ToolFusion
📋 Case Study

Open Pit Copper Mine Slope Monitoring Program

Progressive displacement detected via manual surveys; insufficient temporal resolution for early warning

🏗️ Project Overview

Escondida Mine, Chile — North Wall Stability Initiative

🎯 Challenge

Progressive displacement detected via manual surveys; insufficient temporal resolution for early warning

🔧 Design Approach

Bi-weekly PPK-enabled LiDAR flights at 30 m AGL with 5 cm GSD; automated cloud-to-cloud change detection pipeline integrated with RockMass software

📐 Design Diagram

Open Pit Copper Mine Slope Monitoring ProgramChallengeProgressive displacement
Low temporal resolutionPPK LiDAR FlightsBi-weekly • 30 m AGL • 5 cm GSDAutomated PipelineCloud-to-Cloud Change Detection
+ RockMass IntegrationThresholdAnnual creep > 5 mm/yr
(8.2 mm/yr detected)AccuracyRegistration RMS = 1.3 cmData FlowOutput & Alert

AI-generated project design illustration

📐 Key Calculations

Displacement Threshold

Annual creep > 5 mm/yr triggers review
Result: 8.2 mm/yr
Indicates incipient failure mechanism

Point Cloud Registration RMS

RMSE of tie points across epochs
Result: 1.3 cm
Ensures sub-decimetre comparability

📊 Results

Detected 12 cm lateral movement 4 weeks before visual cracking; enabled preemptive bench reinforcement, avoiding $2.1M production delay

💡 Lessons Learned

  • •PPK eliminates reliance on ground control points in high-GNSS-noise zones
  • •Change detection sensitivity improves 7× with consistent lighting and season-matched acquisitions

✅ Key Takeaways

  • 1PPK eliminates reliance on ground control points in high-GNSS-noise zones
  • 2Change detection sensitivity improves 7× with consistent lighting and season-matched acquisitions