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Where space is limited, as it is throughout most of the northeastern United States, new construction either takes place high above street level, or below it. In Lower Manhattan, NY both kinds of expansion can be found in abundance. That is good news for the nearly 200 attendees at the George A. Fox Conference, presented by the Underground Construction Association (UCA) of SME at the Graduate Center, City University of New York, on Jan. 30. Among the many projects taking place in Lower Manhattan?s massive trans-formation process, are expansions to the city?s vast underground network of subways and other tunnels. ?New Yorkers either live on the ground or below it,? said keynote speaker Charles J. Maikish while explaining how an attempt to build above street level walkways never caught on in the city. Maikish is the executive director of the Lower Manhattan Construction Command Center. His job is to oversee the $22 billion project that will transform the island by 2010. From the construction of Freedom Tower at the site of the fallen World Trade Center buildings, to the expansion of the Second Avenue Subway, the extension of the East Side Access, No. 7 line, the new trans-Hudson line and numerous waterway tunnel expansions, including City Water Tunnel No. 3, the task Maikish is charged with is a huge one. He is primarily responsible for coordinating the scheduling and staging of the overall rebuilding plan, along with the day-to-day coordination of construction work down-town. He places particular focus on mitigating impacts on the environment and mobility, maintaining and improving access and alleviating congestion of any kind related to construction. At the time of the Fox Conference, there were 59 projects under way in Manhattan. All of those projects need things like concrete and steel delivered to sites in very tight working environments. And some need the equipment in even tighter spaces. ?This is not just about the recovery of Lower Manhat-tan (from the 2001 terrorist attacks) but this is a plan to restore it and to maintain its integrity,? said Maikish. ?I think that is the appropriate response to the terrorist attacks.? When Freedom Tower is completed, it will stand 541 m (1,776 ft) about the skyline. That will be a strong statement to the world about America?s strength. But it is the work that takes place much lower that was of interest to the conference attendees. On this respect, Maikish said Manhattan?s efforts below ground aim to provide relief to the city?s street level congestion and to make sure Manhattan ? already essential to the economy of the United States and the world ? stays current by upgrading the existing telecommunications and technological network while also allowing room for growth in that area.

Jan 1, 2007

By Z. C. Song

[THIS PAPER WAS TRANSLATED FROM CHINESE TO ENGLISH BY S. S. PENG, WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY] Immediately after coal extraction, the pressure that causes the movement of the surrounding strata is called mine pressure. Through the strata movement, certain features such as supports taking load arise. This is called "manifestation of mine pressure". The existence of mine pressure is ab¬solute whereas its manifestation is relative and conditional. The visible movement of the surrounding strata occurs only when the applied pressure exceeds the plastic breaking strength. Me support begins to take load only when it offers resistance to the strata movement. The key to investigating mine pressure and its control hinges on understanding the rules and conditions for the manifestation of mine pressure. Since the face moves continuously, the mine pressure and its manifestations are also constantly changing. 'Therefore, it should not only emphasize to obtain its instantaneous magnitude, but more importantly the rules of development changes and their relations to the movement of overlying strata. Once this is resolved, one can estimate the movement of the overlying strata through mani¬festation of mine pressure and predict the time and magnitude of incoming roof weighting. Consequently the location and timing of rib excavation can be correctly selected and thus solve several major problems in the design of mining operation.

