Search Documents

By J. G. Pippenger

The Coteau Properties Company's Freedom Mine is a surface lignite mining operation utilizing large draglines, trucks and shovels, tractor-scrapers, and bulldozers to uncover a single coal seam. In 1989, a work order system was instituted to record data by equipment type, cost, productivity, and distance, and to provide historical information for planning the most efficient and economic use of each equipment type in the mining operation. This report explains how the work order system was initiated, what data is tracked, and how the data is utilized for equipment and project scheduling.

Jan 1, 1994

By D. D. Banerjee, S. K. Kawatra, T. C. Eisele

A high calcium fluid-bed combustor ash has been shown to be an effective binder at dosages of 1 to 2% of the magnetite concentrate weight. Magnetite pellets 1.3 cm (1/2 inch) in diameter were produced with dry crushing strengths greater than 22.3 Newtons/pellet (5.0 pounds force/pellet), which is comparable to the results produced using conventional bentonite binder. The effectiveness of fly-ash-based binders was considerably improved when calcium chloride was added as an accelerator. Addition of calcium chloride at a rate of 0.1 to 0.2% of the total powder weight increased the strength of dried pellets by as much as 22% compared to the strength of pellets made using fly-ash without accelerators.

Feb 24, 1997

By Hiroshi Yamazaki

The paper describes prediction, control and validation of face pressures, and special TBM features for the bored tunnels of the New Metro Rail City Project, Perth, Australia. The selected EPB-TBM passed below a heritage bridge and the operational Perth Railway station in ground conditions consisting of fully saturated uniform sand combined with shallow overburden and a horizontal alignment radius of only 135m. Therefore, strict control of volume loss, TBM operations and ground movements was vital requiring continuous evaluation and adjustments to TBM operation parameters. The paper discusses the effectiveness of applied TBM face pressures and the used foam/polymer soil conditioning which was measured against achieved volume loss and the predicted range of ground settlements.

By Bruce W. Cavender

In an effort to lower production costs and improve profitability, mining companies have adopted a variety of management practices emphasizing productivity and cost containment. One set of practices that has been used successfully in the manufacturing and electronics industries is "world-class manufacturing" (WCM). It is applicable to mining as well. World-class manufacturing is based on the twin concepts of "just-in-time" inventory practices and total quality control. A few mining companies have implemented quality control programs that are similar to WCM in some ways and substantially different in others. This article considers the use of WCM in the processing environment, although the techniques are applicable throughout a mining operation. The article is also mindful of the variety of customers to whom mineral products are sold. Industrial minerals producers may sell brand-name products to specific customers with exacting requirements, while metals producers often sell their fungible output on a faceless commodity market. Customer requirements are emphasized in WCM, and so the range of these requirements must be recognized. World-class manufacturing In any milling process, specific goals are set for product and process characteristics - concentrate grades, minimum daily throughput, moisture content, etc. WCM has two overriding objectives: the reduction of deviation from these standards, and the reduction of variability in all aspects of the process and product. By definition, reduction of deviation also includes minimizing plant downtime for repairs or process changes. WCM plants use just-in-time inventory practices and total quality control. WCM plants use these techniques to simultaneously improve productivity and reduce costs.

Jan 1, 1993

By Samuel Polinsky, Lawrence W. Bierman, Wayne Perkins

[A column float beneficiation plant using 9, 8.5 foot diameter, cells was constructed by the Simplot Company and the Smoky Canyon Facility in the fall of 1986 and has been in operation since May of 1987. The float beneficiation process was developed jointly by the Simplot Company and the Bureau of Mines (Salt Lake City, Utah) which incorporates the Bureau's bubble generator design and chemistry system based around the reverse float technology, (Albany Bureau of Mines, Application of Carbonate-Silica Flotation Techniques to Western Phosphate Materials, Rule, Dallenbach , Larsen, RI8728, 1982) . This chemistry has been modified by Simplot in both patented and unpatented improvements. The objective of the beneficiation process was to reducethe A1203 content in the overall pipeline concentrate by 0.2 wt z. Therefore, a process stream was identified in the mill circuit which provided an opportunity to isolate and treat 1100 tons per day of poor quality phosphate concentrates The process allows recovery of approximately 15% of the mill concentrates, otherwise unsuitable for fertilizer production. The alternative would have been to waste this ore. Wasting would have resulted in considerable ore loss, increased mining costs and required additional products grinding. ]

