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By AMIR EHSAN KIANFAR, Moritz Ziegler, TOBIAS HARTMANN, ELISABETH CLAUSEN

Accurate positioning information is a central step in the process of increasing automation and digitalization in the mining industry. Underground mine environments are prime examples for GNSS-denied environments that pose several additional challenges for the employed indoor positioning system (IPS). This work presents an ultra-wideband (UWB)- based system specifically tailored for underground mine environments. Initially, the UWB technology is reviewed and basic concepts of IPS are explained. Both software and hardware are described in detail, including positioning algorithms, electrical circuitry and the mining-compatible enclosure. Finally, the results from field tests in an underground mine are presented and positioning performance and the influence of dilution of precision (DOP) on positioning results are empirically evaluated. The results show that the localization errors are mostly below 1 m. Individual zones of high localization errors are suspected to be caused by noise interference. Significant DOP influence due to the mining drift geometry can be confirmed. The system shows promising localization results for different mining applications, while influences negatively impacting the accuracy are presented as items for future research.

Jan 1, 2024

By Kevin J. Ma, John Stankus, Dakota Faulkner

"Expandable rock bolts are widely used in hard rock mines as an efficient ground control product. However, capacity and service life can be significantly reduced if the metallic body is subjected to corrosion. In some hard rock mines in the U.S., highly corrosive ground conditions exist, and it has been reported that inflatable rock bolts have corroded within a few months after installation. To provide mining industry a cost-effective inflatable bolt and combat the corrosion issues, Jennmar Corporation, Inc., and its subsidiary Keystone Mining Services, LLC (KMS), analyzed corroded bolt samples, identified root causes, evaluated properties of various coating materials, and developed a new inflatable rock bolt, Python M3TM, that is protected with an innovative PyFlexU2TM coating. The new generation Python M3 features improved steel chemistry for reliable performance, modified profile for better inflation, and surface preparation and coating application. The PyFlexU2 is impervious to liquid and air, durable, and UV resistant. With a flexible adhesive, and highly corrosion-resistant undercoating, and a very hard sacrificial surface coating, the PyFlexU2 coating system provides the Python M3 superior protection against chemical corrosion and physical scratch damage. The under-coating has exceptional flexibility and adhesion to prevent coating micro-cracks or fractures after bolt inflation and possesses excellent corrosion resistance to acids (pH <3), alkalis (pH >11), fuels, and salt solvents. The corrosion and scratch resistant PyFlexU2 coating offers very effective bolt protection for extra longevity in highly corrosive environments. The Python M3 coated with PyFlexU2 has been tested in the most challenging conditions, including laboratory corrosion tests in extreme acidic and basic solvents, rock slurry, and borehole scratch insertion tests. With demonstrated corrosion and scratch resistance, the product has been greatly welcomed by hard rock mines in the West and is currently installed in large scale. This paper identifies the root causes of the bolt corrosion, discusses the analysis process, and details laboratory and underground tests carried out on the Python M3 coated with PyFlexU2. The Python M3TM and PyFlexU2TM are subjects covered by pending U.S. Patent Applications assigned to FCI Holdings Delaware, LLC."

Jan 1, 2017

By Derek Apela, Coralee Heske, Bunyamin Kahraman, Muhammad Adi

Effective blast fragmentation is essential in underground mining, as it directly influences downstream processing efficiency and operational expenses. This study investigates the application of Non-Newtonian Fluids (NNF) as stemming materials, presenting a novel method to enhance energy confinement, minimize environmental impact, and optimize blast performance. NNFs exhibit shear-thickening behaviour, enabling them to transition between fluid-like and solid-like states under stress, which renders them suitable for regulating explosive gas ejection during blasting. Field trials were performed by Vale Base Metals in Thompson, Manitoba, in their underground nickel mine to evaluate conventional slag stemming against NNF-based stemming in production-scale blasts. Emulsion explosives were employed, and blast performance was assessed through velocity of detonation (VOD) measurements, vibration monitoring, and AI-assisted fragmentation analysis using WipFrag. Preliminary results indicate that NNF stemming improves fragmentation, resulting in a reduction of D50 by as much as 38%, enhances energy confinement, and may decrease the incidence of hole plugging and re-drilling in subsequent blasts. This study presents an alternative to conventional stemming methods, highlighting potential advantages for enhanced safety, efficiency, and sustainability in blasting operations. Additional research and field trials are necessary to improve implementation protocols and facilitate the widespread adoption of this unique method in the mining sector.