Jan 1, 1982

By R. C. Wallace

Since the time when Canada's East and West were joined by the railway, and communication was established into the interior, settlements grew on the southern fringe of the great Precambrian area that formed the northern protaxis of the continent during its vicissitudes of growth. They clung precariously to the fringe of that ancient land, for the Precambrian is not generous to those who wish to live by the fruits of the soil, except in those limited areas where the Pleistocene ice-sheet has been profuse in its gifts of clay to cover the hard surface of the Precambrian rock. Later settlements spread westwards over the expanse of Cretacean plains that now form the wheatfields of the Canadian West; but there still remained in northern and western Ontario, in eastern and northern Manitoba, a pioneer race, to whom agriculture had attractions only in so far that it provided the wherewithal to lay siege to the riches of the Precambrian. And they had a vision beyond their time. More than they knew, they had seized the fact that for the complete rounding out of Canadian national life, a8 well as for the establishing of the necessary contributions towards the economic stability of Canada and its provinces, an industry in mining sh01.dd be well and truly built in the hinterland of the central provinces. Failing the winning of mineral from the rocks, and timber from the forests, there would remain between the East and the West an enormous barrier of unproductive country which would not only be an incubus to the agricultural people in their struggle for economic liberty, but would effectively, and for all time, remain an un-populated void across which the aspirations of East and West would be unable to unite.

Jan 1, 1924

By R. D. Brown

Manitoba has now joined Ontario and Quebec in providing for new incentives and lower tax rates for the mining industry. A single rate of tax (to replace the former two-tier royalty), an investment tax credit and a relatively straightforward set of rules for calculating taxable mining profits are the main features of new mining tax legislation announced by Manitoba's Finance Minister Donald W. Craik in his May 15, 1979 budget address. On introducing amendments to reform The Metallic Minerals Royalty Act, the Finance Minister indicated that the new tax regime is intended to restore the Manitoba mining tax system to a competitive position in Canada, and should result in renewed investment in the province's mining industry. 1n this regard, the government could be right-there is little question that the new tax regime will produce greater incentives for the mining industry than the two-tier royalty system introduced by the New Democratic government in 1975. The proposed changes, contained in Bill 57, would largely be effective January I. 1979.

Jan 1, 1979

Technically competent, skilled and efficient people are often promoted into management and leadership positions, climbing through the ranks to senior positions without training or direction in soft skilling. These soft skills are what really motivate teams to achieve business goals. This paper looks at the three key soft skill areas that compel teams to follow leaders, namely manners, mentoring and motivation. Our manners control our behaviour and attitudes and operate at a subconscious level. The manners that æmaketh the manager worth followingÆ are discussed with the express purpose of bringing these to our consciousness. When we recognise those behaviours that alienate or inspire we can consciously behave in ways to lead our teams towards our goals. Our attitude to mentoring and developing people around us speaks of our commitment to our people and our industry. Surprisingly, the more we give the more we get. Mentoring gives us an opportunity to leave a legacy, inspire commitment and build support within the mining community. How do we as managers provide mentoring within our teams? What are the mentoring behaviours that inspire learning and commitment to a managerÆs goals? When managers can identify an individualÆs unique mix of motivational drivers, they can understand how to motivate them. And motivated people are more likely to be retained and work towards the managerÆs goals. The soft skills used to understand and motivate within the three core motivation drivers (competence, expression and treatment) are presented. This paper is designed to share straightforward soft skills for managers who have tread the technical route.

Jan 1, 2006

This paper examines manning best practice in the Australian mining industry, comparing the mining of gold with mining of other commodities. In particular, the paper considers a range of mining operations and their manning levels as measured by operational benchmarking. The benchmarking results presented cover 7 open pit and 14 underground studies of gold mines in Australia from a database of over 50 studies. The data were collected as part of AMC?s benchmarking and operational improvement studies conducted between 1999 and 2009. The results examine overall manning levels in mining, processing and administration functions. Manning levels for a range of mining methods, including open pit and underground methods, are segmented. Productivity measures such as ore tonnes per man day and metres developed per man day are presented and where direct relationships can be established, the relationships are described. The proportion of supervisory to operations personnel and labour costs as a percentage of total operating costs is highlighted. Minimum manning requirements for the range of mining methods are indicated, irrespective of the size of the operation. The benchmarking results provide guidance by indicating a range of manning numbers and trends which are likely to be appropriate for the scale and type for a range of mining operations. When combined with benchmarked productivity and cost data, manning results help identify potential areas for business improvement, driving gains in the efficiency of labour. Finally, the paper considers perspectives on best practice for manning and the limitations in application of this type of analysis in a global context.

