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By Rajni Patel, John McDonald, Steve Dubnewych, Michael McKenna

The Upper Reach segment of the Northeast Interceptor Sewer (NEIS) is a3.2-km-long tunnel excavated in interbedded marine sedimentary deposits with approximately 40 m of cover. The tunnel was initially classified by Cal/OSHA as “potentially gassy.” During excavation, high levels of hydrogen sulfide and methane were encountered, prompting Cal/OSHA to reclassify the tunnel as “gassy.” In addition, the tunnel excavation encountered an abandoned, 100-year-old water tunnel known as the “Narrows Gallery.” This existing tunnel was completely full of water and under 30 m of hydrostatic head. This paper will discuss the unanticipated difficulties and design solutions implemented to construct a gassy tunnel exposed to high volumes of water.

Jan 1, 2005

By W. N. Marchant

[The citrate process for flue gas desulfurization (FGD) is a product of continuing research by the U.S. Bureau of Mines to meet the goal of minimizing the objectionable effects of minerals industry operations upon the environment. The reduction of SO2, in solution by H2S to produce elemental sulfur by the citrate process is extremely complex and results in solutions that contain at least nine different sulfur species. Process solution analysis is essential to a clear understanding of process chemistry and its safe, efficient operation. The various, chemical species, the approximate ranges of their concentrations in citrate process solutions, and the analytical methods evolved to determine them are hydrogen sulfide (~0M to 0.06M) by specific ion electrode, polysulfides (unknown) by ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry, elemental sulfur (~0M to -0.001M dissolved, ~0M to ~0.1M suspended) by W spectrophotometry, thiosulfatc (~0M to ~0.25M) by iodometry or high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), polythionates (~0M to ~0.01M) by thin layer chrornatogrphy (TLC), dithionite (searched for but~ not detected in process solutions) by polarography or TLC, bisulfite (~0M to 0.2M) by iodometry, sulfate (~0M to 1M) by a Bureau-developed gravimetric procedure, citric acid (-GM to 0.5M) by titration or visible colorimetry, glycolic acid (~0M to 1N) by HPLC, sodium (~1.5M) by flame photo¬metry, and chloride by argentometric titration.]

Jan 1, 1980

The design of excavations in high displacement mining environments requires consideration of both the load and displacement capacity of the ground reinforcement and support systems. This paper is a case study on the design of point anchored rebar bolts using laboratory tests and field trials at the Ridgeway Deeps block cave. A laboratory testing program was carried out to measure the mechanical properties of the Strata Control Systems R27 Secura resin bolt which is currently being installed on the extraction and undercut level at the Ridgeway Deeps block cave. The aim was to quantify elastic, plastic and energy parameters for various bolt, mesh and plate systems. Experiments were performed on bar segments, bolt/plate systems, and bolt/plate/mesh/resin systems. The mechanical properties were calculated from tensile tests with a 500 kN Avery machine. Load-displacement data was collected from four different testing configurations. The laboratory results are compared with underground measurements and observations of bolt performance.

Nov 25, 2010

By S. Coats, G. Norton, A. Benham, P. Ková

The Aynak copper deposit, located 30 km south of Kabul in Afghanistan (Figure 1), was discovered by Soviet geologists in the 1970s. Extensive exploration undertaken in the area between 1974-80 included several hundred boreholes, seventy trenches and nine exploratory adits. This work identified a “drill-indicated resource” of 240 Mt at 2.3% Cu (ESCAP, 1995).

Jan 1, 2007

By H. Nelisse, S. K. Patra, A. Natani, S. Rakheja

The current laboratory methods for assessing the vibration attenuation performance of seats involve repetitive trials with a number of human occupants, and raise certain ethical concerns. Moreover, the measurements with human subjects yield considerable variability in the data. Alternatively, several anthropodynamic manikins have been developed for effective assessments of the coupled seat occupant system [1]. The effectiveness of a manikin in predicting the response of a coupled seat-occupant system lies in its ability to reproduce the biodynamic response of the seated human body in terms of force-motion relationship at the body-seat interface, such as apparent mass (APMS). A number of prototype manikins have thus been developed on the basis of biodynamic characteristics of vertical vibration-exposed seated occupants of different body masses in the vicinity of 5th, 50th and 95th percentile male population. This study concerns with the analysis of a passive prototype manikin to enhance its ability to reproduce the idealized APMS response characteristics of the vibration-exposed seated human subjects defined in ISO-5982[2] for mean body masses of 55, 75 and 98 kg. Methods The APMS responses of a prototype anthropodynamic passive manikin were thoroughly characterized in the laboratory under different excitations and body mass configurations. The manikin was designed with sufficient flexibility to configure mechanical-equivalent models corresponding to seated body masses of 55, 75 and 98 kg, by adding/removing specified masses and springs (Fig. 1). The manikin, configured for a specific body mass, was positioned on a rigid seat without a backrest, which was fixed to the force platform of a whole-body vertical vibration simulator. The simulator was programmed to synthesize random vertical vibration with flat acceleration power spectrum in the 0.4-20 Hz frequency range with two different magnitudes: 1 and 2 m/s2 overall rms acceleration. The total static and dynamic forces of the manikin to and the seat were measured using the force platform, while a single axis accelerometer was installed on the seat pan to measure acceleration due to vertical excitation. The measured data was appropriately corrected for the rigid seat inertia force, and the apparent mass [ ]

