Procedures for geotechnical characterization and economical feasibility studies — application to an underground marble exploitation

• Published in: Journal of mining science Vol. 44; no. 1; pp. 92 - 101
• Main Authors: Costa e Silva, M. Matilde, Falcão Neves, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 2008
• Subjects: Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Geophysics/Geodesy; Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences; Mineral Resources; marble; economical feasibility; quarry; management procedures; Geotechnics
• ISSN: 1062-7391; 1573-8736
• DOI: 10.1007/s10913-008-0009-y

For marble underground excavation it is important to develop a collection of procedures, rules and models in order to collect information to build a database, making it usable and available to all users so that they can make decisions. The information must be based on technical and economic criteria, during the lifetime of the excavation and after the close down of the mining activities. The importance of geotechnical characterization in the economical evaluation of underground mining of dimension stone is so emphasized. A sensitivity analysis of the economic indicators with the variation of the geotechnical and ornamental parameters is performed. The results of an economic feasibility study of an underground exploitation of marble at Pardais, Vila Viçosa, are presented.