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By Ingo Ossenbühl, Wolfgang Dolsak, Vojtech Gall, Axel G. Nitschke

"Yielding support systems for application in underground construction have a long history, primarily in mining. Typical examples are tunnels subject to loading conditions that lead to overstressing of the newly installed support or existing tunnel structures in active fault zones. Recent applications for tunnel rehabilitation projects unveiled the capabilities and flexibility of combined yielding support systems presented in this paper. Frequently, the main requirements for tunnel rehabilitation applications are a fast, safe, and simple installation along with the need for flexibility with regards to existing tunnel geometries. A combined support system consisting of steel sets with yielding connections and special groutable hoses has proven to be an efficient support measure providing a multitude of advantages compared to conventional rehabilitation approaches. The presented yielding support system provides an immediate and active support, while it allows for controlled yielding upon experiencing loads beyond its support capacity. INTRODUCTION The excavation of underground spaces leads to redistribution in the existing stress regime. This load redistribution goes along with deformations in the surrounding rock mass. Magnitude and duration of these deformations depend on the tunnel’s depth and geological conditions, but also on the installed support system. Modern civil tunneling infrastructure has generally an envisioned service life of about 120 years. Conventional tunneling provides typically a dual support system, split into the initial (or primary) and final (or secondary) lining. A typical design principle in civil tunneling is to let the vast majority of deformations acting on the initial lining cease, before the final lining is installed. Based on this approach, the loading on the final lining is significantly reduced and signs of overstressing, such as cracking of the lining, are typically limited to the initial lining. However, special cases in swelling and squeezing ground require different approaches, including yielding support systems."

Jan 1, 2016

By F. Keith Jacobson

To be involved in the construction of a deep dredged caisson for a major bridge pier is one of the most rewarding and professionally challenging experiences one can have in the bridge construction business. That experience was doubled in the construction of the two deep dredged caissons for the Highway 82 Bridge over the Mississippi River near Greenville, Mississippi. The challenges and the construction risks associated with constructing these two dredged caisson pier foundations highlight the construction engineering innovation associated with major bridge pier construction. The 1,378-foot Main Span of the Highway 82 Bridge makes it the longest cable stayed bridge span over the inland rivers of the United States. The main piers for this bridge are supported on two dredged caissons measuring 80-feet by 122-feet in plan, founding 200-feet and 170-feet below the river surface. The challenges of constructing these caisson structures, sinking them through 70-feet of water to the river bottom and then excavating and further sinking them to the founding grade without exceeding the design tolerances, were enormous. The construction engineering opportunities for innovation included major breakwater structures to create a friendly environment in 11 fUsec currents, the first time use of Articulated Concrete Mattresses for river bottom scour control, unique air dome design to maximize the buoyancy of the caisson structure while floating, a caisson guide system to assure positive control and positioning of the caisson during the initial sinking phases. and a comprehensive sinking plan to assure maximum control and minimum risk. Many of the innovative solutions to the construction challenges on this bridge will be incorporated into future caisson construction projects on the lower Mississippi River.

May 11, 2007

By Ben Q. Li

An efficient numerical algorithm for solving steady state heat transfer and solidification problems is described. The algorithm is of boundary integral type and is based on the formulation of the field variables along the boundary of the domain of interest. Compared with the familiar domain-based methods, such as the finite element and finite difference (or finite volume) methods, this boundary-based method has an advantage of solving fewer unknowns and hence has a potential for reducing computational time significantly. Another and yet more important advantage of the present algorithm is that it is a stable scheme and is not prone to numerical oscillations resulting from convective effects, as often encountered in the domain-based methods. Therefore, no numerical or artificial diffusion (such as streamline upwinding) is necessary. Numerical examples are presented that are drawn from processing systems for producing aluminum-based materials.