May 4, 2025

By W. C. Yates

Lack of visibility from cabs of the large haulage trucks used in open-pit mines has become a serious safety problem. This Anaconda research program was conducted to develop a low-cost system for alerting haulage truck operators of the presence of small vehicles in their blind areas. Several systems, developed and tested to help solve this problem, are summarized and evaluated in this paper. As the size of the haulage trucks used in large open-pit mines has increased, so have the blind areas. Mine utility vehicles, pickup tucks and cars become concealed within these blind areas and, thus, become a serious safety hazard. Figure 1 shows the typical blind areas of a 150-ton haulage truck. The areas of greatest concern are those at the rear center and front right corner of the truck. It is within these areas of "no visibility" that numerous small vehicles over the years have been crushed by the large haulage trucks at various mine sites. Although the occupants in most instances, have escaped the vehicle before it was destroyed, injuries and deaths have occurred. The accidents, in most cases, were attributed to negligence or carelessness on the part of the driver of the smaller vehicle, but the problem of limited visibility still exists, and a solution is needed.

Jan 1, 1982

By E. Chiyangwa, L. Schoeman

The commercially successful electrowinning and refining of metals typically requires the optimization of the electrolyte composition and operating parameters to produce high quality compact electroplated metal. The prediction of the effect of the electrolyte composition on the structure and morphology of the plated metal remains a challenge. Initial work on the use of polarization measurements to predict and control plating behaviour in electrowinning plants involved potentiodynamic polarization but proved unsatisfactory as accurate and repeatable predictions could not be achieved. The aim of the present work was to develop a reliable galvanodynamic technique specifically applicable to the plating of zinc from sulfate electrolytes with which plant operation may be controlled and optimized. Initial results indicated that plating and nucleation potentials could be measured accurately and repeatably and that the relationship between the two could be used as a predictive tool for the effect of electrolyte composition on the quality of zinc electrodeposits.

Jan 1, 2014

By T. Navessin

Recent research activities in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) have significantly improved the performance per unit cost and its lifetime. These activities narrow the technology gaps, and thus, enable commercialization in some applications. One particular focus is in the development and understanding of proton conducting membrane materials. Many novel membranes are being developed which provide control and systematic understanding of complex relationships between chemical structure, morphology, physicochemical properties, and electrochemical kinetics. In this study, different classes of proton conducting membranes suitable for portable and automotive applications were evaluated in an operating PEMFC at the Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation, National Research Council. Analysis of these results may provide constructive feedbacks to the material researchers.

Jan 1, 2005

By G. van der Westhuizen, F. E. du Plessis

Ticor South Africa operates a dry mill at the town of Empangeni in the province of KwaZulu-Natal on the east coast of South Africa. The dry mill processes a non-magnetic mineral stream constituting rutile, leucoxene and zircon as major minerals, and minor quantities of ilmenite and other non-valuable minerals. For plant control and optimization, continuous ‘real time’ information about the mineral and chemical compositions in various plant streams is required. The current practice is to take samples at regular intervals and submit them for mineralogical(grain counting) and chemical analyses. However, these methods are time consuming, and in the case of manual grain counting, tedious and operator dependent. Until now an on-line or real-time instant mineral quantification system, which will be of great value in a plant operations environment, has not been available. Blue Cube Systems has developed a mineral quantification system using spectral mineral analysis. It measures and quantifies the composition of mineral samples instantly, providing consistent data in real time. A series of process stream samples from the dry mill mentioned above were used to evaluate the Blue Cube Systems instant mineral quantifier. This article will •describe the procedure of setting up and evaluating the Blue Cube Instant MineralQuantifier equipment •present its results, and •discuss the intended applications.