Jan 1, 1989

By Daniel Tao, Jike Qiao, Hao Ren, Feifei Ji, Gonglun Chen

The floatation of niobite was studied using a number of collectors at various dosages and solution pH’s. Octyl diphosphonic acid was found to be an effective collector for niobite flotation with good selectivity. A flotation recovery of 91.2% was obtained with 140 mg/l octyl diphosphonic acid at pH’s less than 5.0. Infrared absorption spectroscopy (IAS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the interactions of niobite with octyl diphosphonic acid. Species distribution diagram of octyl diphosphonic acid and niobium species was used to elucidate the flotation behavior of the mineral with octyl diphosphonic acid. A chemical adsorption mechanism of niobite with octyl diphosphonic acid was proposed. Keywords: octyl diphosphonic acid, electrokinetic measurements, niobite flotation, XPS.

Jan 1, 2005

By K. Shoji

Residence time distributions (RTDs) were estimated by water tracing in a number of wet overflow ball mills (diameters 0.38 to 4.65 m) producing dense, coal-water slurries. In open-circuit mills of 0.38 m diameter and various length-diameter (L/D) ratios, the mean residence times of solid were also determined from measured mill holdups. Holdup increased with increased mill feed rate, but the mean residence times of coal and water were still equal to each other. The experimental residence time distributions were fitted to the Mori-Jimbo-Yamazaki semi-infinite, axial mixing model, and the dimensionless mixing coefficient was determined for each of 25 tests in single- and two-compartment mills. This coefficient was found to be independent of the feed rate but linearly proportional to the D/L ratio. The mixing coefficient was smaller for two-compartment mills than for single-compartment mills, showing that there was reduced mixing introduced by the diaphragm separating the compartments. Equations are given to scale residence time distributions for changes in mill diameter and length.

