The development system diagram is an engineering drawing that visually represents the geological conditions of the mining area and the layout system of development roadways, based on the principle of orthographic projection. At its core, it integrates key engineering elements such as shafts, yard areas, main transport drifts, and ventilation systems at a scale of 1:2000 or 1:5000, providing a clear and intuitive depiction of the mine’s development plan, stage divisions, production systems, and geological structures. This diagram serves as the fundamental basis for mine planning, construction, and long-term expansion or renovation projects.

Geological elements serve as the foundational information layer for mine development diagrams, and precise annotation is critical to ensuring the rationality and safety of mine development. As the legally defined boundary for resource extraction, the boundaries of a mining field must be clearly delineated, with coordinates and turning-point information accurately determined—this is essential for preventing unauthorized overstepping and guaranteeing the orderly exploitation of resources. Meanwhile, contour lines representing the coal seam floor directly illustrate the undulating topography of the coal seam. By analyzing the density of these contour lines, one can readily assess variations in the coal seam’s dip angle, providing a clear basis for strategically positioning roadways along both the strike and dip directions of the seam. In the development design of a particular coal mine, for instance, transport drifts were carefully laid out in areas where the coal seam dip remained relatively gentle, based on the coal seam floor contour lines. This approach effectively reduced transportation challenges and minimized equipment wear and tear.

The contour line representing the minimum mining thickness is used to delineate the extent of coal seams with economic value. For areas where the seam thickness falls below this minimum threshold, they can either be excluded in advance during mine development planning or reserved as special resources. Fault intersection lines and igneous intrusion zones serve as critical geological markers: faults may cause coal seams to shift and fracture, thereby increasing the difficulty of roadway support and elevating the risk of water inrush; meanwhile, igneous intrusions can alter the structure and quality of the coal. Clearly marking these areas on the mine development layout map enables engineers to proactively devise tailored strategies for reinforcement, waterproofing, and adjustments to mining techniques.

Shaft and Industrial Site

The shaft is the critical link between the mine and the outside world, and its specific form—whether a vertical shaft, inclined shaft, or adit—depends on factors such as terrain, geological conditions, and the scale of mining operations. The main shaft typically handles the task of coal hoisting, while the auxiliary shaft is responsible for transporting personnel, equipment, and materials, as well as performing essential support functions like ventilation and drainage. The depth and azimuth of the shaft determine its precise spatial position underground; therefore, depth measurements must be accurate to within centimeters, and azimuth errors are tightly controlled to ensure seamless alignment with the bottom-level car shed and all horizontal drifts. Moreover, defining the protective coal pillar area around the industrial site is crucial to prevent damage to the shaft and industrial facilities caused by surrounding mining activities. The dimensions of these protective pillars are calculated comprehensively, taking into account factors such as the properties of overlying strata, mining depth, and coal seam thickness, and are determined using mechanical models and empirical formulas.

Horizontal and Main Lane System

Stage division involves dividing the mining field vertically into several extraction sections, with each stage equipped with a corresponding mining level. Determining the elevation of these mining levels requires balancing coal seam occurrence conditions, lifting capacity, and the rationality of the drainage system. The bottom-of-shaft car shed, serving as the vital link between the shaft and main roadways, influences transportation efficiency and throughput capacity depending on its design—such as circular or return-type configurations. When selecting the elevation for transport roadways, factors like coal seam stability, surrounding rock conditions, and transportation needs must be carefully considered. Typically, the roadway gradient is maintained within 3‰ to 5‰ to facilitate the natural flow of coal and materials, while the roadway length is determined based on the extent of the mining field along its strike and the planned subdivision of mining areas. The layout of the ventilation system—including main return airways, return air shafts, and connecting drifts—must ensure smooth airflow, stable ventilation patterns, and adequate air supply to all underground work locations, effectively preventing methane accumulation and mitigating fire risks.

