Underground Ground Failures Cause
34% of Mining Fatalities
The Challenge
Convergence readings scattered across shift logs
Extensometers, convergence pins, and MPBX instruments generate readings every shift. Paper logs record individual readings but nobody plots the trends. A 2mm daily convergence rate is invisible in a stack of shift reports until the heading is already compromised.
Rock bolt installation records lack location precision
Ground support designs specify bolt patterns by rock class. Miners install bolts at the face and log counts on paper, but the exact location, angle, and spacing are estimated. When a fall of ground occurs, proving the design was followed requires records that do not exist.
Shotcrete thickness verification is inconsistent
Shotcrete thickness must match the ground support design. Core samples and probe holes verify thickness at a few points. Paper records show pass/fail but not the coverage pattern. Thin spots between verification points go undocumented.
Support class changes not communicated shift to shift
When the geologist changes the ground support class based on face mapping, the paper change notice reaches the next shift crew through verbal handoff. Miners at the face install support based on what the previous crew told them, not what the geologist documented.
The POD Advantage
Voice-logged convergence readings
Speak convergence pin measurements, extensometer readings, and visual ground conditions as you take them at each station. POD timestamps every reading and plots trend lines that flag acceleration before it becomes critical.
GPS-tagged bolt installation records
Every rock bolt documented with location, angle, length, and pattern spacing. POD maps bolt installations against the ground support design so engineers can verify the pattern was followed without entering the heading.
Photo-documented shotcrete coverage
Shotcrete thickness readings and coverage photos linked to the specific heading and station. POD builds a coverage map showing verified thickness across the entire supported area, not just probe hole locations.
Support class change alerts
When the geologist changes the ground support class, POD pushes the new requirements to every crew member working that heading. The updated support design is on their device before they drill the next bolt.
Ground Control Intelligence
“We had convergence data showing 8mm of movement over two weeks but the paper logs were in three different binders. By the time engineering reviewed them together, the heading had advanced another 40 meters past the problem zone. POD would have flagged the trend in real time.”
— Ground Control Engineer, Underground Hard Rock Mine
Industry-Specific KPIs That Update Themselves
POD tracks hundreds of KPIs from a 5-minute voice report. Here are just 2 of them.
Safety Performance
Earned Value Performance
Both cost and schedule under pressure
These update in real time from a 5-minute voice report. No spreadsheets. No data entry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Stop Guessing About Ground Conditions
See how POD turns ground control data into real-time engineering intelligence with every reading documented at the face.