Jan 6, 2006

A shortage of technical skills in all areas of the mining industry is being experienced worldwide. This has significant consequences for design, operations, productivity and safety and, therefore, needs to be seriously addressed, both in the short and longer term. It is therefore both a strategic and a tactical issue. Importantly, however, since mining is a long-term business, the shortage of skills must be dealt with from a strategic point of view to ensure the supply of the necessary skills for future mining. This paper will deal specifically with the provision of high level technical skills, that is, university graduates in mining engineering, and the outlook for the institutions that are currently producing such graduates.

Jan 1, 2009

By D. M. Loring

Radon progeny have been a health and safety concern for miners since the mining of radioactive minerals began. Through the ?nuclear age?, it has become better understood and the regulations have become more robust. Ventilation and control practices have improved, thus reducing miners? exposures. This paper provides an overview of radon in mining, the progress of the regulations, and discusses some of the uranium miner studies that contributed to the knowledge of the pathology of radon.

Jan 1, 2009

New Bio-Adsorber with Activated Carbon and Nano Tube Carbon for Separation of Nickel and Cadmium

Sep 13, 2010

By R. G. McLusky

This paper analyzes the opinion in Bragg v. Robertson, 72 F.Supp. 2d 642 (S.D. W.Va. 1999), a case which threatens the future of surface mining in West Virginia and which will almost certainly result in new policies or rules that will affect surface mining everywhere. This paper addresses: (1) the jurisdictional bases of the action which relies on the federal surface mining laws to enforce a state mining program; (2) settlement agreements reached in the case that threaten to alter federal policies beyond West Virginia borders; (3) a programmatic environmental impact statement on mountaintop mining being undertaken by the federal government; and (4) an opinion by the Court outlawing excess spoil disposal in intermittent and perennial streams.

Jan 1, 2001

By A. D. Davis

Limestone-based material shows great promise for removal of arsenic from water. In laboratory tests, it has removed more than 95% or arsenic and more than 99% of cadmium and lead. In addition, the waste material appears to be suitable for recycling or disposal in an ordinary landfill. However, the efficiency of limestone for arsenic removal could be improved. Recent research has shown that iron treatment of limestone can enhance its arsenic-removal efficiency greatly, increasing its attractiveness as an alternative to other methods.

Jan 1, 2012

The history of mining is rightly proud of its achievements in improving productivity and cost improvements over the years. No matter what measure is used, tonnes per manhour, cost per tonne, etc vast improvements have been made over the last hundred years. In fact over the last ten years in Australian coal mines raw coal output per employee has increased by 60 per cent. When one examines why these improvements have taken place the principal reasons have been technological advancement in mining equipment, excavator and dump truck capacity increases, longwall and continuous miners continually improving in reliability and size. Of course all these improvements are correlated to an increase in capital cost. Even with the above-mentioned advances the pressure for increased performance is as strong as ever. The international mining and mineral-processing sector is currently operating in a recessive market with some traditional commodities, eg gold trading at 20 year lows. During recessive times senior management will demand greater returns on capital employed: the obvious choices being reducing costs or increasing throughput. In addition, head office environments will often place a capital freeze on operational management so the opportunity to take advantage of technological change is not available. The challenge is, therefore, to increase throughput and cut costs without the need for capital. The answer is to optimise the existing labour and plant. If done systematically a result in productivity improvement, in our experience, as high as 45 per cent can be achieved with the average across South East Asia and Australasia being 21 - 23 per cent. The intention of this paper is to present a systematic approach to labour and machine utilisation thereby gaining the greatest possible return on the existing capital base.

Jan 1, 1999

By Koehler Stout

Many hydraulic backfills are deposited at low density and provide less than optimum support strength to stope walls. This laboratory study shove that fill strength can be considerably increased. Placement methods used to increase the fill strength were the head, vibratory, cementation, double-planed (dblplod), and combinations of these methods. An experimental facility van designed to study the placement cathode and resultant strengths of the fills. Physical property tests made on the fills included laboratory penetration and vane shear plus several supplementary tests, such as grain size distribution and relative density. Test results were compared to fills planed by conventional methods and to those results reported by other investigators. When compared to fills placed by conventional methods, the penetration modulus was increased by 4.3 tines when the uncemented-vibrated-head concept was used and 71 times when the cemented-vibrated-head-dblplod concept was used. Apparently, hydraulically fill strength can be substantially increased. Conceptual mining plans are also included on suggested ways of placing and using high-modulus backfills.

