FARO | Mining & Tunnel Construction

For those carving pathways beneath the earth and extracting its valuable resources, the ground truth is everything. In the demanding realms of mining and tunnel construction, where every millimeter counts and safety is paramount, outdated methods simply don't cut it. Enter the digital revolution, transforming these industries with unprecedented speed and pinpoint accuracy.

Imagine a world where surveying isn't a laborious, time-consuming task fraught with the challenges of low visibility, unpredictable geology, and the constant hum of operational activities. This isn't a futuristic fantasy; it's the reality being forged by modern digital technologies, spearheaded by the power of laser scanning.

Beyond Tape Measures: The Laser Scanning Advantage

Laser scanning has emerged as a game-changer, offering specialised solutions that address the unique complexities of underground environments. This technology doesn't just measure; it captures entire environments in stunning 3D detail, generating dense point clouds that form the foundation for a new era of precision.

How does it work in the depths?

• Mapping the Unseen: From initial exploration to planning the final stages of operation, laser scanners create high-precision 3D models of deposits, providing invaluable insights for resource management.
• Guiding the Way: In tunnel and gallery construction, these scans meticulously measure geometries for planning and monitoring, ensuring accurate alignment and facilitating the inspection of vital linings and safety measures.
• Eyes on Safety: Real-time detection of settlements and displacements becomes a reality, allowing for proactive assessment of structural stability and informed decisions regarding blasting work.
• Optimizing Extraction: By providing real-time data on mining performance, laser scanning enables precise planning, reduces material losses, and ultimately boosts efficiency.

The Ripple Effect: Advantages of Digitalisation

The adoption of digital solutions in mining and tunneling isn't just about fancy gadgets; it delivers tangible benefits across the board:

• Enhanced Safety: By enabling remote data capture, personnel can avoid entering potentially hazardous zones. Early risk detection through continuous monitoring allows for preventative measures, and the ability to document changes over time with repeated 3D scans provides a powerful tool for understanding ground movement. Quality control is also significantly improved through comparisons with target models.
• Unprecedented Efficiency: Fast data capture drastically reduces surveying time compared to traditional methods, often without interrupting ongoing production. More precise planning and reduced material wastage translate directly into cost savings, while faster building inspections are facilitated by accurate data acquisition.
• Superior Accuracy: Detailed 3D documentation allows for more in-depth analysis and a complete understanding of complex geometries, even in previously inaccessible areas.
• Sustainability in Action: Targeted planning and waste reduction, driven by precise data, minimize the environmental impact of mining and tunneling operations.

Stockpile Mastery: Laser Precision Above Ground Too

The benefits of laser scanning extend beyond the underground. Managing stockpiles, a critical aspect of mining and materials handling, often presents challenges due to uneven surfaces and accessibility issues. Laser scanners offer an efficient and accurate solution, rapidly capturing large areas to create digital 3D models for:

• Precise Volume Calculation: Essential for inventory management and accurate invoicing.
• Stockpile Stability: Monitoring tipping angles to prevent hazardous landslides.
• Efficient Inventory Management: Tracking and analysing material movements.
• Optimised Terrain Modeling: Creating detailed topographical models for better storage and transport planning.

The advantages are clear: highest surveying accuracy, significant time savings, enhanced safety through non-contact measurement, clear data visualisation through 3D models, and a contribution to sustainability through optimised material usage.

The Tools of the Trade: Scanners for Every Scenario

• A range of cutting-edge scanners are deployed to capture data both above and below ground:
  
  Mobile Laser Scanners (e.g.FARO Orbis): Offering high flexibility and ideal for dynamic environments, capturing data efficiently on the move.
• Terrestrial Laser Scanners: Static devices renowned for their high precision, providing extremely detailed measurements for static surveying tasks.
• UAV-based Scanning: Drones equipped with laser scanners can access difficult or dangerous areas, enabling remote exploration of unstable zones.
• Specialised Lighting: In the often dark environments of mines and tunnels, powerful floodlights ensure optimal scanning conditions for precise data capture.

The Scanning Process: From Planning to Progress

The journey from raw data to actionable insights involves a structured process:

• Planning: Defining objectives, identifying critical areas, selecting appropriate scanners and equipment, and creating a detailed scan plan.
• Data Capture: Strategically positioning and calibrating scanners on-site, capturing both static and mobile scans, and supplementing data with environmental information.
• Data Processing: Registering and cleaning point clouds, merging individual scans, removing noise, aligning data using reference points, and creating 3D models.
• Analysis & Evaluation: Generating as-built surveys, measuring geometries, comparing data to identify changes, and documenting findings in comprehensive reports.
• Handover of Results: Exporting data in accessible formats and integrating it into BIM or GIS platforms for further analysis and long-term monitoring.
• Monitoring & Updating: Regularly repeating scans to track changes over time and maintain an up-to-date digital twin of the environment.

The Tangible Benefits: Seeing is Believing

The 3D images generated provide a powerful visual comparison between planned designs and actual as-built conditions, allowing for immediate correction of any deviations. In the fast-paced environment of tunneling, where deformations can lead to dangerous pressure build-up, frequent profile checks with laser scanners are crucial.

Crucially, laser scanner measurements are independent of ambient light, enabling accurate 3D capture even in complete darkness. While scanner lights further enhance precision, this inherent capability significantly simplifies and speeds up the surveying process, leading to more efficient and precise construction overall.

Furthermore, the precise object capture and accurate mass calculations facilitate more accurate construction invoicing, with contract specifications easily verifiable against the final digital documentation. This wealth of digital data remains accessible for future reference and analysis.

Turning Data into Decisions: The Power of Point Cloud Analysis

Point cloud analysis allows for the efficient processing of vast amounts of data, enabling detailed geometry assessments and precise monitoring of changes within shafts and pits. Specialized software solutions like FARO Scene have become indispensable tools for this analysis.

FARO Scene: This software automatically aligns overlapping scans, particularly useful in complex tunnel structures. It enables rapid generation of 2D views and cross-sections and allows for precise measurements and surface geometry analysis to detect issues like subsidence or material loss.
The Future is Digital

Digitalisation isn't just a trend in mining and tunneling; it's a fundamental shift towards greater efficiency, enhanced safety, and more sustainable practices. By embracing technologies like laser scanning and leveraging the power of point cloud analysis, these vital industries are digging deeper with unprecedented precision, paving the way for a safer, more productive, and ultimately more successful future.