Jan 1, 2009

By P. M. Dranchuk

"SINCE their inception, the mineral industries have, from time to time, been confronted by various and sundry problems. These have been identified, attacked and solved by means of a slow methodical process peculiar to these industries. During the past decade, these industries have experienced increasing difficulty in attracting and retaining an adequate supply of manpower. This poses a situation which seems to be unlike those that came before it in that it appears to be immune to those methods of attack which were successful in the past. Despite various attacks upon the problem, its seriousness appears to be increasing at an increasing rate. The point has now been reached where the President of AIME recently expressed the opinion that this is the most serious problem facing these industries at this time (1). Another observer has gone so far as to state, ""Given the motivation and the determination, the crisis in mineral education in Canada, can, in time be met. But it will take a generation if we Start DOW (2)"".Part of the difficulty arises out of the identification and assessment of the problem itself. For, although the manpower shortage has been developing over a fairly long period of time, there still appears to be no unanimity concerning its seriousness and the nature of the threat which it poses. Some observers continue to maintain that the current situation is not new at all, but is merely the reappearance of something old which is cyclic in nature. They observe that in the past there were numerous periods where the mineral industries encountered manpower shortages but that, in each instance, the situation eventually rectified itself. Furthermore, they draw attention to the fact that the current problem is not confined to the mineral industries but that in fact all industries are experiencing an increasing manpower shortage. They are therefore confident that if left alone the present problem will eventually disappear."

Jan 1, 1967

By J. D. Forrester

In striving to develop this discussion about "Manpower for Industrial Mineral Industries" two fundamental classes of manpower are encountered. These are: 1) The Labor Force, comprised of unskilled and semi-skilled, nonprofessional personnel who participate in conducting economic, mineral deposit operations and; 2) The Professional People involved in the science, engineering, and management of such industrial enterprises. The commentary given here will be directed primarily to a review of the characteristics of the second or latter class. To pursue successfully a career as a scientist or engineer in today's industrial and social complex, it is necessary that technical knowledge must have been acquired by training and study in an institution of higher learning. Also, to act effectively, the individual must have achieved some degree of specialzation, although this element often is developed to most notable degree by post-graduate exposure and experience. In addition, and especially in the case of "management," it is desirable, indeed it is even necessary, that an individual recognize and appreciate the fundamental humanistic-sociological controls, and their nuances, as these elements exist to shape his total environment.

Jan 1, 1969

By M. A. Upham

"MINING is Canada's second largest basic industry, producing material with a gross value of 2.5 billion dollars, led only by agriculture with 2.9 billion dollars. It pro-vides employment, directly and in-directly, for three quarters of a million people. Since the Second War, the value of mineral production in Canada has tripled. Economists forecast that over the next 15 years its value will triple again. Canada is a basic and leading supplier of nickel, iron, copper, zinc, lead and uranium. It is also a major oil producer, leads the world in the production of asbestos and in five years will be the leading producer of potash, a basic constituent of fertilizer.It can be seen that Canada's wealth and economic progress lies in being a primary producer of economic minerals and in building secondary industries to manufacture finished products from these raw materials. Canada's future in the field of mineral production looks bright, with our resources just starting to be tapped. Outside of the large expanse of Soviet Russia, we are by far the world's most fertile mineral exploration area."

Jan 1, 1967

By Bruce A. McFarlane

"I WOULD LIKE TO SAY how honoured I am that I have been invited to participate in this panel discussion. I have taken the liberty of narrowing my topic somewhat so that instead of speaking on the Sociology of Professions as a whole I will speak on one aspect of it, that is, on Manpower Problems in the Minerals industry of Canada, with some reference to a new social role for the professionals engaged in this industry. This probably means that I will be encroaching on areas covered or to be covered by other speakers, but I hope that when I do so I will do so from a slightly different vantage point. That is, from a sociological perspective rather than from a historical, industrial, business or professional perspective. I plan to divide my discussion into three areas, namely: (i) problems of ownership and control; (ii) environmental problems; and (iii) manpower and recruitment problems. I do not plan nor am I able to provide clear-cut solutions to the various problems I raise under these three headings. Rather, I hope that my discussion of the problems may form the basis for an extended discussion here and elsewhere. Because of the limitations of time, I will only briefly discuss the first two problem areas noted above – (i) ownership and control and (ii) environmental problems - and I plan to concentrate on the manpower issue."

