Estimation of the Mean Trace Length of Discontinuities in an Underground Drift Using Laser Scanning Point Cloud Data

In the drifts of underground metal mines, the extraction of rock mass discontinuity characteristics from point cloud models generated with laser scanning has become the main approach. However, the exposure of discontinuities is restricted in drifts, and the size of discontinuities cannot be measured...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2022-12, Vol.14 (23), p.15650
Main Authors: Xiao, Yigai, Yang, Chengye, Li, Jielin, Zhou, Keping, Lin, Yun, Sun, Guoquan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Discontinuity
Environmental aspects
Geology
Laser applications
Lasers
Lasers in mining
Linear equations
Mines and mineral resources
Properties
Research methodology
Rock masses
Rocks
Sampling
Software
Statistical analysis
Sustainability
Underground mines
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Summary:In the drifts of underground metal mines, the extraction of rock mass discontinuity characteristics from point cloud models generated with laser scanning has become the main approach. However, the exposure of discontinuities is restricted in drifts, and the size of discontinuities cannot be measured directly. Therefore, it is necessary to use a reasonable sampling tool to estimate the mean trace length of the discontinuities that are mapped in the point cloud model. In this paper, a method to estimate the mean trace length of discontinuities using a three-dimensional (3D) model of a drift (3DM) is proposed. Through the point cloud data of a drift obtained using 3D laser scanning, the information on discontinuities in the surrounding rock was extracted; then, the mean trace length was estimated using 3DEC to set sampling windows on the roof and sidewall in the 3DM. By analyzing the difference between the circular sampling window and the rectangular sampling window using simulated cases, the estimation results showed that the mean trace length obtained using circular measuring windows in the 3DM was closer to the true trace length. Finally, the method was used in a practical engineering case in Jianshan Iron Mine, Panzhihua, Sichuan, China.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su142315650