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By C. W. MacLeod

LOCATION The Goudreau gold area in Ontario extends from a point a short distance south of the main line of the Canadian Pacific railway, at Lochalsh, in a south-westerly direction to the Magpie river. It crosses the Algoma Central & Hudson's Bay railway at Goudreau station, 177 miles north of Sault Ste. Marie. The area is roughly 25 miles in length by 6 miles in width. The potential gold formation is much more extensive but little prospecting has been done outside of the limits mentioned. The actual continuous area of Keewatin formation, in which gold has been found, is one of the largest in Ontario. ACCESSIBILITY Probably no mining area in a similar stage of development has had the excellent transportation facilities which Goudreau enjoys. This field is traversed in part by the main lines of the Canadian Pacific and Algoma Central railways. The Provincial Government has constructed 22 miles of road through the heart of the camp. Sixteen miles of this road is suitable for motor car traffic and several cars and trucks are in constant service.

Jan 1, 1926

By S. Goodman

Successful exploration for and exploitation of a mineral deposit requires an accurate understanding of the deposit architecture in 3D, and of the development of the mineralizing system through time, which requires a thorough comprehension of the structural framework of the deposit. The integration of geological, geophysical and geochemical datasets to arrive at a 4D structural framework is well-established and has been successfully applied by SRK Consulting in projects from deposit to regional scale. In some cases, we can go beyond this, applying the SEEBASETM technique, which utilizes a ?bottom-up? approach to basin analysis. SRK?s approach primarily relies on the interpretation of magnetic and gravity data, calibrated with many other datasets including mapped geology, topography, event histories, wells/drillholes and seismic data. The SEEBASETM model is a culmination of this data integration and is produced through an iterative process of structural interpretation and geophysical modeling, where an interpretation of basement composition and 4D structure is used to constrain depth-to-basement geophysical modeling, and the modeled depths are then used in conjunction with the structural interpretation to constrain contouring of the basement topography. The result is a rigorously calibrated, 3D view of the basement surface, which can be used to understand the basement and basin architecture, and thus serves as a predictive exploration model. This technique, which was developed for use in the petroleum industry, is now finding success as a predictive tool in mineral exploration.

May 1, 2003

By M. Ye. Shulgina, M. L. Bolotin, S. A. Prokopev, Ye. S. Prokopev

Iron ores concentration at Russia’s operations is carried out using conventional flow sheets. They comprise the two-four stage grinding followed by one-two stage magnetic separation. This results in the maximum recovery of magnetite to concentrate and the tailings generation. The final concentrate is generated only during the last stage of magnetic separation. Technologically, this flow sheet layout is not effective at recovering the liberated magnetite grains during grinding to the resulting concentrate. Advanced models of magnetic separators do not allow for the selective separation of the tailings and the portion of the resulting iron ore concentrate. Magnetic product which is the ore mixture of the liberated magnetite grains, high grade and low grade intergrowths is directed to the next grinding stage. In this case, regrinding of the liberated magnetite occurs. In addition, the performance of hydrocyclones during classification in closed grinding circuits is poor. Their classification efficiency does not provide the material separation in accordance with the size. In this case, simultaneous separation in accordance with the density occurs. The quartz particles with the size of 300 mm have similar velocity and trajectory like the particles of magnetite with the size of 60 mm. As a result, light and coarser intergrowths report to the overflow and free heavy magnetite grains report to underflow and return to regrinding (“the density effect”). This resulted in a significant increase of a mill circulating load, the decrease in the feed throughput and higher power consumption. In this connection, the development of iron ore concentrate stage recovery with the focus on gradual liberation of the intergrowths is getting much attention. Gravity concentration technique, particularly, spiral separation is effective at solving the problem of stage recovery not only the dump waste product but also high grade magnetite concentrates at the early concentration stages. This can be attributed to a significant difference in magnetite (4.9-5.2 g/cm3) and host minerals (quartz 2.7 g/cm3) densities, which is the principal during gravity concentration. The test work on concentration of various products samples from current operations (the mills discharges, concentrates from various stages of wet magnetic separation and cyclones underflows) was carried out. Spiral separators SV- 500 and ShV-500 manufactured by Spirit LLC were used for the test work. High grade iron ore concentrate (69.05% Fe) was generated during primary wet magnetic separation concentrate concentration using a spiral separator. During the concentration of mills discharges the content of iron in the resulting concentrates and middlings of wet magnetic separation II stage was 64.5% and 64.6%, respectively. The recovery of iron to the concentrates of spiral separation was 33.6-42.0%. The studies presented demonstrate that by using spiral separation for iron-bearing ores concentration, you can separate magnetite liberated grains at the early concentration stages, decrease their regrinding and circulating loads in grinding circuits. This process is able to improve the overall recovery and economics of iron ores concentration process.

