MINE ENGINEERING: New pit slope guidelines from CSIRO

AUSTRALIA — The Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization (CSIRO) has published what it calls the first new guidelines for open pit slope design in more than 30 years. According to CSIRO, the last handbook of this type was published in 1977 by CANMET, an arm of Natural Resources Canada.

The 496-page Guidelines for Open Pit Slope Design aims to address many of the uncertainties surrounding the engineering of large open pits. The book contains 14 chapters that follow the mining cycle from development to closure. At each stage it links innovative mining geomechanics research with best practice at existing operations.

Guidelines For Open Pit Slope Design is available from CSIRO publishing (www.publish.CSIRO.au) for A$195.