Optimal junction localization minimizing maximum miners’ evacuation distance in underground mining network

ABSTRACT Safety is a primary consideration in underground mining operations. Accidents could cause fatalities, injuries, and permanent disability of labourers, as well as irreparable financial and reputational losses. As an underground mine consists of many workspaces distributed in various zones, the selection of a junction location will be significant for timely evacuation of miners from different areas. This paper aims to determine the optimal location of the junction point for emergency evacuation in the underground network. The location problem is formulated as a MiniMax problem. Three methods are presented: Elzinga–Hearn algorithm, a three-dimensional extension of the Elzinga–Hearn algorithm, and the Welzl algorithm. The proposed methods are fully implemented in Python, and their functionality is demonstrated by conducting various case studies in 2D and 3D. The case studies showed that the proposed approaches could be used to determine junction point(s) in an underground network to serve as an evacuation location.