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By O. W. Kamper

To most of you present here the word "refractories" is not new and you are familiar with the materials and use. To many people though the question is asked, "What are refractoriness and what are they used for?" Refractories are non-metallic products which are so resistant too melting at very high temperatures that they can be used for building or lining furnaces of all kinds. A large variation occurs in the size, form, and composition depending on the service for which they are intended. They are made from a wide variety of raw materials, of which fire clay and quartzite are used in largest quantities. Other refractory raw materials include magnesite, chrome, diaspore, bauxite, kyanite, sillimanite, olivine, zircon, and many others. Most of these are assembled from-widely-'separated points in the United States while others come from the far corners of the earth. Chrome is imported from the Philippines and South Africa, and, to a lesser extent, Turkey and Greece Kyanite and sillimanite come: from India and bauxite from the Guianas. And there's "magnesite from brines," produced in chemical plant's by treatment of sea water or inland deep-well brines with hydrated lime. The proportion of magnesia available in sea water is so small, less than one pound from 500 pounds of water,, that millions of gallons must be pumped and processed each day in a sea water magnesite plant. The realm of refractory raw materials, therefore, is very extensive and continues to grow because of the endeavor to find-better raw materials from which to produce better products for refractory service.

Jan 1, 1960

"The 34th International Conference on Ground Control in Mining (ICGCM) was held July 28–30 at the Lakeview Golf Resort and Spa in Morgantown, WV. Ground control experts have gathered at this location since 1981 to share ideas and successes for improving designs and technologies to enhance the stability of surface and underground mining operations. Ground control is important to all mining operations but is particularly crucial to underground mining to ensure miner safety and operational viability.The year’s event had 240 registered attendees with 20 pecent of that attendance being from the mining industry. A remarkable number of industry representatives attended given the challenges currently faced by the mining industry. A true testament to the value of the conference, the performance of Tom Barczak and Steve Tadolini as co-chairs and the drawing power of the many exceptional speakers that have attended the annual event for many years.The conference operates under the direction of a board of directors with the cooperation, wisdom and assistance of a large organizing committee. Visit the conference website, www.icgcm.conferenceacademy.com, to view the membership of the board and the committee and to access previously published papers."

Jan 1, 2015

By S. E. Phillipson

The Mine Safety and Health Administration?s (MSHA) Roof Control Division (RCD) collects a variety of geological and engineering information pertaining to mining conditions in surface and underground mines throughout the United States. Recently, lineament analyses, trends of geologic structures, and inferred stress directions based on mapping at mines with problematic ground conditions, have been integrated into a GIS. The incorporation of different kinds of information into the same geographic coordinates and map projection, placed on digital geologic maps, allows site specific data to be evaluated in a regional geospatial context, identifying trends in the orientation of horizontal stress or patterns of structural geologic features. As more information is collected, the GIS will evolve as a tool for district- and basin-wide evaluations of controls on ground instability, and may evolve into a predictive tool for some kinds of geologic hazards. In addition to the geologic and geotechnical evaluations, the GIS also serves as a searchable database of previous mine investigations. The database can be searched for a variety of criteria, and the results displayed in real geographic coordinates to find the locations of previously visited mines or to evaluate mine fatality and injury data. This not only allows old reports to be found, but also places the information in a geospatial context with respect to neighboring mines or geographic areas. The GIS also has the capability to serve as a digital mine map repository, where maps can be stored in digital, georeferenced format for display in relation to each other and various themes of interest. This allows evaluation of multiple seam mining interactions and proximity to other mines, and on a national level could serve as an abandoned mine map database.

Jan 1, 2008

By CHONG WEI, TATYANA KATSAGA, DEREK APEL

This study provides an effective determination process of the interface microstructural parameters in the numerical modelling of the mechanical interaction between two different geomaterials involved with frictional-bonded interfaces, such as the interaction between backfill columns and the surrounding rocks, or the soil-structure interaction, by using the coupled finite-difference and discrete-element (FD-DE) method. Three-dimensional numerical direct shear tests were conducted on the coupled FD-DE model of the combined rock-cemented rockfill (R-CRF) specimens with the frictional-bonded interface. With the microstructural parameters determined, the macro-mechanical properties of the interface of the coupled model were calibrated to well fit with the theoretical values of the combined specimen under the direct shear condition assumed according to the Mohr–Coulomb strength criterion. Evident elastoplastic shear behaviour was observed on the interfaces, and excellent agreement was attained between the shapes of the theoretical and simulated shear stress-displacement curves of the coupled models at different servo-controlled normal stresses. Particulate-scale force chains inside the DE model of the CRF specimen were highly consistent with the force contour on the FD model of the rock specimen, demonstrating the shear stress evolution of the coupled model at different shear displacements. Parametric studies verified the effects of the deformation properties of the interface parallel bonds on the shape of shear stress-displacement curves of the coupled models. The test results validated the feasibility and rationality of the coupled FD-DE method for modelling the combined specimens with frictional-bonded interfaces or joints. Furthermore, this study provides valuable numerical modelling experience for investigating the shear behaviour at the interface between cemented backfill columns and surrounding walls by using the coupled FD-DE method.

