Description:
A mathematical model can minimize the total cost of rock mass excavation. The
total excavation cost model consists of functions defining the owning and operating costs
for a drill, explosive and auxiliary explosive loading equipment, and an excavating
machine. These functions contain variables that describe certain remotely sensed physical
features of both the pre-blasted rock mass volume and the fragments that result from
blasting. Remote sensing was performed within operating open pit Gold and Copper mines
located within the Western United States. For a remotely sensed rock mass, the model
automatically determines the rock mass volume and the explosive mass that result in
minimum total excavation cost. The model estimated minimum total excavation cost for
different loading machines over a range of rock mass conditions that are characteristic of
those observed within the mines. The results suggest that a model including the cost of a
comminutive process for minimizing the cost of reducing the size of rock mass is feasible.