Jan 1, 1972

By H. H. McGregor

Introductory remarks by author When Mr R. C. J. Goode suggested preparation of a paper in the area of manpower utilization in South Africa, I was, while keen to accept his invitation, somewhat hesitant for two reasons. Firstly, I recognized the great difficulty of making a factual contribution, because of the lack of really relevant statistical information available, the fact that much of it is out of date, and the difficulty of researching and co-ordinating it and of evaluating a statistically sound resultant viewpoint. Experience in the actual preparation of this paper has done nothing to change my view in this respect. Secondly, it is obvious that a paper presented to a meeting of this Institute, by a member of it, would be expected to devote considerable attention to the subject in the mining industry. I am not directly employed by the mining industry, although my company has carried out extensive assignments for various sectors of it both in this country and in other parts of the world, since the 1939-45 war. I am more conscious than most of the tremendous technical and managerial skills at the disposal of the industry in this country, and consequently am equally conscious of the hazards of publishing facts and figures which might be taken to indicate any criticism of performance. I am aware that some of the information that I am about to present may indeed generate comment, and possibly even critical comment. I would like to be regarded therefore in presenting this information, as a member of the group, rather than an external critic. Under these circumstances, comment can only be constructive, and this is my earnest hope. The contribution of my paper, if contribution there is, will I hope be in the area of assessing labour productivity in mining, and in secondary industry in such a way that the performance of each against its own past results is comparable. This task has not for the present been to my knowledge attempted, and in advance I wish to take out authors' insurance against legitimate criticism from professional economists and others, by stating that I am well aware of possible short-comings in the arguments. Nevertheless I believe that under the circumstances I have, with the important assistance of several people, been able to take the subject further than has been the case in the past. Finally, I have related productivity in the mining industry and in secondary industry to a target of productivity in the Republic of South Africa. I was fortunate recently in being able to attend a series of lectures by a prominent economist in America. He introduced his subject by calling it 'A broad survey of macro-economics'. Perhaps I might be permitted to describe my paper, in the same idiom, as 'The macro-management of labour'.

Jan 6, 1970

By Wilfred Walker

Much is known of the geography of the Alpine orogeny because it has now ended and all geosynclines are in their terminal, cordilleran form. The principle of sea floor spreading, continental drift, and mantle cells has gained general acceptance, but the number and position of the cells, even during the Alpine orogeny, is controversial. The oceanographers have demonstrated the uprises and in this paper it is suggested that downflows are marked by island arcs in the oceans and geosynclines (now cordillera) in the continents, for a total of about a dozen cells. Major mineral deposits associated-with the Alpine downflows are porphyry copper, molybdenum, nickel, chrome, lead-zinc-silver, gold, mercury, tungsten, and tin. Amore precise environment is known for some of these metals, for example, nickel, chrome, and mercury in flysch (which flanks mantle downturns), Ten major orogenies have taken place from 3500 m.y. to the present, Their re¬construction and metallogenesis is the subject of a continuing study.

