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By Stephan Großwig, Karolina Nycz, Arne Kindler

"Commonly used anchor monitoring systems are mainly based on the use of anchor force meters. However, experience shows that the reliability of the display of force meters lowers over time. Other measurement and test methods like for example fibre bragg grating method require a comparison with an unloaded optical fibre and give only selective information about the bearing behavior. Moreover the obtained information has to be interpreted. In the following article, first measuring results of an anchor monitoring system based on measurements with optical fibre are presented. The new monitoring system is based on the Rayleigh technology and was used to test the load bearing behavior of the anchor grout body as well as for the evaluation of the grout body condition in concrete-damaging groundwater.INTRODUCTIONThe first fibre optic sensors came onto the market about three decades ago. Initially used as special solutions only in selected cases, now they have found use in almost all areas of technology, especially in areas, where electrical sensor systems reach their limits. The first application examples of spatially resolved fibre-optic sensors in the field of geotechnics have been in existence since the mid-1990s, in projects such as the assessment of the of radioactive repository location sites (Hurtig et al. 1994), for the monitoring of landfill sealing systems (Hurtig et al. 1995) or within the framework of the rehabilitation of mountain farming landscapes (Schreck et al. 1998).The company's first own works in the field of glass fibre measurement technology have been in existence since 1993. The first carried out projects were a monitoring at the Edertalsperre (Dietz et al. 2001), a monitoring with glass fibre tendon at a flood bridge in Carinthia as well as monitoring within the framework of the Storebælt crossing. In all cases, the structure was permanently monitored by means of individual-point measurements. Since 1993 various fibre-optic sensor solutions for geotechnical applications have been introduced to the market (Voet, Glötzl 1996, Hurtig et al. 1994)."

Jan 1, 2017

By Joshua Hoffman, Braden Lusk, John Rathbun

A Flyrock Prevention Taskforce was established in Kentucky with the support of Kentucky's Department of Natural Resources, Kentucky's Explosives Industry, and the University of Kentucky. This paper presents the initial work of the Flyrock Prevention Taskforce towards its missions of identifying the root causes of flyrock incidents based on the analysis of previous events, and tracking the progress of flyrock elimination in the future. Work identifying root causes of flyrock events is presented through the development of a database which manages information about the blasts which caused flyrock. This data includes: blasting and seismograph records, drill logs, videos of the event when available, company notes/incident reports, and any additional information regarding probable cause. Work tracking the progression of flyrock elimination efforts is presented in this paper through the introduction of a flyrock index. Several metrics are proposed for this index, and are discussed for their appropriateness and shortcomings. In order for these indexes to be valid forms of tracking flyrock incident rates additional records must be kept and reported, such as the annual consumption of explosives by surface coal blasting. Suggestions for record keeping, flyrock investigation practices, and means of tracking flyrock incident rates are proposed in this paper.

Jan 1, 2013

By Barbara Hendrickson

Outline ? Canadian Regulatory Update ? Turning the Corner: Background & Status ? Implications of U.S. Waxman-Markey bill for Canada ? Federal-provincial considerations ? Current certainties and uncertainties ?Turning the Corner? as Originally Proposed ? April 26, 2007 - the Canadian federal government announced Turning the Corner: An Action Plan to Reduce Greenhouse Gases and Air Pollution (?Turning the Corner?)

May 1, 2009

This report summarizes the work performed and results achieved on the above contract from October 18, 1971 through July 14, 1972 under Phase II, Task 1: Detailed Design of Prototype and Task 3: Supporting Experimental Investigation. Operation and Service Manuals resulting from Task 3 are submitted under separate cover as are detailed design drawings and specifications, prepared under Task 1. Both items accompany this report. This report also includes (A) an estimate of the cost of construction, (B) a description covering the use of the equipment, and (C) a proposed test plan to demonstrate performance of the equipment in both the laboratory and a mine.