Jan 1, 2016

By Y. Béliveau

Emission of perfluorocarbon gases, CF4 and C2F6, produced during anode effects from aluminum electrolytic cells are a significant part of the total equivalent CO2 emitted by aluminum plants. With the current concerns about global warming, the reduction of these PFC gases is a key issue in reducing greenhouse gases for a smelter and achieving GHG emission agreement goals. This paper will present the approach taken by the Alcoa vertical-stud Soderberg plant in Baie-Comeau to reduce GHG emissions generated during anode effects and close emission gaps with other Alcoa Soderberg plants. The approach has been to adapt the existing technology in place at the Baie-Comeau Soderberg plant. PFC emissions were lowered by reducing both the anode effect duration and frequency through different methods. Examples of change include: implementing skimming practices and wider side crust break area for better alumina dissolution in bath, increasing the ratio between reacted and pure alumina, reducing the time to declare anode effects in the potrooms, implementing best work practices and finally educating the workforce on the importance of reducing PFC emissions.

Jan 1, 2007

By T. Patching

"A GLANCE BACK AT what has happened in the past is often a useful guide to the future, although it should be used mainly to provide a sense of direction rather than a map that must be followed. As a preamble to discussing some of the questions posed by the organizing committee it may be appropriate to briefly review the distribution and careers of the graduates of our Department since the first degree in mining engineering was awarded in 1916. An attempt has been made to keep a record of the locations and careers of the Department's 540 graduates in mining and metallurgical engineering. Almost all of those who graduated before 1930 have now retired, but a very large proportion held positions as senior executives prior to retirement. A major proportion of those who graduated before 1950 are now in what might be considered senior management positions. Those who have 10 to 20 years of experience are generally in work of senior engineering responsibility or in supervisory or junior management ranks, while those who graduated in the last ten years appear to be generally in staff engineering or junior supervisory positions. This classification is admittedly imprecise because it is difficult to determine from a job description whether duties should be considered of an engineering or management nature - a distinction between the two terms is often over-emphasized. Nevertheless, the trend from technical engineering to management responsibilities with seniority and years of experience is clear in the careers that we have been able to follow."

Jan 1, 1972

By Jared Onyirimba, Jim Viellenave, Hal Demuth, Dale Verran, Chad Sorba, Errol Lawrence, David Bronkhorst

As outlined within the Denison Mines Corp’s (“Denison”) Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") completed in late 2018, additional work is required to increase confidence and reduce risk associated with the application of the In-Situ Recovery (“ISR”) mining method at the Phoenix deposit, located on the Wheeler River Uranium Project (“Wheeler River” or the “Project”) in northern Saskatchewan. The successful application of ISR in any geological environment largely hinges on three fundamental requirements, 1) permeability (of the deposit), 2) containment (of the mining solution) and 3) leachability (of the mineralization). Denison has designed several staged technical programs to progressively reduce risk associated with these requirements as the Company advances the Project toward a Feasibility Study (“FS”) and Environmental Impact Assessment (“EIA”). This paper will discuss the scope and results of certain technical programs being undertaken as the Company aims to develop the first ISR mining operation in the Athabasca Basin.

Jan 1, 2020

By W. S. McDonald

PRACTICALLY all dusts derived from organic matter are explosive and instances are recorded of explosions-some of them extremely violent-having occurred in grain elevators and flour mills. While a discussion of the explosibility of dusts in general, doubtless, would be of more than academic value, it will be of greater interest, on this occasion, to consider various phases of the problems connected with the hazards arising from coal dust. Extensive and valuable research has been carried out during the past few decades on the subject of coal-dust explosions and a great part of this work has been concerned with the preventive effect of stone or other incombustible dusts. Four men have been outstanding in this very substantial achievement. The first is Dr. W. Galloway, who succeeded in demonstrating by experiments that one pound of coal dust mixed with 150 cu. ft. of air formed an explosive mixture. The next is Sir W. Garforth, who proved that stone dust is an effective preventive for coal-dust explosion. The third is G. Haon, and last but not least, L. G. Hill, both of whom laboured incessantly to produce a suitable stone-dust and a satisfactory method of application. Today, mining men all over the world are satisfied and convinced that stone dust, if properly applied, will prove effective in greatly minimizing, if not completely preventing, explosions of coal dust, as has been demonstrated in experimental mines, as well as in actual explosions, in practically every coal mining industry.

