SiroModel

Overview

OPS/ SIROMODEL was developed as part of the original Large Open Pit Mine Slope Stability Project (LOP 1).

Currently, the software is only available to the original sponsors of that project as well as researchers. However, sponsors have approved the release of the software and the process to finalise this underway.

This application allows the user to create a model of a section of an open pit excavation for slope stability analyses. It also includes a multi-function discrete fracture network (DFN) generator. This allows deterministic discontinuities such as bedding planes and faults and deterministic joints to be added to this model. Stochastically generated joints can also be generated upon each simulation by defining the statistical parameters for each set. Precedence settings can be used to control the way various discontinuity sets terminate against each other. The software will determine the intersections of all these structures and the presence of all complete blocks within the model, known as a block model (also known as a polyhedral model). Statistics on each block can be generated, including limit equilibrium stability assessment, and the blocks can be viewed individually or as an ensemble. A batch of simulations can be run constituting a Monte Carlo analysis which can then be analysed.

The block finding algorithm used in Siromodel has been designed for handling finite persistence structures. It therefore does not utilise optimisations or efficiencies available to other algorithms that are limited to handling infinite persistent structures. If the structures you are modelling consist almost entirely of persistent structures, then Siromodel may not be the optimal solution and one of the variety of spreadsheet or application based codes currently available may be more suitable.
Model of an open pit mine showing kinematic analysis of daylighting blocks and wedges (left) and results of a Monte Carlo Simulation (right).

Intro video

A 3 minute video summarising the functionality of Siromodel.

siromodel_overview_narration_small

Download

OPS versions developed under LOP

These are available upon request.

OPS v4.8 beta and later

CSIRO undertakes limited ongoing development of OPS on request and for research purposes (perpetual beta versions). OPS uses the Matlab Component Runtime libraries (1.7GB file) and these are bundled in the base installation pack shown below. On first startup, OPS may take several minutes to start while the necessary files are extracted and installed. A trial license is initiated on first startup. Only 64-bit installations are now supported.

  1. Download & run the .exe file for the base installation pack OPS v4.8 beta (~2GB file) Download
  2. Running this version will automatically install upgrades
    1. Alternatively, update 4.8.8 can be accessed directly as follows (80MB) Download

Installing a license

Additional licenses can be requested for installing OPS on different machines. Once the license key is emailed to you, select ‘License status’ from the Help menu and paste the key into the empty field of the license installation dialog box and click ‘Install’.

Release Notes

Release Notes – Download

Documentation

OPS Software Manual –  available here .

Acknowledgements

Please acknowledge use of this software in any publications or reports by citing the following:

SIROMODEL. https://research.csiro.au/msci/projects/mining/siromodel/

Elmouttie, M., Poropat, G., Krähenbühl, G. 2010. Polyhedral modelling of rock mass structure. International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences. Volume 47, Issue 4, June 2010, Pages 544-552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2010.03.002

Contact information

Marc Elmouttie
Phone: +61 7 3327 4775
Email: Marc.Elmouttie@csiro.au