Optimizing post-mining land use for pit area in open-pit mining using fuzzy decision making method

Open-pit mining method has severe environmental impacts which should be prevented, monitored, controlled, and reduced by mined-land reclamation process. After mine closure, a permanent post-mining land use should be implemented as an appropriate choice for using different sections of mined land. The most appropriate alternative of post-mining land use for each section of mined land is presented as the optimum post-mining land use. Pit area among different sections of mined land has more significant effects on the environment and also on defining the optimum post-mining land use for other sections of mined land. Though there are several alternatives and criteria for defining the optimum post-mining land use, the multi-attribute decision-making methods can be efficient techniques in this regard. The nature of the effective parameters used for defining the optimum post-mining land use is the same as Fuzzy numbers including incremental changes without definite limits. Thus, application of the Fuzzy multi-attribute decision-making modeling can produce more reliable results than that of other techniques. As well, pair-wise comparisons and judgments through Fuzzy numbers have proper consistency with the nature of the effective parameters; therefore, a model is developed to attain the optimum post-mining land use for pit area through Fuzzy analytical hierarchy processing. As a case study, the model was implemented in Sungun copper mine in the Northwest of Iran. Forestry?Clumber production was defined as the optimum post-mining land use containing the greatest relative importance coefficient 3.019 for the pit area in this mine.     

An extended fuzzy TOPSIS–GRA method based on different separation measures for green logistics service provider selection

In this paper, first, the criteria that make logistics service providers more “green” are determined as: cooperation with customer’s company and its customer, green government regulations, environmental management system, green process design, reduction in energy consumption and green network design. The criteria weights are determined by fuzzy AHP, based on expert opinions. Then, a new method is proposed, which is the combination of fuzzy TOPSIS and GRA, and used to evaluate green 3PLs based on different separation measures, as an extension, using trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. Five Turkish 3PLs serve in Istanbul are selected in order to apply a case study to show the applicability of the proposed method. Finally, the proposed method is verified with respect to different resolving coefficient values and separation measures and also compared with fuzzy TOPSIS and fuzzy VIKOR method results. Different multi-criteria decision-making methods can be applied and compared to check validity of our results for future studies. The proposed method can also be implemented to 3PLs in other countries.     

Achieving to some outranking relationships between post mining land uses through mined land suitability analysis

Adoption of most suitable post mining land use is a problem with multi-dimensional nature. There are so many factors in this problem which seriously influence on the decision judgments. Therefore, in this study a fifty-attribute framework for mined land suitability analysis including fifty numbers of economical, social, technical and mine site factors developed to be a foundation for this decision making problem. Analysis by an outranking multi-attribute decision-making technique, called elimination et choix traduisant la realite method, was taken into consideration because of its clear advantages on the field of mined land suitability analysis as compared with multi-attribute decision-making ranking techniques. Analytical hierarchy process method applied to calculate global weights of the attributes through pair wise comparison matrixes. The weights then passed to the elimination et choix traduisant la realit method so that the most efficient post mining land uses could be appointed through comparisons of pair-wise dominance relationships between alternatives. This approach applied to an illustrative example where, final results showed that, there were two non-dominated land-uses for the considered example; industrial and pasture. However by increasing indifference threshold limit, the non-dominated set reduced to a single alternative that was pasture land-use.     

TISS: a decision framework for tailing impoundment site selection

Tailing dam is one of the most important mining operations interface with surrounding environment even as long as many years after ore reserve exhausted. Therefore, appropriate design and management respect to future limitations of environmental regulations is required. Recently, effect of multiple criteria on tailing impoundment site selection makes it complex as the conventional procedures unable to answer. The systematic approach of multi attribute decision-making helps decision-makers select the most preferable decision and provide the basis of a decision support system. This paper developed new strategy based on fuzzy multi attribute group decision-making methods including: technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution and analytical hierarchy process in fuzzy group environment. A hypothetical case is processed to demonstrate the strategy’s efficiency and results are compared and ranked so that the most preferable option is identified.     

