or boulders on the road, potholes, rough and uneven surfaces, and superelevation. In order to ensure that the appropriate repairs are p
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