Analysis of bulking factor as a basis for royalty calculation in aggregate quarrying in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Sri Lanka hosts a variety of mineral resources and the government grants necessary approvals required for mining. As compensation Government charges a royalty. Currently, in aggregate production in Sri Lanka, an explosivebased equation is used for royalty levy calculation which has not been scientifically established where bulking of the material is not considered. As mineral royalty levy is one of the main revenues of the state, deviations of royalty recovery will influence the economy of the country. The study is being conducted on several A grade quarries, and Total Station surveys were used to obtain 3-dimensional coordinates of the muck pile before and after blasting. These data were used to generate a 3D model of the muck pile and the bench, which was used for the bulk volume calculations with the use of the Surfer 16 software. The in-situ volume of the blasted rock was found by truck weight calculations and both the bulk volume and the In-situ volume were used for Bulking Factor calculations, and Powder Factor calculations. This research will lead to significant alterations in the royalty calculations. This approach with new technology will put the royalty calculation on a scientific putting and elevate the royalty calculation methodology.