• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.32 no.4
• /
• pp.254-271
• /
• 2022

The performance of truck haulage operations in an underground mine was evaluated using the time usage model and key performance indicators (KPIs) proposed by Global Mining Guidelines Group (GMG). An underground mine that mainly produces iron and titanium iron was selected as a study area, and truck haulage data were collected using Bluetooth beacons and tablet PCs. The collected data were analyzed to identify unit operations, activities, events, and required time of truck haulage operations, and time categories were classified based on the time usage model. The performance of the haulage operations was evaluated using nine indicators in terms of availability, utilization, and effectiveness. As a result, in terms of availability, uptime was 33.9%, physical availability was 95.7%, and mechanical availability was 94.9%. In the case of utilization, use of availability was 83.1%, asset utilization was 28.1%, and operating and effective utilization were 79.6% and 77.7%, respectively. Also, in terms of efficiency, operating efficiency was high at 97.6%, and production effectiveness was found to be 49%.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.327-343
• /
• 2022

The standard work report for trucks was developed that records data on truck haulage operations in open-pit and underground mines, and to evaluate the performance of haulage operations. Work reports used in 5 mines in Korea was secured and analyzed, and items to be included in the standard work report were determined. By analyzing the formulas for key performance indicators (KPIs) proposed by the Global Mining Guidelines Group (GMG), it was possible to determine how to record time-related data. After selecting a limestone underground mine as a research area, the performance of haulage operations was evaluated using a standard work report. As a result, in terms of truck availability, uptime was 46.7%, and both physical and mechanical availability were 100%. In the case of utilization, use of availability was 88.2%, the asset utilization was 41.1%, and operating and effective utilization were 88.2% and 79.2%, respectively. Also, in terms of efficiency, operating efficiency was found to be 89.9%.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.373-382
• /
• 2015

This study presents a method to calculate carbon dioxide emissions of diesel vehicles operated in an underground mine using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). An underground limestone mine in Korea was selected as the study area. A GIS database was constructed to represent the haulage roads as a 3D vector network. The speed of dump trucks at each haulage road was investigated to determine the carbon dioxide emission factor. The amount of carbon dioxide emissions related to the truck's haulage work could be calculated by considering the carbon dioxide emission factor at each haulage road and the haulage distance determined by GIS-based optimal route analysis. Because diesel vehicles are widely utilized in the mining industry, the method proposed in this study can be used and further improved to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emissions in mining sites.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.24 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 2014

This paper presents a case study that performed simulations on shovel-truck haulage systems in an open-pit mine by considering truck's breakdown and crusher's capacity. The SSangyoung limestone open-pit mine in Korea was selected as a study area and investigated to design the simulation algorithms. The GPSS/H simulation language is used to implement the simulation algorithms as a console application(simulator). The values of input parameters for simulator were measured by field investigation in the study area. The simulation results showed that 7 trucks can maximize the daily profit of haulage operations(i.e., 73,775 USD) when considers the frequency of trucks' breakdown as 1/40 $hour^{-1}$. In addition, the crusher capacity of 1300 tph is required to improve the efficiency of shovel-truck haulage systems in the study area.

• Tunnel and Underground Space
• /
• v.28 no.6
• /
• pp.555-568
• /
• 2018

To perform efficient and safe haulage operations in mines, the condition of unsurfaced roads where dump trucks are moving should be regularly investigated, and systematic maintenance should be carried out according to the results. In this study, we developed a smartphone application that can be used to periodically investigate the unsurfaced road conditions in mines. Using the developed application, necessary data can be easily collected on site to evaluate the condition of unsurfaced roads according to the Unsurfaced Road Condition Index (URCI) evaluation system presented by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The smartphone application was tested at several sections of unsurfaced road in the Ilkwang mine, Busan, Korea. The results showed that the field investigation about 7 factors considered in the URCI evaluation system can be conducted through the user interface screen, and the URCI value can be calculated in the field to evaluate the condition of unsurfaced road. The smartphone application developed in this study can be useful for surveying and evaluating the unsurfaced road conditions at the mine site.