Jan 1, 2003

By R Godard, J Gantumur, F Prince, C Pascoe

Resolution Copper Mining LLC (RCML) is one of the largest undeveloped high-grade porphyry copper-molybdenum deposits in the world, with an orebody at depths of approximately 2000 m beneath post-mineralisation cover. With a vision to develop a large-scale, low-cost operating mine, the project is designed as a micropanel cave with an advanced undercut.In September 2014, RCML began a study focusing on identifying and selecting the best production cases to eventually reach full production (120 kt/d). To achieve this, a methodology was developed that allows the fast evaluation of a large number of production schedules.Dassault Syst&#232;mes GEOVIA was commissioned to enhance the Footprint Finder program for batch scheduling panel cave production. The tonnage and grade schedules produced by Footprint Finder were compared to schedules developed using personal computing block caving (PCBC™). The inputs to Footprint Finder were then adjusted to achieve a reasonable correlation with the PCBC™ schedules.The enhanced Footprint Finder program was used to batch-process nearly 54 000 schedules using 20 elevations, 17 shutoff grades, four heights of draw, two different copper grades (modelled and upside), two layout refinements within the existing footprint and a variety of production ramp-up rates to 120 kt/d. The study team developed processes to analyse large amounts of data, to assist in selecting a matrix of the best schedules for detailed assessment using PCBC™. Three hundred PCBC™ schedules were developed.The detailed trade-offs between the scenarios is currently underway with promising results. This paper outlines the methodology used in evaluating the numerous alternatives.CITATION:Gantumur, J, Godard, R, Prince, F and Pascoe, C, 2016. Development and evaluation processes of cave production schedules for the Resolution copper project, in Proceedings Seventh International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining (MassMin 2016), pp 59–64 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2016

By Brian T. Hamilton, Richard Piliounis, Cian Murphy

"The Eglinton-Crosstown Light Rail Transit line is a 19-kilometre corridor with a 10-kilometre underground portion currently being constructed by Metrolinx in Toronto through a densely populated urban environment. Tunneling works are being completed through two separate design-bid-build contracts that include consideration for a phased handover to a follow on contractor who will take ownership of the tunnels, including warranties, and will complete the stations and remainder of the system through a PPP delivery model including maintenance of the system for 30 years. Warranty provisions, settlement apportionment, tunnel leakage, potential delays and conflicts between contractors are just some of the risks the team managing tunnel contract integration had to consider when developing the PPP contract. This paper will present an overview of how these risks were assessed and allocated through the contracts and the strategies adopted to minimize risks to Metrolinx while ensuring successful procurement was maintained. INTRODUCTION The Big Move is a 25 year, $50 billion ($-CAD) plan for coordinated and integrated transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) in Ontario, Canada. This plan has been initiated by Metrolinx, a division of the provincial government of Ontario, and its vision, goals and objectives are rooted in creating a high quality of life; a thriving, sustainable and protected environment; and a strong, prosperous and competitive economy for the GTHA. The Big Move will triple the length of rapid transit service in the GTHA to 1,725km, significantly increase the percentage of the GTHA population living within two kilometers of rapid transit, reduce commute times to an average of 77 minutes per person per day and decrease greenhouse gas emissions from passenger transportation per person by 29%. Work is currently underway on several projects and more than $16 billion ($-CAD) of the planned investment has already been committed. A key project that forms part of this commitment is the Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project which is being delivered in the City of Toronto under Metrolinx’s Rapid Transit (RT) Program. This complex and sizeable undertaking has been broken into a number of separate contracts comprising: LRT Vehicles contract; Eglinton West Tunnels Project; Eglinton East Tunnels Project; and a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) contract to complete the underground stations, at-grade stops, all rail infrastructure and systems and to maintain the entire system for 30 years. The PPP contract, which includes an initial capital portion of approx. $5.1 billion ($-CAD), has recently been awarded to Crosslinx Transit Solutions, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) consortium comprised of SNC Lavalin, Aecon, Dragados and EllisDon."