The selection of the initial mining area is a strategic decision in mine development, requiring a comprehensive consideration of factors such as coal seam characteristics, geological structures, surface facilities, and initial investment. Typically, areas with thick coal seams, stable geological conditions, and proximity to shafts and industrial sites are prioritized as the primary mining zones, helping to reduce extraction costs and shorten the construction timeline. The layout of up-and-down ramps within the mining area determines the methods and directions for transporting coal and materials; accordingly, their slope, cross-sectional dimensions, and support systems must be carefully designed based on transportation equipment requirements, ventilation needs, and the stability of surrounding rock formations. The mining sequence follows the principles of "first near, then far," "first easy, then difficult," and "first thin, then thick," ensuring that the order of mining operations across different zones and working faces is optimized to maintain continuous and stable production throughout the mine.

Defining the boundaries of protective coal pillars is a crucial measure for achieving green mining and ensuring ground safety. For ground-level structures such as residential areas, schools, hospitals, and other buildings, the appropriate size and shape of protective coal pillars should be determined based on the importance of the structure and the extent of mining-induced impacts. For water bodies like rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, waterproof coal pillars must be established to prevent mining activities from causing water to surge into underground mines. Additionally, for critical transportation routes such as railways, the stability of coal pillars must be carefully maintained to avoid subsidence of the roadbed and deformation of tracks due to mining activities. In one particular mining area, precise calculations and rational delineation of protective coal pillars successfully prevented mining-related disruptions to nearby villages and railway lines, thereby enabling a harmonious balance between resource development and environmental protection.

Geological Data Extraction

Based on the well construction geological description and contour maps of coal seam floor elevations, essential data such as stratigraphic lithology, structural distribution, and hydrological parameters are extracted. The well construction geological description provides a detailed record of the minefield's geological structures, stratigraphic features, and coal seam occurrence conditions—information that is indispensable for drawing the development system diagram. Meanwhile, the contour maps of coal seam floors visually illustrate the undulating patterns and variations in coal seam orientation. By analyzing these maps, key parameters like coal seam dip angle and strike can be obtained, offering critical guidance for roadway layout planning. For instance, when developing the mining plan for a specific coal mine, an in-depth analysis of the geological data enabled precise identification of fault locations and displacement heights, allowing engineers to avoid routing roadways directly through faults. This approach not only ensured the safety of the project but also facilitated the smooth progression of the entire mining operation.

Design Parameter Import

The design outcomes—including the delineation of the mining field boundaries, stage division, roadway cross-sectional dimensions, and equipment selection—ensure that the drawings accurately reflect the optimal engineering layout. Determining the mining field boundaries clearly defines the scope of resource extraction, while stage division dictates the sequence of mining operations and the arrangement of mining levels. Roadway cross-section sizes must be carefully determined based on factors such as transportation equipment, ventilation needs, and pedestrian safety. Meanwhile, equipment selection directly influences the mine’s production capacity and efficiency. In the development design of a certain metal mine, the vertical shaft method was rationally chosen according to the orebody’s occurrence conditions and the scale of mining operations. The appropriate shaft diameter and depth were also precisely defined, while roadway cross-section dimensions and equipment types were optimized simultaneously, ultimately enhancing both the mine’s productivity and economic returns.

Base Map Construction

Based on the topographic control network data, contour lines and the grid system of latitude and longitude were drawn to accurately locate the industrial plaza and the surface projection of the shaft, thereby establishing the map's reference coordinate system. The topographic control network data provided precise geographic coordinates that served as the foundation for creating the base map. By plotting contour lines, the map vividly illustrates the terrain's undulating features, while the latitude-longitude grid offers a unified coordinate framework, making it easy to pinpoint the locations of various engineering elements. The industrial plaza is the core area for mine production and management, and the accurate positioning of the shaft's surface projection ensures seamless integration between the shaft and ground-level facilities. In the development system drawing of a particular coal mine, high-precision topographic control network data was used to meticulously draw contour lines and the grid system, clearly showcasing the positions of the industrial plaza and the shaft—laying a solid groundwork for subsequent roadway layout and engineering design.

