Ramp-Bench Polyline Generator
This command takes a series of polylines and creates open pit
designs with benches and ramps. The pits can be both accessed or
not accessed. There can be single, double and triple benches. The
wall slopes and bench face angles can be fixed or variable. The
design can be single or multiple bench configurations. There are
multiple tabs to define this dialog, and each option is defined
below.
- Ramp Layer Name / Color: Sets the ramp polyline color
and layer.
-
Bench Crest / Toe Color: Sets the bench
polyline colors. The layer of these polylines is set to the
actual elevations, such as 100, 110, 120, etc.
- Intermediate Bench: If the Double or Triple Bench is
selected, this is the color for the intermediate crest and toe
polylines.
- Ramp Width: This sets the width of the ramp.
- Ramp Grade: This sets the slope of the ramp in
percent.
- Bench Height: This is the design height of each bench
from crest to crest, or toe to toe. It applies to single, double or
triple bench, as labeled below.
- Interm. Bench Offset: If using the Double or Triple
Bench options, this is the intermediate bench width.
- Benching option: These toggles set the number of benches
per lift, Single, Double or Triple. These are described in the
images below.
Double Bench Design:
Triple Bench Design:
- Select starting bench Toe or Crest: Pick this button to
select the starting polyline in the drawing. The line can either be
the top of the pit (crest) and go down, or the bottom of the pit
(toe) and go up and out.
- Point#1: Pick the first point on the ramp.
- Point#2: Pick the second point to determine the
direction from the first point. See image below.
- Layer: Layer of the perimeter polyline, automatically
populated.
- Slope Definitions: The pit wall and bench face can have
three different settings.
-
- None: No slope is applied.
- Constant: The same slope is used around the entire pit
perimeter
- Constant Values: Set the Wall Slope and the Face Angle
here.
- Slope Filter: allows for varied slope around the pit
perimeter.
- Variable Values: Polylines must be drawn, perpendicular
to the perimeter pit polyline. The two layers are set here, the
default is WALL_SLOPE and FACE_ANGLE. The global width of the
polyline is then multiplied by the Scale Factor, set here. For
example, the polyline is drawn at a width of 0.45. Multiplied by
the scale factor of 100 will design the slope at 45 degrees. The
color is not critical, it just identifies if there are matching
pairs of slope definitions. They could be the same color if
preferred.
Here are two images on how to use the colors. The slopes are
labeled inside on how it will set them. In-between similar colored
lines, the slope is the same. Otherwise, it transitions from one to
the next.
- Bench
Profiles to Generate: This option creates the pit polylines as
either 2D or 3D polylines.
- Number of Bneches: Controls how many benches to
design.
Here is a final pit example with slope filters to set different
wall slopes on different sides of the pit. The flatter slopes on
the south end spread the pit out more.
The next image shows the difference on the same polyline of Single
bench vs. Double Benching. The double is on the left.
Prompts
Dialog box with 3 tabs.
Pulldown Menu Location: Surface Mining > Surface
Keyboard Command: ramp_ben
Prerequisite: Perimeter polyline