Article

The New Block Model Feature in RS3 Brings Precision to Complex Mining Projects

Published on: Nov 26, 2024 Updated on: Nov 26, 2024 Read: 3 minutes

Authors:

Sina Moallemi, Geomechanics Product Manager

David Ko, Geotechnical Application Lead

Block Models in Mining

A block model is a three-dimensional point cloud database widely used in the mining industry to store spatial information about mineral deposits. These models are a cornerstone for modern mining projects because engineers and geologists can make better decisions about resource estimation, mine planning, and economic evaluation.

A block model consists of a regularly spaced grid of blocks, with each block containing information about the geological and geomechanical characteristics, ore grade, and economic factors of that specific portion of the deposit.

RS3 v4.035 Release: Integrating Block Models for Better 3D Analysis

The latest release of RS3 ( v4.035) introduced a groundbreaking Block Model feature to seamlessly integrate block model data when constructing 3D finite element models. And with the new, user-friendly Block Model import wizard, you can effortlessly import block model databases into RS3 projects.

This feature eliminates the tedious task of manually dividing geometry for different rock or soil types. You can also control material properties at the scale of individual blocks to ensure detailed geological units are represented without oversimplification. Additionally, projects from Slide3 that include block databases can now be directly imported into RS3 for a smooth, cross-software workflow.

Practical Application: Open Pit Mine Stability Analysis

To show the power of the RS3’s Block Model feature, this section presents a block model example from a real North American mining site. The block model database used represents a multi-kilometer scale subsurface featuring eight distinct rock types and complex geological structures. Figure 1 below shows an open pit mine geometry used for numerical investigation, situated within the larger block model context.

Figure 1. A representation of imported block model and open pit geometry.

By simply importing the block model into RS3, the software intelligently reads and assigns the detailed block information to the external geometry of the open pit, automatically. The visualization of material assignment is provided in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Auto-projection of the block model on the external, each color representing different geological units logged in the block model database.

In this case, the rock strength information, including Generalized Hoek-Brown and Mohr-Coulomb parameters and anisotropy orientation recorded in each block, is applied to the discretized geometry of an open pit mine. A Shear Strength Reduction (SSR) analysis was performed with RS3, focusing on the North-West sector of the pit (marked by the grey region in Fig 2). The analysis generates a quantitative measure of stability, given by Strength Reduction Factor (SRF), which is comparable to the Factor of Safety (FS).

The slope stability analysis of this open pit model was also conducted with Slide3, which features the same block model capabilities for numerical validation.

RS3 vs. Slide3: Results and Validation

The numerical simulation resulted in a critical SRF of 2.1, closely aligning with the FS of 2.13 from Slide3. Figure 4 shows the displacement distribution on a contour surface, trending towards the slip direction and plotted on the surface of the external. The slip surfaces generated from Slide3 are also displayed, showing a close correlation with the high deformation region computed by RS3.

Figure 3. RS3 displacement contour diagrams at SRF = 2.2 at three different locations, superposed with slip surfaces (with FS of 2.157 and 2.172) imported from Slide3.

Figure 4. RS3 displacement contour diagrams at SRF = 2.2 on external boundary and comparison with slip surfaces imported from Slide3.

The Future of Mining Evaluation Starts Here

This article shows how combining advanced block modeling techniques with RS3 helps engineers and geologists conduct more precise and comprehensive assessments of complex mining environments. The ability to easily incorporate such detailed geological data into the analysis process represents a significant advancement in mining site evaluation and planning.