Development of drain hole design optimisation: a conceptual model for open pit mine slope drainage system with fractured media using a multi-stage genetic algorithm

High rainfall in equatorial regions leads to high groundwater levels or pore pressures and a high risk of landslides on the slopes of open pit mines, hindering mining operations. To lower the groundwater level surrounding a slope, a drainage system is needed. A drain hole is a part of a drainage system which utilises gravity to drain groundwater. Drain hole installation in fractured media requires the determination of the number, location, length and other parameters of the drain holes. Drain holes are frequently installed in uniform configurations or in layouts with uniform spacing, which are often ineffective and uneconomical, as some holes are not in the right positions or directions within the fractured media. This paper attempts to develop a conceptual model of an optimised configuration of drain holes by setting the drain hole parameters, or decision variables, such as number, location and length, in such a way that it produces the most effective and efficient outcome by maximising groundwater lowering and minimising cost. The optimisation is supported by the multi-stage genetic algorithm method in combination with a groundwater simulator, hereafter called the multi-stage GWSim-GA SO method. The procedure of the conceptual model will be further developed and used as a framework in the groundwater management of fractured media of an open pit mine slope.