Jan 1, 2008

By George L. Wilhelm

Timber support of mine openings continues to be an effective system for ground support, due to its avail¬ability, flexibility, and ease of installation. Timber support of mine openings as a primary method to support loose rock has been replaced to a large extent by rockbolting and by filling systems. How¬ever, the many designs of square-set timber and varia¬tions of crib and stull support that have been developed to suit many stope configurations have proven reliable over many years of application. Integrated in modern excavation and stoping methods, timber remains an im¬portant ground support material for today's mines. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TIMBER SYSTEMS Timber, when used as a part of the total support system, is recognized for its unique support properties. More than a cover to prevent minor falls of ground, timber systems have been carefully designed to provide adequate support with sufficient compressive qualities to achieve a safe working environment in extremely diffi¬cult ground conditions. In some cases, a timber support method is designed to yield while retaining its protec¬tive support qualities. Little or no initial investment in equipment or plant is required for incorporating timber into the mining support system. Low cost cutoff saws and portable chain saws are sufficient equipment for effective use of dimen¬sioned (sawed) or round (stull) timber support. Until recently, small sawmills of various complexity were com¬mon at mine surface plants. Sawmills at the mine sites have generally been replaced by timber vendors' mills. Suppliers have been able to use efficient cutting and lumber handling methods to reduce the cost of mine timbers. Most suppliers will package dimensioned mine timber into bundles that are suitable for handling down mine shafts and on level conveyances. The principal disadvantage of timber as a support method is higher material cost and labor cost associated with its labor-intensive installation. Furthermore, stand¬ing timber reserves of mine quality wood are in short supply in some areas, and heavy competition exists for alternative uses of the timber supplies. Vendors are reluctant to supply large cross section dimension tim¬bers relatively free of defects. Some mine operations require 4.8-m (16-ft) lengths of firm timber over 0.09 m2 (144 sq in.) in section and these are difficult to obtain in large quantities. APPLICATION OF TIMBER FOR MINE SUPPORTS Timber used in mine support has been cut from many species of trees. A firm hardwood with physical properties similar to western Douglas fir has been pre¬ferred in the US. Other harder and softer woods, how¬ever, have been used when readily available or where the specific strength or crushing quality of the wood is a desired specification of the support system design. Hard¬ wood, commonly oak, has been used where maximum crushing resistance is required. Mahogany and fir are widely used for shaft guide timber. Normally, timber is used with its core axis parallel to the long axis of the timber dimension. However, in some cases, it is placed normal to its core in a "butt" log position, so as to provide maximum resistance to abrasion of the ore passage adjacent to the cut end of the block. By selective placement of timber block¬ing, controlled resistance to ground closure can be achieved which will prevent early failure of primary sup¬port members of the timber structure. Timber is widely used in modern mining operations as a construction member for chute-lip support. These designs are tailored to each operation to conform to the dimensions of the haulage equipment being used. As a construction material, wood requires none of the spe¬cial equipment necessary for placement of concrete or steel support. Placement of these alternate support ma¬terials requires carefully dimensioned and engineered excavation for their installation. Wood can be easily sawed to fit on location. The successful use of timber in heavy ground de¬pends on the careful and accurate placement of block¬ing and bracing to achieve the controlled yielding re¬sistance needed to support the mine opening. Similarly, frequency, size, and placement of top and bottom block¬ing stulls in flat-bedded deposits are carefully determined to provide adequate support at the mining face. Con¬trolled caving through failure of the stulls may be required as the scope retreats from the earlier mined-out sections. The support program must achieve both of these dimensionless qualities by specification of stull frequency and size. The utility of the square set-system of ground sup¬port and timber support is described in Chap. 2, re¬printed from US Bureau of Mines Information Circular 6691. Four examples of effective use of timber for support of stoping and other mine openings are pre¬sented in other chapters in this section. The Gilman mine's use of Mitchell slice stoping described in Chap. 3 is an early modification of the square-set mining system. This application proved reli¬able for heavy ground and overcame some of the dis¬advantages of conventional square-set timber. Chap. 4 describes the Burgin mine's use of timber with other reinforcement material. This combination of materials achieved high strength and control with yielding com¬ponent members necessary for heavy, squeezing ground. Chap. 5 describes the Bunker Hill mine's use of square¬set timber in a new configuration that provides an effi¬cient and safe support for stoping using small load¬haul-dump (LHD) mobile equipment. Chap. 6 describes some considerations in placing the widely used stull in bedded ore deposits. Finally, in Chap. 7, cost calcula¬tions for

Jan 1, 1982

The National Mining Hall of Fame will induct five mining greats on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2005 at the Museum Convention Center in Leadville, CO. The 18thAnnual National Mining Museum and Hall of Fame Induction Banquet will begin with an open house and reception at 5:30 p.m., followed by the dinner and program at 7 p.m. The five inductees are Nathaniel Peter Hill, John Munro Longyear, John McDonald, Julius Eckhardt Raht and John Dennis Ryan. Nathaniel Peter Hill (1832-1900) built the first successful smelting operation in the Rocky Mountains in1867 at Black Hawk, CO. From 1879 to 1885, he was a U.S. senator. He also taught courses at the Colorado School of Mines.

Jan 1, 2005

By R. N. Powell

The Pipeline ore body was discovered in March 1991. The construction of the new mine and mill did not start until early March of 1996. Upon completion of permitting and corporate project approval, the 289 million USD project was “fast tracked”. The commissioning began 11 months after start of construction and the project ended 40 million USD under the budget figure. The objective of this paper is to review and highlight the Pipeline Project history from discovery, design, lawsuits, permitting, and re-design through to current - 1998operating practices. Particular emphasis will review the process design, design mistakes, and design successes. The paper will review project history, feasibility, design concepts, operator training, construction, financial and the current operation. Additional discussion will review what design features worked and which did not work within the process plant.

Jan 1, 1999

By Dan Martz, Bill Moler, David Young, Wally Chen, Matthew Crow, Steve Norris, Tolga Togan

Two 610 m (2000 ft) long tunnels were driven through water bearing silts, sands and clays beneath the Sacramento River using a 4.59 m (15.1 ft) diameter Earth Pressure Balance Tunnel Boring Machine (EPBM). Four sheet pile shored shafts were sunk with and without dewatering. The pre-cast concrete segmentally lined and grouted tunnels were driven down at 6% grades beneath the river flood protection levees, buildings, roads, a railroad and adjacent to a Freeway Viaduct. Details of the schedule, cost, shaft construction, TBM, tunnel construction, and installation methodology for the twin1.676 m (66 in) steel force main pipes and environmental constraints are provided.