Jan 1, 1994

By S. Ramachandran, R. A. Walsh, J. C. Fulton

A method has been developed for calculating the oxygen content of commercially melted stainless steels. Application of thermodynamics to the de-oxidation reaction in straight chromium and Cr-Ni stainless steels has resulted in a set of equations DURING the past 30 years, many rewarding developments have resulted from the application of physical chemistry to steelmaking. A need still ex- which permits the calculation of oxygen contents. The model was programmed for computer calc~ilations. The validity of the method was demonstrated on routine oxygen samples from numerous commercially melted heats of stainless steel. ists for further progress in the use of thermodynamics to meet the more stringent requirements for cleaner steel. Current electric furnace practices have been developed around minimizing residual-oxygen content, one of the most important factors controlling the inclusion content of stainless steels. The residual oxygen is controlled by the use of deoxidizers during the finishing period and a number of empirical rules have been evolved. Although this feature of electric furnace practice has long been in use, only in recent years has funda-

Jan 1, 1963

By T. S. Lundy, R. A. Padgett

The fact that cobalt diffuses in silver at a much slower rate in a region near a free surface than in bulk material has been demonstrated in a variety of experiments. Various possible mechanisms of this near-surface effect (NSE) are examined in light of experimental evidences. The tendency for surface segregation of some solute atoms appears to be a likely mechanism to explain the effect. UNIDIRECTIONAL and isothermal diffusion from a plane source of radioactive tracer into an isotropic, homogeneous medium follows the Gaussian solution to Fick's second law, or: where A(x,t) is the position and time-dependent concentration of the diffusing species, M is the quantity of diffusant per unit area initially at x = 0, and D is the diffusion coefficient. For a given time, say t = tl, one can easily see that: d In Aixji)_____1_ r2] d(x2) 4Dti Thus, if diffusion data obtained by serial sectioning are plotted as In A(x,tl) vs x2, the diffusion coefficient is obtained from Eq. [2]. The ideal behavior seldom is observed in real systems. Deviations from ideality generally occur either at small or large values of penetration distance. The overall picture is shown schematically in Fig. 1 where Regions I, 11, and 111 are due, respectively, to some near-surface effect or effects (NSE), volume diffusion, and short-circuiting effects. For different systems and conditions of specimen preparation and analysis, the relative importance of Regions I, 11, and I11 may be drastically different. Region I is completely absent in many systems and there is no NSE. In others, however, there may be considerable difficulty in determination of volume diffusion coefficients due to the overshadowing influences of Region I. Such is particularly true when indirect techniques such as the surface concentration decrease or the Gruzin method' are used to find D. In this paper several experiments which had as their goal a better understanding of near-surface effects are reported. Specifically, it is well-known that unusual penetration behavior results for the diffusion of several impurities in ilver- and that considerable controversy exists with regard to interpretation of the published diffusion data. We chose to examine those unusual results which occur for cobalt diffusion in monocrystalline silver395 primarily because knowledge of experimental procedures and materials were readily available. Both radioactive co60 and co5' could be utilized to offer a wide range of available concentration of the diffusing species. Experiments were also performed on the diffusion of AgnO in silver. They gave base-line data for the system—both for technique evaluation and for examination of the vacancy distribution near the surface. I) PROCEDURES Cylindrical-shaped specimens 1.25 cm diam and 1 to 1.25 cm long were cut from 99.999 pct Ag single crystals obtained from Monocrystals Co., Cleveland. One end surface of each specimen was polished flat and etched with a mixture of 20 ml saturated Cr03 solu-tion-20 ml H20-3 ml concentrated HC1. Radioactive tracer (co60 or co5' or Ag'lO, each having a radio-chemical purity of greater than 99 pct) was deposited onto the prepared surface either dropwise with evaporation to dryness of the solution containing the tracer (0.5 N HC1 solution for the co60 and co5' and 0.6 N HNO3 solution for the A"'), by electroplating, or by evaporation from a tantalum or tungsten filament in an evacuated bell jar. The amount of deposited cobalt was varied from many atomic layers of cobalt containing the co60 to approximately one co5' atom per lo6 surface atoms of silver. This large variation in amount of deposited cobalt yielded information about both the influence of a thick-source layer of tracer and solubility effects on the NSE. Such variations were possible because of the large differences in half-lives,

