Justification of optimal width of front bank with regard to mineral mining losses in various geological conditions

The study focuses on optimization of dredging parameters at gold placers in view of the essentiality of balancing productiveness of dredging equipment and minimization of mining losses of minerals. The study objective is justification of the optimal width of a front bank for 250- and 380-liter dredges to ensure a maximized economic efficiency in various geological conditions. The study used the methods of mathematical modeling of mineral mining losses versus the front bank width, and the statistical analysis of production data and values of engineering. It is found that the increase in the front bank width from 50 to 100 m for a 250-liter dredge increases the mineral mining losses by 35–45%, while the expansion of the front bank from 70 to 150 m for a 380-liter dredge decreases the losses by 40–55%. The optimized width ranges for a front bank are: 80–90 m for a 250-liter dredge and 110–130 m for a 380-liter dredge at the gold content ≥500 mg/m³. It is shown that introduction of the proposed parameters can increase extraction of mineral products from the subsoil by 12–18%, thereby increasing profits of a mine. The research findings have practical significance for the dredging design and for the updating of regulatory documents on placer mining. 

Meshkov I. A., Talgamer B. L., Murzin N. V., Roslavtseva Yu. G. Justification of optimal width of front bank with regard to mineral mining losses in various geological conditions. MIAB. Mining Inf. Anal. Bull. 2026;(4):16-29. [In Russ]. DOI: 10.25018/0236_1493_2026_4_0_16.

I.A. Meshkov¹, Graduate Student, Research Engineer, e-mail: meshkovia@ex.istu.edu, ORCID ID: 0009-0006-5298-7929,
B.L. Talgamer¹, Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor, e-mail: talgamer@ex.istu.edu, Scopus Author ID: 57196258850, ORCID ID: 0000-0003-1201-2693,
N.V. Murzin¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Assistant Professor, e-mail: murzinnv@ex.istu.edu, Scopus Author ID: 57217845755, ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6833-7860,
Yu.G. Roslavtseva¹, Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Head of Chair, e-mail: ryg@ex.istu.ed, Scopus Author ID: 57208126909, ORCID ID: 0000-0001-8799-7269,
¹ Irkutsk National Research Technical University, 664074, Irkutsk, Russia.

I.A. Meshkov, e-mail: meshkovia@ex.istu.edu.

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