The vertical distance between the floor of one mining bench and the crest of the bench below, representing the depth of material excavated in one working level. Bench height is a fundamental open pit design parameter influencing drilling and blasting efficiency, equipment selection, slope stability, and ore recovery. Common bench heights range from 5 to 15 metres for most surface mining operations. Higher benches improve equipment productivity but require more powerful drills and careful blast design to ensure adequate fragmentation and slope stability.