Jan 1, 2007

By William J. Orlandi

The intent and scope of this paper is to present to you, as concisely as possible, the problems and requirements -- and what we consider advantages -- of all-belt haulage in a modern underground coal mine. Mine No, 10, at Pawnee, Illinois, was opened in 1951; consequently, all the planning and consideration given to haulage selection was based on information then available and on Peabody Coal Company? s experience to that date,

Jan 1, 1961

By Cyrus W. Field

The Pacific Northwest as defined in this review comprises an exceedingly large and geologically complex terrain that occupies the 'Western Cordillera mobile tectonic belt. This metallogenic province is approximately 2100 miles long and 350 to 500 miles wide. It extends north-northwest from northern California and Nevada, through western Idaho and Montana, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and southwestern Yukon Territory, to southern Alaska, and west from the western flank of the Northern Rocky Mountains to the continental margin (Fig. 1). Many detailed and thorough exploration programs that have been conducted by mining and petroleum companies for over a decade have demonstrated that porphyry-type deposits are both numerous and wide-spread throughout this province. Although the Granby Mining Company extracted about 34 million tons of copper sulfide ore from Copper Mountain during the period 1900-1957, intentional large-scale production of porphyry-type ores was first initiated in 1962. It began at Bethlehem Copper Corporation's East Jersey orebody in the Highland Valley District of south-central British Columbia, approximately eight years after Mr. H. H. Huestis rediscovered that broad zone of copper-molybdenum metallization and recognized its potential significance.

Jan 1, 1973

By Barry J. Hansen, Ruston A. Ford

Production of mine backfill from the tailings produced in a proposed Crandon concentrator is described. A process has been developed capable of producing suitable fill for the mining method selected for the Crandon orebody. It maximizes the placement of pyrite underground as fill and segregates tailings into pyrite and nonsulfide fractions. To determine the suitability and engineering characteristics of the backfill product for use underground, laboratory and physical stope simulation model testing was conducted. The results of the testing and the application of those results to the design of the backfill system ultimately affecting mine geometry and subsequent mine production will be presented.

Jan 1, 1981

By S. Vivek

An Atomic force microscope (AFM) was used to measure the surface forces between hydrophobic silica surfaces. The measurements were conducted in the presence and absence of Cu(II)species in solution to study the effects of the cation adsorption on the hydrophobic force. The results obtained in the absence of the Cu (II)species showed that the hydrophobic force does not change with pH, while the electrostatic repulsive force changes substantially with pH. In the presence of the Cu(II) species, the hydrophobic force begins to decrease at a pH where Cu2+ions are hydrolyzed, indicating that the first hydrolysis product (i.e., CuOH+ions) are the species adsorbing on the surface of the hydrophobic silica. The results of the surface force measurements were used to develop a model for the adsorption of the hydrolysis product of Cu(II) species on the hydrophobic silica.

Jan 1, 2003

By R. W. Reisinger

An historic underground copper mine in Wyoming is discharging neutral but copper-laden water into a pristine creek. The EPA-deferred site qualifies for reclamation by the Wyoming Abandoned Mine Land (AML) program; restoring the discharge so that the creek can eventually support a trout fishery is the cleanup goal. Hydrological and geochemical investigations underground have suggested two sources of mine water: one clean and the other copper-containing. Results of bench-scale and pilot-scale tests support the viability of using low-cost passive treatment techniques to reduce copper concentrations in the near-freezing mine discharge.

Jan 1, 1998

By D. Dodgen, L. Larrimore

Electric utilities depend heavily on coal as a major fuel source for power generation, annually producing more than 85 million tom of ash, boiler slag and FGD (flue gas desulfurization - "scrubber") materials as by-products. Utilities and others who bum coal have traditionally disposed of these by-products in ponds or landfills. However, in the last 10-15 years there has been a greatly increased emphasis on beneficial utilization of these materials by the producers themselves as well as by customers who purchase the by-products. Regulatory, cost and technical performance issues currently impact the use of coal ash and other coal combustion by-products (CCB).