Nov 2, 2021

By Helmut Westermayr, Michael Tergl

DESCRIPTION OF PROJECT Geographic Setting The Kops II plant is a pumped storage scheme of the hydroelectric power producer ‘Vorarlberger Illwerke AG’ which is currently under construction in the Austrian Province of Vorarlberg. The plant is located at the end of the Montafon valley and will be fed with water coming from the Silvretta mountain range (Figure 1) Description of Plant The Kops II plant shall be operated as a pumped storage plant with three highly flexible and quickly controllable power generating units. Each unit shall have a capacity of 150 MW and shall be equipped for both turbine operation and pump operation. The Kops II plant uses the existing Kops Lake as upper storage reservoir and the existing Rifa balancing reservoir as lower storage reservoir. All major plant components of the Kops II scheme are located below ground. Total investment costs areapprox. 360 million Euro. Construction Lots The construction works for the Kops II plant, which were subdivided into three lots, were launched in September 2004. It is planned that the first power generating unit shall go on line in the year 2007. The completion of the overall project and the operation start-up of the second and third unit are envisaged for the year 2008. Lot 1—Pressure Tunnel. The 5.5-km-long pressure tunnel forms the connection between the Kops Lake and the beginning of the pressure shaft. The tunnel was excavated by the use of a double-shield TBM. Lot 2—Pressure Shaft and Surge Chamber. The approx. 1.1-km-long pressure shaft was excavated by TBM, advancing from bottom to top. Featuring an inclination of80%, the pressure shaft overcomes a difference in height of approx. 700 m. Lot 3—Power House Cavern and Tailrace Structure. The power house cavern, which is being built approx. 150 m inside the mountain, forms the core of this plant. The power house is designed to accommodate three power generating units, and the transformer cavern is forseen to accommodate three transformer units. The tailrace structure serves the purpose of conveying the water to the lower storage reservoir during turbine operation and as water intake during pump operation (Figure 2).

Jan 1, 2007

By C. R. Stephan

Explosion-resistant seals in underground coal mines isolate the environment within the sealed area from the active workings of the mine. The current United States Title 30 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) requires these seals to be constructed of solid concrete blocks. The CFR also allows for alternative methods or materials to be used to create a seal if they can withstand a static horizontal pressure of 138 kpa (20 psi), provided the method of installation and the material used is approved in the ventilation plan. The purpose of this report is to identify those explosion- resistant seals that have been tested and meet or exceed all the requirements of the CFR.

Feb 24, 1997

By Bengt L. Stillborg

INTRODUCTION This paper summarizes the result of a two and a half year research program. The objective of the research was to develop a fundamental understanding of the Rib-in-Roc method. Through the development of a new model technology, namely three-dimensional physical models which powerfully exploit the results of dimensional analysis Stillborg, Stephansson and Swan (1), it has been possible to establish the contribution to both permanent and immediate stabilization of a large underground opening pre-reinforced by the Rib-in-Roc method. Using the results from these physical models and earlier work by Stillborg and Stephansson (2) and Åkesson (3), a conceptual synthesis is given in this paper so demonstrating the Rib-in-Roc method to be a practical working system of pre-reinforcement. DESCRIPTION OF THE RIB-IN-ROC METHOD To give the reader an idea of how this method of pre-reinforcement is performed, a short description will be given, Figure 1. Before any full-scale excavation takes place an entry is made in the host rock and rib raises are driven around the proposed opening. These raises are made at a spacing that is dependent upon rock quality; an opening in poor rock needs more ribs per length of opening. As the ribs are driven they are used as a site from which very competent rock bolting can be done. As a rib is excavated it is filled with reinforced concrete. Finally after having in this way reinforced the zone around the proposed opening, (a reinforced arch is formed) the displacements are automatically controlled as the opening is being excavated. Using this method openings with a span of 50-60 meters (160-200 ft) and a height of 60-80 meters (200-260 ft) are likely to be realised.