Jan 1, 2016

By Fredrik Sarvell, Leo-Ville Miettinen, Veli-Matti Uotinen

"Abstract The continued concentration of building activities in cramped areas of city centres means more underground construction and facilities. Demand to minimize execution time and any kind of disturbance to business, general traffic, people and nearby technical structures is increasing. To answer these challenges foundation business has to develop schedule-wise and technically reliable deep excavation and foundation solutions in vulnerable surroundings and challenging soil conditions.Drilled pipe pile wall – RD-pile wall – is a combination of Ruukki drilled steel pipe piles and interlocking sections. Individual RD piles, typical diameters between 219 mm to 610 mm, are connected to each other with interlocks welded to the piles on the automated welding line at the workshop. The matching dimensions of the drilling system and interlocking sections allow the installation of RD piles through stones and boulders and even into the bedrock, if necessary, in a single operation. Installation is done by a down-the-hole hammer (DTH) using the centric drilling system and oversized ring bits or a drilling system consisting of a pilot bit and reamer wings.RD-pile walls have been used as permanent and temporary retaining walls for different kinds of demanding excavations and structures, such as bridge foundation, as quay wall and as sealing structure in rehabilitation of an existing dam. Rigidity and watertightness of the lower end of the RDpile wall is being researched as well as fire design issues examined. One of the most fascinating RDpile wall solution is to utilize the wall as a permanent underground basement wall. Reliable and rigid connection to bedrock decreases the bending moment and deflection of the wall and good fire resistance in addition to large variety of pile dimensions and steel grades gives possibilities to design and execute a cost-efficient basement wall and foundations without temporary retaining wall works. 1. IntroductionIn northern Scandinavian soil conditions, installation of sheet pile walls, or even secant pile walls, is often problematic due to the existence of hard and large boulders in the overburden, and especially when the retaining wall structure should penetrate to or into the hard bedrock. On the other hand, an efficient and reliable piling technique suitable for the demanding soil conditions described above, percussion drilling, has been developed since the 1960’s, and especially from the mid-1990’s, when the concentric drilling method with the ring bit and pilot was introduced. A new retaining wall application, the RD pile wall was developed by combining that drilling method with the widely used retaining wall solution based on steel pipe piles and welded interlocks (a pipe pile wall normally installed with vibratory or impact hammers)."

Jan 1, 2014

By M. J. Sapko

The Bureau conducted, through joint funding with the Colorado Mining Association, large scale oil shale rubble fire tests to investigate flotability characteristics and different methods of extinguishment. Ignition of large rubble piles was easily accomplished. Foam blankets could be used to control surface flames. The results of these large scale tests confirmed that water was effective in extinguishing deep seated oil shale fires but not particularly efficient. It took up to 1.7 times as much water to extinguish a fire as anticipated on the basis of a simple cooling model, assuming 100 pet utilization.

Jan 1, 1989

By P. Choquet, F. Miller

"The development and testing of a simple low-cost gauge for measurement of tension in a cable bolt grouted in a borehole are presented. Its principle is based on a resistance wire which is wound on a 70 cm length into the spiral grooves of the wire strand cable bolt. Readings are then taken by a robust automatic data logger with a several day autonomy or by a portable readout. In order to have a complete profile of tension along the cable bolt, a number of tension gauges can be installed along its length.This paper provides a description of the development and laboratory calibration of the tension gauge and addresses the two modes of loading for a cable bolt in a rock mass, namely pure tension and shearing at a joint location.In the second part of the paper, four field tests in underground and open pit mines are reported. The first test was used to substantially modify both the gauge and the readout unit principles while the other tests which are still on-going show a very satisfactory behaviour of the modified version of the tension gauge. IntroductionCable-bolting is often used as ground support in Canadian mines for a variety of applications. In underground mines, cable bolts can be installed vertically at the back of cut and fill stopes or in an inclined fashion in the walls of large open stopes. Alternatively, cable bolts at Mines Gaspe (Noranda Inc.) are used in a fan-shaped pattern from a drill drift to stabilize the inclined roof in 25 m wide open stapes. This new application oriented our research efforts toward the design of a novel instrumentation to monitor the efficiency of most commonly used 5/8-inch cable bolts."

