Mining

Slope failures in large surface open-pit mines represent a major challenge for the safety of mine operators and machinery which require long-term solutions. According to NIOSH (the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), slope failure accidents were responsible for 12% of U.S. surface mine fatalities and machinery damage from 1995 to 2003. Small surface movements on a mine highwall may be precursors of failure that, if detected, can provide sufficient warning to enable workers and machinery to be withdrawn to safety.

Slope Monitoring in the Surface Mining Industry has become routine practice to support mining staff in the management of geotechnical risks. Interferometric radar technology, embedded in the IBIS solution, has emerged as a leading tool for this purpose. The success of slope monitoring radar is attributed to its ability to rapidly measure slope movements with sub-millimeter accuracy over large areas. As a result, IDS GeoRadar slope monitoring radar is effectively used for the provision of real-time alerts in the event of progressive movements that can potentially lead to mine slope failure.

Beside IBIS-FM, Hydra-X, IBIS-ArcSAR, and RockSpot, IDS GeoRadar also provides a system for mine blast monitoring, IBIS-FB, a Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) solution, Stream X, for soil detection and a powerful tool to safely and productively manage slope stability risks, Hydra-U for underground stability and IBIS Guardian to enable fast interpretation and therefore fast reaction time to vital real-time information delivered by the IBIS radar systems.

IDS GeoRadar consultative approach allows you to proceed with confidence keeping your staff safe, avoiding delays and estimating exactly the costs of underground improvements. Find out more about our products or contact us at sales.mining@idsgeoradar.com

Innovative Slope Monitoring Radar

IDS GeoRadar was the first company to introduce to the mining market an innovative slope monitoring radar based on the SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) technology which has previously been successfully applied to landslide and dam monitoring.

Since the first deployments in open pit mines, the IDS GeoRadar technology has demonstrated its potential thanks to its superior capabilities and performance compared to dish-antenna radar.

Today, the high number of installations worldwide in open pit mines owned by major mining companies, and the hundreds of detected slope failures, clearly demonstrate the benefits introduced by SAR over conventional radar technology for critical slope monitoring. Such a success is mainly due to the following technical features:

• Higher spatial resolution (pixel size of 0.5 m x 4.3 m @ 1 km working distance)
• Longer working distance (up to 4 km)
• Faster scan time (less than 3 min for a full resolution scan at 2 km from the slope)
• Limited moving parts and small horn antennas
• Broader area coverage with semi-permanent installation

The above features result in a high sensitivity to movements and to the onset of potential failures, a multi-scale failure coverage, reduced maintenance and operational costs and no wind-induced vibrations.

IDS GeoRadar Mining Services

• Continuous (24x7) & remote monitoring of mine wall movements with sub-millimetre accuracy from distances up to 4 Km
• Provision of reliable early warning for progressive slope movements that potentially lead to failure of mine walls
• Mapping of long term evolution of slow moving slopes and forecast of mine wall movement
• Underground tunnel condition assessment

IDS GeoRadar Mining Solutions Advantages

• Remote monitoring of displacements at a distance of up to 4 km; reduced number of personnel required to operate the radar thanks to the long working range (no need to move the equipment during blasting);
• Wide area monitoring: up to several square km can be monitored at once. While other sensors measure the displacement of one selected point at a time, IBIS measures the simultaneous displacement of the entire scenario in real time;
• High accuracy: sub-millimeter measurement accuracy: 1/10 mm in normal situations; up to 1/100 mm in special conditions;
• Any time, all-weather operation: capable of operating in all conditions both day and night;
• Autonomous operation: permanent or long running monitoring operation without human intervention. Real-time feedback on displacement allows use as an early-warning device. Reduced production delays due to slope instability warnings;
• Safety improvements for personnel and equipment;
• Competitive Rates – cost effective solutions for all clients by utilizing the very latest technology and experienced personnel located worldwide;
• Expertise – highly-qualified technical experience needed to help specific solutions for specific requirements. A dedicated sales team is always on hand to offer technical expertise for all client needs;
• Quality & Reliability – IDS GeoRadar has a comprehensive quality system in place, headed by highly qualified and experienced experts who perform rigorous IDS GeoRadar Quality Assessment on each project.