Mining Contract: Developing a New Tension Crack Analysis System to Increase the Safety of Open Pit Slopes

Contract Status & Impact

This contract is complete. To receive a copy of the final report, send a request to mining@cdc.gov.

Tension cracks in open pit mine slopes are often the first signs of slope failure. Detecting and analyzing these cracks are key elements to maintaining a safe and stable slope system. Despite advances in slope monitoring, identification of tension cracks remains an open problem for geotechnical engineers.

By using a drone to image and map an open pit mine, and then using state-of-the-art data analysis techniques to automate the identification of cracks and the characterization of their dynamics, the contractor seeks to develop an early warning system to alert engineers of potential slope failures so corrective measures can be taken.

The contractor will integrate multiple technologies and systems to construct the early warning system, including enabling an interface between a CAD model of the mine, images taken by the drone, and the automated analysis system designed to detect cracks.