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By S. James Campbell

Ladies and Gentlemen: Never in the history of our mining industry has the emphasis on public relations been accelerated as much as it has in the last few years. Knowing of your keen interest in this subject I consider it a great privilege that your program committee has asked me here to discuss the crushed stone segment of our industry approach to this important part of our daily business lives. As you are aware, crushed stone operations are present in almost every segment of the country wherever aggregates for construction projects are required. The tonnage of crushed stone produced is second only to sand and gravel - another source of aggregates - and this together with sand and gravel amounts to over half of the tonnage of all mined products in the United States. What is unique about this industry that will be of interest to all of you in analyzing how they have approached Public Relations? The fact that it is so wide-spread is of course obvious, but perhaps a more significant nature of this segment of the mining industry that has brought it more in the limelight of public interest and on a larger scale is the location of a large part of the quarries quite close into the urban area and population centers where you have the greatest demand for aggregate products.

Jan 1, 1969

By William R. Yernberg

The early part of the decade was marked by world-wide problems and economic difficulties. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter ordered the failed military mission to rescue hostages in the U.S. Embassy in Iran, Mt. Saint Helens, WA erupted killing 60 people and the Soviets and Mujaheddin guerrillas clashed in Afghanistan after the Soviet invasion. Later in the year, Ronald Reagan was elected president, defeating Carter. The first launch of a space shuttle (Columbia) occurred in 1981. Also in 1981, the first IBM-PC’s begin to roll off the lines. In 1982, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands and Mexico’s economy was in collapse. In 1980, the U.S. unemployment rate stood at 7.1 percent, and by 1982 the rate increased to 9.7 percent. 1980 marked SME’s first full year in its new office building in Littleton, CO. The new facility was dedicated in November 1979. Claude L. Crowley was executive director of SME in 1980 and remained in that position throughout the decade. SME’s membership stood at about 26,000 throughout this period (1980-1982).

Jan 1, 2007

By William M. Gleason

When SME’s 2006 Arizona Conference convened in December at the Hilton El Conquistador Resort in Tucson, AZ, there was considerable excitement among the 387 attendees. There was a noticeable buzz surrounding the progress of Phelps Dodge’s Safford copper mine in southern Arizona, one of the first new major copper mines to be permitted in more than 30 years in the United States. There were also plenty of good feelings about the mining industry in general. Commodity prices remained high and with no signs of a slowdown in the immediate future. Things were good in Arizona. But there were also cautionary tones at the conference and the Mining Foundation of the Southwest banquet that preceded it.

Jan 1, 2007

By Jack S. Watson, Rasika Nimkar, Robert M. Counce, Matthew Gordy, Patrick Zhang

Waste phosphatic clay presents a difficult disposal problem and a significant loss of P2O5. Recent developments make this study on the use of phosphatic clay as a feed material for H3PO4 production worthwhile. (a) New data from Florida Industrial and Phosphate Research Institute (FIPR) suggest that the Bclay^ waste can be effectively treated by improved solid separation coupled with flotation to produce feed material for recovering additional phosphate. (b) The use of BOLI Flowsheet^ provides capability to predict performance of aqueous-based processes for a range of possible operating conditions. Using the new FIPR data and BOLI Flowsheet^ enabled the design of a new process that can potentially extend the usefulness of current P2O5 ore deposits. Predictions using OLI Flowsheet were able to identify process conditions that effectively overcome the difficulty of high Mg content of phosphatic clay. Estimated manufacturing cost in the current study lead to valuation of the P2O5 content of the phosphatic clay recovered/utilized at 60 to 70% of that of the phosphate rock feed material currently used. Phosphatic clay should be considered as a valuable material that is currently given zero value. The new FIPR data and BOLI Flowsheet^ enables the design of a new process that can potentially extend the usefulness of current phosphate ore deposits by extending the fraction P2O5 of recovered

By A. B. Cecala

Video technology coupled with data logging exposure monitors have been used to evaluate worker exposure to different types of contaminants. However, previous application of this technology used a stationary video camera to record the worker?s activity while the worker wore some type of contaminant monitor. These techniques are not applicable to mobile workers in the mining industry because of their need to move around the operation while performing their duties and tasks. The Helmet-CAM is a recently developed exposure assessment tool that integrates a person-wearable video recorder with a data logging dust monitor that are worn by a miner in a backpack, safety belt, or safety vest to identify areas or job tasks of elevated exposure. After a miner performs his or her job while wearing the unit, the video and dust exposure data files are downloaded to a computer and then merged together through a NIOSH-developed computer software program called EVADE (Enhanced Video Analysis of Dust Exposure). By providing synchronized playback of the merged video footage and dust exposure data, the EVADE software allows for the assessment and identification of key work areas and processes, as well as work tasks that significantly impact a worker?s personal respirable dust exposure. The Helmet-CAM technology has been tested at a number of metal/nonmetal mining operations and has proven to be a very valuable assessment tool. Mining companies wishing to use this technique can purchase a commercially available video camera and an instantaneous dust monitor to obtain the necessary data, and the NIOSH-developed EVADE software will be available for download at no cost on the NIOSH website.

