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International Inc. or its wholly-owned subsidiaries.
Contributors
Rowdy Bristol
Phil Jackson
John Hylton-Davies
Product Surpac 6.2
 Table of Contents
Introduction 4
Overview 4
Requirements 4
Workflow 5
Ring Design Concepts 6
Terminology 6
Ring Design Concepts and Files 6
Set Up For This Tutorial 7
Task: Set the Work Directory (Windows XP) 7
Task: Set the Work Directory (Windows Vista) 8
Display Menubar and Toolbar 9
Task: Display Menus and Toolbars 9
Creating a Centreline 10
Task: View the Data 10
Task: Create a DTM of a Floor String 10
Task: Drape a Centreline String over the DTM of the Floor 11
Task: Raise the Centreline String Above the Floor 13
Slicing Objects 14
Task: View the Data 14
Task: Slice the Solid 16
Setting Up The Rig 20
Task: Perform Rig Setup 20
Task: Set Drilling Parameters 22
Moving the Mast 26
Task: Use a Centreline String as a Reference Line 26
Task: Move and Rotate the Mast 27
Creating and Reporting Holes 30
Task: Create and Edit Holes 30
Task: Save Holes 36
Task: Report Holes 37
Task: Save Default Values 38
Plotting 39
Task: Save Holes for Plotting 39
Task: Create a Plot 39
Introduction Overview

Introduction
Overview
Ring design is the term given to drilling a fan of holes from an underground drive for the purposes of
blasting ore. Although there are numerous requirements for each design, Surpac can assist you to
create and report practically any type of underground ring.
Requirements
Prior to proceeding with this tutorial, you will need:

l Surpac 6.1 installed, and

l The data set accompanying this tutorial, and
l A basic knowledge of Surpac string files and editing tools as covered in the Introduction
to Surpac manual.

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Introduction Workflow

Workflow

Note: This workflow demonstrates the steps in this tutorial. There are other ways to achieve a
result.

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Ring Design Concepts Terminology

Ring Design Concepts

Terminology
l Centreline a single string segment used in the function Centreline slice to create
slices from solid models.
l Real World Coordinates a concept where the information in a string file is stored with
the coordinates representing a plan view of the data. In other words, the coordinates
represent the mine grid northing, easting, and elevation. Slices of solid objects to be
used for ring design must be saved in real world coordinates.
l Section Coordinates a concept where the information in a string file does not rep-
resent a plan view. Data created using the ring design function Save for plot are saved
in section coordinates.
l Underground Drive a tunnel, or opening in rock where the drill rig will be positioned.
l Stope a 3-dimensional area (usually ore) which is to be mined out by blasting a series
of long holes or ring design holes.

Ring Design Concepts and Files

In the most common cases, you will need three things to perform ring design:

l 3D solid models of surveyed underground drives

l 3D solid models of designed stopes
l A string segment to be used as a centreline for slicing solid objects

For stopeless design, such as for cable bolt holes and "sludge" (or sample) holes, you will need only a
3D model of the drives and the centreline string. If you have a Surpac block model, you may also slice
it at the same time you slice the 3D solid models of drives and stopes. You may also append DTMs
representing other features, such as fault surfaces to the drives and stope designs prior to slicing.
After slicing, and prior to enabling ring design, you may append any other string files (in real world
coordinates) to the string files created from slicing.

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Set Up For This Tutorial Task: Set the Work Directory (Windows XP)

Set Up For This Tutorial

Task: Set the Work Directory (Windows XP)
1. In Navigator, right-click the underground_ring_design folder.
2. From the popup menu, select Set as work directory.

The name of the work directory is displayed in the title bar of the Surpac window.

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Set Up For This Tutorial Task: Set the Work Directory (Windows Vista)

Task: Set the Work Directory (Windows Vista)

1. In Navigator, right-click the underground_ring_design folder.
2. From the popup menu, select Set as work directory.

The name of the work directory is displayed in the title bar of the Surpac window.

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Set Up For This Tutorial Task: Display Menus and Toolbars

Display Menubar and Toolbar

Task: Display Menus and Toolbars
1. Right-click in the area to the right of the menus.
2. Select Profiles, and then ringdesign as shown.

The ring design menubar and toolbar are displayed.

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Creating a Centreline Task: View the Data

Creating a Centreline
Task: View the Data
1. Open cl1.str.
2. Open floor1055.str.
3. Choose Display > Point > Markers.
4. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

5. Click the icon.

The floor and centreline strings are displayed.