Jan 1, 1972

By Frederick W. Horton

The lack of comparable and accurate statistics of coal-mine accidents in the United States as a whole led the Bureau of Mines in 1911 to undertake the collection of such data. The importance of such statistics as a basis for remedial legislation can not be overestimated, moreover they serve to indicate the results of the efforts made by the Federal Government, State mining departments, and mine operators throughout the country to lessen the hazard of coal mining. The mining departments of the leading foreign coal-producing countries have long taken cognizance of the importance of such statistics. In Great Britain, official statistics of coal-mine accidents have been collected and published since 1851, in France since 1853, in Austria since 1875, in Germany since 1852, and in Belgium since 1831. The United States not only leads these countries in the production of coal but the output of its coal mines is greater than those of Great Britain, France, Belgium, Austria, India, Japan, and New South Wales combined. Accordingly, it is proper that there should be some official record of the accidents in this, the greatest mining industry not only in the United States but in the world. It is especially appropriate that this work should have been undertaken by the Bureau of Mines, as, through its investigations of mine accidents in the field, it is constantly in close touch with coalmining conditions throughout the country. Its engineers are not only able to obtain first-hand information as to a great many accidents, but, through their special training and experience, are able to appreciate the significance of the figures reported by the coal-mine operators, thus aiding an intelligent and uniform classification 01 the accidents for the country as a whole. Further, the State mining dnpartments and State mine inspectors of every State in the country having a system of coal-mine inspection are cooperating with the bureau by sending it monthly reports of accidents in the coal mines of their respective States. The receipt of such reports places the bureau in a most advantageous position to publish promptly statistics of these accidents. Although a few years ago accurate statistics of c~al-mine accidents in the United States as a whole were entirely lacking this bureau was able to pubjiish the 1912 statistics within three n:onths after the close of the year and long before corresponding statistics had been issued by the mining departments of the leading foreign coal-producing countries. The cooperative agreement with the State coal-mine inspectors has not only made possible the prompt publication of the statistics, but it has also enabled the bureau to classify the fatalities by months and according to cause, showing the months in which the greatest and the least number of men were killed and from what causessomething that has never before been accomplished for this country.

Jan 1, 1913

By P. Somasundaran, D. R. Nagaraj, Tarun Bhambani, P. Patra

Flotation separation and recovery of value minerals from ores containing fibrous silicate minerals are known to be quite challenging. Earlier studies have established that the metallurgical challenges (poor selectivity and recovery, high energy consumption, etc.) arise from the impact of the fibrous minerals (with high aspect ratio) on pulp rheology, which was found be rather complex. The complex rheological behavior of ore suspensions containing particles with high aspect ratio and its influence on flotation outcome are investigated in this study. Flotation tests and rheological measurements were carried out with both ores (containing fibrous minerals) and a model system comprising nylon fibers (chemically inert) added to a copper ore that had no fibrous mineral. These studies allowed the determination of contributions of physical properties of the fiber to pulp rheological behavior. Optical microscopy images of the fiber pulp indicated that the fibers entangled to form two levels of microstructures: two-dimensional (2D) aggregates under semi-dilute (< 20% solids) conditions and three-dimensional (3D) microstructures at concentrations > 30% solids. The yield stress (σ) values determined for the fiber pulp were logarithmically related to the volume fraction of the 2D/3D structures. The relationships developed here for different ARs showed that the yield stress of a flotation pulp changes with respect to shape, size, and the concentrations of the microstructures. Implications to the effects of such entangle networks on selectivity of flotation separation are discussed.

By W. G. Brunner

The slurry wall technique has undergone an evolution from its invention to its today’s status. In the early stages slurry walls were built with cable grab, later on with much stronger hydraulic grab and last but not least with the use of the cutter technique. The cutter allows thick walls with high verticality to extreme depths through hard soil and rock formations. With the rising demand of the construction of watertight diaphragm walls different joint systems have been developed. In addition to the rapid development of excavation systems it was necessary to improve slurry treatment and desanding plants, especially in conjunction with high performance trench cutters. Deep mixing methods can be used economically for the construction of cut-off or excavation support walls where other systems such as traditional soldier beams and lagging walls would yield unsatisfactory performance, where the installation of vibrated or driven sheet piles could cause vibration induced settlements and where concrete diaphragm walls would be time consuming and expensive. The new CSM method can largely replace the more conventional single or multiple auger methods of soil mixing or jet grouting. The cutter tool is similar to a cutter used in diaphragm walls or cut-off walls and is operated with a Kelly mounted on a drilling rig or rope suspended on a crane jib or mast of a base carrier. With this system much deeper walls can be installed and even hard soil layers can be penetrated.

Jan 1, 2007

By Rainer Kahrger

This paper is a follow-up to the paper presented at the SME meeting in April of 1996. Since then, the El Abra facility has been started up, 9 months ahead of schedule, and has processed about 45 million tons of ore and produced over 700 million pounds of copper. For those unfamiliar with the El Abra materials handling and leaching facilities, a brief overview of the facility is provided. The paper will then deal in detail with such aspects of Conveyor 103, the long regenerative overland conveyor, including: actual running resistance starting and stopping procedures emergency brake test at 10,000 t/h Additionally, we shall take the opportunity to report on a catastrophic culvert collapse in October 1996, which stopped the conveyor abruptly at full speed and under high load condition, causing a belt breakage. We would like to use this opportunity to thank the management of El Abra and Cyprus Amax for providing assistance and allowing us to present this paper. The El Abra team deserves a great compliment for building this one billion dollar facility in record time in a remote area of a high-altitude desert with no existing infrastructure, and for bringing it so quickly up to full operating capacity. The El Abra management had to assemble a completely new operator team. Considering the above circumstances, it took a great effort by all involved to achieve success. The official performance test which was required by the lending banks was successfully concluded in November 1997.

