A two-step mathematical programming framework for undercut horizon optimization in block caving mines

Roberto Noriega, Yashar Pourrahimian and Eugene Ben-Awuah

Resources Policy, 2020, vol. 65, issue C

Abstract: The definition of caving economic limits is one of the initial steps in the planning and design of caving projects. This paper proposes a binary optimization framework to integrate the caving envelope and production schedule that maximizes the net present value of the project under technical constraints that model the caving operation mechanics. The constraints considered in the framework are mining capacities, draw rates, maximum and minimum column heights, horizontal and vertical precedences, undercut development rates and the maximum relative adjacent height of draw between columns. An early-start algorithm is used to reduce the number of decision variables and a sliding-time heuristic is applied to significantly reduce the computing time. The framework is implemented in a MATLAB environment with CPLEX as the optimization engine. A case study is presented for the section of a copper deposit, where different horizons were evaluated to select the optimal undercut level and define the caving envelope and initial production schedule. Results were obtained in under 20 min, which allows the method to be efficiently used to evaluate multiple scenarios.

Keywords: Block caving; Mixed-integer programming; Undercut horizon; Economic envelope; Production scheduling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:65:y:2020:i:c:s0301420719302909

DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2020.101586

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