Jan 1, 1971

By P Thwaites

The mining industry uses many types of mineral and metallurgical plants to produce saleable product from ore mined. Plant design history has left current operations with a mixture of manual operation and various forms of automated process controls. Consequently, we typically see high-variability in the continuous operations together with a shortfall in the attainment of full capacity or higher utilisation of consumables.At a level of best practice, ‘operational performance excellence’ focuses on process control, using automation and control systems to deliver process optimisation. This more sophisticated delivery is a great deal more difficult than the first stage of equipment selection/installation. It includes the appropriate selection of the right instrumentation and control system, key process knowledge, individuals with a solid control engineering background/experience and the essential backing/support of the operations management team together leading to higher-value delivery. Robust solutions can be realised, considerably minimising process variation, thus leading to process optimisation. This approach results in an easier, efficient and safer process while providing considerable returns for the plant owners.How variable are your processes, and do you maintain optimised process performance with dedicated resources, modern instrumentation, ‘best practice’ control systems and performance monitoring tools? In this paper, these questions and their possible answers are discussed.I say we can do much more and be ‘more efficient’ in our efforts to remain competitive. This area remains a major opportunity for improved efficiency, minimising tailings losses and other milling costs.CITATION:Thwaites, P, 2014. Manual control, process automation or operational performance excellence – what is the difference?, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Mill Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 13–40 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Sep 1, 2014

By Lewis C. Karrick

Although the Bureau of Mines has thus far made no large-scale experiments with oil shales, and the feasibility of the commercial manufacture of shale-oil products suited to present market requirements has not been demonstrated, there is ample reason to believe that these products will eventually supplement the more commonly used petroleum products and give equally good service. In 1919 the bureau, in cooperation with the Department of Metallurgical Research, University of Utah, began investigating the oil shales of the United States to obtain detailed information on their value. The States of Colorado and Indiana also cooperated through their State universities, in which research laboratories were organized to assist in carrying on the oil-shale studies planned and directed by the bureau. As a result of these studies much information is now available concerning laboratory methods of producing the greatest yields of the best products from oil shale. In order to study the principles that govern the retorting of oil shales and to test the oils produced, it has been necessary to develop and standardize reliable apparatus and methods for distilling shale, and to adapt to the testing of shale oils some of the methods the Bureau of Mines uses for testing petroleum. The methods employed by the Scottish shale-oil manufacturers were also studied, but most of them have been superseded by those described in this bulletin, which give more comprehensive and accurate results and employ more convenient apparatus. This paper is presented, therefore, as a manual of apparatus and methods that the bureau has developed for work on oil shale and found satisfactory for routine tests and for research. Explanation and discussion of the principles underlying the methods of testing are included wherever necessary for a clearer understanding.

Jan 1, 1926

By M. Ge, C. Mborah

"The acoustic emission/microseismic monitoring (AE/MS) technique has widely been used in the mining environment for the monitoring of rock mass stability. A successful implementation of the method is hinged on being able to accurately determine the P- or S-wave arrival which is then used in the determination of the source of an event. Determination of the arrival phase is usually performed visually by a human expert. However, the mining environment is characterized by high noise levels and different noise types of varying intensities. Therefore, performing manual phase picking on time series data acquired from the AE/MS monitoring system can sometimes be tedious and time consuming if not impossible. In this paper, a proposal for improving manual P-wave phase arrival picks is discussed. The method involves the filtering of the AE/MS data using a stationary discrete wavelet transform (SDWT) method. After filtering, appropriate scales/levels of the multi-level decomposition process are then selected for further processing. The first step in the picking process after filtering, requires the computation of the signal power and the root mean square (RMS) using the signal amplitudes at each scale. The preliminary P-phase arrival time is picked using the results of the calculated power and RMS values respectively. The calculated RMS values are then superimposed on the calculated power values to determine the final arrival picks. If the arrival time picks obtained by both methods coincide or are within 5 to 10 sample points, the pick is considered reliable. The accuracy of the method was verified using AE/MS data from two datasets obtained from two separate underground mines. The results of the study showed that the picking method is reliable and robust. Based on the data studied, it can be concluded that the method will help reduce the time usually spent in processing AE/MS data from mines. INTRODUCTION A successful identification and location of the source of acoustic emission/microseismic (AE/MS) events is mainly dependent on the onset time of the P-wave phase. In many seismic networks, initial picks are performed by picking algorithms followed by manual picks by human experts. If the waveform signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is low, the P-wave onset time picks by the human expert is generally reliable and accurate [1]. However, for waveforms with high SNR, picking of the P-wave onset could be a major challenge. Also, due to the volume of data acquired daily, manual processing could be stressful and time consuming [2]. These challenges continue to provide motivation for alternative means of providing reliable and efficient ways of improving manual phase picking. The AE/MS technique has been an intergral part of safety monitoring in mines [3] due to its capacity to identify zones of instability in a monitoring area. To obtain an accurate source of an AE/MS event however depends on the quality of the data used for P-wave phase picking [4, 5]. AE/MS data from mines are generally contaminated with excessive background noise generated by the different mining operations. The AE/MS signals of interest are mostly buried in background noise which makes it difficult to pick the P-wave phase arrivals [4]. Processing AE/MS data acquired in noisy environment remains a major challenge due to the weak nature of AE/MS signals [6]. As noted by [4] most of the data recorded in the mine environment are mainly due to events not related to AE/MS events of interest. The complexity of data in this type of environment makes the detection and picking of P-wave arrival by human experts a very difficult task."

