Cost modelling for dimension stone quarry operations
At a Glance
Section titled āAt a Glanceā| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2024-01-09 |
| Journal | Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy |
| Authors | Muhammad Asif Raza, S. Raza, Muhammad Usman Khan, Muhammad Zaka Emad, Khawar Jalil |
| Institutions | Mari Petroleum Company (Pakistan), University of Engineering and Technology Lahore |
| Citations | 1 |
Abstract
Section titled āAbstractāDimension stone mining is Increasing because of growing demand from the building and construction industries. Diamond wire saw cutting is a popular dimension stone mining technique around the world. Estimation of the production cost for this method is critical for these operations. In this research a production cost model was developed for the mining of granite using a diamond wire saw. Cost and production data were collected from a granitic dolerite operation in Pakistan for a 4.5-year period, and analysed to identify the cost components. Fuel (34%), labour (15%), consumables (40%), and maintenance (5%) were found to be the four major cost components in this operation. A regression-based dimension stone production cost model incorporating statistically significant variables was developed. The data presented a strong correlation of production cost with fuel, labour, and consumables costs. Finally, a production cost model based on the consumption cost of diamond wire is presented. The model was verified using actual production cost data, which indicated 95% (R2 = 0.95) variance in the data between the predicted and actual production cost values. The model may help field engineers in computing their dimension stone operational cost during the cutting phase.