Jan 1, 1969

THE Mining Methods Committee during the past year has spent much of its time developing the interest of members of the Institute in the work that comes under its direction. The response on the part of the membership has been most encouraging and in order to give a concrete form to the program which it hopes to develop, an "Outline for Papers on Mining Methods" has been drawn up and is herewith submitted for consideration. This outline has slowly taken shape until it now represents ideas contributed by a great many men, and it is hoped that it will be suggestive and helpful in the preparation of papers. This program can be used for the preparation of papers covering single large operations or, preferably, as the basis for a description of methods and the presentation of results obtained either in different districts or in different branches of the industry. The Committee presents this outline for the consideration of the various Sections of the Institute with the request that they will endeavor to interest the members of the Sections in covering comprehensively the mining operations with which they are connected. It is not the plan of the Committee to publish a paper on every mine, giving all the details outlined, but rather that an engineer familiar with a district prepare the general information and engineers of each important mine in the district compile the specific information of the mine with which they are connected. The general information and the specific information shall be sent to the Committee, and with this information the Committee will prepare a paper on the results obtained under the various mining methods in the different districts. The Committee requests that all papers shall be compiled under the direction of the Chief Engineer of the company and then submitted to the General Manager before acceptance for publication or compilation and tabulation with other similar data. Where the study of this subject approaches the fields of other standing committees of the Institute, the

Jan 5, 1922

By D. V. Carter, F. M. Hackbusch

Beginning the year 1938, the East and East Central Texas district comprised 48 counties, which is equivalent to the Texas Railroad Commission districts 5 and 6. At the close of the year there were 46 oil and gas fields in this district. Eight other fields, seven oil and one gas, have been abandoned. Exploratory Drilling During the year, 113 exploratory wells were drilled. Nine discoveries were made, five of which proved to be oil fields, three distillate, and one gas. Completions for the district were 2043 oil wells (distillate wells included), 36 gas wells and 163 dry holes. Exclusive of the East Texas field, the Marion County extension of the Rodessa field led the district in the number of completions during the year. Production and Proration All fields in the district produced a total of 182,369,484 bbl. of oil, a decrease of 12.57 per cent compared with the 208,594,453 bbl. produced during 1937. The East Texas field produced 148,189,913 bbl., which was 81.6 per cent of the district's production for 1938. November daily average oil production for the East and East Central district was 469,102 bbl. The estimated cumulative production to Jan. 1, 1939, for this district was 1,753,894,802 bbl. It is estimated that the East and East Central district produced 38.9 per cent of the state's total production for the year, which was 468,781,632 barrels. The decrease in 1938 production, as compared to that of 1937, in this district was partly due to the Saturday and Sunday shutdowns, 71 days for the year, which is equivalent to 19.45 per cent of the year. All fields in this district were affected by shutdowns except the Texas portion of the Rodessa field, which was shut in only during January and February. Certain wells were exempt from these shutdowns because of special pro-

Jan 1, 1939

By D. V. Carter, F. M. Hackbusch

Beginning the year 1938, the East and East Central Texas district comprised 48 counties, which is equivalent to the Texas Railroad Commission districts 5 and 6. At the close of the year there were 46 oil and gas fields in this district. Eight other fields, seven oil and one gas, have been abandoned. Exploratory Drilling During the year, 113 exploratory wells were drilled. Nine discoveries were made, five of which proved to be oil fields, three distillate, and one gas. Completions for the district were 2043 oil wells (distillate wells included), 36 gas wells and 163 dry holes. Exclusive of the East Texas field, the Marion County extension of the Rodessa field led the district in the number of completions during the year. Production and Proration All fields in the district produced a total of 182,369,484 bbl. of oil, a decrease of 12.57 per cent compared with the 208,594,453 bbl. produced during 1937. The East Texas field produced 148,189,913 bbl., which was 81.6 per cent of the district's production for 1938. November daily average oil production for the East and East Central district was 469,102 bbl. The estimated cumulative production to Jan. 1, 1939, for this district was 1,753,894,802 bbl. It is estimated that the East and East Central district produced 38.9 per cent of the state's total production for the year, which was 468,781,632 barrels. The decrease in 1938 production, as compared to that of 1937, in this district was partly due to the Saturday and Sunday shutdowns, 71 days for the year, which is equivalent to 19.45 per cent of the year. All fields in this district were affected by shutdowns except the Texas portion of the Rodessa field, which was shut in only during January and February. Certain wells were exempt from these shutdowns because of special pro-

Jan 1, 1939

By T. J. Lutz, G. T. Homce

A standard Ford1 4600 agricultural tractor was converted to remote control to perform ASAE/SAE field upset tests (rear rollover and side rollover). This paper discusses the engineering process to develop a remote-controlled tractor in determining the critical parameters of operation, to choosing appropriate actuators, designing the circuitry to control them, installing the actuators on the tractor, testing the system for functionality and then conducting numerous overturn tests. The system uses off-the-shelf components for simplicity, replaceability, and economic concerns. The remote control system has withstood 21 tests to date with no failures and will continue to be used for at least three more years of testing.