Jan 1, 1988

By Gerald L. Stolarczyk

Safe and efficient coal extraction requires advanced radar subsystems that can be mounted on cutting drums of coal cutting machines. A look-ahead radar (LAR) must solve the radio geophysics problem of transmitting an electromagnetic (EM) wave through at least 20 feet (6.1 meters) of coal to an air- or water-filled void. The reflected EM wave must be processed in the radar electronics to determine the physical distance to the void. Horizon sensing enables selective cutting near the undulating sedimentary rock boundaries of the coal bed to address coal quality and ground control issues. Both sensors require subsystems for dynamic electric power generation, real-time measurement of drum rotation angle, detection of reflected EM waves, and processing to determine distance through coal and RF modem transmission of measured data to the mining machine. This paper describes the development of the subsystems and field test results.

Jan 1, 2006

By S. Nakamura, H. Taniguchi, K. Noguchi, H. Sugihara, T. Matsuzawa

It has been reported that expanded poIystyrene and ANFO prills ‘were mixed on a blasting site for controlled blasting (ISANOL). Although there seems to be few possibility of their segregation because mixing on a blasting site is done, there is a great possibility of segregation in packing, transportation and loading of the product due to the different densities of the two ingredients in Japan where mixing on a blasting site still remains inoperative. The fiee-flowing property of ANFO prills was lost with the passage of time because the Abel oil infiltrated into the expanded polystyrene and that gave the product high viscosity.

Jan 1, 2001

By K. B. Dotson

A common international safety and health management system was developed. Analysis of selected major safety and health management systems from around the world was conducted. Functional elements of selected systems were grouped to identify common elements and key differences. Common elements were subjected to qualitative judgments of equivalency and then reconciled. With few exceptions, differing elements were revised to achieve cultural neutrality. The resulting 98 system elements were organized according to the NOSA numbering and title scheme. System summaries were produced in Spanish and English. A pre-implementation self-assessment evaluated conformance in three distinct cultures. The consensus 98 element system was internally named the BHP Copper Five Star Safety System Performance Management Guidelines. Development of a common system within an organization with international operations can enhance the ability of the staff function to share resources, programs and subsystem improvements and thereby increasingly protect workers. Common systems can increase the level of management support by demonstrating increased compatibility of the safety and health management function with traditional business objectives. Safety professionals, industrial and occupational hygienists, business managers and the safety and health of workers will benefit from further development and articulation of common systems for safety and health management.

Jan 1, 1999

By S M. W Rajaratnam, P Varma, T L. Sletten

Mining employees undertaking shift work are at considerable risk of experiencing sleep disturbances and circadian rhythm disruptions. In the complex, high-risk environment of mining, these sleep and circadian disruptions lead to adverse impacts on employee health, alertness and safety. Evidence-based tools that effectively target improvements in sleep health amongst shift workers are needed. Variability in work hours and individual differences in the response to shift work mean that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution is often insufficient in complex work environments. Currently no interventions provide tailored support for shift workers based on their rosters, personal commitments and sleep habits. Existing technologies, such as smartphone applications and watches, allow sleep monitoring, but their strategies are targeted towards night sleepers, which does not translate to shift work contexts. To address this, our team has developed an innovative digital tool that implements biomathematical models to provide automated, personalised sleep and circadian intervention strategies to optimise sleep, alertness and performance during shift work. The tool uses mathematical models of sleep and alertness regulation that provide physiologically optimal times for an individual to sleep when experiencing circadian disruption. This program of work included co-designed development of a world-first app with shift workers and the examination of the preliminary efficacy of the intervention for improving sleep, alertness and performance.

