Nikita Soluianov

   

Principal geotechnical engineer
Norilsk Nickel

Over 17 years theoretical and practical experience of mining, specialising in design and geotechnical support of open-pit, underground and combined works. Over 30 scientific papers.

The first geotechnical engineer at Polymetal.

Principal geotechnical engineer at Nornickel.

ISRM member.


MineDigital competition finals
06 October 2022 / 09:15 - 11:30 | Glinka Hall

Digger Slope - a software package for optimizing pit walls

The Digger Slope software package is developed to analyze open-pit slope stability and optimize an open-pit wall configuration, which makes it possible to assess the actual risks and minimize technological costs during the development of the deposit.

 

Innovation:

The mathematical approach of comprehensive kinematic slope stability analysis implemented in the program makes it possible to build the Kinematic Map of an open pit (so-called “3K”), which incorporates recommendations for:

• Suggested open-pit slope configuration:

- slope angle,

- berm width.

• Assessment of slope stability:

- factor of safety,

- the probability of failure,

- risks assessment.

• Potential volume of the slope failure.

 

The Kinematic Map of an open pit (“3K”) can be represented as a 3D wireframe of the pit or as a resultant table with the calculated results for each pit wall sector.

This innovative approach helps to analyze general open-pit slope stability while taking into account the current geotechnical, geological, and hydrogeological conditions of the deposit.

The software package implements back analysis based on the existing open-pit slope failures to estimate the shear strength parameters of the material forming the open-pit walls;

All software calculations are strictly followed by the Federal Norms and Rules "Rules for ensuring the open pit wall and bench and waste dump slope stability " 2020. The software is certified by ROSSTANDART.

 

Practical use:

The “3K” modeling system has already been successfully implemented on several mining sites in Russia and Uzbekistan.

 

Advantages:

The “3K” modelling technology implemented in the Digger Slope software allows for solving the following practical problems in an open-pit design and development:

  • steepen the slope angle safely and, as a result, reduce the overburden volume;
  • the complex approach to the calculation of the steepest stable slope angle and the minimum safe width of the safety berm allows selecting an optimum open-pit walls geometry;
  • to adjust the slope design orientation within the adopted technological solutions. It helps to reduce the negative influence of the rock mass structural parameters on the open-pit slope stability;
  • to perform back analysis based on the existing open-pit slope failures to estimate the shear strength parameters of the material forming the open-pit walls;
  • to estimate the volume of a slope failure based on a slope stability probabilistic approach and, as a result, implementation of the corresponding safety measures during the deposit development;
  • the slope stability calculation of the existing open pits at any phase of mining development for timely adjustment of design decisions. This approach considers the actual geotechnical, geological, and hydrogeological conditions of the deposit.

 The use of “3K” modelling implemented in the Digger Slope software leads to a positive economic effect, increases the safety and production of mining operations, as well as reduces the risks of mineral deposit development.