Monitoring of Open Pit Mines Using Combined GNSS Satellite Receivers and Robotic Total Stations

Abstract

This paper illustrates how Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) receivers and robotic total station instruments can be combined to provide a fully automated, accurate, efficient and cost effective survey monitoring system for large open pit mines which often reach sizes of 2 km. Data processing and data screening techniques that can be used to ensure the high accuracy are reviewed and in addition, practical considerations relating to the design and deployment of the system are presented. Empirical results from a 20 day trial installation are used to illustrate the accuracy of the system and show that such a system is able to reliably provide accurate deformation measurements of the slopes in an operational environment.