Hierarchical Drawing of Engineering Elements

According to the projection rules—use a plan view when the coal seam dip is less than 45°, and an elevation view when it’s 45° or greater—layered annotations are applied to each horizontal roadway, with different line types used to distinguish between functional systems such as transportation, return air, and filling. Proper application of these projection rules ensures that the roadway layout is presented clearly and accurately on the drawing. Layered annotations of each horizontal roadway also provide a直观 (intuitive) representation of the engineering layouts at different levels and their interrelationships. Meanwhile, using distinct line types to differentiate among transportation, return air, and filling systems makes it easier to quickly identify and understand the orientation and functions of each system. In a certain metal mine, where the ore body has a relatively steep dip, an elevation view was employed to draw the development system diagram, clearly illustrating the vertical relationships among all horizontal roadways as well as the layout of ventilation and transportation systems. This approach provides an intuitive and effective reference for the mine’s production management.

Parameter Label Standardization

Ensure that tunnel names, cross-sectional dimensions (width × height), slope (‰), elevation (m), and protective coal pillar dimensions are clearly labeled, so engineering parameters can directly guide construction. Tunnel names should be concise and easy to identify and remember. Accurate labeling of parameters such as cross-sectional dimensions, slope, elevation, and protective coal pillar sizes is critical for maintaining engineering quality and safety throughout the construction process. In the development system diagram of a certain coal mine, detailed annotations have been provided for each tunnel's parameters. Construction personnel can now directly refer to the drawings to obtain all necessary information for execution, thereby preventing construction errors and potential safety hazards caused by unclear or ambiguous data.

After the drawing is completed, spatial logic verification must be conducted, with a particular focus on checking the vertical distances between different-level roadways, the angles at which shafts connect to yard areas, and the compatibility of ventilation resistance along airflow paths. These checks are performed using 3D modeling tools to ensure accurate roadway alignment, thereby preventing any discrepancies between plan views and the actual three-dimensional space. Verifying the vertical spacing between roadways guarantees safe distances and optimal layout between them, while accurately aligning shaft-to-yard connections directly impacts transportation efficiency and vehicle safety. Additionally, validating the ventilation resistance ensures stable operation of the ventilation system and proper distribution of airflow. By leveraging 3D modeling tools, two-dimensional drawings can be transformed into detailed 3D models, offering a clear visual representation of the mine’s spatial structure. This process not only helps verify the precision of roadway alignments but also enables early identification and resolution of potential spatial conflicts. For instance, during the verification of an extensive coal mine’s development system drawing, a 3D modeling tool uncovered a minor error in roadway alignment. Prompt adjustments were made, effectively avoiding significant construction mistakes and ensuring the smooth progress of the entire mining project.

According to the KA/T 20.1-2024 standard, the layout diagram of the development system must clearly indicate the locations of both safety exits, as these serve as critical evacuation routes that ensure underground personnel can swiftly escape in emergency situations. Both safety exits should remain fully unobstructed at all times and must not be blocked by equipment, materials, or other obstructions. As an essential passage for mine transportation and personnel movement, the slope of the ramp should be maintained at or below 15%. This gradient not only meets the operational requirements of transport vehicles but also guarantees the safety and stability of vehicle movement. Additionally, the turning radius must be at least 1.5 times the minimum turning radius required by the equipment, helping to prevent rollovers or collisions during sharp turns. In the development system design of a certain metal mine, the ramp’s slope and turning radius were meticulously set according to standard specifications, significantly enhancing both transportation efficiency and overall safety.

Enhancing the system's safety clearance is a critical parameter that ensures the proper operation of lifting equipment and safeguards personnel safety, and it must comply with the requirements specified in GB 16423. The minimum safety clearance between lifting containers and surrounding elements such as well walls, beams, pipelines, cables, and more must be precisely calculated and determined based on factors like well depth and the type of lifting equipment used. In the design of a certain coal mine's hoisting system, strict control over safety clearances has effectively prevented collisions between lifting containers and nearby facilities during operation, thereby ensuring the safe and reliable functioning of the entire hoisting system. Moreover, the compliant layout of these safety features forms the foundation for safe mining operations, and their positions must be clearly and accurately marked on the development system diagram, enabling engineering staff to rigorously adhere to safety protocols throughout construction and production processes.

