In 2019, SRK was retained by a limestone mining company in India to review the mine geotechnics, assess opportunities for slope steepening and to develop a slope management programme. The deposit occurs in a structurally complex terrain with varied orientation of strata and joint systems typical of a folded sequence, warranting detailed structural assessment for bench-berm optimisation. A drone-based photogrammetry mapping programme was adopted using predefined flight and automated imaging at variable camera angles.
The resulting photogrammetry model was used to develop a comprehensive 3D structural model. A kinematic analysis helped to develop an optimal bench-berm configuration to result in improved economics.
A slope management scheme was also proposed to consider the specific structural conditions.
