Map3D Course Details

Day 1

Day 1 lectures concentrate on the review of basic principles required for the understanding and interpretation of modelling results.

Morning - Basic modelling/rock mechanics concepts

  • The fundamentals - model inputs and outputs and accuracy.
  • What is numerical modelling?
  • How does numerical modelling work?
  • What is the difference between various numerical modelling codes?
  • What are we trying to achieve using numerical modelling?
  • What is the “conventional approach” for applying numerical modelling to mine design?
  • How well does this approach work?
  • What are the limitations of this approach?
  • Use of modelling for quantitative mine design.
  • Assessment of model results accuracy and reliability.
  • Methodology for calculation of statistics.

Afternoon - Model building and setup using the Map3D CAD interface

  • Everything user need to know about setup and running Map3D.
  • This includes hands on model building and running simple examples.
  • Free-hand construction, FFLoop construction, DDLoop construction.
  • Program functionality including pre-processing of outlines, rapid model building using the trace routines.
  • Focus on basic model building skills and familiarization with the program interface.

Day 2

Day 2 lectures concentrate on the application of rock mechanics principles in the interpretation of modelling results.

Morning - Calibration/interpretation of models

  • How to interpret model results.
  • Failure criteria for rock mass, fault-slip and structurally controlled response.
  • Prediction reliability/Probability of failure.
  • Relating model results to actual in situ behaviour.
  • Using modelling results to assess pillar stability, drift stability, fault slip, joint set activation.
  • Utilization of probability of failure in the design of pillar widths, spans, support length etc.
  • Discussion of the validity of Mohr-Coulomb, Hoek-Brown and back-analysis for model calibration.
  • Assessment of fault stability.
  • Use of ubiquitous joint failure criterion.
  • Application and interpretation of elastic modelling results.
  • Multiple example applications of the use of failure criteria and back-analysis techniques in design are presented tutorial style.
  • Participants will work through design examples involving of pillars, backs, abutments, ground support, blast-hole stability etc.
  • Integrated Excel plotting functions are used throughout.

Afternoon - Model solving

  • Accuracy of results including discussion of program control parameters, discretization and lumping.
  • Specification of far field stress state, modulus, strength parameters etc.
  • Debugging non-convergent models.
  • Optimising models to reduce run times.

Day 3

Day 3 - Advanced modelling - Map3D Visco-Plastic and Fault-Slip

Day 3 lectures concentrate on advanced rock mechanics principles including plastic and elastic softening modelling.


  • Elastic softening to emulate plastic failure analysis using Map3D Fault-Slip.
    • Set up of elastic softening models.
    • Calibration and interpretation.
    • Comparison to elastic and plastic modelling results.

  • 3D plastic failure analysis using Map3D Visco-Plastic.
    • Set up of 3D plastic models.
    • Calibration and interpretation.
    • Comparison to elastic modelling results.

  • Plastic fault-slip analysis using Map3D Fault-Slip.
    • Set up of fault-slip models.
    • Calibration of fault-slip models.
    • Comparison to elastic modelling results.

  • Optional presentations - time permitting:
    • Slope stability problems.
    • Use of modelling to identify burst prone locations.
    • Correlation with observed bursting - case studies.