Is bigger still better? Considerations in increasing size of haulage equipment
Dr Tim GrainJoseph (President & Principal Engineer - JPi mine equipment), Mr Mark Curley (Research Associate - JPi mine equipment), Ms Magreth Dotto (Lecturer - University of Dar El Salem, Tanzania)
Equipment selection is one of the most important decisions made in mine planning as the size of equipment affects decisions from size of pit to total cost of operation. This study analyses hauler scale impacts on aspects not currently incorporated into conventional mine planning, including expansion of roads to accommodate larger equipment, road layer thickness variation depending on hauler size, and fuel consumption and emissions. Results obtained indicate that such correlations have a high impact on cost and therefore an expanded consideration of the capacities of increasing equipment size in mine planning is highly recommended.