Jan 1, 1998

By Rob Sloan, Simon Yu, Rob Robison, Mark Schmidt

"In 2000-2009, Highland Valley Copper (HVC) tested new generation 660 mm cyclones supplied by various manufacturers in an aim to replace existing first generation 762 mm cyclones without success. Due to plant infrastructure limitations, new generation larger (838 and 800 mm) cyclones were not feasible. In 2010, an approach of testing hybrid 800 mm diameter cyclones was initiated by HVC. The hybrid cyclone consists of an 800 mm cyclone upper head section and the use of existing 762 mm cyclone conical sections. Three hybrid 800 mm cyclones were engineered and fabricated, targeting a throughput of 850-950 mtph and were installed in the E line cyclone cluster. Since starting operation on September 20, 2011, three hybrid 800 mm cyclones have been running at combined throughput ranges of 750 to 1050 mtph. Based on plant Daily Met Reports, the test hybrid cyclones demonstrated a decrease in misplacement of coarse copper bearing material to the cyclone overflow and better cyclone efficiency when compared to the existing 762 mm cyclones at the same throughput. The hybrid 800 mm cyclones also demonstrated significantly higher capacity per unit when compared to the existing cyclones. Based on the improvement demonstrated in the full plant trials, HVC decided to install the new hybrid 800 mm cyclones in all five grinding lines starting in July, 2012. A more detailed discussion of the full plant trials and initial results of the first complete retrofit of E line will be presented. INTRODUCTIONHighland Valley Copper Partnership (HVC) is Canada’s largest base metals mine and one of the world’s largest producers of Cu-in-concentrate. The mine, located in the central interior of British Columbia, is owned (97.5% interest) and operated by Teck Resources Ltd. In 2011, HVC produced about 210 million lbs. of Cu and 8 million lbs. of Mo. HVC’s Mill Modernization Project (MOP), which was budgeted for $475 M, is currently under intensive construction and is scheduled for commissioning in Q1 2014. The following description was valid at the time of writing this paper.The operation has been expanded a number of times since the startup of the original Lornex mill in 1972. The plant started up with two 9.75 m (32 foot) diameter primary SAG mills. It was expanded in 1981 with the addition of a 10.36 m (34 foot) diameter SAG mill. In 1988, the Highmont concentrator grinding mills and flotation section were moved and attached to the Lornex mill site. This added two10.36 m (34 foot) diameter AG primary mills to the Highland mill. This brought the total number of primary mills to five referred to as Line A, B, C, D and E: three SAG mills (A, B and C) each with two ball mills in parallel and two AG mills (D and E) each with one ball mill. Each AG mill line is equipped with one short head pebble crusher. Ball mill circuits are classified using 8 clusters of ten Linatex 762 mm cyclones to reach a target P80 330 micron (equivalent 43% +100 mesh), before the cyclone overflow product advances to the bulk flotation circuit."

Jan 1, 2013

Experiments in the bolting of a mine roof were commenced at Elrington Colliery on the South Maitland Coal Field early in 1949, following the appearance of an article in the American publication, &quot;Coal Mine Modernisation Year Book&quot; 1948. Prior to this, although bolting had not been used in the maintenance of satisfactory roof conditions, the principle of roof bolt anchorage had been illustrated in instances such as the hanging of a trolley locomotive power wire using an expanding shell type of bolt anchorage, or the insertion of an eye bolt with a split and wedge, as used to suspend a rope block over a winze being sunk in a metalliferous mine.The experiments at Elrington Colliery were the first efforts in this country to supplement the work of timber supports under a mine roof with systematic placement of roof bolts.Following the series of experiments at Elrington, full scale bolting was commenced at that Colliery in a trackless mobile section in April, 1950.The obvious success of the system at Elrington indicated that it might also be a success in the support of weak roof strata immediately overlying the workable section of the Victoria Tunnel Seam at John Darling Colliery.The system was commenced at John Darling Colliery in April, 1951, in one mechanical section on the Victoria Tunnel Seam, and the scope was gradually widened until by December, 1952, ail&apos;six mechanical units then operating on this seam were working under bolted roofs.

