Mining and MineralsOpen Pit Design, Optimisation and Slope Stability
An open pit is designed to the steepest wall the rock will hold, because every degree of slope angle moves a large quantity of waste and a large amount of money. This course covers designing and holding that wall. Delegates work through pit optimisation and the shell that maximises value, phase and pushback design, and haul road and ramp geometry. Slope stability takes the second half: geotechnical data collection, failure mechanisms in rock and soil slopes, stability analysis and the acceptance criteria applied. Monitoring, radar and trigger action response plans are covered, along with managing a wall that has started to move. The course closes on reconciling design against what was actually mined.
Course objectives
- Run pit optimisation and interpret the resulting shell
- Design phases, pushbacks and haul road geometry
- Collect and interpret the geotechnical data slope design requires
- Identify failure mechanisms in rock and soil slopes
- Carry out stability analysis against defined acceptance criteria
- Operate slope monitoring and trigger action response plans
- Manage a wall that has begun to move, and reconcile design against actual
Who should attend
- Open pit mining engineers and planners
- Geotechnical engineers and engineering geologists
- Mine surveyors and technical services staff
- Production and pit superintendents
- Consultants advising on open pit operations
Course outline
- 01Slope angle as the largest cost lever
- 02Pit optimisation and the value shell
- 03Phase and pushback design
- 04Haul roads and ramp geometry
- 05Geotechnical data collection
- 06Failure mechanisms and stability analysis
- 07Monitoring, radar and trigger action response
- 08Managing wall movement and reconciling design
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 to 23 October 2026 | Online | Online | R8,500 per delegate | Register Now |
| 16 to 20 November 2026 | Nairobi, Kenya | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | Register Now |
| 11 to 15 January 2027 | Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | Register Now |