ABSTRACT
The development of sublevel open stope mining methods enhanced the mechanization and increased productivity of underground bulk mining operations. This in turn led to a need to optimize the size and shape of the open stopes in order to maximize production. Unacceptable waste dilution plagued many bulk mining operations, and traditional trial-and-error approaches to optimizing stope dimensions became economically unacceptable. Furthermore, inadequate design methodologies often resulted in failure of secondary stopes with resulting production delays, increased costs, and, in some cases, loss of ore reserves. In this chapter, modern stope and pillar design methodologies will be discussed.