Jan 1, 1979

By Sigurd L. Lamhauge, Karl Gunnar Holter, Svein E. Kristiansen

An innovative sprayable waterproofing membrane in combination with the traditional Nordic method of waterproofing with polyethylene foam sheets was used for the waterproofing of the tunnel. The sprayable membrane was integrated in the final sprayed concrete lining in a sandwich structure, hence constituting a composite water-proof lining based on sprayed concrete. The spray able membrane was applied in areas with small to moderate water ingresses, making up approximately 50% of the total area requiring waterproofing in the tunnel. State-of-the-art application technology with a computerized spraying robot was used. A consistent application of the required thickness at a high speed was thereby achieved.

Jan 1, 2007

The Forestry Reclamation Approach (FRA) specifies that the upper 1.22 m of material on the reclaimed surface should be left as uncompacted as possible to facilitate tree root growth. One of the main concerns about applying the FRA to steep slopes is that the upper 1.22 m of material could cause the reclaimed slopes to be unstable. Successful application of FRA on flat and rolling surfaces precipitated this investigation. Details of a field investigation conducted at a steep-slope mine are available in an earlier publication (Kumar and Sweigard, 2011). A total of 70 survey monuments were driven into the slope in a regular pattern to monitor slope movement. Quarterly surveys of the monuments were done to quantify any type of mass movement either horizontally or vertically. The methodology proposed for slope movement was verified using numerical models. Analytical models based on limit equilibrium technique and numerical models based on the finite element method were developed for slope stability analysis. The limit equilibrium analysis was done using Geo-Slope software following the Simplified Bishop Method. The finite element (FEM) numerical model was developed using the Plaxis computer program following the strength reduction technique. Two kinds of slope stability analysis were performed: first with the top 1.22 m of loose material and second without top loose material. Finally, the field investigation results were compared with stability analysis results. Both of these approaches showed that application of the FRA on steep slopes is not causing any significant instability problems that would not exist otherwise for overly steepened slopes. Keywords: Forestry reclamation approach, steep slope, slope movement, factor of safety

Feb 27, 2013

By J. Bertisen, G. Davis

Previous analyses of small samples of mining projects have found that feasibility studies tend to well under-estimate the actual capital costs of the project. Our review of 63 mining and smelting projects completed over 4 decades confirms that as-built capital costs are, on average, 25% higher than as estimated at the bankable feasibility study stage. There appears to be little attenuation over time of this bias in capital cost estimation, at first appearing to reflect an absence of learning on the part of the consulting engineer. We instead argue that this persistence of bias is intentional, driven by a scarcity of project financing and the need to inflate the project economics in a bid to secure financing. Around this intentional bias is a considerable amount of scatter. Roughly half of all projects’ as-built capita costs fall outside of the expected ±15% of the feasibility study capital cost estimate, even after allowing for intentional estimation bias. Cost overruns of 100% or more happen in roughly 1 out of 13 projects. The data reveal that a shifted lognormal probability distribution should be used when modeling mining project capital costs in a Monte Carlo analysis.

Jan 1, 2007

By X. X. Jiang

An efficient recovery of finely divided magnetite particles of 400/500 mesh from a mixture of magnetite/silica particles has been investigated by imposing a delicate balance between centrifugal and surface tensional forces on these particles. The effect of centrifugal force, surface tensional force, density and size of particles on the overall metallurgical efficiency has been examined. A mathematical model based on a momentum balance on the particles at the liquid/liquid interface has been developed. The validity and limitations of the model are discussed in view of the experimental results obtained.

Jan 1, 1992

By Daniel W. Kappes

Testing ores for heap leach operations traditionally follows a progression of bottle roll tests, bucket and column leach tests, and very expensive large field leach tests. Enough data is now available to streamline the procedures. Data from five different operations shows that recoveries from large field leach tests can be predicted from the bucket tests. Initial recovery times in large field leaches are longer than in bucket tests- a typical response is eight days versus twenty days to the same recovery percentage; but the ultimate percent recoveries (after 60 days) are normally very close. Methods of mining and stacking can radically affect recoveries from clay-rich ores. Leaching of uncrushed ores provides special testing problems, since accurate samples smaller than several tons cannot be taken.