Apr 16, 2024

By T Sprague, D Pateman

"The Gosowong Gold Project is owned and operated by PT Nusa Halmahera Minerals (PT NHM), an Indonesian company 75 per cent owned by Newcrest. It is located on Halmahera Island, in the North Maluku Province of the Republic of Indonesia, approximately 2450 km north-east of the national capital, Jakarta (Newcrest, 2017).Kencana is one of two underground gold and silver mines at the Gosowong Operation where ground conditions vary from competent to very poor. Development headings occurring in poor rock mass conditions require high capacity ground support including long tendon cable bolts. Manual installation of cable bolts in these development headings has been a time consuming process due to borehole collapse, blockages requiring subsequent re-drilling and a minimum eight hour grout curing time interval. The installation of cable bolts including the setting, plating and tensioning can impact the critical path for development heading advance resulting in development cycle delays.A review was conducted by PT NHM on current industry practices for alternatives to manual cable bolting. PT NHM subsequently approached Minova to assist with the development and trialling of self drilling anchors (SDAs) installed using jumbos with a rapid setting pumpable resin, CARBOTHIXTM. A series of system development trials were conducted and a reliable bolting system was developed utilising the existing jumbo drilling fleet with minimal required modifications.The system developed was a ‘one pass’ bolting process to install and grout SDAs using a two component resin with a remote, mechanised system. Improvements achieved from the system include: eliminating hole closure issues and more immediate support in poor rock mass effectively reducing personnel exposure to poor ground conditions by removing the requirement to access the drive backs reducing grout set time with full installation times for 6 m SDAs averaging 25 min.The resin grouting system has now been successfully implemented to effectively manage areas of poor ground conditions and to accelerate advance rates in high priority headings.CITATION:Pateman, D and Sprague, T, 2017. Development and implementation of a long tendon bolting system utilising resin grouting technology, in Proceedings 13th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2017, pp 79–84 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Oct 16, 2017

By E. Munnik

The Chambishi Metals Cobalt Plant in Zambia has recently installed a novel oxidation/precipitation pressure leach process as part of the COSAC (CObalt from Slag And Copper as by-product) Project. Aniron-cobalt-copper alloy, produced by the carbothermic reduction of slag, is atomized and pumped to the COSAC Leach Plant, where cobalt and copper are recovered as dissolved sulphate salts, andiron is rejected primarily as hematite. Cobalt and copper are subsequently recovered as cathode metal in the existing Chambish ioperation by conventional electrowinning. This paper examines the challenges faced during the design and subsequent successful commissioning of the COSAC Leach Plant. The challenges discussed include alloy handling, autoclave design, autoclave cooler design, residue liquor recovery and the water balance design. Keywords: Chambishi, Avmin, COSAC, Zambia, Copperbelt, cobalt, copper, alloy handling, pressure leach, autoclaves, cooling, filtration.

Jan 1, 2003

By E. Munnik

The Chambishi Metals Cobalt Plant in Zambia has recently installed a novel oxidation/precipitation pressure leach process as part of the COSAC (Cobalt from Slag and Copper as by-product) Project. An iron-cobalt-copper alloy, produced by the carbothermic reduction of slag, is atomized and pumped to the COSAC Leach Plant, where cobalt and copper are recovered as dissolved sulphate salts, and iron is rejected primarily as hematite. Cobalt and copper are subsequently recovered as cathode metal in the existing Chambishi operation by conventional electrowinning. This paper examines the challenges faced during the design and subsequent successful commissioning of the COSAC Leach Plant.

Jan 1, 2003

By Allan R. Punkkinen

Safe extraction of the valued ore resource in the deep levels of VALE Creighton Mine has progressed in a pillar-less fashion using vertical retreat, slot-slash and uppers retreat methods since the cessation of ?cut and fill? mining in the late 1980?s. Sequencing of the panel extraction and filling has been the key to successful exploitation of high stress orebodies at depth. In late 2010, discussions between the Operating Department and Creighton Ground Control revealed an opportunity to evaluate a trial primarysecondary sequence in the west end of the 400 Orebody at the 2340m horizon. To manage the trial primarysecondary project, a high level risk analysis and management of change was carried out to mitigate potential danger. As part of the requirements, an instrumentation project was conducted in the hanging wall and footwall bottomsills of the secondary panel and within the secondary panel itself. The extraction sequence was modeled with Map3D® software, confirming high stress levels with the advance of the primary panel. Enhanced ground support was installed based on modelling results. A key objective of the instrumentation project was to verify support system response to mining and to obtain knowledge in regards to the behavior of the stope. This paper describes the first time that this type of new innovative instrumented rockbolt technology had been used in a hard rock mining environment. Understanding of the physical deformation mechanisms of ground support in response to high stress conditions is the basis for an effective ground control strategy. The data played an important role in subsequent enhanced ground support system design at the mine and importantly, established the fact that the secondary pillar had not totally failed. Subsequent cavity monitor results helped establish that fact.

Jun 1, 2012