Deriving preference order of post-mining land-uses through MLSA framework: application of an outranking technique

This study intends to take advantage of a previously developed framework for mined land suitability analysis (MLSA) consisted of economical, social, technical and mine site factors to achieve a partial and also a complete pre-order of feasible post-mining land-uses. Analysis by an outranking multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) technique, called PROMETHEE (preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation), was taken into consideration because of its clear advantages on the field of MLSA as compared with MADM ranking techniques. Application of the proposed approach on a mined land can be completed through some successive steps. First, performance of the MLSA attributes is scored locally by each individual decision maker (DM). Then the assigned performance scores are normalized and the deviation amplitudes of non-dominated alternatives are calculated. Weights of the attributes are calculated by another MADM technique namely, analytical hierarchy process (AHP) in a separate procedure. Using the Gaussian preference function beside the weights, the preference indexes of the land-use alternatives are obtained. Calculation of the outgoing and entering flows of the alternatives and one by one comparison of these values will lead to partial pre-order of them and calculation of the net flows, will lead to a ranked preference for each land-use. At the final step, utilizing the PROMETHEE group decision support system which incorporates judgments of all the DMs, a consensual ranking can be derived. In this paper, preference order of post-mining land-uses for a hypothetical mined land has been derived according to judgments of one DM to reveal applicability of the proposed approach.     

Decision making under uncertainty using a qualitative TOPSIS method for selecting sustainable energy alternatives

Multi-criteria decision-making methods support decision makers in all stages of the decision-making process by providing useful data. However, criteria are not always certain as uncertainty is a feature of the real world. MCDM methods under uncertainty and fuzzy systems are accepted as suitable techniques in conflicting problems that cannot be represented by numerical values, in particular in energy analysis and planning. In this paper, a modified TOPSIS method for multi-criteria group decision-making with qualitative linguistic labels is proposed. This method addresses uncertainty considering different levels of precision. Each decision maker’s judgment on the performance of alternatives with respect to each criterion is expressed by qualitative linguistic labels. The new method takes into account linguistic data provided by the decision makers without any previous aggregation. Decision maker judgments are incorporated into the proposed method to generate a complete ranking of alternatives. An application in energy planning is presented as an illustrative case example in which energy policy alternatives are ranked. Seven energy alternatives under nine criteria were evaluated according to the opinion of three environmental and energy experts. The weights of the criteria are determined by fuzzy AHP, and the alternatives are ranked using qualitative TOPSIS. The proposed approach is compared with a modified fuzzy TOPSIS method, showing the advantages of the proposed approach when dealing with linguistic assessments to model uncertainty and imprecision. Although the new approach requires less cognitive effort to decision makers, it yields similar results.     

Landfill site selection by decision-making tools based on fuzzy multi-attribute decision-making method

Landfill site selection is a complex and time-consuming process, which requires evaluation of several factors where many different attributes are taken into account. Decision makers always have some difficulties in making the right decision in the multiple attribute environments. After identifying candidate sites, these sites should be ranked using decision-making methods. This study applies Chang’s fuzzy AHP-based multiple attribute decision-making (MADM) method for selection of the best site of landfills based on a set of decision criteria. The Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) was designed to make pairwise comparisons of selected criteria by domain experts for assigning weights to the decision criteria. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to make pairwise comparisons and assign weights to the decision criteria. It is easier for a decision maker to describe a value for an alternative by using linguistic terms and fuzzy numbers. In the fuzzy-based AHP method, the rating of each alternative was described using the expression of triangular fuzzy membership functions. Once the global weights of the criteria is calculated by AHP, they are incorporated into the decision matrices composed by decision maker and passed to fuzzy-AHP method which is used to determine preference order of siting alternatives. In this study, a computer program based on the Chang’s fuzzy method was also developed in MATLAB environment for ranking and selecting the landfill site. As an example of the proposed methodology, four different hypothetical areas were chosen and implemented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the program. By using this program, the precision was improved in comparison with traditional methods and computational time required for ranking and selecting the suitable landfill site was significantly reduced.     

