Standard Slice Frameworks

Sections and Levels

A standard MSO framework permits the specification of section and level parameters, and if (and how) to use ore development strings to recognize and respect the position of pre-existing development drives (like ore drives or exploration headings) when generating stope shapes.

In the Standard Framework mode, you can define:

• Sections (U-direction) to control how the orebody is sliced along strike or laterally.

• Levels (V-direction) to control the vertical segmentation, such as development horizons or production levels.

Ore Development Strings

Standard frameworks can also be enhanced using ore development strings. These strings are used recognize and respect the position of pre-existing development drives (like ore drives or exploration headings) when generating stope shapes. These strings act as hard constraints, forcing the optimizer to include at least part of the stope shape within a specific range around the string geometry.

This feature is particularly valuable in projects where development already exists or is committed, and stope generation must align with that infrastructure. The result is stope designs that are better aligned with existing development layouts and more practical for implementation.

These constraints are non-negotiable: stopes that do not intersect the development string within the defined range are rejected entirely. As such, use this facility when you want to anchor stope shapes to infrastructure, especially in production schedules.

Ore Development Strings Example

You are working with a narrow-vein gold deposit with development on level 1000 RL, and your strings trace the ore drives. Setting the Minimum proximity distance to -0.5 and the Maximum to 0.5 constrains MSO to only accept stopes that intersect within ±0.5 m of the ore development string, mimicking tight development compliance.

Typically, these strings represent drive development.

Also see Advanced Slice Frameworks