Accurate stockpile measurement is crucial for mining operations to manage inventory, track production, and ensure operational efficiency. While widely used across the industry, traditional stockpile survey tools can waste valuable time, delay production decisions and lead to inefficiencies in equipment allocation. For mining companies aiming to maximize profits and safety while reducing operational costs, adopting precise and efficient stockpile measurement methods is paramount.

Mining companies use various methods to measure stockpile volumes, each with its advantages and challenges.

• Total station surveys – While accurate, this method is time-consuming and labor-intensive, making it impractical for large stockpiles. In addition, while each individual point can be very accurate, without the correct density of points, the created model may not be a good representation of reality – leading to inaccurate volumes.

• GPS surveys – Although quicker than total stations, this method is still time consuming to achieve the point density required and also suffers from reduced accuracy in areas with poor GPS reception or signal interference, leading to potential measurement errors. This method of capture may also expose surveyors to safety hazards like rockfalls and ankle injuries if they need to climb the stockpile for a pick-up.

• Drone photogrammetry – While faster and safer, drone surveys can struggle in poor weather or over reflective surfaces, compromising data accuracy. Most drones also require GPS to fly reliably, making this method a poor choice for indoor stockpiles.

• Terrestrial LiDAR – While highly precise, this method is costly and inefficient for surveying large stockpile areas, as each scan requires the vehicle to be stationary for each scan. Indoor scans can be even more time-consuming,with multiple scans needed to attain full coverage, leading to delays and potentially interrupting production.