Surface Locations Ancillary Activities Tabs

The method used to define the quantity of work for the activity. Options are:

• Fixed: Usually used when the quantity of work is known and is the same across different locations.
• Relative: Usually used when the quantity of work is not the same across different locations, and the quantity of work can be expressed as a calculation involving the material volume or mass in the location. For example, for a drilling activity, if the drill pattern is known, drill metres can be estimated before the exact drillhole layout is designed. The drill metres can be calculated by multiplying the volume by a drill factor that represents the drill length per cubic metre.
• CSV file: Usually used when the quantity of work is not the same across different locations, and values for the work in each location are stored in a CSV file.

The value for the quantity of work for the location.

If the Split locations by polygon / object check box is selected for the activity on the Activity Properties pane, the Value is the quantity of work required for each split of the location.

If the Split locations by polygon / object check box is cleared for the activity on the Activity Properties pane, the Value is the quantity of work for the entire location. The Value can be any number greater than or equal to zero.

Note: This field is available only if the Quantity is Fixed.

The calculation that expresses the work in terms of the volume or mass of the material in the location.

Note: This field is available only if the Quantity is Relative.

The material classes on which the relative quantity is calculated.  When you define the material classes, you can define the activity quantities that are relative to the volume of a material class in the location, for example only ore or only waste. If you do not define the material classes, the quantities for the total volume of all material in the location are calculated.

Note: This field is available only if the Quantity is Relative.

When a CSV file is specified, the activity quantity is read from the CSV file. Using a CSV file for work values can be useful if blastholes have been designed and used to create a CSV file of the drill metres. The work associated with multiple activities, locations, and polygons can exist within the same CSV file.

The format of the headers in the file is Activity, Location, Quantity, and Polygon.

Note: This field is available only if the Quantity is CSV file.

The unit in which the work is measured.

The unit is not used during scheduling, but it is useful to define the unit because activity work quantities can be defined in any units. The unit recorded in this field provides context for the value or expression for work defined in the CSV file. If you publish to Microsoft Project, the unit is used in the Gantt chart. You can type any value in this field. For example, the unit could be drill metres, cubic metres of backfill, or days.

• Selected: The sequence for the activity is specified by the range of polygons or objects entered in the field below this check box. The field becomes available only when the check box is selected. When you specify the activity sequence, you can choose to perform activities in a different order in the same location. For example, it allows you to drill blast polygons in a different order than their mining sequence. It also allows you to choose not to perform the activity for specific polygons or objects. For example, you can choose not to schedule the drilling of polygons that have already been drilled.
• Cleared: The activity polygons or object sequence is the same as the mining sequence.

Opens the Graphical Sequencer, which you can use to select the sequence for your polygons or objects graphically.

When you use Graphical Sequencer the 3D Canvas, reports, and charts are updated as you select the polygons or objects. Updating the 3D Canvas, reports, and charts helps you to choose the best polygon sequence.

The delay, in days, after the location becomes available for this activity, before the activity can start.

The delay, in days, after this activity finishes in the entire location, before the next activity can start in the location.

The delay, in days between when the activity finishes in one split of the location and when the same activity can start in the next split of the location. 

• Selected: Another activity, defined in the Activity field, must be partially complete or complete, as defined in the % Complete field, in the preceding location before this activity can start in the selected location or locations. The preceding location is defined in the Precedences data grid in the Setup Schedule> Precedences tab. The preceding location is the Predecessor location for the row in the grid in which the selected location is the Successor location.
• Cleared: No other activity needs to be partially completed or complete in any other location before the activity can start in the selected location.

Notes:

• All activities that follow an activity for which the Production check box is selected also honour the production precedences. Each subsequent activity in the sequence can be carried out only after the previous activity is completed, which means that any activity that follows an activity that honours the productions precedences can only be carried out in accordance with the production precedences.
• The mining activity always honours the production precedences. Because all activities that follow an activity that honours the production precedences also honour the production precedences, all activities that follow the mining activity honour the production precedences.

Example

In an underground scenario there are two stopes, A and B, each with three activities, drilling, blasting, and mining (in that order). A precedence rule exists, in Setup Schedule > Precedences, which defines that mining must be complete in stope A before mining can start in stope B.

If you are able to drill stope B before mining is complete in stope A, you would not select the Production check box to define a precedence for the drilling activity.

If you cannot blast stope B before mining is complete in stope A, you would select the Production check box for the blasting activity. You would choose Mining for the Activity, and at 100 percent, to represent that all mining must be complete in stope A before blasting can begin in stope B.

• Selected: The precedences defined in the Setup Schedule > Precedences tab are applied to the activity.
• Cleared: The precedences defined in the Setup Schedule > Precedences tab are not applied to the activity.

Note: If you want all activities in the sequence to honour the same development precedences, select this check box for the first activity in the sequence. All activities that follow the first activity are carried out only after the first activity has started, so they will honour the same development precedences, even if this check box is not selected for the subsequent activity.

• Selected: An activity must be partially complete or complete in the polygon or object of the same number in the previous location before the ancillary activity can start in the polygon or object of the same number in the selected locations. The previous location is defined in the Spatial relationships data grid in the Setup Schedule> Parameters tab. The previous location is the Primary location for the row in the grid in which the selected location is the Secondary location.
• Cleared: No other activity needs to be partially completed or complete in any location, defined as the Primary location in the Spatial relationships data grid in the Parameters tab, before the activity can start in the selected locations.

Note: These fields are available only if the Split locations by polygon / object check box is selected for the activity on the Activity Properties pane.

Example

In a surface scenario there are two locations, overburden and ore. The overburden lies on top of the ore. The locations are separated by a geological contact. A spatial relationship exists, in Setup Schedule > Parameters, which defines that the overburden lies on top of the ore and block precedences must be calculated from the ore blocks to the overburden blocks. This spatial relationship makes sure that ore blocks are scheduled for mining only after they are exposed by removal of the overburden. Two activities are defined for the scenario, drilling and mining.

If drilling is not able to be carried out in a polygon in the ore location until mining is complete in the overburden, you would select the Other locations check box for the mining activity. You would choose drilling for the Activity, and at 100 percent, to represent that all mining must be complete in the overburden before drilling can begin in the ore.

• Selected: An activity must be partially complete or complete in the previous polygon or objects in the selected location before the ancillary activity can start in the next polygon or object of the same location.
• Cleared: No other activity needs to be partially completed or complete in the previous polygons or objects of the selected locations before the ancillary activity can start in the next polygon or object of the same location.

Note: These fields are available only if the Split locations by polygon / object check box is selected for the activity on the Activity Properties pane.

Example

In a surface scenario there are two ancillary activities, drilling and blasting. The mining activity is mandatory, so the scenario has a total of three activities, drilling, blasting, and mining. The critical path in the scenario and the drilling rate allows drilling to proceed ahead of the mining activity.

Blasting occurs after drilling and before mining. Using the default settings a polygon would be available for blasting as soon as drilling is completed. However, if you did not want to blast the polygon until mining is complete in the previous polygon, you would select the Same location check box. You would select mining for the Activity, and at 100 percent, to represent that mining must be complete in the previous polygon before blasting can begin in the polygon.