RANKING OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CRITERIA FOR THE SELECTION OF THE MINING METHOD FOR NON-STRATIFIED DEPOSITS

Abstract

Selecting and planning of the mining method for non-stratified deposits is the most delicate and complex process on which the success of the mine depends. This procedure is basically a multi-criteria decision making problem in which the aim is to select the best mining method from many alternatives. The aim of this paper is to show the influence of many factors (criteria) in the selecting of the most suitable mining method and to determine their influence on this process. The eight groups of influencing factors, i.e. criteria, were taken into account – geometric data on the ore body, the mechanical characteristics of the massif, the ore reserves, the situation on the surface of the terrain, the workforce, the possible environmental hazards, the market conditions and the safe working conditions. The AHP method was used for ranking these criteria. The ranking was carried out by mining experts and managers of various underground mines in Serbia using the group decision method. The results obtained show a clear distinction between the individual criteria when selecting the best mining method. Furthermore, the results clearly show the importance of the ranking process in determining the most influential criteria in this very complex process.