Illustrated Rules for the Single Development Method

The adit development method is a relatively common approach, and when illustrated, it’s essential to indicate the adit portal elevation and drainage slope. The portal elevation determines the relative position of the adit with respect to the ground, making it critically important for both construction and operation of the adit. Typically, the drainage slope is set between 3‰ and 5‰ to ensure that any accumulated water inside the adit can be efficiently drained, preventing water buildup that could affect equipment and personnel. In contrast, shaft development requires clearly showing the location of the headframe and the outline of the hoisting equipment. The headframe serves as a crucial supporting structure for the shaft’s hoisting system, and its positioning must take into account the operational and maintenance needs of the hoisting equipment. Meanwhile, accurately marking the outline of the hoisting equipment provides a clear visual representation of its dimensions and installation location, offering vital guidance for equipment selection, installation, and commissioning.

Jointly Developing Legal Diagrammatic Rules

The combined development method involves using two or more primary development roadways to exploit the mining field. A key feature of its graphical representation is the precise labeling of spatial coordinates for the connecting sections between different types of shafts. In a certain mine’s combined development system, the upper section employs adit development, while the lower section uses shaft development. At the transfer chamber where the adit meets the shaft, critical structural parameters are accurately marked—such as the chamber’s length, width, and height—as well as the specific connection methods linking it to both the adit and the shaft. These parameters are essential for the construction of the transfer chamber and the installation of equipment, ensuring smooth transitions between the various shaft types, thereby enhancing both the mine’s productivity and operational safety.

The development system diagram for the production mine must be updated quarterly, with timely annotations indicating newly excavated tunnels, decommissioned projects, and any changes in geological exposures. As mining operations continue, new tunnels will constantly be dug, while some existing projects may be scrapped for various reasons. Meanwhile, geological conditions could also evolve over time. Promptly updating the development system diagram ensures that engineering staff can accurately grasp the mine’s latest status, providing a solid foundation for production decision-making. During the construction phase, the drawings must be signed and approved by the Chief Engineer, serving as a critical safeguard for their accuracy and reliability. As the head of mining technology, the Chief Engineer rigorously reviews and approves these diagrams, ensuring that the drawings remain synchronized with the actual progress of on-site construction. This meticulous process helps prevent construction errors and potential safety hazards that might arise from discrepancies between the drawings and real-world conditions. For instance, during the construction phase at a particular mine, thanks to the Chief Engineer’s rigorous review and timely updates of the development system diagram, multiple potential mistakes during the construction process were effectively avoided, ultimately ensuring the smooth and successful completion of the project.

Underground mine mining is a complex systems engineering project that spans multiple specialized fields, making it crucial to establish a multi-disciplinary collaborative workflow. Professionals from geology, surveying, mining, electromechanics, and other disciplines should form a tightly integrated review mechanism. During the preparation of development system diagrams, all relevant specialists must actively participate and maintain open communication. Geologists provide detailed geological information—such as geological structures and orebody characteristics—to offer a solid geological foundation for tunnel layout planning. Surveyors ensure the accuracy of the coordinate system on the drawings and deliver precise measurement data. Mining engineers, based on geological conditions and extraction techniques, design optimal tunnel layouts and mining schemes. Meanwhile, electromechanical engineers, guided by the mining plans, carefully map out equipment installation spaces and pipeline routing paths.

In the design of the development system for a certain mine, mining and electromechanical personnel worked closely together to ensure the rational layout of the chute shaft crusher chamber. Mining engineers determined the approximate location and dimensions of the chamber based on the ore transportation volume and the positioning of the chute shaft, while electromechanical specialists conducted detailed spatial design tailored to the specific crusher model and installation requirements. They carefully reserved ample space for equipment installation and maintenance, clearly marking the positions and dimensions of equipment foundations. At the same time, they collaborated with geologists to ensure the chamber avoided areas with complex geological structures, thereby guaranteeing its structural stability. When specifying the routes for pipeline installations, professionals from various disciplines held joint consultations, comprehensively considering needs such as ventilation, drainage, and power supply, while proactively preventing potential conflicts or overlaps among different pipelines. This approach ensured that the pipeline layout was not only rational and safe but also highly efficient. By fostering this multi-disciplinary collaborative workflow, the team effectively minimized late-stage construction conflicts, significantly enhancing both the efficiency and quality of the mine’s overall development.

