Associated Event

Caving 2026
11–13 August 2026 | Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Automated Geotechnical Data Extraction from Core Photography for Caving Projects Workshop

Half day event (pm) | 14 August 2026 | Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

 

This workshop will be held immediately following Caving 2026. 

About the workshop

This half-day workshop focuses on the practical use of Datarock Core to convert core photography into meaningful geotechnical data for caving-type operations. The workshop s all explore the full workflow: from image capture in the core shed, through automated processing in Datarock Core, to interpreting outputs in the context of block or sublevel caving design. Two real case studies – discing analysis at Sunrise Dam Gold Mine and fracture–frequency assessment at Carrapateena Mine – will anchor the learning and show how these methods apply on the ground. 

Key themes 

Core image capture and preparation.
Automated image analysis with Datarock Core geotechnical parameter extraction and interpretation real-world case studies workflow integration into caving projects hands-on/interactive session. 

Who should attend?

This workshop is suitable for geologists, geophysicists, geotechnical engineers, geomechanics experts, and mining engineers at all levels wanting to increase their knowledge on the applications of muon tomography data and approaches for interpretation in a cavemining environment. It is expected attendees will have working familiarity with 1st and 2nd year university math (basic linear algebra and calculus), and strong working knowledge of core geological and geomechanical concepts in mining.

Objectives 

By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to: 

  • describe how Datarock Core ingests and processes core imagery (including image agnostic input, markup reading, and batch processing)
  • configure and run key geotechnical analytics within Datarock Core (e.g. RQD, fracture detection, joint set analysis, discing) 
  • interpret the outputs (reviewing visualisation of results) in the context of caving geotechnics: rock mass character and discontinuity frequency 
  • integrate core photography workflow into the broader geotechnical design/monitoring loop for a caving project: data capture → digital processing → analysis → design input 
  • identify common pitfalls (image quality issues, depth registration errors) and how to mitigate them through good core photography and markup practice 
  • apply lessons from Sunrise Dam and Carrapateena case studies to their own projects: critically assess the quality of their logged datasets and assessing results. 

Program overview 

  1. Welcome and introduction 
  2. Datarock Overview
  3. Introduction to machine learning on core photography digital core photography automated analysis with Datarock
  4. Core case study 1: discing at Sunrise Dam Gold Mine 
  5. Case study 2: fracture frequency at Carrapateena Mine
  6. Hands-on group activity practical core shed integrations  
  7. Wrap-up and discussions 

Please note: lunch is provided to attendees before the workshop begins.

Workshop presenters include:

Luisa D’Andrea
Principal Geoscientist
Datarock, Australia

Luisa is the principal geoscientist at Datarock, bringing more than 20 years’ experience as a geophysicist across exploration and mine-site operations, including long-term work at Oyu Tolgoi. At Datarock, she works closely with customers to understand the real challenges they face on site and to help translate these into practical machine-learning solutions for geological and geotechnical workflows. Her focus is on bridging operational needs with emerging technology to deliver meaningful, site-ready outcomes.

Sam Johnson
Lead Geotechnical Engineer
Datarock, Australia

Sam is the geotechnical lead at Datarock, where he works with mining and exploration companies to improve their geotechnical data collection, enabling improved decision making. He leads a team of engineers that onboard customers to Datarock’s products, as well as working closely with customers and industry partners to continuously develop Datarock’s suite of geotechnical products. Sam’s background across geotechnical engineering, project management and technical innovation enable him to focus on providing practical applications of modern technologies.

Morgan O’Neill
Geologist
Datarock, Australia

Morgan is a geologist working across geology and geotechnical project delivery, combining practical expertise with applied machine learning to create high-quality, standardised datasets. She specialises in taking core photography along with geological and geotechnical observations to create consistent, usable information and developing new dataset types for clients seeking to improve the accuracy and value of their downhole datasets.