A novel approach for the design of minimum-cost open-pit haulage network

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ABSTRACT This article presents new methods for designing optimal in-pit haulage networks in open-pit mines. The problem is modelled as a modified minimum-cost Steiner tree, accounting for excavation requirements. We propose two heuristic approaches, the Minimum Spanning Tree Heuristic (MSTH) and the Shortest Path Heuristic (SPH), and apply them to various block models. Results show that SPH generally produces more cost-effective networks, while MSTH achieves faster execution times, performing 44% faster on average. MSTH outperforms SPH in select cases but is costlier in others, demonstrating the trade-offs between speed and cost efficiency.