Task: Create a DTM of a Floor String

1. Click the Reset graphics icon .

2. Open floor1055.str.
3. Choose Surfaces > Create DTM from layer.
4. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

5. Choose File > Save > string/DTM.

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Creating a Centreline Task: Drape a Centreline String over the DTM of the Floor

6. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

7. Click Yes.

Task: Drape a Centreline String over the DTM of the Floor

1. Click the Reset graphics icon .

2. Open floor1055.dtm.
3. Open cl1.str.
4. Click the icon to view the data in section view.
5. Choose Surfaces > Drape string over DTM.
6. Follow the prompt at the bottom of the screen and click the centreline string.
7. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

Note: The option to Interpolate New points must be ticked in order to create new
points on the centreline wherever it crosses a triangle edge.
If Interpolate new points was not ticked, you would get an output file with only the two
end points.

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Creating a Centreline Task: Drape a Centreline String over the DTM of the Floor

You will see the string draped to match the contours of the DTM surface.
8. In the Layers property window, right-click on cl1.str.
9. Click Save layer.

10. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

11. Click Yes.

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Creating a Centreline Task: Raise the Centreline String Above the Floor

Task: Raise the Centreline String Above the Floor

1. Click the Reset graphics icon .

2. Open cl1.str.
3. Choose Edit > String > Maths.
4. Enter the information as shown below, and then click Apply.

5. Click the string.

6. Press ESC.
The centreline has been raised 2 metres vertically.
7. Open floor1055.dtm.
The centreline string is displayed 2 metres above the floor.

8. Use the layer chooser to make cl1.str the active layer.

9. Save cl1.str.

Note: To see all of the steps performed in this section, run 01_create_centreline.tcl. You will need
to click Apply on any forms presented.

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Slicing Objects Task: View the Data

Slicing Objects
Task: View the Data

1. Click the Reset graphics icon .

2. Open ringex1.dtm.
3. Spin the data around to get a feel for the solids models.

4. Choose Display > Hide everything.

5. Choose Display > Surface or Solid.
6. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

The Object 3 is displayed.

Note: Object 3 represents the ore zone. Notice that it contains holes where the drives
pass through it.
7. Choose Display > Hide everything.
8. Choose Display > Surface or Solid.

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Slicing Objects Task: View the Data

9. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

Object 1 is displayed.

10. Choose Display > Hide everything.

11. Choose Display > Surface or Solid.
12. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

Object 2 is displayed.

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Slicing Objects Task: Slice the Solid

Objects 1 and 2 are the drives, created from survey data. Object 3 was created by
outersecting the solid of the ore zone by the solid of the drives.

Objects 1 and 2 Object 3 (outersected by objects 1 and 2)

Note: It is a good idea to use outersected solids for creating ring design slices, since the
toe (or end) of the hole will be located at the point where the hole intersects the stope. As
shown below, if the 3D solid of the stope were not outersected by the drives, you may
not achieve the desired result.

Hole drilled in stope outersected by Hole drilled in stope NOT outersected by

drives drives

Task: Slice the Solid

1. Click the Reset graphics icon .

2. Open ringex1.dtm.
3. Open cl1.str.
4. Use the layer chooser to select ringex1.dtm as the active layer.

5. Choose View > Surface view options > Hide triangle faces.
6. Click the Zoom all icon .

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Slicing Objects Task: Slice the Solid

You will use the southwest endpoint of cl1.str as the point from which the first ring will be
created. In this example, the rig will start from the southwest end of the stope and work
toward the northeast, numbering the rings 1,2,3,4, etc.
7. Choose Solids > Solids tools > Section using centre line.
8. Click a point below and to the left of the southwest end of the centreline, as shown
below.

The software will choose the nearest location on the line.

9. Click the other endpoint of the centreline by positioning the cursor northeast of the
northeast endpoint of the line.
10. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

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Slicing Objects Task: Slice the Solid

11. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

12. Select the icon to change to a section view.

The sections are displayed.

13. Click the Reset graphics icon .

14. Open 1055sec25.str.
15. Open ringex1.dtm.
16. Spin the data around to verify that the section has been created correctly.

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Slicing Objects Task: Slice the Solid

The Solids section is displayed.

Note: To see all of the steps performed in this section, run 02_slice_objects.tcl. You will need to
click Apply on any forms presented

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Setting Up The Rig Task: Perform Rig Setup

Setting Up The Rig

Task: Perform Rig Setup

1. Click the Reset graphics icon .

2. Choose Ring design > Start ring design.
3. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

Note: The default value of ssi_etc:rings.ssi would read values from a file in the ssi_etc:
directory. In this example, you will store the data in a file named rings.ssi in the local data
directory.
At the bottom of the Surpac frame, the name of the default rig will be displayed. If you
are using ring design for the first time, it will display OLD DEFAULT RIG:

4. Choose Setup > New rig.

5. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

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Setting Up The Rig Task: Perform Rig Setup

The diagram below shows how the parameters entered in the above form relate to the rig
you are creating.

