Application of LiDAR technology for the assessment of mechanical scaling conditions in underground mines and tunnels

Jonathan D. Aubertin, D. Jean Hutchinson, Mark S. Diederichs

In the proceedings of GeoSt. John's 2019: 72nd Canadian Geotechnical Conference

Session: Professional Practice/Case Studies

ABSTRACT: Mechanical scaling consists of removing hazardous and loose rock from surfaces, following excavation by blasting. Mechanical scaling using heavy machinery involves scraping surfaces systematically to effectively cover most of the excavation and mitigate risks associated with loose materials. Quality control and performance assessment of mechanical scaling rely primarily on visual observations, which are subjective by nature. Assessing the impact of any changes in the mining process (e.g. drill pattern, new machinery) on mechanical scaling requirements and quality, is not trivial due to a lack of objective assessment criteria. The following article aims to introduce LiDAR survey applications for the assessment of mechanical scaling. Three different surface quality assessment methods are presented based on the analysis of point clouds obtained through LiDAR scanning. The methods provide an attempt at quantifying mechanical scaling quality, scale instability potential following mechanical scaling, and expected wear and tear on a mechanical scaler based on surface roughness. The methods were applied to different excavations across K+S Windsor Salt mining operations and on an open source tunnel point cloud.

RÉSUMÉ: Lendommagé posant un risque de relâchement non prévisible. La machinerie lourde opérée pour effectuer cette tâche est en général utilisée s observation . patrons de forages, nouvelle machinerie) est donc particulièrement difficile due au manque de subjectivité des analyses. Le présent article introduit diverses aconcentrent sur le potavec la machine utilisée.

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Cite this article:
Jonathan D. Aubertin; D. Jean Hutchinson; Mark S. Diederichs (2019) Application of LiDAR technology for the assessment of mechanical scaling conditions in underground mines and tunnels in GEO2019. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Geotechnical Society.

@article{Geo2019Paper167,author = Jonathan D. Aubertin; D. Jean Hutchinson; Mark S. Diederichs,title = Application of LiDAR technology for the assessment of mechanical scaling conditions in underground mines and tunnels ,year = 2019}