Geology

Geomorphology

Political science

Mining engineering

Geography

Excavation

Plucking

Site selection

Earthworks

Archaeology

Overburden

Geotechnical engineering

Land reclamation

Open-pit mining

International Journal of Mining Science and Technology

The management of overburden is an important task in open pit exploitations. Site topography and morphology as well as geological and geotechnical properties of natural and remoulded materials are the most important factors affecting the disposal phase. Economic and environmental requirements must be followed in order to achieve the best reclamation results, keeping into account site constraints such as slope stability, hauling and dumping issues, and interactions with groundwater. This paper deals with the above mentioned issues, illustrating a rational approach applied on the case of a large limestone quarry where the thickness of the overburden is relevant and the spoil material has to be dumped in a flooded pit. The proposed multidisciplinary approach led to the selection of most suitable methods for excavation, transportation and disposal. The selection was based on a detailed laboratory and site characterisation that defined favorable and adverse factors to be considered during the preliminary study of ...

Overburden management in open pits: options and limits in large limestone quarries