Jan 1, 1981

By Diane Jones, Jeremy Spearman, Tom Matthewson

Requirements for minerals are on the increase globally and the deep sea offers a potential source of essential materials. Extracting these minerals from what is considered an environmentally sensitive area, and one about which little is still known, is a challenging activity, which needs careful consideration and an appropriate environmental impact assessment to be carried out. Extraction of material from the deep sea beds can cause disturbance or damage to benthic communities; impact on mobile marine species such as fish, mammals and reptiles; cause increases in suspended sediment and sediment deposition onto potentially sensitive areas or potentially release contaminants which were previously bound to the sediment. This paper discusses the potential environmental issues surrounding extraction of deep-sea deposits using aggregate dredging techniques and how those issues can be appropriately assessed. In particular issues of suspended sediments, plume transport, water and sediment quality and underwater noise impacts on potentially sensitive species and habitats will be explored.

Sep 1, 2014

By Tom Szaraz, Steve Skelhorn

Part of a major sewer expansion for the City of Columbus, Ohio. The Big Walnut Outfall Augmentation Sewer (BWOAS) consists of 4,000m (13,200 ft) of 3.66m (12 ft)diameter tunnel passing mainly through glacial deposits with a water head of up to 2 bar. The project involves many new innovations, including: Slurry wall work shaft with excavation below the water table; Hybrid universal rings combining traditional steel reinforcement with fibers; New, full EPB Lovat TBM; Two component grout system pumped to the TBM from the surface; and, Linabond corrosion protection liner. The paper looks at the planning approach adopted to meet the various challenges presented, combined with an overview of progress to date.

Jan 1, 2007

By R. C. Burtan

Long before recorded history, man began to dig into the earth's crust in a never ending search for useful materials. It is well known that more than half of the earth's crust is composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2), also known as silica. Silica and silica-containing material have a great many uses in modern society. This material, however, is potentially an extreme health hazard. Silicosis: Not a New Disease Centuries before the Christian Era, Hippocrates wrote of a lung disease common to those who mined in hard rock. He was obviously describing silicosis. It is also apparent from ancient writings that the Egyptians were aware of this malady. Dioscorides also wrote on this subject in the fifth century B.C. It is undoubtedly the oldest and best studied of the occupational lung diseases. Silicosis was certainly described by Agricola in his De Re Metallica published in 1556. Here he described lung disease among hard-rock miners. The original document was written in Latin and then translated in 1912 by Hoover and Hoover. One of these translators was Herbert L. Hoover, a former US president who once made his living as a mining engineer. More recently, there are numerous references in medical literature in the 19th and 20th centuries relating silica exposure to silicosis. There are specific references to mining in hard rock, as well as to sandblasting and a host of other industrial exposures. In 1919, Winslow described standards for measuring the efficiency of exhaust systems in polishing shops using sandblasting. These standards were equally applicable in the mining industry. As early as 1920, Winslow explored the efficiency of certain devices used to protect sand-blasters against the dust hazard. These devices were equally applicable in the hard-rock mining industry. The medical community recognized the silica health hazard in the early 1900s. Middleton described the illness in the British Medical Journal in 1929. He noted the danger to health at that time. D. Hunter mentions in his book, The Diseases of Occupations (1969), the monumental work of Merryweather in 1936, in which he surveyed the silicosis risk in Great Britain. He showed statistically that the average employment length of sandblasters who ultimately died of silicosis was 10.3 years, compared to 40.1 years for all fatal cases, irrespective of occupation. Sandblasting and hard-rock mining and drilling, obviously, are very hazardous occupations. Weil and Zisking of Tulane University wrote in 1975 that "it was known as early as 1935 that the course of silicosis is much more rapid in sandblasters than in miners or foundry workers. This can be explained by the fact that sandblasters are exposed to an almost pure siliceous dust containing high concentrations of respirable particles within the range of 1 to 3 micron size." Protecting the Worker The medical community recognized in the early 1900s the need for proper protective equipment for all of those who worked with siliceous materials. Middleton, writing in 1929, said: "The worker is then protected by a close fitting helmet with an air feed, much as in the case of an underwater diver. In spite of these precautions, cases of silicosis among sandblasters are being met with today. It is a matter for serious consideration whether a substitute, such as steel or iron grit, could not be used to replace the siliceous grit as the abrading material." C. E. A. Winslow, a professor of public health at Yale School of Medicine, and others wrote of the need to protect sandblasters by

Jan 7, 1984

By Kasimcan Koruk, Julian M. Ortiz

A geological model accounting for uncertainties possesses important advantages for resource estimation. Machine learning algorithms (MLAs) employed on multivariate geochemical datasets open up ways to new methodologies for such geological models with ease in comparison to traditional geostatistical methods. This article proposes a two-step MLA with an ensemble implementation to define geological domains and their uncertainties based on geochemical data. The proposed workflow is applied hierarchically on a dataset from a porphyry copper deposit to perform binary classification that can be attributed to alteration domains.

