HOF Citations 2016 Mining Software - Dr Terry Wiles | Page 2

MINING
SOFTWARE

Special features have been implemented to allow
fast construction of tabular mining shapes. The user
need only specify the perimeter of each mining step
and Map3D automatically builds the required
elements. The perimeter does not necessarily have
to be planar. In fact any bounding polyhedron of
three-dimensional points are acceptable. Complex,
multi-reef, non-tabular (rolling or offset) mining is
readily simulated. Intersecting faults or
three-dimensional dykes can be simulated. The
tabular mining can be extruded into 3D blocks then
back into tabular mining if desired. This allows
construction of detailed development to be
completed very quickly. Also different parts of the
model can be simulated using the tabular
approximation while details can be obtained in areas
of interest by using true 3D shapes.

Open pit and underground workings

Wireframe mine plan outlines and excavation
geometries can be digitised from within Map3D or
imported from several sources including
AutoCAD-DXF and a universal ASCII PNT format.
The user can interactively build a model comprising
3D blocks and planes using the built-in CAD
capabilities of Map3D. Based on the geometric
outlines or free-hand drawing, the user picks corners
of blocks and planes to complete construction of the
model. All of this is done graphically using the
comprehensive set of tools available in the
CAD interface.

Multi‐reef tabular mining with intersecting dykes and faults

A model comprises one or more connected or
unconnected blocks and/or planes that can be
mined and filled in a specified sequence. Surfaces
of blocks and planes are subsequently discretised
into a number of boundary elements by the program.
Extensive error checking assists the user in
identifying whether the geometry is topographically
valid or not. The same input data can be used for
elastic, thermal/fluid flow or non-linear analysis.
Analysis results can be contoured on element
surfaces or on a series of used defined field point
grid planes. These later planes can be positioned

at any desired location and allow contouring of
stresses, strains, displacements, strength factors or
any desired combination of these components. “Line
contours and/or colour filled contours c an be
generated with options for labels, trajectories,
transparency, grid lines and more. Results can be
exported in many formats including raster screen
dumps, vector screen dumps or selected grid or
surface locations with user configurable format.”

The influence of Map3D
Since its introduction, the software developed by
Wiles has been the most widely used stress analysis
software at mines sites worldwide. It is currently
used by many hundreds of mining, civil and
geotechnical companies, consultants, research
centres and universities around the world including
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana,
Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Columbia,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, El Salvador,
England, Finland, Ghana, Guatemala, India,
Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea,
Mali, Mexico, Namibia, Nedlands, Nicaragua, Papua
New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, South
Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Turkey, UK,
USA, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Competence in the use of Map3D is often a
prerequisite for employment in rock engineering in
most deep and high stress mines and consulting
firms. A further indication of the impact of the
software is that there has been a direct industry
driven need for continuous training at mine sites
worldwide. This has resulted in more than 100
Map3D courses disseminated by Terry Wiles in
Australia, Canada, Chile, Korea, South Africa and
Sweden. These courses have been attended by
close to 1,000 practicing rock engineering
specialists.
The accessibility of Map3D has made it the
reference tool in both industry and academia. This is
reflected in the International Conference forums in
Rock Engineering and Deep and High Stress where
a large number of publications and presentations
refer directly to results obtained using Map3D. Wiles
received the 2011 Rock Mechanics Award of the
Rock Engineering Society of the Canadian Institute
of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM). As
indicated at the citation at the time “….developed
what is arguably some of the most utilised and
practically‐applied modelling software that currently
exists at mine sites.”

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