Diseño del sistema de explotación de materiales pétreos en el área minera “Zona de manejo especial Río Upano”, código 90000373, ubicada en las parroquias Sevilla Don Bosco, Macas y General Proaño, cantón Morona, provincia de Morona Santiago.

Abstract

The aim of this work was to design a suitable system for the exploitation of stone materials based on sediment transport in the mining area of the Upano River Special Management Zone, located in Morona canton, province of Morona Santiago. A topographic and bathymetric survey of the study area was carried out and with the help of ArcGIS, QGIS, AutoCAD and Civil 3D software, the topography, morphology, geology, hydrology, reserve estimation of each alluvial terrace, among other important parameters to define an exploitation design, were analyzed. At the same time, we proceeded to characterize the existing stone materials in the mining area through identification, granulometric and abrasiveness tests. Through the bathymetric analysis, the fluvial behavior and variations of the Upano River were established; the volume of material of each exploitation front was also calculated. Furthermore, with the creation of sedimentation pits, the capacity for replenishment of stone materials in the Upano riverbed was determined. Once all the information was compiled, an exploitation design was proposed in two work fronts by means of benching with unidirectional advance in a south-north direction or vice versa, on only one side of the river, that is, exploitation by continuous front benching with direct loading in backward direction to the dump trucks. This proposal, executed as a pilot plan on a quarterly basis, obtained beneficial results, which is why the Municipal Government of Morona canton continues to carry out extraction work under this mining design in the mining area of the Upano River Special Management Zone. In conclusion, it is recommended that this mining design should be applied to the different Autonomous Decentralized Governments and mining companies that mine stone material in the Upano riverbed or other areas with similar geomechanically and hydrogeological characteristics.