Jan 1, 1954

By D. M. Walters

To achieve safe and healthy working conditions in shaft sinking operations, ventilation, and where necessary cooling, must be provided. These requirements are considered for sinking vertical, sub-vertical and decline shafts. Regulatory requirements, determining air volumes and amount of cooling required, the various ventilation methods used such as force, exhaust, twin columns, air reversal using four gate systems and the equipment required to achieve this, are discussed. Consideration is also given to the sinking of single and twin declines using diesel equipment, calculating the air volumes required to dilute pollutants and the various methods for achieving this. Also discussed is the importance of having early ventilation design input to the overall design of the mine. In many cases ventilation can be the prime determinant for the size and configuration of the shafts or declines that have to be sunk.

Jan 1, 2009

By H. S. Martin

The Phosphate Recovery Corporation operates three flotation plants, Nos. 1 and 2 concentrators about three miles northeast of Mulberry, Florida, and No. 3 plant at Wales, Tennessee. These plants represent the first commercial phosphate flotation operation and are also believed to be the largest nonmetallic flotation operation in the world at the present time. The details of this paper will be confined to plant No. 2, this being the newest and largest concentrator in Florida, and the flow sheet being practically the same as at plant No. 1. The No. 3 plant has been operated but a short time and has been shut down since December, 1932, on account of the decrease in phosphate rock production. The phosphate washers usually are located centrally on a known deposit so that about two hundred acres of ground can be mined economically to each washer location. The washers are moved to new areas when the distance becomes too great for economical pumping. The flotation plants are built either adjacent to a washer, so that current debris may be utilized, or on the site of a former washer where there is sufficient accumulated debris available for mining, and the flotation plants must also be moved from time to time. Most of the water used in the Florida flotation plants is recovered after passing through a circulating system where most of the fine suspended matter is settled out, but some make-up water is obtained from deep wells near the plant. Power is obtained from the Tampa Electric Co. through the distribution facilities of the International Agricultural Corporation. Flotation concentrate is hauled from the plant by trolley over the International Agricultural Corporation&apos;s trolley system, to the drying plant at Prairie, one mile northwest of Mulberry. Ore Treated In the pebble phosphate district of Florida, the phosphate mineral, or collophane, is usually found in horizontal beds of varying thickness

Jan 1, 1935

By Dr. Peter J. Conroy

The current study is part of the U.S. Department of Energy&apos;s (DOE) on-going subsidence research program. The long-term objective of the DOE program is to develop analytical methods of subsidence prediction applicable over a broad range of geologic and mining conditions encountered in the United States. The DOE currently has several contracts in progress to develop a sound data base that can be used in the development of predictive models. Dames & Moore is currently under contract to the DOE to collect and analyze detailed subsidence and hydrologic data from a coal mine employing longwall mining methods in the Eastern Coal Province. Work under Contract No. DE-AC22-80PC 30335 began in October of 1980 and will continue through September of 1984. This paper summarizes the work that has been completed through September of 1981 and presents the results that have been achieved during this period. Technical difficulties encountered during both the installation and monitoring phases are discussed, and recommendations for future work are presented.

Jan 1, 1982

By Christian Besson

This article describes the implementation of a new jointing process for use between diaphragm wall panels. This process was initially introduced on the SOCATOP work site in uburban Paris (which involved the closing of the western section of the A86 bypass road), on a tunnel ventilation shaft. This brand new system upgrades the potential offered by other types of joints available and enables both ensuring the continuity of panels for structures over 40 m in depth under the strictest safety conditions and constructing shafts with diameters of less than 15 m. A patent for this process has recently been filed.

Jan 1, 2002

By Panshi Xie, Xicai Gao, Yi Luo, Youfu Zeng, Yongping Wu, Shenghu Luo

This research investigates roof deformation and failure characteristics, as well as mechanical interaction between the panels of the roof strata above two adjacent working faces in a steeply inclined coal seam. Physical modeling with photogrammetry measurement method has been employed in this investigation. The movement of roof strata and section pillar, as well as the stratum morphological characteristics, was quantitatively analyzed. Results show that the roof movement direction above the two panels has zoning characteristics, especially in the lower panel. Roof migration in the lower panel of the working face is larger than that in the upper panel. The roof to floor closure perpendicular to the seam direction is larger than the sliding along the seam. The maximum roof concave and convex bending occurred at the middle and upper parts of both panels; the roof bending in the upper panel mining area indicates a larger mining disturbance induced by lower panel mining. The void ratio contour of the lower panel is an asymmetrically arched shape, which is different from that of the upper panel area. The higher roof strata above the upper panel exhibit separation and breaking, whereas the lower roof exhibits compression due to mining in lower panel. The section pillar is compressed and slides slightly, which aggravates the mechanical interaction between the panels and increases the caving height of the roof over the lower panel and the periodic weighting intensity

