Digital data acquisition and 3D structural modelling for mining and civil engineering – the La Colosa gold mining project, Colombia

Abstract Digital data acquisition, data management and 3D modelling techniques are common techniques in the mining industry. On the other hand, civil engineering projects still lag behind in applying advanced technologies during geological reconnaissance and investigation. The La Colosa gold mining project (Colombia) is presented as an example, where sophisticated digital mapping techniques and 3D geological modelling is not only used for mining related issues, but is also successfully applied for the geological, geotechnical and hydrogeological investigations of adjacent civil engineering sites of the associated mine infrastructure.