19th CONFERENCE ON GROUND CONTROL IN MINING

Mining Geotechnical Benchmarking

Vincent A. Scovazzo, Senior Geomechanics Specialist Russell P. Moran, Vice President

John T. Boyd Company Pittsburgh, PA

ABSTRACT

Benchmarking is a business management process that seeks improvement through the study and reapplication of practices conducted by industry leaders. This discussion presents objectives and organization of benchmarking applied to mining geomechanics. Similar procedures have been successfully applied to mining companies, laboratories, and research organizations involved in mining geomechanics throughout the world.

Benchmarking is a structured process that allows an organization to learn from the ''best'' in the field. The objectives of benchmarking vary depending on the company's targeted areas for improvements. Typical goals include ground control cost reduction, enhanced safety, optimization of geotechnical staffing, development of state-of-the-art design procedures, or the adoption of the "best in the field" geotechnical data management.

Once the objective of the study is established and the practices and procedures to be benchmarked are identified, a benchmarking team 1s formed from internal and outside specialists. Benchmarking in geomechanics is fundamentally different than in most other fields because of the effects of local geologic conditions and regulations, both of which must be understood by all on the benchmarking team, before a comparative analysis can be made.

INTRODUCTION

Benchmarking is an established procedure used to compare a process within an organization to the same, but the best-in-the-field, process in another organization. Basically, it is learning from the best and applying standards to achieve or surpass the best.

As applied to rock mechanics, benchmarking is a procedure that establishes the existing level of effort and technology a nation, company, or mine applies in the various fields of rock mechanics. Benchmarking looks at how rock (and soil) mechanics techniques and management are undertaken and compares this to either world practice, national practice, accepted engineering practice, and/or recommended practice for a particular mine type in a particular geologic setting. Mining geotechnical benchmarking should be performed by a geotechnical engineer that is an expert in the field of mining rock mechanics heading a team of other geologic and mining professionals. The objective of such a study is to critique geotechnical programs and procedures and to develop recommendations applicable to site-specific conditions to raise the standard of engineering, safety, and productivity. The process conforms to company needs and site conditions, but typical programs and procedures investigated include:

Rock mechanics testing, data gathering, information management. Staffing levels and qualifications. Organizational hierarchy. Geotechnical software availability and usage. Qualification of outside contractors and consultants. Design standards, codes of practice, and risk management programs. Interdepartmental (geotechnical, geology, engineering, administration, etc.) communications. . Procurement, ~nstallation, and cost control of support systems.

In the past the process was typically completed as part of an overall and more encompassing benchmarking study, but recently it has become common to complete a mining geotechnical benchmarking as a stand-alone exercise.

19th CONFERENCE ON GROUND CONTROL IN MINING Benchmarking can move a mining company from practice, and measurement of performance such as in a

making geotechnical decisions based solely on poorly surface mine by number of slides and slide volume per substantiated experience to fact-based decision-making. ton of waste removed. The main goal is to learn from the best by worldwide comparison. Benchmarking may be the most efficient and The following are commonly considered indeed the fastest way to improve a company's rock benchmarking subjects: mechanics program because it directs one to processes that work and reduces the learning and implementation Information Management - Including data collection time for these processes. However, geologic, mining, and methods, adequacy of the data being collected, its regulatory settings vary greatly among mining coverage and density, and how this data is managed companies, so sufficient time is needed to understand after collection. the constraints of these factors before comparisons and Geotechnical Staffing - Including number of recommendations are made. In the end, the study should department personnel, their job types, specialists in provide a clearer understanding of: the staff, level of education, and continuing education

and training. How the mining company staffs and manages ground Design methods - Including appropriate methodology control programs. that considers data availability and stage of mine Whether the costs in support systems are justified planning (i.e., preliminary, final). and are being controlled. Effectiveness - Including operating costs (labor, . The impact of local regulations on ground control and material, and supplies) and overhead costs compared thus cost of regulation on mine economics. to results as measured by stability factors and The impact of geology on ground control and how frequency of incidents (roof falls, slope failures, and much can be reasonably accomplished with a given material volume included in incidents). set of ground conditions. Selected practices and procedures outside the The Team organization that could be adopted to improve operations and designs. The benchmarking team should be carefully selected

and tailored to the client and benchmarking objectives. To accomplish these many goals, a set of standard Benchmarking is often undertaken with an outside

