Bench Excavation

The removal of rock or soil from a defined horizontal working level in an open pit mine using drilling, blasting, and loading equipment. Bench excavation progresses the pit in a series of steps, with each bench excavated to a specified width and depth before advancing to the next level. In bauxite, iron ore, and gold open pit mines, bench excavation is the primary method of ore and waste rock extraction. Bench geometry, blast design, and equipment selection are optimised for safety, efficiency, and ore recovery.