Dynamic programming with colour graphics smoothing for open-pit design on a personal computer

Abstract

Dynamic programming is a technique which has been used to design the optimum final surface mining pit limit. In using dynamic programming there is a trade-off: if the geometric constraints are specified too strictly, the pit limit will not be the optimum, but if they are specified more loosely, then the computed pit contours must be smoothed. The smoothing process has usually been manual and is time consuming. In this paper a colour graphics computer routine is presented. This not only facilitates the smoothing but also has the following benefits: open-pit limits can be designed interactively on a personal computer; pit designs that are closer to the economic optimum can be obtained; and the engineer can bring his or her own experience and intuition to bear on the final open-pit design.