By M. E. Wadsworth, T. D. Chatwin

The kinetics of sulfidization of hematite (Fe203) by H2S gas at various partial pressures have been determined over the temperature range of 170° to 500°C. The process was controlled by thin films of pyrite (FeS2) and troilite (FeS) which were protective and formed diffusional layers. At higher temperatures the thermodynamic drive to form FeS2 decreased, and consequently the rate of formation of FeS, decreased. Conditions for the development of thin layers of FeSz consisting of 10 to 100 atomic diameters are presented. Laboratory flotation results on synethetic ores indicate floatability identical to that of pyrite of normal xanthate flotation. The prospect of high-temperature sulfidization of metal oxides using H2S, S, or other sulfur bearing compounds is intriguing as a potential activation process for flotation since the thermodynamics are very favorable for a large number of systems. If the kinetic parameters are sufficiently well understood it may be possible to provide surface sulfide layers a few angstroms thick, thus imparting normal sulfide floatability characteristics to the oxide. For thin layers the total sulfur pick-up would be small except for very high surface area materials but in most cases this sulfur could be readily removed by roasting if necessary. The general reactions for the sul-fidization of metal oxide MxO, to a metal sulfide MpSq using H2S may be written for the three conditions py > xq; py < xq; and py = xq: A large thermodynamic advantage is obtained in many systems because of the relatively large negative free energy of formation of H,O compared to H,S. For the temperature range 2S° to 1500°C &apos; where AFOis the standard free energy and T is absolute temperature. As is evident from Eqs. 4 and 5, the free energy of formation of H ,0 is approximately 35 to 37 kilocalories per mole greater than that for H,S over broad variations of temperature. For oxide-sulfide systems as outlined above, sulfidization may be expected to occur for the conditions: Groups I and 111: that is, if the terms on the right are more negative than those on the left the reaction is expected to occur thermodynamically. The value hFg,(,) is included in Eq. 6 since hFLzs is based upon gaseous S2 rather than the normal reference state, orthorhombic sulfur. The

Jan 1, 1969

By R. J. Marcotte, C. T. Eddy, R. J. Smith

THE objectives of the investigation herein reported were to determine: (I) the S-curves for certain selected cast steels, (2) whether or not the published S-curves for wrought steels are satisfactory for use on cast steels of similar composition, and (3) to prepare hardenability curves of the selected cast steels. In order to make the final comparisons between cast and wrought steel more completely tangible, it was deemed advisable not only to determine S-curves for the steels submitted in the cast condition but also to roll some of the cast-steel test bars and determine comparison S-curves on such wrought material. This procedure eliminates the composition variable and makes it possible to reveal the differences resulting from plastic deformation of the cast structure in addition to providing the comparison with published data on wrought steels. CAST STEELS The cast steels selected for the preparation of S-curves, or time-temperature transformation curves, were similar to S.A.E. series 1030, 2330, 4130 and 4330. Of these the 1030 was supplied by The Crucible Steel Casting Co., Cleveland, Ohio, and the other three by The Sawbrook Steel Castings Co., Lockland, Ohio. The steels were furnished in the as-cast condition. The manufacturers supplied the chemical analyses and the properties that could be obtained in the heat-treated condition-all of which is summarized in Table I. [ ] PROCEDURE The metallographic and dilatometric procedures and equipment were in general standard. The specific technique employed was described in a report of the Steel

