The impact of equipment productivity and pushback width on the mine planning process

Abstract

Conventional mine planning processes result in the selection of pushback widths that maximize equipment productivity. This paper challenges the current notion that pushback width should be set at the distance that assures maximum equipment productivity. A hypothetical case study is presented, which shows that the value of a project may increase beyond that determined by traditional planning practices. It was found that it may be better to deploy more aggressive mining strategies, which are likely to result in greater operational complexity and thus reduced equipment productivity. A higher equipment productivity, which often corresponds to wider (and therefore a lower number of) pushbacks, will also often result in later ore extraction and require higher capital costs.