Jan 1, 1938

By R. A. Hemstock

AREAS in which the surface de-posits consist of organic material -known in some parts of Canada as muskeg and in Europe, more generally, as peat lands -have long been some of the least rewarding of lands of the north temperature zone. Even in such countries as Great Britain, Holland, and Denmark where a good deal of incentive exists to develop all available land, the use of peat land has been negligible except as a source of fuel. Only recently have efforts shown promise in re-claiming these lands for farming or for forestry. Russia has large areas of peat and use is made of it for power generation. The Russian people have also ?developed a variety of machines for handling peat, which would indicate that they are well ahead of the Wes tern World in their technical and physical ability to solve some of the problems. Certainly in Canada, where there are over 500,000 square miles of muskeg, the economic aspects of this problem are important. This is especially true in considering the shifting emphasis to northern development. Not only is muskeg in possession of great stretches of terrain, thereby rendering it useless for agricultural purposes, but it is apparently moving into forested areas and reducing their productivity. In addition, it lies as a great barrier to movement in the search for and development of such natural resources as petroleum, natural gas and minerals generally. This situation has long been recognized in Canada but only recently have organized efforts been made to study the problems and search out ways of overcoming them.

Jan 1, 1958

By G. A. Gamble

"The inlet air velocity profile of any surface mine ventilation fan is an important factor when designing the connecting ductwork from the mine shaft collar to the fan. Deficient fan performance can be the result of ductwork that adds unnecessary pressure loss and/or adversely influences the fan inlet air conditions (velocity profile). The need for optimized inlet air conditions begins with discussing the process of performance testing during the development of the fan performance curve. Additional discussions include design of the shaft collar connection and the connecting ductwork. A preferred design of ductwork for parallel fan installations will be illustrated.INTRODUCTIONThe inlet air velocity profile of any surface installed mine ventilation fan is one of the most important factors to consider when designing the connecting ductwork from the mine shaft collar to the fan. Oftentimes deficient fan performance can be traced to poorly designed ductwork that adds unnecessary pressure loss and/or adversely influences the fan inlet air conditions (velocity profile). Such designs may lead to added power requirement, excessive vibration and noise, and reduced fan performance.Understanding the need for optimized inlet air conditions begins with discussing the process utilized when factory testing takes place during the development of the fan performance curve.Additional discussions include design considerations for the shaft collar connection, the connecting ductwork, and fan inlet. Illustrations of cost savings and pressure losses will be included for audience consideration. The design of ductwork for parallel fan installations on the surface is another issue that requires consideration. A preferred method will be illustrated.The selection of accessory components, such as self-closing doors, can also add to the potential for reduced fan performance. Several components will be discussed.An elementary presentation of the Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) Standard 201 “Fans and Systems” will be included to provide background for those audience members that want additional technical explanations of the need for a uniform inlet air velocity profile at the fan inlet."

Jan 1, 2019

By A. W. White

Introduction To discuss all the technical details of incorporation laws, security laws, underwriting procedures, codes, and ethics-as laid down by varous associations -would be impossible in the time which has been allotted to me. My remarks, therefore, will be made in a very general way and will naturally be coloured with experiences which my firm and I have had. There is a common expression that "money makes the mare go". I hardly have to mention here that the best prospect in the country is of very little value unless its prospects can be developed-and this requires large capital expenditures. The art and problems surrounding the raising of this money is a long and interesting story. Since by its very nature mining is risky, the appraising of its risks in the many phases of its development programme is continuous. Very few men-if any-and very few corporations -if any -can afford to take all the risk of mining. Because of taxation policies-and the very scheme of present-day living -the truth of this statement can be seen throughout the whole industry by a close examination of the records. Since this is so, it is essential that the mechanics of distributing risk on a sound, and equitable basis be known to those engaged in the business and to the investor or spectator who proposes to risk his funds in the industry. Perhaps the greatest stimulant to modern business activities has been the creation of corporate bodies. It is evident, from the number of charters being granted by various jurisdictions, that this method of doing business is becoming more and more important. A limited company -or corporation-can be defined as a fictitious person existing solely in contemplation of the law.