Jan 1, 1945

By V N. Rudashevsky, N S. Rudashevsky

Characterisation of platinum-group element (PGE) deposits and their process products has many challenges for the process or applied mineralogist. It is now well established that the PGE distribution for such samples is variably divided between submicroscopic concentrations of PGE in sulfides, tellurides and related minerals occurring as discrete platinum-group minerals (PGM), of which there are a large number of species, many with partial replacement between the PGE and between anions. Each PGE deposit type requires a targeted approach but fundamentally, there are two general methodologies in vogue. One way is to make a large number of polished or polished thin sections for detailed scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/optical examination to determine the PGM distribution and their associations and grain sizes. The other is to make concentrates of representative crushed or processed samples, thus having fewer subsamples to examine. Our method of choice is to use hydroseparation (HS) for concentration. HS provides representative concentrates of sizes down to ~10 ¦m, not possible by other techniques. Various microbeam methods have been used for analysis of trace quantities of PGE (EPMA, micro-PIXE, SIMS and LAM-ICPMS). We prefer LAM-ICPMS (laser ablation microprobe û inductively coupled mass spectrometry) because of the relatively large analytical volume sampled, the ability to measure all the PGE, monitor up to 20 elements, together with detection levels in the tens to a few hundreds of ppb. We provide typical results derived in studies of stratiform PGE ores and tailings, and a massive Ni-Cu sulfide ore.

Jan 1, 2008

By Z. Konstantinovic, M. Ahrens

Due to the large installed electrical power and the large number of electric drives in minerals and mining plants power factor compensation and harmonic filtering has always been an important issue. For the design of harmonic filter and power factor compensation installations several approaches can be taken. The paper describes different concepts and their advantages and analyzes special requirements and design considerations for minerals and mining plants. It also highlights areas where problems can occur and which points need to be addressed carefully. Optimized designs and solutions are discussed in case studies and the resulting energy savings and benefits for the plant operation are shown.

Jan 1, 2007

By S. R. Brown

A number of relatively recent factors associated with the design of new metallurgical processing plants have made the effective training of operators a requirement for a successful start-up. Some of these factors include large capital investment in a minimum of processing lines, highly complex process control systems, and stringent regulations on plant effluent, to name a few. More than ever, operating mistakes during the start-up phase can lead to substantial delays in achieving design production, as well as problems with government authorities if permit limits are exceeded. The only way to assure your return on plant investment is to ensure new plant operators have the knowledge to properly run the plant from the outset. A comprehensive set of operating manuals specifically targeted for plant operators and foreman, written by experienced operating personnel, is the only effective way to provide the necessary information for start-up-related training.

Jan 1, 1995

By A. A. Berk

In the course of a study of the formation of external deposits on tubes in water-tube boilers it became desirable to determine the sulfur dioxide (SO2) and sulfur trioxide (SO3) in the Due gases. Determinations made by the A.S.M.E. method for SO2 and SO3 in gaseous products of combustion did not give accurate results. It was found that minute quantities of copper, present in the flue gases from the coal in use, caused oxidation of sulfite in the absorption bottle and that the carbon dioxide (CO2) in the flue gases caused high values for SO2. The A.S.M.E. test procedure was revised to prevent oxidation of sulfite in the absorption bottle and to allow for the effect of CO2; subsequent analyses of flue gases produced reliable results. The revised procedure is described.

Jan 1, 1950

By James F. Archibald

Research has been conducted for the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario (WSIB) to characterize thin, spray-on lining materials (TSLs), as well as combinations of TSLs and conventional spray supports, and to assess their capacity for inhibiting damage created by mining-induced rockbursts. This study has been performed to assess the capabilities of such support systems for preventing rock and support material damage that often results due to rockbursting. A variety of TSLs and other spray support media were subjected to the effects of simulated rockbursting, through use of explosive detonation trials, to evaluate their damage mitigation capacity. Results have validated that TSLs and variant layer combinations may be as effective as or better than conventional support materials for mitigating rockburst or like damage in highly stressed mine environments. In civil engineering construction, and typically in underground tunneling operations where concrete linings are applied, liner deterioration is a continuing and pervasive problem that often requires expensive and time-consuming rehabilitation effort. The ability of TSLs to provide effective concrete structural reinforcement while providing sustainable resistance against underground or restricted environmental hazards, as with fires or dynamic failure events, may permit wider use of TSLs than is currently foreseen by the mining industry. Significant benefits for use of TSL materials in concrete liner rehabilitation and for concrete material protection have been assessed.

