The research plan developed for the LOP Project focusses on three elements: preparation and publication of an authoritative new generation pit slope Design Guidelines book that clearly outlined for today’s practitioners what is the best approach to satisfy best practice at every stage of planning and operating an open pit mine; the effective use of geological and geotechnical data in assessing the strength and deformability of jointed rock masses and the likely mechanisms of slope failure; and hydrogeological studies to assess the effect of pore water pressures on the stability of closely jointed rock. Created as an outcome of the Large Open Pit (LOP, LOP II and LOP III) project, the following guidelines have therefore been produced and can now be ordered from the CSIRO Publishing website. The last book in the series below will be available in 2020.
These reference texts are intended to help both geotechnical practitioners and non-specialists improve their understanding of the myriad of factors that can influence the stability of large, man-made slopes associated with open pit mines. They are intended to provide practical guidelines for both designers and operators.
Another objective is to define the current state of practice and establish benchmarks or standards of practice that the mining industry can use to judge the suitability or acceptability of a given investigation, design or implementation approach.
