University of Engineering and Technology,

Peshawar

Submitted by: Bilal Ahmad

Department: Mining
Semester: Fifth (5th)
Registration No: 17PWMIN0806
Lab report: Third (3rd)
Subject: Mine Design Lab
Submission Date: 30/10/2019
Submitted to : Engr. Sajjad Hussain

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UBC Software for Mining Method Selection
Objectives:
 Select proper mining method for given condition.
 To know about different input parameters that will be used in the execution of the software.
 To get familiar with the usage of the UBC Mining Software.

Apparatus:
UBC Mining Method Software

Theory:
Shape:
Shape is the form of the object or its external boundary, outline, or external surface.

Plunge:
Plunge is a vertical angle between horizontal plane and axis or line of maximum elongation of a
feature.

Thickness:
Thickness means that quality of being thick or the distance between the opposite sides of
something or distance from one side of something to other side.

Grades:
In mining and geology, the grade of mineral deposit means the value or the quality of that
particular mineral deposit.

Depth:
Depth means the distance from top or surface to bottom of something. Depth is the
measurement how deep something goes.

Rock Mass Rating:

RMR is invented by bieniawski. It includes six parameters and each parameter is assigned to
value corresponding to characteristics of rocks. The sum of six parameters is going to be RMR whose lie
in between 0 – 100. Six parameters are

o Rock strength
o Rock quality designation (RQD)
o Joint spacing
o Joint condition (weathering + infilling + length + roughness + separation)
o Pore water pressure
o Discontinuity (it has negative value)

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Rock Structure Rating:
It is a qualitative method for describing the quality of rock mass and appropriate ground
support. It involve three parameters.

 Parameter A: Define geology (origin, hardness, structures)

 Parameter B: Define Geometry (joint spacing, joint orientation, direction of drive)
 Parameter C: Water condition (joint conditions, amount of water, addition of parameter
A+B)

RSR = Parameters (A + B + C)

Procedure:
1. After opening the UBC Mining Method Software, first of all I inserted the shape of mineral
deposit in software which is tabular.
2. After that I inserted the value of plunge which is moderate.
3. Then I inserted the grade of the ore which is low.
4. After that I inserted the value for thickness and depth of mineral deposit which is thick and
present at less than 100m below the surface.
5. After that I inserted the value of RMR of ore, hanging wall and foot wall which is moderate (40 –
60), weak (20 – 40) and moderate (40 – 60) respectively.
6. Finally I inserted the value of RSR of ore, hanging wall and foot wall which is moderate, weak
and weak.

Result and Discussion:

After putting all the values regarding shape, plunge, thickness, depth, RSR and RMR, our
software claimed that open pit mining method is best suited for all these values by giving the maximum
value of 35.

Method Shape Plunge Thickness Grades Depth RMR Ore RMR HW RMR FW
Open Pit 2 3 4 3 4 3 3 4
Block Caving 2 2 3 3 2 2 3 3
Sublevel Stoping 4 1 4 4 3 4 0 2
Sublevel Caving 4 1 4 3 3 3 4 3
Longwall 4 0 -49 4 2 4 5 0
Room and Pillar 4 0 -49 4 3 3 0 0
Shrinkage Stoping 4 0 -49 3 3 3 0 2
Cut and Fill 4 3 1 2 2 2 5 2
Top Slicing 2 2 2 2 2 1 0 1
Square Set 1 3 0 0 1 1 4 0

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 RSS Ore RSS HW RMR FW Total
3 3 3 35
1 3 3 27
4 1 1 28
3 3 2 33
2 5 0 -23
3 0 0 -32
3 1 2 -28
3 5 3 32
1 2 2 17
1 2 2 15

Final Results
1 Open Pit 35
2 Sublevel Caving 33
3 Cut and Fill 32
4 Sublevel Stoping 28
5 Block Caving 27
6 Top Slicing 17
7 Square Set 15
8 Longwall -23
9 Shrinkage Stoping -28
10 Room and Pillar -32

Conditions:
Mining Ore Rock Deposit Deposit Deposit Ore Ore Depth
Method Strength Strength Shape Dip Size Grade Uniformity

Open Pit Any Any Tabular/ Low dip Large/ Very low Uniform Shallow to
Mining lenticular thick moderate
Quarry Any Any Thick Any Large/ High Uniform Shallow to
bedded / Thick quality intermediate
massive
Open Cast Any Any Tabular/ Any, Low to Very low Fairly Shallow
Mining Bedded preferably moderate uniform
low dip thickness
Augur Any Any Tabular/ Low Small/thin/ Very low Highly Shallow
Mining Bedded Confined uniform
Hydrau- Uncon- Uncon- Tabular/ Nearly Small to Very low Fairly Very shallow
licking solidated solidated Placer flat moderate uniform
type
Dredging Uncon- Uncon- Tabular Flat Moderate Very low Fairly Very shallow
solidated solidated to large uniform

Borehole Competent Impervious Any but Any but Moderate Moderate Variable to Moderate to
Extraction but porous Rock Tabular Flat to large uniform great depth

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Leaching Porous Impervious Massive Steep Any Very low Variable Moderate

Room and Weak to Moderate Tabular Low Large areal Moderate Fairly Shallow to
Pillar moderate to strong (< 15) extent uniform moderate
Mining
Stope and Moderate Moderate Tabular Flat Any but Low to Variable Shallow to
Pillar to strong to strong large and moderate moderate
Mining
extent
Shrinkage Strong Strong Tabular/ Fairly Narrow to Fairly Uniform Shallow to
Stoping Lenticular steep moderate high moderate
Sublevel Moderate Fairly Tabular/ Fairly Thick to Moderate Fairly Moderate
Stoping to strong strong Lenticular steep moderate uniform
width

Conclusion:
So after putting all the characteristics regarding ore deposit in the software, the software gave
us the open pit mining method which can be seen from table mentioned above.