6. Choose Setup > Select rig.

7. Click tutorial, and then click Default.

The tutorial rig is set as the default rig the next time you invoke ring design.
8. Click Apply.

The rig name tutorial is displayed in the status bar at the bottom of the Surpac frame.

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Setting Up The Rig Task: Set Drilling Parameters

Task: Set Drilling Parameters

1. Choose Ring design > Open section files of stopes and openings.
2. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

The first section is displayed.

3. Click the next section icon until you get to section 9.

Note: The information on the status bar at the bottom of the screen changes each
time next section is clicked.

Note: When using the next section and previous section icons , the view
presented in graphics will always be perpendicular to each section.
4. Choose Setup > Rig position.

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Setting Up The Rig Task: Set Drilling Parameters

5. Click near the lower drive, then near the stope.

The rig is positioned in the lower drive as displayed.

6. Choose Setup > Drilling parameters.

7. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

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Setting Up The Rig Task: Set Drilling Parameters

Toe spacing algorithms are displayed below. The toe spacing is a unit of measure (metres
or feet) for all algorithms except for angular. When the angular toe spacing algorithm is
selected, the toe spacing is in defined in degrees.

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Setting Up The Rig Task: Set Drilling Parameters

For more information on the fields, click the Help button to display the online reference
manual, and/or review the field and form help.
8. Choose Ring design > Save ring design settings.
9. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

Note: To see all of the steps performed in this section, run 03_setup.tcl. You will need to click
Apply on any forms presented.

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Moving the Mast Task: Use a Centreline String as a Reference Line

Moving the Mast

Task: Use a Centreline String as a Reference Line
1. Open cl1.str.

2. From the Ring Design menu bar, choose View > Zoom to extent of current section.
3. Zoom in on the drive where the rig is positioned.
4. Choose Move mast > By graphics.
5. Practice moving the mast by clicking and dragging it around.
6. Press ESC.

7. Choose Setup > Select reference line for offsets.

8. Click the centreline string.
9. Click and drag the mouse on the screen to view the data as shown:

After selecting the reference centreline, the point where the centreline intersects the
plane of the section will be marked with a small red triangle. A reference distance and
direction will now be stored for every hole drilled on this section.
10. From the Ring Design menu bar choose View > Zoom to extent of current section to
return to a view perpendicular to this section.

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Moving the Mast Task: Move and Rotate the Mast

11. Choose Display > Hide strings > In a layer.

12. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

Task: Move and Rotate the Mast

1. Choose Move mast > By coordinates.
2. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

The mast is moved so that its pivot point is on the centreline. By selecting a reference
line, we have set up a coordinate system within the plane of the section whose origin is at
the point where the centreline pierces the section. This coordinate system is only used for
positioning the rig, and for reporting the rig pivot point position relative to the centreline.

3. Choose Rotate mast > To angle.

4. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

The mast is rotated to an angle of 300 degrees as displayed.

5. Choose Rotate mast > By angle.

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Moving the Mast Task: Move and Rotate the Mast

6. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

The mast is rotated clockwise from its current orientation by 45 degrees.

7. Choose Rotate mast > By graphics.

8. Click and drag the mast around, then release the mouse.
Note: How the mast follows the cursor around the screen.
9. Press ESC.
10. Choose Rotate mast > To point.
11. Click once with the mouse button.
12. Choose Move mast > By coordinates.
13. Enter the information as shown and then click Apply.

14. Choose Rotate mast > To angle.

15. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

The mast is moved to the centreline as displayed.

16. Choose Move mast > By distance.

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Moving the Mast Task: Move and Rotate the Mast

17. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

18. Choose Move mast > From wall.

19. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

The mast is displayed in the following orientation.

Note: The distance shown will change when you select the left or right radio button. This is the
horizontal distance in the plane of the section from the pivot point to the point on the wall.
Leave the mast in this position for use in the next section, Creating and Reporting Holes.
Note: To see all of the steps performed in this section, run 04_move_mast.tcl. You will need to
click Apply on any forms presented.

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Creating and Reporting Holes Task: Create and Edit Holes

Creating and Reporting Holes

Task: Create and Edit Holes
Note: In order to perform the steps in this task, you must have completed the previous task.

1. Choose Create holes > At current mast orientation.

2. From the Ring Design menu, choose View > Hole IDs four times (until you see the
number "1" for the second time).
The hole is displayed.

3. Choose Create holes > Parallel to an existing hole.

4. Click hole number 1.
5. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

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Creating and Reporting Holes Task: Create and Edit Holes

Three holes are displayed.

