Accuracy 101
Remove drama and friction from managing your stockpile measurements by understanding what influences accuracy
Improving the accuracy of stockpile measurements brings reliability to your inventory reporting and removes drama and friction from your site operations. SR Measure’s automated inventory measurements can help you eliminate resources spent chasing variances and managing disputes. Here are three main sources of accuracy variance and how they affect your measurements.
Base Planes
Want to have a fight over stockpiles? Miss an inch on your base plane estimate! Even small errors create big problems
The accuracy of a stockpile measurement is heavily influenced by the base plane estimate. Apps that rely on users to manually select ground levels around a stockpile are susceptible to human error, and even slight variations in base plane levels will impact accuracy by a large volume. Consider a stockpile as small as 1,000 tons:
The accuracy of a stockpile measurement is heavily influenced by the base plane estimate. Apps that rely on users to manually select ground levels around a stockpile are susceptible to human error, and even slight variations in base plane levels will impact accuracy by a large volume. Consider a stockpile as small as 1,000 tons:
The 1,000 Ton Pile
Stockpile Facts
Weight: 1,076 tons
Volume: 762 cubic yards
Footprint: 377 square yards
Height: 20 feet
Defining the base plane for this stockpile carries a high level of risk, as even small estimation errors of one inch can have significant impacts. These graphs show the impact of measurement errors in base plane as a percentage of inventory value and converted tons for a range errors from 1 inch to 1 foot.
Extending the error across your company to an inventory valued at $10M, one inch can have a catastrophic impact on financial results!
Pile Visibility
Can’t see the pile? This is no way to measure what you can’t see
SR Measure uses image-based data to generate volumes of stockpiles. Seeing as much of the pile as possible from the ground will ensure higher levels of accuracy.
In a perfect world, every stockpile is shaped like a cone and all surfaces are visible. However, we work in the real world where piles come in limitless shapes.
These two real-world stockpile examples show the areas that are seen from the SR Measure app. The conical pile will have the highest level of accuracy. The other measurement will have an estimated surface on top. We typically see minor accuracy variations if the top consists of undulating bumps. For large ramped stockpiles we suggest using a drone with an enterprise license of Stockpile Reports.
Ideal measurement with 100% visibility
Red area represents area not visible from the ground
Obstructions
Just like NASCAR, you want a clear view of the stockpile. Get out the weed whacker and move those loaders!
Objects blocking your view of the stockpile surface can have a major impact on the accuracy of your measurement. A few plant sprouts on the backside of a stockpile may not add much to the volume. However, several inches of grass or a shrub covering a large section of the stockpile could add extra percentages of volume.
Equipment is another obstruction often encountered when measuring a stockpile. While you may be able to walk around the equipment, the SR Measure app cannot remove the equipment from on the onsite measurement.
We suggest periodic removal of vegetation to minimize impact on accuracy. Moveable equipment should be cleared from the vicinity of the stockpile prior to measurement.
Objects blocking your view of the stockpile surface can have a major impact on the accuracy of your measurement. A few plant sprouts on the backside of a stockpile may not add much to the volume. However, several inches of grass or a shrub covering a large section of the stockpile could add extra percentages of volume.
Equipment is another obstruction often encountered when measuring a stockpile. While you may be able to walk around the equipment, the SR Measure app cannot remove the equipment from on the onsite measurement.
We suggest periodic removal of vegetation to minimize impact on accuracy. Moveable equipment should be cleared from the vicinity of the stockpile prior to measurement.