Feb 27, 2013

By Joseph L. Petrillo

In July 1997, Kvaerner Environmental signed a unique contract with Echo Bay Alaska called the Transfer Risk and Accelerate Closure (TRAC). The contract called for Kvaerner to assume the responsibilities and obligations associated with closeout of the Alaska-Juneau (A-J) Mine. Kvaerner is an international engineering and construction company with global interdisciplinary experience in the mining industry and environmental remediation. Echo Bay’s requirements called for Kvaerner to: •Provide a fixed price for closure with no change orders. •Negotiate, prepare and implement a final closeout plan as outlined by Echo Bay. •Complete a closure program that exceeded current regulatory requirements. •Improve, expand and maintain a proactive public and community relations program. •Hire Echo Bay employees where possible. •Provide adequate performance guarantees and judicial relief of environmental claims.

Jan 1, 1999

By Tyler Acorn, Brandon Wilson, Jeff Boisvert

Project-scale decisions in surface mining operations rely on the optimization and subsequent evaluation of pit limits. This process ignores the ability for mine plans to adapt as more information is gathered. Stochastic methods, which consider uncertainty in the pit optimization, generally act to refine the boundaries of the pit on a fine scale. This paper extends uncertainty-based methods to consider unique scenarios through a clustering of the realizations that are being optimized. This results in the generation of multiple sets of similar realizations. A separate pit is optimized on each set of realizations, resulting in the production of a series of planning scenarios. This accounts for the adaptability of mine planning as more information is gained. A decision-making framework is then applied to the resulting scenario plans to select the optimal choice. The improvements stem from the joint uncertainty considered when realizations are grouped that is not considered when the probability of a block being in any optimized pit is considered. Mining operations today can benefit from considering additional planning options as identified and evaluated in this workflow.

By D. S. Kieffer

Ground characterized by hard boulders embedded in soft matrix represents one of the most challenging conditions for TBMs, as the cutterhead must cope with the non-optimal conditions of cutting hard blocks while simultaneously excavating through soft, soil-like matrix material. Dowden and Robinson (2001) and Hunt and Mazhar (2004) summarize several case histories relating to the problems of advancing a TBM through boulder-laden ground and provide guidance with respect to appropriate site investigations and baselining strategies. Some rock types constituting boulder-laden ground include: ?Sedimentary Rocks?cemented alluvial channel deposits, colluvium/talus, landslide debris, and glacial till. ?Igneous Rocks?agglomerates, lahars, and pyroclastic deposits. ?Metamorphic Rocks?tectonic mélange and cataclastic fault zones. ?Decomposed Rocks?corestone bearing saprolites. Disc cutters are commonly utilized to cut the hardblocks; however, as compared to the understanding of disc cutter behavior in hard continuous rocks, little is known regarding fundamental cutting mechanisms in highly heterogeneous bouldery ground conditions. To advance this understanding, a suite of full scale tests have been performed using a linear cutting machine at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM). This paper summarizes the observed cutting mechanisms and their practical implications for TBM excavations through boulder-laden ground.

Jan 1, 2008

By D. Parks, A. Miller, M. McNinch, R. Jacksha

Each year, hundreds of mine workers are involved in machinery-related accidents. Many of these accidents involve inadequate or improper use of lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures. To mitigate the occurrence of these accidents, new safety methods are needed to monitor access to hazardous areas around operating machinery, improve documentation/monitoring of maintenance that requires shutdown of the machinery, and prevent unexpected startup or movement during machine maintenance activities. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is currently researching the application of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to provide intelligent machine monitoring as part of a comprehensive LOTO program. This paper introduces NIOSH’s two phase implementation of an IoT-based intelligent machine monitoring system. Phase one is the installation of a proof-of-concept system at a concrete batch plant, while phase two involves scaling up the system to include additional sensors, more detailed safety/performance metrics, proximity detection, and predictive failure analysis.

By A. Duerksen

Surface coal mining in West Virginia has supplied energy to the eastern coast of the United States for over a century. The coal mining industry has been forced to adapt as societal demands regarding health, safety, and environmental impacts have changed with time. More recent pressure has called for another iteration of change: long-term post-mining sustainability. The research presented in this paper investigates one potential solution?or component of a solution?to improve mining sustainability in Appalachia: post-mining wind power. This paper intends to demonstrate and explain the feasibility of synergistic mine closure and wind development. Wind conditions at three reclaimed mine sites in West Virginia were monitored in order to develop representative case studies for post-mining wind power. This paper contains a summary of the literature consulted to plan the site assessments, the methodology employed to execute them, the analysis steps undertaken to derive conclusions, and a discussion of all findings. This research has found that significant cost savings can be yielded from synergistic mine closure and wind development, as compared to greenfield wind development. Though wind conditions themselves remain the primary driver for site feasibility, post-mining wind power is a practice with significant promise for improving project economics, contributing to renewable energy development, enhancing company-community relations, providing local employment opportunities, and exemplifying sustainable business practices in Appalachia.