Jan 1, 2017

F. G. SMITH, Waterbury, Conn.-I would like to ask whether small amounts of iron give the maximum resistance at a low temperature, and if the large amounts of iron raise the temperature at which the maximum resistance occurs? That is, with a small amount of iron, will a maximum be at, say, 10°? F. E. BASH.-With the small amount of iron, the maximum is at a lower temperature, and with the increase of iron, the maximum increases; it seems to come to a maximum and then decrease; that is, increasing the iron up to a certain value increases the temperature at which there is a maximum of resistance, and any increase of iron beyond that value will start decreasing this temperature. With 2 per cent. of iron, the maximum is lower than for 1.5 per cent. which was the value that we found to be satisfactory. F. L. DRIVER,* Jr., Harrison, N. J.-I would like to ask what chance there is of the instrument companies getting together and deciding on standards for both manganin and constantan? We make both of these alloys in this country and we find that each one of the instrument com-panies who buy these materials require different standards of specific electrical resistance and thermal e.m.f. For instance, some of our cus-tomers require an electrical resistance in manganin or therlo of 240 ohms per circular mil foot and others require it with a specific electrical resist-ance of 270 ohms per circular mil foot. They buy these alloys in relatively small quantities so that it means much extra melting and supervision when making up small quantities for each consumer. If something could be. clone to eliminate this, it would be a benefit to the instrument com-panies, who could secure their material more cheaply, and to the manu-facturers, who would not have to spend so much time and effort in special manufacturing.

Jan 12, 1919

F. WEIMER,* Washington, D. C. (written discussiont).-For electrical measuring instruments, especially those types that involve the Wheat-stone bridge or potentiometer principle and standards of electrical resist-ance, there has been, for a considerable time, a need for better resistance materials. For a satisfactory resistance material, much depends on the purposes for which it is to be used. For potentiometers and Wheatstone bridges, such as are in more or less general use, and the more common forms of resistance standards, a good quality of manganin answers fairly well. However, it should not be presumed that manganin is considered ideal for the purpose, for in measuring instruments and resistance stand-ards, there is still much to be desired. An experience of more than 10 years in the study of the resistance standards and resistance apparatus shows that manganin resistances change with time in a way that is very annoying and the maintenance of the unit of resistance to the desired accuracy requires an excessive amount of work or may be said to be prac-tically impossible. The changes in resistance are generally most rapid and erratic in resistances of very low and very high values. In resist-ances of low value, the resistance material is often in the form of thin sheets so that the surface is large and usually more or less unprotected from the atmosphere, or the oil in. the case of oil-immersed standards. In resistances of high value, the resistance material is in the form of fine wire and, therefore, the surface is large compared with the cross-section. In resistances of medium value, the surface is less, compared with the cross-section, or better protected, usually by a silk wrapping impregnated with shellac. This suggests that one of the difficulties with manganin is slow surface action or oxidation, even when an effort has been made to protect the surface from such action However, the changes observed cannot all be accounted for on this basis. There are, presumably, also some internal changes in the resistance material even when it has been annealed. Further; the changes in manganin resistances seem to be more or less independent of its electrical properties. In other respects, too, manganin is not ideal.