Assume that after looking at this result, you decide that you would rather drill hole
number 3 and all remaining holes with the rig at the centreline point.
6. From the Ring design menu, choose Edit > Delete one hole.
7. Click hole number 3.
Hole number 3 is removed.
8. Choose Move mast > By coordinates.
9. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

10. Choose Setup > Drilling Parameters.

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Creating and Reporting Holes Task: Create and Edit Holes

11. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

12. Choose Create holes > Offset from existing hole.

13. Click hole number 2.
14. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

Hole number 3 is created to the left of hole number 2, using the AECI algorithm, and a toe
spacing distance of 1.5.

15. Choose Create holes > At selected location.

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Creating and Reporting Holes Task: Create and Edit Holes

16. Click a location on the left stope wall to create a hole similar to that shown.

17. From the Ring design menu, choose Edit > Rotate hole.
18. Click hole number 4, then release to select hole number 4.
19. Click hole number 4 again and drag it to the lower stope limit, or footwall as displayed.

20. From the Ring design menu, choose Edit > Edit hole length graphically.

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Creating and Reporting Holes Task: Create and Edit Holes

21. At the prompt, click and drag the toe, or end of the hole to the new position.

When you release the mouse, the length of the hole will be reset to that position. This
function is not an exact means of setting a hole length.
22. From the Ring design menu choose Edit > Set length of one hole.
23. Click hole number 4.
24. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

25. Press ESC.

26. Choose Create holes > Between two holes.
27. Click hole 3, and then hole 4.

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Creating and Reporting Holes Task: Create and Edit Holes

28. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

The holes will be created between holes 3 and 4. Notice that several holes which came
near, or would have intersected the upper drive, were shortened. When holes would
normally terminate at a surveyed opening, they are shortened by the break-through
tolerance value. In our case, this was set to 0.75m on the Drilling Parameters form.

29. From the Ring design menu, choose Edit > Renumber holes.
30. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

31. Click hole number 4.

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Creating and Reporting Holes Task: Save Holes

The holes are renumbered clockwise from 1 upwards, starting at the footwall.

Task: Save Holes

1. Choose Ring design > Save holes.
2. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

3. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

4. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

The string file 1055_4nw_holes9.str will be created in the working directory.

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Creating and Reporting Holes Task: Report Holes

Task: Report Holes

1. Choose Reports > Drilling report.
2. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

3. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

4. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

Note: To add rows to the table, right click in the blank area beneath the table, and
select Add. The fields can then be selected from a drop down list.
5. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

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Creating and Reporting Holes Task: Save Default Values

The drilling report will be written to the file 1055_4nw9.not, which can be displayed in a
text editor.

Task: Save Default Values

1. Choose Ring design > Save ring design settings.
2. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

Note: In practice, you would normally want to use the default file of ssi_etc:rings.ssi. You are
saving rings.ssi in the local directory for training purposes only.
Note: To see all of the steps performed in this section, run 05a_create_holes.tcl and 05b_report_
holes.tcl. You will need to click Apply on any forms presented.

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Plotting Task: Save Holes for Plotting

Plotting
Task: Save Holes for Plotting
1. Choose Ring design > Save holes and sections for plotting.
2. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

3. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

The file 1055_4nw9.str is saved to the work directory.

String files saved with Save holes and sections for plotting will contain:

Data String Numbers

Drill Holes 1,999
Drives Drive string number + 1000
Stopes Stope string number + 2000
Rig Pivot Points 32000

The following string numbers will be used in plotting. In this example, 1055_4nw9.str will contain:
Data String Numbers
Drill Holes 1,17
Drives 1001, 1002
Stopes 2003
Rig Pivot Points 32000

Task: Create a Plot

1. Choose Plotting > Entity > Import.
2. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

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Plotting Task: Create a Plot

The results of the function will be written to the file entity_load.log.

Entity load log is displayed.

3. Close the log file.

4. Choose Plotting > Map > Import.
5. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

The results of the function will again be written to the file map_load.log.
Map load log is displayed.

6. Close the log file.

7. Choose Plotting > Map > Edit.
8. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

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Plotting Task: Create a Plot

View the contents of the map we will be processing (ringex1), and then click Apply.

9. Choose Plotting > Entity > Edit.

10. Choose Plotting > Process > Map.
11. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

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Plotting Task: Create a Plot

12. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

13. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

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Plotting Task: Create a Plot

14. Enter the information as shown, and then click Apply.

The Plot Preview window opens, and the plot is displayed.

This is only one manner of presenting ring design holes. You can also edit the entity and map
definitions provided, or create your own to customise your plots.
Note: To see all of the steps performed in this section, run 06_plotting.tcl. You will need to click
Apply on any forms presented.

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