A Field-Scale Framework for Assessing the Influence of Measure-While-Drilling Variables on Geotechnical Characterization Using a Boruta-SHAP Approach

This study presents an application of Boruta-SHapley Additive ExPlanations (Boruta-SHAP) for geotechnical characterization using Measure-While-Drilling (MWD) data, enabling a more interpretable and statistically rigorous assessment of feature importance. Measure-While-Drilling data collected at the scale of an open-pit mine was used to characterize geotechnical properties using regression-based machine learning models. In contrast to previous studies using MWD data to recognize rock type using Principal Component Analysis (PCA), which only identifies the directions of maximum variance, the Boruta-SHAP method quantifies the individual contribution of each Measure-While-Drilling variable. This method ensures interpretable and reliable geotechnical characterization as well as robust feature selection by comparing predictors against randomized ‘shadow’ features. The Boruta-SHAP analysis revealed that bit air pressure and torque-to-penetration ratio were the most significant predictors of rock strength, contradicting previous assumptions that rate of penetration was the dominant factor. Moreover, feature importance was conducted for fracture frequency and Geological Strength Index (GSI), a rock mass classification system. A comparative analysis of prediction performance was also performed using a range of different machine learning algorithms that resulted in strong coefficient of determinations of actual field or laboratory results versus predicted values. The results are plausible, confirming that MWD data could provide a high-resolution description of geotechnical conditions prior to mining, leading to a more confident prediction of subsurface geotechnical properties. Therefore, the fragmentation from blasting as well as downstream operational phases, such as digging, hauling, and crushing, could be improved effectively.