Jan 1, 1951

By Henry Lepp

Introduction A shaft sinking operation carried out at the Viking Yellowknife mine in the spring of 1947 presents certain features, especially as regards speed of sinking and low cost, that may be of interest to Institute members, and especially to those who are not familiar with conditions and costs in the Northwest Territories. After collaring, the inclined, two-compartment shaft was sunk 130 feet by four miners in twenty-eight days at a direct cost of only $53.19 per foot. All things considered, this is a remarkable performance, even if it does not actually establish a record. The property is at Morris lake, some forty-five miles north of Yellowknife. Formerly owned by Athona Mines (1937), Limited, it was acquired by the then newly incorporated Viking Yellowknife Gold Mines, Limited, in 1947. Surface work and diamond drilling in 1946 disclosed a number of veins and masses of quartz in a sill of diorite which lies conformably within sedimentary rocks. The sill strikes N.30°E. and dips at 70° to 85° southeast, and has a mean width of 40 feet over its explored length of 3,000 feet . Both the quartz and the diorite carry gold and are mineralized with pyrrhotite and lesser amounts of galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and arsenopyrite. Of thirty-five holes drilled in the mineralized zone, the core from twenty showed visible gold. Sampling of drill cores indicated several ore shoots in the north and central parts of the sill. Assays, however, were somewhat erratic, possibly due to the fairly widespread presence of visible gold, and it was decided that the deposit could best be explored by underground sampling. Accordingly, late in 1946, plans were laid for the sinking of a shaft.

Jan 1, 1948

By R. P. Zahn

The need for quantitative mineralogical data to characterize ore types before they are processed is becoming increasingly necessary. Mineralogical data (modal abundances, grain size, liberation/locking characteristics, mineral textures and associations) can provide invaluable information to facilitate the identification of metallurgical issues that may arise during processing of a particular ore. This paper will discuss the use of QEMSCAN analysis in conjunction with bench scale flotation test work to determine metallurgical characteristics for several ore types that will be fed to the Morenci concentrator upon commencement.

Jan 1, 2007

By J. Paquin, P. Doiron, G. Proulx, P. Champoux

After nine years on a 36 hour schedule and two programs of creeping, the Alcoa Deschambault Potroom of faced the necessity of changing its organization for many reasons: the anodes butts were too small, the anode schedule was unbalanced, the iron content in the metal trends had increased, the metal tapping volume did not convene with crucible capacity and the liquid measurement task was delayed by tapping activities. A kaizen activity inspired the Potroom department to improve the organization. A team of 15 people including the process engineer, the process technician, team supervisors and Potroom operators developed a scenario, which would permit flexibility to creep pots if energy is available and an increase of added value production.This paper will describe the systematic approach, the communication method, the trials, the changes, and our success, along with the problems experienced by the team during the adaptation of Alcoa Deschambault Potroom organization over a 20 month period. Aluminium 2006 45th Annual Conference of Metallurgists ofCIM Montreal, Quebec, Canada Edited by

Jan 1, 2006

By G. A. McGuffin

"IntroductionWITH the increase in quantity of sour gas reserves in the Province of Alberta, and the wider market for sulphur brought about by mounting world demand and restrictions placed on the principal supply, it was inevitable that this important source of sulphur would be .developed. In the light of these facts, it seems timely that a general paper on sulphur recovery from petroleum gases be presented. This, then, is the purpose of the following text. A short discussion of each of the following subjects is presented:(1) Properties and uses of sulphur(2) Existing sources(3) Market research(4) The recovery process in Turner Valley(5) Hazards of sulphur productionNo pretext of originality of material is made since innumerable reports have been prepared on this and related topics and information contained in these has been used quite liberally.Properties and uses of SulphurSulphur is a non-metallic element having an atomic weight of 32.06. The stable crystalline form at atmospheric temperature is referred to as 'rhombic' sulphur. It is bright yellow and has a specific gravity of 2.05, equivalent to 129.2 lb./cu. Ft. Above 204°F. sulphur has another stable crystalline form, referred to as 'monoclinic'. This is reddish-brown and is slightly less dense than the rhombic variety (122.4 lb./cu. Ft.). Sulphur in bulk form weighs 84 to 90 lb. per cu. Ft. Sulphur melts at approximately 240°F. to a straw coloured liquid which is quite viscous."