Jan 11, 1919

By Kenneth Seaver

Discussion of the paper of KENNETH SEAVER presented at the San Francisco meeting, September, 1915, and printed in Bulletin No. 105, September, 1915, pp. 1913 .to 1927. J. W. RICHARDS, South Bethlehem, Pa.-This paper concerns a very large industry, and an important detail in that industry. Within sight of where I live in Bethlehem, Pa., are coke works in which $2,500,000 was lost by the use of improper bricks in the coke ovens. This was the fundamental reason of the failure of the plant. The old ovens have all been torn out and replaced by new ovens built of proper bricks. This may emphasize the commercial importance of this subject. When speaking about coke-oven brick, the first thing that comes to my mind is how important it would he if it were possible to. get a brick of better heat conductivity. The heat for coking coal has to go through the thickness of the brick. The silica brick used has low heat conductivity as compared with some other refractories; magnesite brick probably has four times its heat conductivity. The coke oven needs bricks of high heat conductivity. Any process which would increase the heat conductivity of silica brick would undoubtedly shorten the coking process.

Jan 12, 1915

By G. F. Miller

ONLY IN THE Province of Saskatchewan is natural sodium sulphate found in Canada in amounts large enough to make recovery economically sound. Geologists have estimated that the numerous deposits within the Province contain upwards of 200 million tons of Glauber's salt. There are twenty-one deposits in the Province which contain 500,-000 or more tons and about two dozen with lesser amounts. The first recorded production of sodium sulphate in Saskatchewan was in 1918. The company concerned, and others that attempted to develop the industry in its early stages, were unsuccessful. Their failures were caused by two main factors -lack of knowledge of efficient operating methods and the unstable market situation for the finished product. Today, the situation is changed in both respects and the product, commonly referred to as 'saltcake", is a very important chemical requirement of many industries throughout the world. Before proceeding with remarks on manufacturing methods it should be stated that, although this is a general paper on the manufacturing methods and end uses of the saltcake produced in the Province, the writer is, of course, more familiar with the plants operated by Saskatchewan Minerals than with other operations and perhaps may be excused for dealing more particularly with the plants of that Compa11y.

Jan 1, 1958

By Richard Moldenke

The author discusses some economic conditions which have made the career of the cast-iron pipe industry in the United States a checkered one. He next describes the two new developements in the manufacture of cast-iron pipe-both along the lines of centrifugal casting. The advantages and disadvantages of both processes are presented in some detail. Finally, statistics on the production of pipe in the United States at the present time are given, as well as the plants-and their capacities-so far as these are situated in the South. No SINGLE branch of the foundry industry has been brought to a production basis of huge tonnage, low manufacturing cost, and producing material of a remarkably high quality, as has the making of cast-iron pipe. The pipe shop is an excellent illustration of the fact that repetition work in specialties leads to mechanical equipment and manipulation that lower production costs to an. astonishing degree. Hence cast-iron pipe, in dull times, has been sold at a few dollars a ton over the selling price of the pig iron used. On the other hand, these same pipe, shops make fittings .of many varieties, and in much smaller quantities, where the cost is high, and when pipe may be sold, say, at $50 a ton, the fittings on the same shipment will be sold for nearly double that price. The history of pipe-making, in the United States, is a checkered one the mortality of plants is high and, from the nature of the industry, plants must be large to live. In spite of the fact that the best processes must be used to turn out this rather strict specification material, pipe is easy to make and a pipe plant is more of a tonnage mill than the really high-class specialty foundry it should be. Every time, therefore, that the demand for pipe is strong new shops spring up, only to close when the demand has ceased, but the financial damage to the more permanent plants has been done. Both the South and the North have had abundant experiences of this kind, and when recently a northern Public Service Corporation gave its order to France, the pipe plants thus adversely affected were content to have this occur rather than see-a plant started to supply the surplus demand.

Jan 9, 1924