A maximum flow formulation of a multi-period open-pit mining problem

We consider the problem of finding an optimal mining sequence for an open pit during a number of time periods subject to only spatial and temporal precedence constraints. This problem is of interest because such constraints are generic to any open-pit scheduling problem and, in particular, because it arises as a Lagrangean relaxation of an open-pit scheduling problem. We show that this multi-period open-pit mining problem can be solved as a maximum flow problem in a time-expanded mine graph. Further, the minimum cut in this graph will define an optimal sequence of pits. This result extends a well-known result of J.-C. Picard from 1976 for the open-pit mine design problem, that is, the single-period case, to the case of multiple time periods.

Open-pit mining; Integer programming; Scheduling; Maximum flow; Maximal closure; Lagrangean relaxation
MATHEMATICS
MATEMATIK

Larsson, TorbjörnLinköpings universitet,Optimeringslära,Tekniska högskolan(Swepub:liu)torla64 (författare)
Textorius, BjörnLinköpings universitet,Tillämpad matematik,Tekniska högskolan(Swepub:liu)bjote47 (författare)
University of Cape Coast, GhanaOptimeringslära (creator_code:org_t)

Ingår i:Operational Research: Springer Berlin/Heidelberg14:1, s. 1-101109-28581866-1505

Av författaren/redakt...: Amankwah, Henry; Larsson, Torbjör ...; Textorius, Björn

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