steps are foiiowed with input of the sponsor mining organization to provide objectivity. The size of the team company's geotechnical and management staffs. depends on the number and complexity of the activities

being benchmarked. The Client

Outside reviewers may be one to four individuals, The first step in any benchmarking study is to establish while internal client team members may also vary. who will use the resultsin benchmarking terms, this Typical team makeup is: individual is referred to as the "client." The client should be queried to determine the client's objectives and how One to four technical staff are assigned from the the results will be applied. After these points are outside independent organization with the established, the client is made aware of what can geotechnical engineer as benchmarking team leader. realistically be accomplished. It is at this point that the The outside organization's members of the extent of client buy-in is established along with benchmarking team may include the following senior commitment of resources. specialists:

What to Benchmark

Identifying topics to benchmark depends on project objectives and whether mining geotechnical benchmarking is part of a larger benchmarking process. For example, if this undertaking is part of a larger benchmarking process to improve overall underground mine economics of an entire company, then the rock mechanics portion of the evaluation may concentrate on the geotechnical staff size, effectiveness of present designs, and roof support systems.

If, on the other hand, the benchmarking is to improve engineering procedures, the emphases may be on data gathering and management, design procedures, codes of

- Geotechnical engineer(s). - Mining geologist - to study site geology and its

influence on benchmarking factors. -Mining engineer - to relate findings and

conclusions to operational considerations and production costs.

All members of the outside team will visit the mine operation at least once. One or two of these specialists will return for additional meetings.

Generally, four technical staff from the mining wmpany will participate as the wmpany benchmarking team members and may include the following specialists:

19th CONFERENCE ON GROUND CONTROL IN MINING -The senior level geotechnical engineer or

individual presently responsible for these duties. - The mine level geotechnical engineer (if such a position exists). - The mine geologist, hydrogeologist, or technician responsible for maintaining the geologic model. - The mine production engineer.

For a benchmarking study involving multiple mines, the company team specialists may vary from mine to mine.

Without buy-in by all involved, rock mechanics benchmarking headed by an outside organization could be perceived as criticism of the company, the company team members, or the company's procedures resulting in an adversarial relationship among benchmarking team members. It is management's responsibility to inform employees and promote the benefits of how it will advance the company and its geotechnical staff.

Data Collection

Data collection in benchmarking is vital in order to understand the geologic and regulatory settings of the mine, mine geotechnical needs, effectiveness of geotechnical designs, etc. Data is collected before, during, and following the site visits. The type of data collected depends on the project stage. The initial data collected and sent to the benchmarking team well before the first site visit will be general in nature regarding geology, regulations, and geomechanics. The information sent should be sufficient to allow the outside team members to:

1. Study the geologic setting. 2. Study the approval process and the effects of

regulations on geotechnical design. 3. Review and understand the general mine

geotechnical data and collection methods. 4. Prepare questions for the internal members of the

benchmarking team.

Outside team members should not assume they fully understand the geologic and regulatory settings until after the mine visit. Preparation of open-ended questions helps in understanding the limitations of the outside team's knowledge of the site that will need to be addressed.

The team needs to obtain an understanding of the local geology so that the applied rock mechanics n benchmarked against companies in sim~lar geologic conditions or relative degree of structural complexity. A thorough understanding of the mine's geology and hydmgeology is needed for the geotechnical engineer to understand what rock mechanics principles will need to be applied. Thus, a review of the geology before the

benchmarking process commences is imperative. At this initial stage, the outside geotechnical engineer leading the benchmarking team will communicate with the mine's staff and will prepare a data request to characterize the geologic setting.

Regulations, authorizations, permit conditions, etc., have a direct impact on geotechnical design. For instance, many countries dictate a specific pillar equation to be used, the safety factors applied to slopes, the minimum rock thickness between the mine and bottom of a large body of water, minimum bolting requirements, etc. To obtain a clear understanding of these various limits, the company team members should assemble all applicable governmental regulations, codes of practice, approved plans, training manuals. and risk management programs.

Analvsis of the Initial Data

The forwarded information is reviewed by the outside team members to develop 1) a general understanding of the geologic and regulatory setting, 2) to understand the level of effort required for geotechnical design, and 3) the importance of rock mechanics within the organization. The general mine geotechnical data is compared to other mine data in similar geologic and regulatory environments. This comparison allows for the identification of low performance areas that are then targeted for specific attention during the benchmarking visit. The team is notified of the deficiencies so that additions and clarifications can be developed by the mine staff.