Jan 1, 1979

By Sandip K. Mukherjee

This report presents the results of the economic analysis of several applicable alternatives to increase airflow in four underground coal mines. Pressure-quantity surveys were conducted underground and measurements were also made at the main mine fan(s). The existing ventilation networks were modeled using the modified Penn State ventilation simulator. The applicable alternatives were simulated. Performance data obtained from these simulation runs were utilized to conduct the cost-effectiveness analysis. The costs for each of the alternatives included capital, operating and operating costs. These costs were expressed as annual ventilation costs per active section in terms of dollars per cfm taking into account the economic life associated with each of the alternatives. The benefits were expressed as increased airflow quantity in the critical sections. A section of this report also deals with comparison of simulator predicted air quantity values against air quantity values measured under-ground. This volume constitutes Volume II of the report and contains the outputs of the computer simulation runs.

Jan 1, 1983

By Dina M. Aloi

In today?s evolving and globalized world, mining companies are being pressured to move beyond compliance towards long-term sustainability and sustainable development. Companies are expected to ?engage? communities without a clear understanding of ?how? to do this or to what end. This move, away from compliance, develops more of a focus on ?Community? Social Responsibility and sustainability. This shift leads to the development of world-class projects that provide sustainable development for people, reduce the incidence of costly delays, and promote good global citizenship for companies. The process of ?engaging? communities in mining project design and development leads to a stronger license to operate, and a reduction in social and political risk. To create this mutually beneficial relationship between communities and companies, communities must be ?engaged? in the project development and risk assessment processes as early as possible, preferably during the exploration or the concept phases. How to create this ?engagement? and manage this risk will be discussed.

May 1, 2007

By Murat Baydogan

Effect of retrogression and reaging treatment on hardness and stress corrosion cracking resistance of 7075 aluminum alloy was investigated. As received 7075 alloys in T6 temper condition were retrogressed at 170, 220, 240 and 380°C for different durations between 15 s and 60 min. Subsequent reaging was made at the T6 aging condition. Treated materials exhibited higher hardness and better stress corrosion cracking resistance than T6 temper in a wide range of retrogression temperature and time. The highest hardness was obtained after retrogression at 170°C for 210 s followed by reaging, corresponding to 20% hardness improvement. Improvement in stress corrosion cracking resistance of the alloy by as much as 85% was also observed. In this paper, improvements in hardness and stress corrosion cracking resistance are discussed on the basis of the microstructural changes during retrogression and reaging treatment.

Jan 1, 2006

By K Faure

At Sams Creek a gold-bearing, peralkaline granite pophyry dyke intrudes Ordovician-Silurian metapelite and quartzite. The granite porphyry dyke has a thickness of up to 40 m, extends discontinuously for about 8 km, and intrudes thin lamprophyre dykes along its contacts. The granite dyke and gold-bearing sulphide and quartz-siderite veins within it have been deformed and recrystallised during several phases of folding, the youngest of which is Early Cretaceous.   The unaltered granite porphyry is composed of phenocrysts of perthite, arfvedsonite, aegerine and quartz in a groundmass of the same minerals, with accessory ilmenite, rutile and fluorite. K-Ar dates of amphibole from the granite gave ages of 226 and 246 Ma, but these ages may be a minimum due to resetting during the thermal and deformation events that have affected the area. Unpublished Ar-Ar data on amphibole from the granite show disturbed spectra with high temperature steps around 300-315 Ma, which is consistent with the age of A-type granites in the Buller region. Further age dating of primary and hydrothermal minerals in the granite is continuing. At least three stages of hydrothermal alteration have been identified in the granite. Stage I alteration is characterised by high fO2 magnetite-siderite ¦ biotite, which is cut by thin quartz-pyrite veinlets (Stage II). These are cut by Stage III sulphide, quartz and siderite veins, and pervasive silicification represented by quartz-perthite-albite-rutile ¦ pyrite-siderite-sericite assemblages overprints the earlier alteration stages. Lamprophyre is altered to a siderite-chlorite-sericite assemblage. Stage III sulphide veins are composed of arsenopyrite + pyrite ¦ gold ¦ galena ¦ sphalerite ¦ chalcopyrite ¦ pyrrhotite ¦ graphite, deposited by low fO2 H2S fluids. The gold contains 18-30 wt% Ag and up to 1 wt% Bi. Temperature of vein formation was estimated from vein quartz fluid inclusion homogenisation temperatures (Th 260-355oC, average 330oC), arsenopyrite-sphalerite thermometry (310-365oC) and quartz-albite stable isotope thermometry (340oC). The altered granite and the veins have been deformed, and recrystallised and competent sulphide minerals are fractured and brecciated. Alteration and mineralisation are confined to the granite porphyry and adjacent lamprophyre.

