For many years, the Factor of Safety has been used as a reliable indicator of pit wall performance, being the main component on the most commonly used acceptance criteria. This Factor of Safety is usually calculated assuming that the potential failed volume behaves as a rigid body, as in the Limit Equilibrium method, which in many cases, is an inadequate assumption. This presentation will cover the “Open Pit Design Based on Rock Mass Deformations” methodology, involving the use of numerical simulations and real time monitoring information. The key of this procedure is to understand the maximum rock mass strain in terms of measured displacements before a failure. The proposed methodology does not intend to replace traditional Factor of Safety calculations, but rather to provide an additional tool to ensure the quality of the design and help predict future instabilities by determining triggers for potential failures.
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