Jan 1, 2012

By Klaus Rieker

The main train station of Leipzig in Germany is currently being upgraded from a head station to a partially thru station. In order to achieve this, significant ground improvements are necessary. Soil freezing for example is used to create the excavation box retaining walls. The freezing works will be carried out from two tunnels with an inner diameter of 2.4 m (~ 8ft). The tunnels were constructed by the pipe jacking method. The cutter head of the machine was equipped with discs and scrapers. Driving and excavation was carried out using a bentonite supported face. Due to the small arrival shafts, the machine had to be lifted out in components. The essential limitation of settlements during the drives was achieved even better than expected.

Jan 1, 2008

By Keith Schaeffer

This paper presents a history of the planning, engineering and construction completed for the railroad tunnel crossing part of the West Elizabeth Avenue Storm Drainage Project, undertaken to relieve flooding within the West Elizabeth Avenue area in Linden, NJ. The Railroad Crossing Contract is part of the larger Linden Drainage Improvements Project consisting of a new gravity storm sewer system. The improvements are required to provide additional storm drainage for the City of Linden and the Merck Pharmaceuticals manufacturing facilities in the City of Linden.

Jan 1, 2008

By Betty L. Gibbs

Geologically simple deposits can be modeled quickly and easily with inexpensive gridding and mapping software. Hundreds of mines around the world use RockWorks99 and Surfer 7 for generating contour maps, producing log plots and cross sections, and performing other useful geological calculations. These programs are used by many mining operations as their only modeling and graphical software or they are used in conjunction with larger systems. The investment in learning time is low and the programs produce reasonable quality results with standard computing equipment. RockWorks99 and Surfer 7 provide a good level of capability while maintaining high quality technical integrity. Both programs are used for many applications in mining, oil and gas, environmental and other fields that require analysis of spatial data.

Jan 1, 2000

By V. B. Achanti, A. W. Khair

Laboratory studies were carried out at West Virginia University to investigate the rock fragmentation mechanism by continuous miners using an automated rotary cutting simulator. The primary factors influencing the fragmentation process were found to be: bit spacing, bit geometry, depth of cut and cutting drum rotational speed. This paper presents the influence of these parameters in achieving optimum energy consumption and minimizing dust generation during rock fragmentation process. Tree bits were used simultaneously on Indiana limestone while the bit tip angle was varied from 60° to 900. Bit spacing was varied from 2.54 cm (1 in.) to 5.08 cm (2 in.) while the cutting process was assessed for varying cutting depths. Restorable dust generated during the course of the experiments was analyzed utilizing cascade impactors. Assessment of these parameters has led to a better understanding of the cutting mechanism by continuous miners in terms of energy consumption and dust generation.

Feb 24, 1997

By S. Schade, G. Möllemann, C. Niestroj

"Mining environments, whether open-pit or underground, pose difficult conditions for any sensor system. However, the ever-increasing need for automation requires the application and use of sensor systems in order to gather relevant information required for process automation. Ultra-Wideband radio (UWB) is a robust technology well-suited for underground applications. These applications include positioning and communication. This paper introduces UWB and presents results from measurement campaigns in harsh environments. Using filtering and sensor fusion precise and robust positioning can be achieved even in confinements of underground mining environments. INTRODUCTION Indoor positioning systems (IPS) are gaining ever more importance. Especially in light of ongoing efforts to reach the goals of what was coined as Industry 4.0 by the German government, the development of IPS is inevitable. According to a recent report about the “Global Indoor Location Market Outlook 2019” a growth from $ 597 million in 2014 to $ 3961.8 million by 2019 is expected [1]. Hence, there is also an economic incentive to pursue this topic. The mining industry is profiting from this development as well, since IPS are the basis for the automation of especially mobile mining equipment. Ideally, indoor positioning systems offer to position the equipment continuously and, what’s more, even in real-time [2]. Different approaches are available for IPS. The difference of these systems lie in terms of accuracy, cost, precision, technology, scalability, robustness and security. [3] At the Institute of Advanced Mining Technologies (AMT) of RWTH Aachen University, research suggests that one of the more auspicious approaches for IPS in the mining sector is the employment of ultra-wideband (UWB) radio technology. Because of this, there has been ongoing research into the best way to introduce UWB technology for the application in underground environments. The research started with an indoor positioning application, which only consisted of the UWB system. In the course of this, different algorithms were developed to enhance the system’s performance for the use in the mining industry. This led to the idea of sensor fusion in which the information of the UWB system are combined with infrastructure-independent technologies like inertial navigation systems (INS) and image-based technologies."

