Bench Height

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.