Preparation of Open-ended Questions

Open-ended questions are a benchmarking technique that allows the mine staff to respond with clarifying remarks and supporting data. Open-ended questions for mine personnel are developed to determine the background behind identified problem areas or low performance. It is important that these questions are formulated as "how" and not as "how much" since benchmarking is aimed more toward process evaluation. For example: The better question is. "How do you design roof support?" and not "How many rock bolts are installed across an entry?" Knowing that the number of bolts is less or more than normally installed in similar conditions throughout the world is less important than knowing how this number was determined. If the design procedure is below world standards, it is far more effective to adjust the procedure.

Com~anv and Mine Site Visits

Although the geology has already been reviewed by the outside team members, it is necessary to further discuss, during the site visit, the impact of local geology

19th CONFERENCE ON GROUND CONTROL IN MINING on geotechnical design and mining. Similarly, discussions on the impact of regulatory requirements on geotechnical designs are held. After these sessions, time is allotted to discuss procedures, plan the mine site visits, and develop and ask new questions for mine site staff.

One to two days is normally required to complete a single mine site visit. Each mine to be benchmarked should be visited to observe conditions. Discussions are held with the mine level geotechnical and geologic personnel (if so staffed) or personnel assigned to complete these tasks. A short meeting with the mine planner and mine superintendent to determine the Interaction between the geotechnical personnel and engineering and management is helpful. Tasks and areas addressed during the mine site visit typically include:

Clarify geology by direct observation of outcrops, slope walls, roof, rib, floor, and retained core. This portion of the visit is led by a geologist most familiar with the mine conditions and local geology. Drilling, sampling, core storage procedures. Review ongoing rock mechanics programs in the areas of designs, monitoring, bump control, roof bolting, highwall management, subsidence, etc., and the procedures followed. Review the mine's geotechnical staffing, organization, and manning level. Establish the mine's geotechnical engineer's position within the organization, education, and experience and the responsibility of the staff. Determine the level of support by corporate and government rock mechanics programs to the mine in the way of design, research, and oversight. Observe mine conditions and equipment operation in these conditions (e.g., clearance, trafficability, cutting rates, etc.). If the study is part of a more general operational underground benchmarking, time study on bolting may be warranted. Review any rock mechanics research underway at the mine.

The outside team will provide opinion of the appropriate benchmark. For instance, a large geotechnical stafl may be considered by some as the "best," but a large staff may be inappropriate. A large staff may be compartmentalized making quick response to problems sometimes impractical, thus presenting safety as well as economic concerns.

Subsequent calculations and analyses may be performed, or further research undertaken to establish the underlying reasons for performance problems and to recommend corrective action. An example of corrective action could be development of a new code of practice for secondary support at a mine suffering from frequent roof falls.

The outside team members should undertake the first analysis and preparation of the draft report. This report should present the benchmarking procedures, results and tabulations, findings, and recommendations. The internal members of the team should review and comment on these finding before a f~nal report is issued. If the team members are in disagreement on any of the recommendations, parts of the benchmarking may need to be repeated. A followup mine visit and meeting for revlew and discussion before the final report is recommended.

In addition to a report, other products of benchmarking may include design and training manuals, codes of practice, and risk management programs.

Conclusion

Benchmarking is a widely accepted business tool that has improved business practices, manufacturing processes, and engineering procedures throughout the world. It is an efficient way to make improvements as it measures performance and compares it to processes that others have already proved effective. An individual experienced in mining geotechnical benchmarking understands the impact the local geologic and regulatory settings on mining rock mechanics. He can have an

Analysis of Data and DeveloDment of Recommendations immediate impact on geotechnical procedures and staffing both of which directlv relate to increasina safetv

Tabulation of collected data and analysis depends on and rehucing cost.

the objectives of the benchmarking and comparisons to be made. This is a continuation of the comparisons made before the site visits where specific low performance items or problem areas were targeted for benchmarking. If the objective is to determine what is "best" within the corporation, then the comparison is made between mines, mine groups, or divisions. From this the corporation can select the "best" and adopt this procedure corporatewide. If the objective is to compare to 'korld's best," then this case has to be established from an existing or developed database.