Mining Sequence Deformation and Failure Behaviour Analysis in the hangingwall and Orebody Rock Formations; A Continuum Approach

In this study based on practical geological setting of the hangingwall, orebody and footwall. Two comprehensive evaluation models for selecting the underground mining method to extract the Nchanga Upper Orebody were proposed which constituted of six key attributes of technical economic, rock substance strength, production, orebody dip and thickness. These evaluation models are analyzed by the multiple attribute decision making methods based on eigenvalues, eigenvectors and fuzzy mathematics. In addition two different continuum numerical methods Examine^2D and RS³ are employed to simulate the mining process of the Upper Orebody and finally the optimal mining scheme is determined. By using analytical hierarchy process, Yager’s method and numerical modeling some useful conclusions for mining the highly folded Upper Orebody have been drawn, which will be beneficial to the Nchanga mine.     

Mining Method Selection and Optimization for Hanging-Wall Ore-Body at Yanqianshan Iron Mine,China

In order to smooth ore production during the transition from open pit to underground mining at Yanqianshan Iron Mine, China, it is necessary to select an appropriate mining method to operate simultaneously open-pit mining and underground mining for inner-slope (hanging-wall) ore-body. Based on practical geologic setting of the hanging-wall ore-body, a comprehensive evaluation model for selecting the underground mining method to extract handing-wall ore-body was proposed, which is constituted by 3 sub-systems of safety factors, production factors and technical–economic factors. This evaluation model could be analyzed by the mutation progression method, which based on catastrophe theory and fuzzy mathematics. In addition, the FLAC^3D is employed to simulate the mining process of hanging-wall ore-body, and finally the optimal mining scheme is determined. By using mutation progression analysis and numerical modeling, some useful conclusions for hanging-wall ore-body mining have been drawn, which will be beneficial to mining safety during transitional period from open-pit to underground mining.     

面向基元的高空间分辨率矿区遥感影像土地利用分类

为了合理开发矿产资源和有效监测矿区生态环境,采用面向基元的分类方法,对广西横县某矿区的高分辨率航空遥感影像进行了土地利用分类.通过优化分形网络演化多尺度分割方法,高效提取了矿区两个尺度上的影像基元层;基于基元信息,详细分析了各地表地物光谱特征、空间特征以及类相关特征,建立了研究区土地利用的分类知识库;采用决策支持的模糊逻辑推理法进行分类,使分类的精度从53%提高到了90%.表明面向基元的方法能较好地利于高空间分辨率矿区影像的各种特征进行高精度的土地利用分类.      

A new model of geo-environmental impact assessment of mining: a multiple-criteria assessment method integrating Fuzzy-AHP with fuzzy synthetic ranking

A new evaluation model for geo-environmental impact assessment of mining (GEIAM) is proposed. The evaluation framework in this model considers three groups of criteria, namely, geo-hazards risks, environmental risks, and resource damages. Fuzzy-analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was used to establish a multiple-criteria evaluation system and simultaneously command weighting to avoid vagueness and ambiguity in expert judgment. Membership function was employed to deal with the vagueness boundary problem of indices scoring and to help complete the ultimate fuzzy synthetic ranking. The model expresses the evaluation results with an integrated objective ranking and three criteria ranking. It was tentatively applied to assess an opencast limestone mine. The results indicated that the indices sequences were consistent with the mine background and the expert professional experience and better revealed the impact of geo-hazards risks. Specific assessment factors such as geo-hazards potential, engineering geological condition, and hydrogeological condition were prioritized for further improvement. Compared with existing GEIAM evaluation methods, the proposed assessment model focuses more on expert experience and judgment, breaks through the limitation of local estimation to variable attributes and, most importantly, satisfies the multi-purpose requirements to incorporate real considerations together for mining safety, geo-environmental protection, and natural resource conservation.     

Land evaluation for ecotourism development—an integrated approach based on FUZZY,WLC, and ANP methods

Identification of capacities for development of ecotourism is an undeniable priority in any country. For this purpose, various methods have been proposed by different researchers for locating regions with a potential for the development of ecotourism. These regions have different strong and weak points depending on the regional conditions. Evidently, the use of quantitative methods and reduced expert involvement in the process of decision-making and evaluation can yield better results. Therefore, in this research, a multi-criteria evaluation method based on fuzzy logic and network analysis process (ANP) has been used for the evaluation of the development of ecotourism. Therefore, one of the semi-northern regions of the country—Taleghan county, Alborz province—which has different capacities regarding ecotourism was chosen and investigated. Ecological and socio-economic criteria and indices were first identified and then quantified by fuzzy method, after which they were normalized. Further, the weight of factors was determined by the ANP method. Thereafter, using weight linear combination (WLC) operator, all the layers were combined and the region’s potential for ecotourism was zoned. The outcomes show that out of the entire area, 75.2% has different abilities for ecotourism development, while the remaining area lacks any special ability. Further, the results of the research indicate that the concurrent use of fuzzy logic and ANP method in determining the priority and weight of criteria provides more logical and flexible conditions compared to other methods for land evaluation in the context of the mentioned aim through WLC method.     