Jan 1, 1952

By George W. Bain

The area in Quebec immediately north of the Ottawa river is underlain by a large area of granite gneiss intruded in lit-par-lit fashion into Grenville sediments and low silica intrusives of the Buckingham Series. This complex of metamorphic rocks is intruded by a much later magma found, chiefly, as a very large stock about 20 miles in diameter and extending from Brownsburg to Grenville, and as dykes and small outliers at various places adjacent to its outer margin. 1A similar stock at Rigaud, Quebec, is situated south of the Ottawa river and has been described by O. E. Le Roy. The earliest representatives of the later magma are a series of granodiorite dykes characterized by abundant hornblende, along with primary magnetite and subordinate sulphides scattered as roundish grains through anorthoclase and aligoclase feldspars and subordinate quartz. The rock is found as narrow dykes and shows no prominent secondary structures, either in the field or in thin sections under the microscope.

Jan 1, 1926

By Tyler Roberts

New Afton mine is an 11,000 tonne per day block caving operation, located 8 km west of the city of Kamloops, British Columbia. Due to the nature of block caving and the weak rock mass at New Afton, the mine has faced and overcome many blasting challenges during its ramp-up to commercial production. As New Afton Mine continues to grow the demand for drill and blast precision has continued to grow as well; any misstep incurs delays in achieving full production capacity. The block cave mining method used at New Afton employs single-shot draw-bells, fired with very little void and blind undercutting, allowing little margin for error. New Afton has made continuous improvements to its blasting strategy by reacting quickly to real-time problems and employing sustainable, repeatable solutions to overcome its unique blasting requirements. Examples of these solutions include: increasing blast hole diameter, casing production drill holes, developing pre-loading procedures and developing strategies for remotely blasting under-broken remnants in both draw-bells and undercutting. Increasing the blast hole diameter has alleviated initial problems with hole plugging in the highly jointed rock mass at New Afton. This has reduced drill-cleaning time significantly and enabled New Afton to meet blasting targets. PVC hole casing was trialed when blasting in extremely fractured ground, where drill holes continually plugged. The casing allowed the drill holes to remain open long enough to load and blast. Calculations were carried out in order to achieve the same explosive energy in the cased holes as a typical blast. Results were generally positive, but more testing is required. Production flexibility and scheduling reliability have been maintained at New Afton by developing a pre-loading procedure for the production undercutting. In doing so, New Afton has been able to keep productivity high by having a flexible production schedule that is not reliant on a specific piece of equipment or production drive to remain productive; this flexibility is because the mucking of undercut material can occur at any stage of the drill/blast/muck cycle. New Afton has developed a strategy for blasting remnant under-break in its draw-bells and undercutting by remotely drilling holes near to the under-broken section and then loading the toes of these holes with emulsion, the remainder of the hole is then filled with grout. The holes are grouted in order to prevent damage to permanent pillars between draw-bells (where the majority of the recovery holes need to be located). Several critical areas were recovered using this technique with little to no damage to the remaining permanent pillars. Innovative blasting solutions have allowed New Afton to overcome obstacles in order to become a producing operation. Moving forward, New Afton looks to continue its trend of innovative drilling and blasting techniques when faced with out of the ordinary situations.

Aug 1, 2013

By P. Personnet, D. Wheaton, E. Couzinie, V. Demetriou, Brooks. W., G. Girault, M. Meyer, L. Charbonnel

A common problem in Gas Treatment Centers (GTC) from primary aluminium smelters is the temperature of the gas to be treated : above a threshold, filtering media are irreversibly damaged. The traditional way of dealing with high gas temperature is to dilute with fresh air, which implies over sizing - and therefore higher cost for - the GTC in order to have the capacity to treat this dilution air without compromising on pot suction. A system was developed which decreases gas temperature without having to use dilution air. This system is based on water pulverization in gas collectors. The water vaporization leads to a temperature decrease of the gas. A pilot system was trialed in our R&D unit. Satisfactory results led to the development of an industrial system based on Envirocare equipment (partnership), which was trialed in our production plant in Tomago (NSW, Australia). This patented system was then generalized in this plant, which is now using it with success during austral summer.