By Panshi Xie, Xicai Gao, Yi Luo, Youfu Zeng, Yongping Wu, Shenghu Luo

This research investigates roof deformation and failure characteristics, as well as mechanical interaction between the panels of the roof strata above two adjacent working faces in a steeply inclined coal seam. Physical modeling with photogrammetry measurement method has been employed in this investigation. The movement of roof strata and section pillar, as well as the stratum morphological characteristics, was quantitatively analyzed. Results show that the roof movement direction above the two panels has zoning characteristics, especially in the lower panel. Roof migration in the lower panel of the working face is larger than that in the upper panel. The roof to floor closure perpendicular to the seam direction is larger than the sliding along the seam. The maximum roof concave and convex bending occurred at the middle and upper parts of both panels; the roof bending in the upper panel mining area indicates a larger mining disturbance induced by lower panel mining. The void ratio contour of the lower panel is an asymmetrically arched shape, which is different from that of the upper panel area. The higher roof strata above the upper panel exhibit separation and breaking, whereas the lower roof exhibits compression due to mining in lower panel. The section pillar is compressed and slides slightly, which aggravates the mechanical interaction between the panels and increases the caving height of the roof over the lower panel and the periodic weighting intensity

By Mark K. Larson

A constitutive model for rock interfaces based on the principles of static fatigue is proposed. The model is applicable to weak rock or joints with cohesion. Friction and dilation are decreased as plastic work increases. At equilibrium, the creep time increases by one time-step interval, and interface cohesion at each node decreases according to a power function. A constant-load, direct-shear simulation showed that the model is cap- able of mimicking constant-rate and tertiary creep and predicting failure. Tests on core from a coal mine showed constant-rate and, sometimes, tertiary creep, but also weak transitory creep. The cohesion deterioration function may need modification to simulate primary-phase creep. If model parameters are known for a site, the model can predict the onset of tertiary creep and failure. Such predictions can help engineers make better entry design and support decisions, which will reduce the likelihood of roof falls and increase safety for underground miners.

By David E. Siskind

The U.S. Bureau of Mines and the State of Indiana cooperated with AMAX Coal Co. and its consultants to determine the effects of coal mine overburden blasting on nearby pipelines. Five pressurized 76-m pipeline sections were installed on the Minnehaha Mine highwall near Sullivan, IN, for testing to failure. Four 17-to 51-cm-diameter welded steel pipes and one 22-cm PVC pipe were monitored for vibration, strain, and pressure for a period of 6 months while production blasting advanced up to the test pipeline field. In contrast to previous studies of small-scale, close-in blasting for construction, these tests involved overburden blasts of up to 950 kg per delay in 31-cm blastholes. Analyses found low pipe responses, strains, and calculated stresses from even large blasts. Ground vibrations of 120 to 250 mm/s produced worst case strains that were about 25 pct of the strains resulting from normal pipeline operations and calculated stresses of only about 10 to 18 pct of the ultimate tensile strength. No pressurization failures or permanent strains occurred even at vibration amplitudes of 600 mm/s.

Jan 1, 2010

By Anuradha Khetwal, Sandeep Khetwal, Andrea Panciera

The observation method is a design optimization approach for the drill and blast method in tunneling. This method includes first identifying the hazard scenarios through site investigation, formulating suitable solutions, obtaining feedback during construction, and finally using that data to optimize the design methods. This paper illustrates the application of the observational method for T-48, a railway tunnel project in the Himalayas. It is a 10.2 km long tunnel with a parallel escape tunnel and 26 cross passages. The use of observational methods in this project optimized the overall tunnel design and considerably saved the overall project cost.

Jun 23, 2024

By J. Torma-Krajewski, C. Hipes

Many mining companies apply ergonomic principles, but it is done either informally and/or reactively. Examples of an informal approach include replacing worn equipment, such as seats, with models that have ergonomic features, or modifying tasks to eliminate safety hazards that will also reduce risk factor exposures that may result in musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). A reactive approach is followed when modifying a task/equipment after an MSD occurs. Neither one of these approaches involves a systematic method of proactively applying ergonomic principles to actually prevent injuries or illnesses. This paper will discuss how Vulcan Materials Company applied ergonomic principles and the interventions implemented to reduce risk factor exposures.

Jan 1, 2007