An interval matrix method used to optimize the decision matrix in AHP technique for land subsidence susceptibility mapping

The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is one of the most effective methods for criteria ranking/weighting to have been successfully incorporated into GIS analyses. We present a new method for optimizing pairwise comparison decision-making matrices in AHP method, which has been developed on the basis of an interval pairwise comparison matrix (IPCM) derived from expert knowledge. The method has been used for criteria ranking in land subsidence susceptibility mapping (LSSM) as a practical test case, for which an interval matrix was generated by pairwise comparison. To compare the capability of the AHP method (a traditional approach) with that of the proposed IPCM method (a novel approach), 11 creations of LSSM were ranked using each approach in turn. The criteria weightings obtained were then used to produce LSSM maps based on each of these approaches. The results were tested against a data set of known land subsidence occurrences, indicating an improvement in accuracy of about 14% in the LSSM map that was developed using the IPCM method. This improvement was achieved by minimizing the uncertainty associated with criteria ranking/weighting in a traditional AHP and could form a basis for future research into minimizing the uncertainty in weightings derived using the AHP method. Our results will be of considerable importance for researchers involved in GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and those dealing with GIS-based spatial decision-making methods.     

矿井顶板水害预测与防治专家系统

影响顶板水涌出的因素是多方面的，不仅与含水层本身的类型、特征、赋存条件有关，而且还与煤层顶板各隔水岩层的水文地质条件、地层结构及采矿地质条件有关。本文在分析矿井顶板水危害现状及相关专家系统研究概况的基础上，研究了顶板富水性分区的影响因素，以信息拟合方法完成了顶板富水性分区，并以此为基础，结合模糊理论，完成了综合模糊评判决策系统，最后进行了实例验证。     

Evaluating the environmental effects of transportation modes using an integrated methodology and an application

The increasing needs for transportation of freight and passengers causes environmental impacts. Preventing studies for these impacts should be considered by logistics firms and encouraged by the regulations of authorities. An important contribution can be provided by determining the environmental effects of the transportation modes in specific regions and using the most convenient ones. In this study, multiple criteria decision-making techniques, including human judgments, tangible and intangible criteria and priorities are used. Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation, as two of the multi criteria decision-making methodologies, are integrated for ranking the transportation modes in terms of the environmental effects of them. The proposed decision-making process is applied to chose the environmentally convenient transportation mode with respect to the determined evaluation criteria in Marmara Region of Turkey. The results indicate that, the main problem for the Marmara Region about transportation aspects is to pass from the intensive utilization of the road transportation mode to another one. In this study it is seen that the most convenient transformation mode in Marmara Region is the sea transportation mode.     

基于数据挖掘技术的白水河滑坡多场信息关联准则分析

为探究滑坡多场监测数据间的关联准则,采用数据挖掘技术中的两步聚类法与Apriori算法,开展滑坡多场信息关联准则研究。以三峡库区白水河滑坡为例,分析ZG93监测点于2003年6月—2016年12月期间的监测数据,选取影响滑坡变形的主要诱发因子,采用两步聚类法对不同的影响因子进行预聚类和聚类,将数值型变量转化为离散型变量后,应用Apriori算法进行处理,生成满足最小置信度的关联准则,建立白水河滑坡多场耦合作用模式下的影响因子与滑坡位移变形关联准则判据。研究表明,关联准则对于滑坡灾害的变形分析具有重要的意义,数据挖掘技术可较好地应用于三峡库区地质灾害位移预测预报中。     

An extension to the DRASTIC model to assess groundwater vulnerability to pollution: application to the Haouz aquifer of Marrakech (Morocco)

