In this article we'll show you how to calculate a stockpile from a surface. Learn to use features such as cleaning the terrain, creating a surface under stockpile, distinguishing stockpiles, using Virtual Surveyor to calculate the volume, and making your stockpiles look  in reports that can be exported as a .csv or .gis file. 


Hint! You can also calculate a stockpile from a boundary.


Overview


Clean the Stockpile Terrain

It is important to remove objects that hang over the pile before creating a stockpile calculation. You do not want to include objects as part of the material volume. Conveyors and machines—like wheel loaders—often hang over a stockpile. Generally, the first step to starting a stockpile is to remove objects by using the Replace Terrain tool. 


Note! Peak users can speed up the cleaning process by using the Remove Object productivity tool.



See our Remove a Conveyor article to see what options you have for removing a conveyor, even in complex environments.


Create a Base Surface Under the Stockpile

You need a surface that goes below the stockpile. Use the Drawing Tools to create a surface or import it from a CAD file.


Assign the Stockpile Material

Select the material that forms the stockpile from the Material dropdown menu to assign it to the selected stockpile. You can create and edit materials through the Material Editor. By default, only "Undefined" is available. 


Note! It is possible to change the material after you have created a stockpile via the TOOLS for Stockpile tab.


Calculate the Volume of the Stockpile

Launch the stockpile calculation by clicking on the Stockpile button in the Volumes group of the TOOLS tab.


The stockpile is calculated between the current elevation terrain and the selected surface.


Stockpile Results Visualization

Stockpile inventory results are available in the Volume box. Activate the Volume checkbox in the annotation settings that you'll find in the TOOLS for Stockpile tab to display the net volume value within the Viewport.


Export Your Results

In the Export Tab, you find multiple options to export the stockpile calculation results in the Stockpile group.


You can create a Stockpile PDF report by clicking on PDF Export button. 


You can also export stockpile values as a spreadsheet (.csv) or GIS file (.shp). Set the right export format in the box and click on Export Stockpiles.


Tips and Tricks

  • You can create multiple stockpile calculations all at once by selecting multiple surfaces before clicking the Stockpile button.
  • It is possible to import a DXF file to define a stockpile's base surface. For example, if you have to regularly monitor stockpiles that keep the same bases, you can import a DXF bases file.
  • Use the top-down 2D mode to get a better volume annotations visualization within the viewport.
  • If stockpiles overlap, use Interpolate Z feature to draw the boundary between stockpiles.