Service

Quarry and stockpile volume calculation

We measure how much material there is, how much has been extracted and how much has changed between two dates, from a digital terrain model and without stepping on the face.

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Aerial orthophoto of a quarry with extraction benches

What it involves

What it is and when it makes sense

The quarry or stockpile is flown, a digital surface model is generated and compared with a reference surface: the base of the excavation, a previous survey or a design plan. The difference between both surfaces is the volume.

Repeating the flight at regular intervals makes it possible to follow extraction and compare it with what was declared or planned.

It is used for

  • Extraction and stock control
  • Stockpile volume measurement
  • Comparison between two dates
  • Support for certifications and settlements

What you receive

Deliverables

01 Volume report
Total and per-zone volume, with the reference surface used.
02 Digital surface model
So the comparison can be repeated in the future.
03 Contour and zone plan
With the limits of each calculation.

Examples

What the result looks like

Aerial orthophoto of a quarry with extraction benches
Quarry orthophoto
3D model of a quarry from photogrammetry
3D surface model
Stockpile point cloud with fill zones in red and excavation in green
Fill and cut zones over the point cloud

Examples of Air Mapping work. Locations and clients are not published.

Process

How we work

  1. Paso 1

    Define the reference

    We agree the base surface and the zones to measure.

  2. Paso 2

    Flight

    Capture of the whole area with coordinate control.

  3. Paso 3

    Model and calculation

    We generate the model and calculate by surface difference.

  4. Paso 4

    Report

    We deliver volumes and files to repeat the calculation.

To quote

What we need from you

  • Location and type of quarry or stockpile
  • Available reference surface (previous survey, plan)
  • Zones to be measured separately
  • Desired frequency, if monitoring is needed

Honestly

What affects the result

  • The result depends on the chosen reference; without a known base, one is agreed before the flight.
  • Standing water, loose moving material and deep shadows affect capture.
  • The error margin is calculated case by case and stated in the report.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How are quarry volumes calculated?

Two digital surfaces are compared, the current one and a reference one, and the volume is the difference between them. These 3D models are generated from LiDAR or photogrammetric data.

With what margin of error?

It depends on the method, the terrain conditions and the reference surface. It is stated in each report.

Keep exploring

Related services

Tell us about your project

Tell us the location, the approximate area and what you need to obtain.

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