Practical application of surveying methods for determination of volume quarry mining

Nowadays, various types of geodetic measuring instruments are available in surveying. When conducting a survey of a terrain, surveyor must choose a survey method that is capable of providing high precision measurements. In the surveying process, it is possible to use the following measurement methods − tachymetric survey method, positioning method and remote sensing method. Each of the methods produces data formats that can be used further for volume calculations. The paper analyses the volume differences that are obtained when using various survey methods and volume calculation programs to obtain the surface model. The use of such a tool is important for useful mineral miners, so that surveyors make qualitative surveys and obtain accurate and reliable volumes. Useful minerals miners are required to report annually on their mining volume for a specified period. The useful minerals miners shall at all time keep records of the quantities of minerals actually extracted. Regardless of the type of accounting, topographic surveying and the calculation of volumes, if mineral is extracted in mineral deposits of national importance, more than 50 000 m**3, are required (Augstas detalizācijas topogrāfiskās…, 2012). High-quality and accurate topographic survey is needed to create the most realistic surface model appropriate to the terrain. It is defined that the difference between the volumes obtained from the recording of vehicle loads should not be more than 5% when comparing the result of the mineral extraction from topographic surveys (Derīgo izrakteņu ieguves…, 2012; Noteikumi par valsts…, 2018). Nowadays, various measurement methods can be used to obtain data from which a surface model can be generated, and this model can then be used for volume calculations. The surface model is a set of points where, in addition to plane coordinates (x and y), there is also altitude (z) known (Luukkonen, 2011). Each measurement method has its own different measuring instruments that can be used, each method has its own operating principles, on which the quality and accuracy of the obtained data depends.