Justification of bulldozer stripping work depth when developing deep placers

The purpose of this study is development of a method for determining the economically feasible boundary of the use of a bulldozer stripping method for various mining conditions. Mining and technical conditions of the placers developed today are gradually deteriorating as the depth of stripping works is constantly increasing. More and more often after peat removal a combined method of stripping works is applied where the upper part is mined by bulldozers and the lower one by stripping shovels. In this case, the vertical boundary between these methods is often established without sufficient justification. Determination of the rational correlation ratio of the amount of works performed by bulldozers and stripping shovels will allow to solve the problem of reducing the costs of stripping works at deep alluvial deposits. This paper presents a methodology for the economic substantiation of the depth of bulldozer stripping works taking into account the cost of stripping works performed by different equipment. The study uses a grapho-analytical method. Nomograms have been developed for determining the cost of stripping operations for a bulldozer and a stripping shovel depending on placer parameters and the relief of the adjacent surface, which enable prompt determination of an economically feasible boundary of stripping shovel mining application. The proposed methods also allow a reasonable distribution of peat volumes stored on different sides of the mine. Therefore, the use of this procedure will reduce the cost of stripping works in the development of deep alluvial deposits when the combined stripping method is used including the removal of the upper part by bulldozers, and the lower one by stripping shovels.

placers, stripping works, bulldozers, stripping shovels, motor transport, cost price, distribution of peat volumes

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