Block delineation algorithm for rock fragmentation analysis

A block delineation algorithm that distinguishes individual blocks from a muckpile is developed. Blocks are modeled in three dimensions using stereophotogrammetry, and its three-dimensional point-cloud is used as the input data for the block delineation algorithm. This algorithm delineates each block based on the geometrical features of blocks within a scattered or heaped muckpile. The applicability of the algorithm is investigated through laboratory and field experiments. The fragmentation of scattered blocks can be obtained by the proposed delineation algorithm. For analyzing the fragmentation of heaped blocks, the block delineation algorithm is integrated into the statistical estimation method that was developed in a previous study of Han and Song, which is referred to as the surface-based estimation. The algorithm developed in this study was first used to delineate and analyze the blocks, and the fragmentation was subsequently estimated using the surface-based estimation.