With the rapid advancement of information technology, digital tools are playing an increasingly important role in the preparation of mining maps for underground mines. It is recommended to use AutoCAD Map 3D or specialized mine-dedicated drafting software, as these programs offer powerful features that can significantly enhance both design efficiency and accuracy.

AutoCAD Map 3D is a powerful Geographic Information System (GIS) software developed on the AutoCAD platform, integrating both 2D drafting and 3D modeling capabilities. When preparing development system diagrams for underground mines, AutoCAD Map 3D enables seamless linkage between 3D tunnel modeling and 2D plan drawings. By importing geological and survey data, users can rapidly construct detailed 3D geological and tunnel models, providing an intuitive visualization of the mine’s underground spatial structure. Within the 3D model, users can clearly visualize key features such as tunnel orientation, slope, cross-sectional dimensions, as well as the spatial relationships between tunnels and geological formations or ore bodies. Moreover, the 3D model remains dynamically linked to the 2D drawings—any modifications made in the 3D model are instantly reflected in the corresponding 2D plans, and vice versa—ensuring consistent accuracy across all representations.

Mining-specific drafting software is specially designed to meet the unique characteristics of the mining industry, featuring functions that closely align with the demands of mining engineering projects. These software solutions typically support automatic quantity calculation—by analyzing tunnel models, they can swiftly and accurately determine key metrics such as tunnel length, volume, and support area, providing reliable data for project budgeting and cost control. Additionally, some mining-specific drafting tools also enable the import of ventilation network analysis results, visually displaying the outcomes directly on the drawings. This capability helps engineers evaluate ventilation performance and optimize ventilation system designs. For instance, during the development system design of a certain metal mine, mining-specific drafting software was used to create detailed drawings. By importing the ventilation network analysis data, engineers identified areas where airflow was obstructed in certain tunnels. Prompt adjustments were made to the ventilation system layout, significantly improving ventilation efficiency and ensuring safe, uninterrupted operations at the mine.

Building a standardized symbol library is an important measure to enhance the quality and efficiency of underground mine mining map preparation. Developing enterprise-level legend specifications and unifying the styles of symbols for shafts, yards, chambers, and other elements can make the drawings more standardized and clearer, facilitating their understanding and use by technical personnel. In the legend specifications, each symbol’s shape, color, size, and meaning are clearly defined, ensuring that identical engineering features across different projects are represented consistently with the same symbols. For example, circular symbols are designated for vertical shafts, while rectangular symbols represent inclined shafts; distinct colors are used to differentiate between main and auxiliary shafts. Similarly, for yard symbols, unique designs are created based on the specific layout of each yard type (such as circular or return-style layouts), accompanied by clear textual annotations.

Establishing a library of commonly used roadway cross-section modules is also a crucial component of standardizing the schematic library. By organizing common roadway cross-section shapes (such as trapezoidal, arched, rectangular, and others) along with their corresponding dimensions, we can create standardized roadway cross-section modules. When drawing development system diagrams, technicians only need to select the appropriate module from the library, enabling them to quickly sketch roadway sections and significantly boosting drafting efficiency. Meanwhile, the roadway cross-section parameters in the module library have undergone rigorous calculations and verification, ensuring both their rationality and safety. In the development system diagram-drawing process at a certain coal mine, the use of this standardized schematic library has allowed technical staff to produce accurate and timely drawings. Moreover, professionals from different disciplines now share a more consistent understanding of the diagrams, effectively reducing communication costs and minimizing error rates. Additionally, these standardized drawings facilitate smoother technical exchanges and streamline archival management, providing robust support for the mine’s long-term growth and development.

The development of system diagrams serves as the "spatial blueprint" for underground mines, and their quality directly impacts both engineering safety and economic efficiency. Mining engineers must base their work on geological data, adhere to industry standards, and focus on practicality, meticulously managing both the graphical elements and the drawing process. This ensures that the diagrams not only function as technical documents but also become the core tool for guiding comprehensive mine lifecycle management. By continuously refining graphic standards and integrating digital technologies, we can further enhance the engineering value of system diagrams, laying a robust spatial data foundation for the construction of intelligent mines.