Mar 1, 2024

By James E. Lawver

Part I describes the general geology of the Florida deposits. As the lucrative Bone Valley Formation is depleted, replacement production will move progressively into areas of total Hawthorn production. The reserves of the immediate future are a mixture of two distinct ore types referred to as the upper (high grade) zone and the lower (low grade) zone. The upper zone is somewhat similar to the Bone Valley Formation that has been Florida's source of production for the past 100 years and will respond favorably to present beneficiation practices. By contrast, the lower zone ore contains significant quantities of dolomite that must be removed in order to produce an acceptable grade pebble or flotation sized product. Part II reviews past practice and describes future trends in mining and ore transportation. This presentation (Part III) is confined to the problems of beneficiation, waste disposal, and environmental regulation.

Jan 1, 1983

By F. -J. Wodopia

Sustainability of energy supplies has been an issue of general interest for a long time. Whilst in the past the continuous productive use of natural commodities was in the fore, its compatibility with the environment and climate and ultimately also social aspects have recently gained more and more attention. Today many discussions focus on the climate compatibility of individual options to act. Fossil fuels, in particular coal and lignite, are generally challenged because coal use makes a significant contribution to global man-made CO2 emissions. The drastic increase in the consumption of fossil fuels is not explained by the fact that coal utilisation technologies are not or cannot be sustainable but rather by the growing world population and the endeavours numerous national economies trying to catch up economically. Coal is the world’s No. 1 fuel and, in the view of many experts, will keep this position also in the foreseeable future. The access to its deposits plays a significant role for the economies of the emerging countries. Consequently the aspects of energy security and economic efficiency need to be considered at eye level with climate compatibility. In Germany, however, the public acceptance of fossil fuels and of large industrial projects is in the focus of attention.

Jan 1, 2011

By David Hopkins, Steve Klein, Bradford Townsend, Ed Sum, Derek Penrice

INTRODUCTION The Transbay-Caltrain Downtown Extension (DTX) Project involves the construction of an approximately 1.5-mile rail line that will extend Caltrain commuter service and the future California High Speed Rail system into downtown San Francisco. The underground rail extension will be constructed by mined tunnel and cut-and-cover methods. Tunneling challenges include difficult ground conditions, low rock cover, the presence of historic buildings along the alignment, and the large tunnel span, ranging from approximately 50 to 65 feet. Three mined tunnel construction methods were evaluated: the Stacked Drift Method, the New Austrian Tunneling Method/Sequential Excavation Method (NATM/SEM), and Tunnel Boring Machines (TBM). This paper describes the challenges presented within the mined tunnel section, and summarizes the evaluation of tunneling methods that led to the selection of NATM/SEM. PROJECT OVERVIEW The existing Transbay Terminal opened in downtown San Francisco in 1939. This facility is antiquated, and does not meet current building seismic safety standards or the transportation needs of the Bay Area. For these reasons, San Francisco voters approved Proposition H in 1999, which proposed to construct a new or rebuilt regional transit center at the site of the existing terminal and extend Caltrain commuter rail ser-vice to the new transit center. The new transit center is the hub of the Transbay Transit Center (TTC) Program, which will greatly enhance regional transit service by providing connectivity for six Bay Area transit providers at one facility. The program will be the largest inter-modal centerwest of New York City. The TTC Program is comprised of two major projects, the Transit

Jan 1, 2007

By J. Geyer, B. T. Burton, H. W. Newcomen

For open pits developed in tropical climates the upper portions of the pit walls are often located in residual soils and weathered rock. Due to the presence of relict structures, and the relatively low strength of the residual soils and weathered rock, design slope angles in these materials have to be developed by blending the results of kinematic assessments of geologic structures with rock mass stability analyses and traditional soil mechanics. Background information on the engineering considerations of residual soils are discussed, and the results of geotechnical assessments for proposed pit design of the Brisas del Cuyuni Project, located in southeastern Venezuela, are presented.

Jan 1, 2000