Feb 24, 1997

By Gordon Clark, Basar Arioglu, Nasri Munfah, Sanja Zlatanic, Tolga Togan

"The 13.2 m (43 ft) external diameter, double deck Istanbul Strait Road Tube Crossing is one of the most challenging underwater tunnel projects in the world. Subjected to 11 bars of hydrostatic pressure, variable geology, and being in a very active seismic area, the execution of the project required innovative solutions, sophisticated construction techniques and prudent risk management approach. The 5 km (3.1 mile) tunnel consists of a 3.4-km (2.2-mile) tunnel boring machine- (TBM) bored tunnel, 1 km (0.62 mile) twin NATM tunnels and cut-and-cover sections. The project is being delivered in a build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract in a public-private partnership. The technical challenges, coupled with financial and commercial risks required the implementation of sophisticated risk management tactics including the provision of independent design verification. The project was opened to traffic on December 20, 2016, four months ahead of schedule.. This article presents the technical challenges of the project from the design, construction, and risk management aspects..Project backgroundThe $1.245 billion Istanbul Strait Road Tunnel Crossing project, dubbed the Eurasia Tunnel, is one of several major infrastructure projects being implemented in the Republic of Turkey in a public-private partnership approach. The project provides a direct and easy connection between the Anatolian (Asian) side of Istanbul and the heart of its historical district on the European side across the Bosphorus Strait which connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara. The project improves connections to a wide network of motorways on both sides, increase capacity across the Bosphorus by 100,000 vehicles a day, reduces congestion and saves motorists an average of 45 minutes of commuting time in each direction bringing significant economic benefits to the city and the region. It eases traffic across the strait, reduces congestion, decreases pollutants and emission while maintaining Bosphorus. It is the most complex part of the project with the greatest challenges and risks. Part 2 is 5.4 km (3.6 miles) long consisting of 3.4 km (2.2 miles) of 13.2 m ( 43.3 ft) external diameter TBM bored tunnel under the Bosphorus Strait, 1-km (0.62-miles) of twin NATM tunnels on the Asian side, cut-and-cover transition boxes in the Asian and the European sides and depressed approaches on both sides. In addition, this segment includes the toll plazas, ventilation buildings, and the tunnel control and maintenance facilities."

Mar 1, 2017

By M. J. DeJong, R. J. Mair, S. Ritter, G. Giardina

"For urban tunneling projects it is essential to predict and prevent building damage. Although various case studies and experiments have shown that buildings considerably modify greenfield soil movements, widely accepted damage assessment methods neglect this soil-structure interaction and simplify structures as linear elastic beams. This paper summarizes an experimental investigation of the response of more realistic structures to tunneling-induced deformations. Small scale structural models with façade openings and brittle material properties were 3D printed and tested in a geotechnical centrifuge. Soil and structure displacement data were obtained by image-based measurement. Results demonstrate that structures notably mitigate differential greenfield ground displacements. It is also shown that maximum soil settlements, horizontal soil displacements beneath the structure and structural damage in the form of cracking significantly depend on the position of the structure in the settlement profile. The results provide a basis from which to predict building settlement response with greater certainty. INTRODUCTION With continuing population growth and increasing urbanization expected in the next decades, there is an urgent need for a next generation of infrastructure. It is likely that a large part of this infrastructure will be underground. Such creation of urban underground space frequently involves the excavation of shallow tunnels in close proximity to existing structures and utilities. For example, along the Crossrail project in London more than 1,200 structures are located within a possible influence area of the tunnel construction (Torp-Petersen and Black 2001). The assessment of building damage plays a vital role throughout the planning, design and construction stage of urban tunneling projects. However, while predictions of tunneling-induced deformations in the greenfield can generally be made with some confidence, much uncertainty exists about how structures interact with ground movements arising from tunnel construction."

Jan 1, 2016

By R. T. Swinderman

This paper discusses a series of tests designed to help answer the age old question: ?How much does the belt cleaner wear my belt?? The experimental set up and test method are described. The main variables are: belt cleaner blade materials, cleaning pressures, cleaning angles, belt speeds, and belt top cover grade. The bulk material used is a standard test-grade silica sand. The measured results include: blade mass loss, belt mass loss, and cleaning efficiency.

Jan 1, 2010