Jan 1, 2017

By Florian Häckel, Ulrich Schwarz-Schampera, Benjamin Bühring, Katja Schmidt, Dieter Garbe-Schönberg, KoschinskyM Andrea

"The Vanuatu island arc and its adjacent back-arc basins form part of the southern New Hebrides subduction system in the southwestern Pacific Ocean within a triangle defined by the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Fiji (Meffre & Crawford 2001). The back-arc region east of the volcanic front is characterized by three structural depressions namely Vate, Erromango, and Futuna (from N to S), also known as the Coriolis Troughs. Earlier studies of lava compositions reveal the occurrence of highly evolved alkali-rich dacites as well as ankaramite basalts within the individual troughs (McConachy et al. 2005).Here we present the first mineralogical and geochemical analyses of hydrothermal fluids and precipitates (sulfides, sulfates, Fe-oxyhydroxides), sediments, and volcanic rocks, sampled during the "Coriolis Volcanism and Vents" (COVOLVE) cruise SO229 in July 2013 aboard the German R/V Sonne. The samples were retrieved during several ROV Kiel 6000 dives directly from the newly discovered active vent sites at the neovolcanic Nifonea Ridge, and from multiple sites at water depths ranging between 200 to 2800 m within the Vate and Futuna Troughs as well as from the shallow water Epi Caldera NNE of the Coriolis Troughs (Fig. 1)."

Sep 1, 2014

By Mark Springett

The problems inherent in sampling low- grade deposits have long been recognized. As economic grades become lower with increasing metals prices and improvements in recovery technology then the previously difficult sampling problem has consequently become even more demanding. The breakdown of the sample process and error is illustrated by describing in the remainder of the paper some sampling practices that have been utilized on mining and exploration properties and by describing some problems that have been encountered, providing a series of cautionary tales to those involved in any aspect of mine or exploration sampling.

Jan 1, 1983

By Roderick Eggert, Dipesh Dipu

We look at the empirical evidence of coal block auctions in India to understand how competitive intensity affects the bid amounts in common value auctions. The results suggest that competitive intensity measured through the number of bidders for a coal block is instrumental in determining the bidding outcomes. The presence of higher numbers of bidders in the auction leads to higher bids - every additional bidder causes the bid amount to rise by INR 142.67 per tonne of coal for auctions studied for 127 coal blocks from 2014 to 2023. The paper also examines the moderating and mediating effect of competition on bids and on excess of bids from the comparative market price of coal from alternative source of Coal India Limited. The results indicate that competitive intensity does not have statistically significant impact on the relationship between common value of coal blocks and bids, neither as a moderator nor as a mediator. The strategic behavior of the bidders has also been observed as bidders have been seen to bid in a higher than market price in order to outbid the competitors.

Feb 1, 2025

By J. W. Davis

In the last few years major industrial companies have begun to realize the importance of Reliability as an enterprise strategy that, properly implemented, will improve financial performance. Typical results of an effective Enterprise Reliability Strategy include a 20% -50% reduction in maintenance cost accompanied by a 5% - 10%increase in real production capacity, with no capital investment in production equipment. One factor fueling the race to acquire and implement enterprise reliability is the pressure for companies to be increasingly cost-effective and competitive in global markets. In a recent study, Asset Productivity: The Next Wave, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG)stated that, “In order to compete for funds, companies must offer investor returns that are competitive with other opportunities. Alternative investments such as dot-com and others with non-traditional business models have raised the bar.” (APDF version of the study can be downloaded at www.bcg.com). BCG views asset productivity as the most powerful mechanism for increasing shareholder return. The author believes that the most effective way to increase Fixed Asset Productivity is to maximize asset utilization by increasing the Reliability of the Assets and the associated processes. Developing and implementing an ERS requires significant effort and knowledge. Most companies have difficulty finding a sufficient supply of these valuable commodities to implement an ERS Program internally. Many companies also struggle with figuring out how to get started and what direction to proceed.

Jan 1, 2003

By F. Maciosek, D. Denton, J. Johnson

Researchers from the Spokane Research Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and personnel from Coeur Silver Valley, Wallace, ID, conducted tests using rock strain strips and Split-Set rock bolts instrumented with strain gauges to monitor wall rock strain at the Galena Mine, Osburn, ID. The objective of the test was to identify whether strain on the rock bolts increased prior to a rock burst. Although results were inconclusive, researchers learned that the Split-Set rock bolts yielded in stick-slip fashion in the highly jointed walls of the stope. The bolts were also bent as stress was redistributed following blasting and subsequent movement along joints in the wall rocks.

Jan 1, 2004