Moving Equipment and Workers to Mine Construction Site at a Logistically Challenged Area

Social sensitivity of habitants, minimal impact on the environment, low-grade infrastructure, high altitude, frequent rock slides combined with expectations for the timely moving of equipment and workers are some of the challenges emerging from the current construction of a mine. Starting with traditional planning, and experiencing issues in the early phase of the construction, a traffic simulator was requested by the Procurement Department in order to validate daily-weekly schedules and predict likely delays or blockages on the long-term.The now available simulator captures the available routes and the applicable travelling rules. Traffic schedules are inputs to the simulator, which attempts to perform the planned movements of the vehicles of various type and size. The data collected is analyzed and recommendations are made to management thus providing the means of adaptive/responsive planning and dispatching of vehicles and convoys.The simulator is undergoing real-life tests. It is expected that adaptive traffic planning will result in an improved usage of resources and will help maintain sustainable operation.