An extension to the DRASTIC model is proposed in order to assess aquifer vulnerability to pollution. In contrast to the DRASTIC model, which considers the unsaturated and saturated zones together and computes a global intrinsic vulnerability index, the suggested approach discriminates between the aquifer vertical vulnerability (a concept related to the pollutant percolation) and the groundwater susceptibility (a concept that depends on the behaviour and uses of the groundwater). This approach is applied to the Haouz aquifer (Morocco) that supplies water to the Marrakech area. This aquifer is widely overexploited and there is evidence that the groundwater quality is threatened by various sources of pollution. Evaluation of the vertical vulnerability indicates that the aquifer mainly presents a moderate-to-weak vertical vulnerability. The zones potentially most favourable to pollutant percolation are mainly located in Central Haouz, along or near the surface wadis. The aquifer susceptibility is high in places located near the N’Fis, Baaja and Issil wadis. Everywhere else, low-to-moderate susceptibility is observed. This new approach therefore enables areas of vertical vulnerability and areas of susceptibility to be delineated separately. As a result, it constitutes a valuable decision-making tool for optimising the management of aquifer water resources and land-use planning.     

Site selection in municipal solid waste management with extended VIKOR method under fuzzy environment

Nowadays, selection of the suitable disposal site in municipal solid waste (MSW) management has become a challenge task for the municipal authorities, especially in fast-growing areas. Site selection can be viewed as a complicated multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem requiring consideration of multiple alternative solutions and conflicting quantitative and qualitative criteria. In this paper, linguistic variables, which can be expressed as trapezoidal fuzzy numbers, are used to assess the ratings and weights for the selection criteria. The ordered weighted averaging operator is utilized to transform the fuzzy decision matrix into crisp values considering the decision maker’s attitudinal character. For selecting the best site, the extended VIsekriterijumska optimizacija i KOmpromisno Resenje (VIKOR) method is applied to determine the priority ranking of alternatives. As a result, a hierarchy MCDM model based on fuzzy set theory and VIKOR method is proposed to deal with the site selection problems in the MSW management system. An empirical study in Shanghai, China, is provided and comparison with the existing approach is conducted to illustrate the applicability and benefits of the proposed method.     

Comprehensive modeling of mineral potential mapping by integration of multiset geosciences data

This work has evaluated the functionality of various fuzzy-based fusion methods in the mineral potential mapping (MPM), by which a multi-criteria decision-making problem was solved to design a layout for drilling complementary boreholes through a comprehensive analysis of geospatial datasets. The novel methods employed were fuzzy c-means clustering, fuzzy gamma operator, fuzzy inference system (FIS), fuzzy outranking, and fuzzy ordered weighted averaging (FOWA). Kahang porphyry Cu-Mo deposit in the Isfahan province of Iran was chosen as a case study to examine the performance of these fuzzy methods in MPM. Extracted geospatial indicator layers for assessing the potential of porphyry-type mineralization were derived from four criteria, namely geology (rock units and faults), remote sensing (alteration map), geochemistry (Cu, Mo, and factor maps), and geophysics (reduced to the pole and analytical signal of magnetic data). The concentration-area multifractal method was utilized to reclassify each synthesized fuzzy favorability map into five classes. To appraise and compare the efficiency of each employed method, a productivity measure assumed as a cumulative summation of Cu grade multiplied by its thickness above an economical cut-off value of 0.2% was calculated along with each drilling (totally 33 ones). According to fuzzy favorability maps derived from running all fuzzy methods, the FIS and FOWA had the highest efficiency with 80 and 78% of accuracy, respectively. Eventually, taking all fuzzy maps into account led to the delineation of some new favorable zones, whereby further exploratory investigations are envisioned for determining their mining potential.     

基于GIS城镇土地利用防灾适宜性评价方法分析

城镇土地利用规划及城市建设应重视土地的防灾适宜性评价,由于地质灾害对人类的生命和财产造成了严重的危害,所以要从防灾的角度进行城镇土地利用适宜性评价。开发基于GIS城镇建设用地防灾适宜性评价方法,借助IDRISI软件,通过对比分析GIS-OWA与布尔决策和权重线性叠加（WLC）等多准则评价方法在决策策略上的区别,计算了唐山市地质灾害影响下的土地利用适宜度