Jan 1, 2004

By Kot F. v. Unrug

The present combination of coal market prices and reserves, situated in the Central Appalachian Coal Field, is such that mining of smaller coal reserve blocks has become economically attractive. In above drainage deposits, and particularly under mountain ridges, overburden depth can be changing within a wide range. Mines operating in these deposits are usually developing mains along the center of the ridge, with panels projecting from the mains towards the outcrop. Due to changing topography, proximity of the outcrop, and related cover depth, the panels have various lengths. In this reported case study, a mine in Pike County, Kentucky, along the Kentucky ?West Virginia border, difficult ground conditions were encountered, during the development of the mains, under shallow cover, along a narrow mountain ridge. An area having unusual density of vertical joints was encountered. Mining operations were suspended because of roof stability concerns. The ground conditions were studied, analyzed, and control measures proposed to ensure safe passage through the difficult roof area of the mine. The advancement of the mains, through this area of challenging ground conditions, was successfully completed. In this paper, ground conditions are described, with an explanation of the geologic process contributing to their formation. It is interesting to note that similar locations were predicted by the authors, to be encountered in the same mine, based upon the experience gathered from studying conditions of the case described within this paper. When approaching the predicted locations, stability problems appeared to be even more challenging than those encountered previously. Due to changes in the coal market, mine management chose to move the affected mining section to another area of the mine having better coal quality. The advancement of the mains, through the difficult ground conditions, was temporarily postponed. Based upon the analysis of a probable kinematical mechanism of blocks in the mine roof, ground control measures were proposed. The actual application of these principles proved to be appropriate, ensuring safe passage through the difficult ground conditions encountered in the mine.

Jan 1, 2006

By H. Warlimont

In recent investigations of the microstructure and crystallographic features of martensite by electgon microscopy,', '9 thin films (about 50 to l000A in thickness) have been used as specimens. It was found by W. Pitschl ,2 that the lattice relationships between the supefiaturated fcc matrix and the martensite formed in thin films were different from those observed after transformation in bulk material. Corresponding differences are to be expected in nucleation and in reaction kinetics in the formation of martensite in thin films, but have not yet been reported. In the course of the preparation of thin films of iron-base alloys for investigation by electron microscopy it was observed that films of alloys, whose martensite formation temperature (Ms) was below room temperature, formed martensite during the electrochemical thinning process conducted at or above room temperature. The chemical compositions and approximate bulkM,-temperatures of the three materials on which this observation was made are listed in Table I. The alloys were vacuum-melted from high-purity metals. It can be seen that the effect occurred in alloys that contain only sub-stitutional components as well as in alloys that contain carbon as an interstitial solute. The appearance of martensite formed in this manner is illustrated in Fig. 1, which represents a polished film of alloy No. 1 at XI0 magnification. The martensite plates can be recognized by their surface relief effects. In addition, heavily strained (owrinkledo) austenite can be seen near the edges of the film where it is thinnest and transformation stresses or strains can be accommodated by plastic deformation most easily. The nonuniform distribution of transformed regions is probably due to the varying thickness of the film. These observations were common to all materials listed in Table I. Because effects of supercooling or straining can

Jan 1, 1962

By Clarence Karr

THE BUREAU OF MINES is investigating methods for upgrading tar produced by the low-temperature carbonization of bituminous coal. This survey was undertaken to compile information needed for identifying the ether constituents of low-temperature tar. Physical properties are listed for 1,024 aromatic ethers. The compounds include cyclic and noncyclic, polyfunctional and monofunctional ethers with oxygen joined directly to either one or two aromatic rings. Alkyl groups up through butyl are included. The compounds are divided into 37 groups ranging in complexity from alkoxybenzenes to dibenzopyrans. Compounds containing aromatic ether groups are important constituents of the neutral oxygen components of low-temperature tar. For example, at Morgantown, W. Va., the Bureau of Mines has identified and determined the amounts of benzofuran, 2-, 3-, 5-, 6-, and 7 -methylbenzofuran, diphenyl ether, dibenzofuran, 2,3-dimethyldibenzofuran, and two other dimethyl-dibenzofurans in the neutral oil from a low-temperature bituminous coal tar (103, 104).3

Jan 1, 1962

To preserve Washington Group International's quality of service in the mine operations area, the company has established a Supervisor Training Program to provide all levels of supervision with the required skills to meet objectives and guarantee consistent, excellent performance for each of our projects. A need developed to establish this training program internationally. The first international training session was held at the APEX San Cristóbal Mine in Bolivia. This paper discusses the program’s development, execution, results, and lessons learned with an emphasis on multicultural environments.

Jan 1, 2007