May 1, 2006

By Randhir Sehgal

Heavy media processes have been used for cleaning +28 mesh coals for a number of years, Two applications, i.e., the vessels and the cyclones are widely used in the U. S. for this purpose. The basic reason for the popularity of these systems is their extremely high efficiencies for particle sizes above 28 mesh, However, application of heavy media technology to fine coals below 28 mesh, has been limited due to the following reasons: o Inability to make size separations effectively at sizes below 28 mesh o Necessity of feeding large quantitites of magnetite to the separators o Difficulty of recovering magnetite in the presence of large quantities of coal o High levels of coal contamination in the recovered media, leading to high circulating loads and ineffective control of media gravity

Jan 1, 1981

By Kevin Stuffle, James E. Sharp, Sean Premeau

Two process enhancements for the biological oxidative pretreatment of sulfidic gold ore for subsequent treatment with cyanide are discussed. These are the use of a high areal density ring and pin packing (BioBalls™) as substrate, and the use of a novel biological ferric generator. The BioBall™ packing when coated with concentrates for heap leach processing offers higher areal densities, while leaving more open volume for fluid flow than more commonly used substrates such as aggregate. An oxidation rate study was performed on crushed auriferous arsenopyrite whole ore to demonstrate the benefits of using the packing. The auriferous arsenopyrite grading 2.9% Fe and .212 OPT gold was 50 percent oxidized in 24 days. The biological ferric generator is a passive air-side trickle bed reactor that efficiently converts ferrous to ferric in a process stream. Conversion rates of .8g/L h ferrous to ferric are routinely obtained. Although the biologically generated ferric solutions have not yet been tested on gold ores or concentrates, prior work has demonstrated that the high ferric solutions which will result in rapid oxidation of sulfidic gold ores or concentrates.

Jan 1, 1997

By Marilda Macagnan, Rosana de Cassia de Souza Schneider, Valeriano Corbellini, Tiago Bjerk, Mariela de Souza Vieira

The great potential of Brazil for the agricultural production makes our country a generator of agro industrial residues. In this context, the solid-state fermentation appears as a technology that shows alternative ways for those residues, adding values to these raw materials, through the production of substances of industrial interest, besides reducing the possible environmental problems. The main objective of this study was to apply the bovine fat residue associated to the garden grass for the fungal lipase production. Initially, 75 microbial cultures were isolated from garden grass samples after incubation of the mixture with bovine fat. From these cultures were selected the filamentous fungi, whose lipase production abilities were evaluated. The isolation and the selection were accomplished by using a differential culture medium containing Tween 80 as inducer substrate of lipase production. The colonies with lipolytic potential were detected by the presence of white precipitation haloes on the agar. With agro industrial residues the best lipase producer fungus was identified as Penicillium sp in 6 days of solid state fermentation. The crude enzyme obtained was tested in transesterification process for the biodiesel production.

Jan 1, 2008

By I. M. Morsi

The present study investigates the feasibility of using some materials as start-up slags for the extraction of magnesium metal from Egyptian dolomite ores by the Magnethermic technique. The reduction of roasted dolomite (dolime) takes place in a closed evacuated electric arc furnace (small Magnetherm reactor) using ferrosilicon as a reducing agent and liquid start-up slag as a reduction bath under an inert atmosphere. The operational parameters affecting the stabilization of the start-up slag composition and the extraction of magnesium such as reducing agent stoichiometry, reduction temperature, and time were investigated. The dolomitic charge was in the form of sintered briquettes. The charge was reduced under an argon atmosphere in the Magnetherm reactor for constant period and constant temperature. The results showed that the clinker can be used as a start-up slag for the magnethermic process. Also, the optimum conditions for the extraction process were found at 2XSi stoichiometry to give maximum reduction of 80% after 15 minutes reduction time at a temperature of 1550°C. XRD and XRF measurements were used to determine the phases present and the extent of reduction of magnesium, respectively. Keywords magnesium, dolomite ore, magnetherm, magnetherm reactor, silicothermic reduction.

Jun 1, 2013