Jan 1, 2006

By O. F. Carter

"Coniaurum Mines, Limited, hold nineteen claims in Tisdale township, in the Porcupine district, adjoining the McIntyre mine on the east. They extend for over a mile along the strike of the Hollinger-McIntyre 'break'. The property has been explored extensively along the ore zone both laterally and vertically. Workings have been carried to a depth of 5,500 feet, and nearly 50 miles of lateral workings (drifting and cross-cutting) have been driven to date in development and in gaining access to the orebodies.Production started at the Coniaurum in June 1928 and has continued without interruption. To the end of 1946 the plant has treated 2,695,725 tons of ore, yielding gold having a value of $21,989,918.The Coniaurum is controlled by Ventures Limited of Toronto. Mr. John Redington, who has guided all operations since work began on the property in 1922, is Managing Director.GENERAL GEOLOGYAge and Types of RocksKeweenawan- Quartz diabase dykes.Algoman - Quartz porphyry intrusive; the veins are probably late Algoman.Keewatin - Lava flows.Brief Description of Rock Types.Diabase DykesTwo quartz diabase dykes traverse the property in a north-south direction, cutting all formations, including veins.Porphyry IntrusivePetrographically all porphyries in the Coniaurum are of the usual Porcupine type- quartz-feldspar with alteration advanced in most instances to the stage where the feldspars are completely dissolved, leaving a wellsheared carbonate and sericite matrix with embedded rounded quartz 'eyes'. Alteration is most extensive in the smaller bodies and in the narrow protuberances from the larger masses; the cores of the larger masses are generally much fresher, with more or less well defined feldspar phenocrysts."

Jan 1, 1954

By A. Flemming

"As the next century draws near, new mine properties must be brought into production to replace existing operations that are approaching their economic life. This paper presents some of the critical technical issues being addressed by Manalta Coal Ltd. as they strive to bring the Telkwa Coal Project near Smithers, BC into production during the year 2000. The mine is planned to produce between 1.0 to 1.5 million tonnes per year of medium volatile coal for export to overseas thermal and PCI markets. IntroductionManalta Coal Ltd. (Manalta) is proposing the development and operation of a surface coal mine and associated infrastructure approximately six kilometres southwest of the village of Telkwa, British Columbia (Fig. 1). The infrastructure consists of a coal washing facility, tailings disposal area, clean coal haul road, access road and rail loadout facility. Over a 25-year period, the mine is expected to produce between 25 and 37 million clean tonnes of coal primarily for the export market.To achieve public and governmental approval for the development, the project will be reviewed under British Columbia’s Environmental Assessment Act. Manalta entered the formal Assessment process in February 1, 1997 with the submission of an Application for a Project Approval Certificate for the Telkwa Coal Project."

Jan 1, 1997

By Lin-fang Shen, Shao-jun Li, Zhi-liang Wang

"The meso-structure of real soil consists of numerous particles with different sizes, while the traditional reconstruction method of quartet structure generation set (QSGS) produce relatively uniform soil particles resulting in significant discrepancy between the actual structure and reconfiguration model. In order to remedy the deficiency, the QSGS is improved by considering the influence of porosity and autocorrelative function of soil, which make the models closer to the real soil. Based on the reconfiguration model, Lattice Boltzmann method is combined in the algorithm to conduct further simulation of fluid flow in soil pores. The D2Q9 model is applied to construct the two dimensional model for simulating mesoscopic seepage field of saturated soil by setting the non-equilibrium extrapolation scheme at the inlet and outlet boundary, and the bounce-back scheme at the soil particles boundary as well as the left and right boundary. According to the case study, the proposed program is realized to simulate mesoscopic seepage field of reconstructed soil with constant inlet seepage velocity. The results show that the seepage direction of soil is along the passage with good connectivity, therefore the permeability is controlled by these passages. The seepage velocity in such channels is faster than in bad connectivity channels. Even if the channel has larger pores, the seepage velocity is still small. INTRODUCTIONUnderstanding the seepage mechanism in porous materials is significant in both theoretical and engineering problems. As a typical porous media, soil consists of solid particles and voids, which form connected channels allowing water to flow through. Such seepage in soil exists widely among geotechnical project of slope, foundation pit, and tunnel, etc. Meanwhile, a number of engineering accidents are caused by limited knowledge of seepage characters in soil (Huang, 2006; Liu, 2013). The conventional method in describing seepage features mostly based on the parameter of permeability, which is a macro statistic mean evaluating the whole connectivity of soil. Obviously, this parameter cannot exactly reflect the details of how water flows through the inner soil structure, especially the flow velocity in local mesoscopic area, hence is unable to represent the actual seepage properties. Therefore, it is necessary to develop mesoscopic approaches to fully study the seepage mechanisms."

Jan 1, 2015