UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE
DEPARTMENT OF GEOINFORMATICS AND SURVEYING
COURSE TITLE: Mining Surveying
YEAR: 2024
LECTURER: T.G Hove
1. Introduction
The course is offered to Level V students undertaking Geoinformatics and Surveying in the second
semester. It is assumed that students have a good knowledge of the instruments and methods of plane
surveying. The course weighting is 2. Final mark is made up of 25% course work and 75% examination
mark. Coursework marks are compiled during the session from assignments, in-class tests and practical
exercises. The examination is made up of 5 questions, one of which is compulsory, each question carries
a possible 25 marks are expected to attempt at most four questions.
2. Aims and goals
i. To introduce students to the basic principles of mine surveying necessary for certain Mining
Engineering works.
ii. To provide an understanding of coordinate systems and control densification which are
essential for most construction and mining works.
iii. To provide an understanding to how mine surveying enters all phases of mining engineering
and what methods are best adapted to each kind of work.
3. Objectives
At the end of the course students should be able to:
i. Carry out basic mining surveying operations for both underground and surface mining.
ii. Demonstrate a clear understanding of the various methods used to bring control to a working
site. Particular emphasis will be put to traversing (horizontal control) and spirit levelling
(vertical control).
iii. Calculate earthwork quantities using different methods.
4. Course Content
i. INTRODUCTION TO MINING AND MINING SURVEYING
- Mining Cycle
- Mining terminology
- Underground surveying
- Surface surveying
ii. SURVEYING AND MAPPING OF UNDERGROUND MINES
Underground Traversing
Transfer of bearings from surface to underground workings
- Underground traversing
- Wiesbach method
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Underground detail surveys
Vertical control surveys and levelling
iii. SURVEYING AND MAPPING OF SURFACE MINES
iv. MINE SURVEYING AND PLAN PREPARATION
– Who qualifies to be a mine surveyor?
– types of mine plans
- Preparation of mine plans
v. STRIKE AND DIP TO AN EMBEDDED PLANES
vi. ACQUISITION OF MINING RIGHTS
- Mine and minerals act
- Application and Registration of approved prospectors
- Indicatory beacons and DP Pegs
vii. AREAS AND VOLUMES
- Simpson rule
- Trapezoidal rule
- End area method
- Volumes from contours
- Volume from spot heights
- New technology (laser scanning)
5. Methods of teaching
The lectures will be delivered using PowerPoint Presentations supplemented by white
board explanatory notes, diagrams, questions and discussions.
Practical exercises will be conducted on campus with assistance of technicians.
Tutorials will mainly focus on practice calculation questions.
Lecture notes will be given to students in electronic form.
6. Student assessment
- 1 Quiz
- 2 Assignments
- 3 hours exam paper - Answer 4 questions (25 marks each).
7. Recommended books
1. Underground mining methods handbook, Hustrulid W.A., (1982).
2. Underground mining methods: Engineering Fundamentals and International Case Studies,
Hustrulid W.A & Bullock R. L., (2001).
3. Engineering Surveying, Schofield, W., (2001), 5th Ed Butterworth
4. Surveying for Construction, Irvine W., (1995), McGraw-Hill
5. Surveying for Engineers, Uren J. & Price W. F., Macmillan Press Ltd.
6. Surveying: Principles and Applications, Barry Kavanagh & Tom Mastin. 9th Edition, Pearson.
Tatenda Hove
Department of Geoinformatics and Surveying Engineering, 2024
