Search Documents

WHEN pouring concrete it frequently happens that space prohibits the placing of a mixer at the point, or points, where the concrete is to be used. Usually in such cases recourse is had to some form of pressure chamber, or concrete gun, to blow the mix by compressed air from the mixer to the point of pouring. Recently such a case arose at one of the western mines. The experience obtained there may be of benefit to others, not expert in the means of transporting mixed concrete, when they run up against similar situations. The first stage in pouring in this instance was a vertical drop of 100 ft. from the mixer on one level to the point where horizontal travel began on a lower level. Standard 6-in. pipe with flange joints was used, hung in the shaft space available. A standard 45" bend near the bottom directed the mix, with free discharge, into an air chamber for the horizontal stage of travel. With an air chamber at the mixer and pressure applied to the falling mix in the vertical section, jamming frequently occurred at the turn and the pipe would have to be taken apart for freeing. To obviate this difficulty the mix was poured slowly without the addition of air pressure, when it was found that the mix got through much better.

Jan 1, 1929

By Oliver C. Ralston

Fluorescence is of growing interest to the mineral industry because certain minerals may be detected thereby and because, as shown in figure 1,4/ many minerals (natural or synthetic) are needed in tubes and lamps. The use of fluorescent lighting is expanding, and large numbers of lamps of many sizes and shapes are being made and used in works, factories, stores, offices, homes, and in photography. Fluorescent tubes, as distinguished from clear tubes filled with neon, argon, or other rare gases through which a current of electricity passes, fluoresce owing to specially, selected and prepared minerals placed in the tubes. Luminous chemicals and paints also contain special minerals and are used in similar applications; therefore, these also will be considered in this report. Although the quantity of minerals (in tons) that are used for fluorescent purposes is small, and probably will continue to be so, this use is significant because it exemplifies a requirement for "pure" minerals in which a trace of contaminant as" minute" as one part in ten million may distinguish between the acceptance or rejection of a particular material. This extreme purity makes synthetic minerals almost essential, and natural mineral's are now little used.

Jan 1, 1944

By Xintan Chang

MFIRE is a computer simulation program that performs normal ventilation network planning calculations and dynamic transient-state simulation of ventilation networks under a variety of conditions. The program is useful for the analysis of ventilation networks under the influence of natural ventilation, fans, fires, or any combination of these. MFIRE simulates a mine's ventilation system and its response to altered ventilation parameters such as the development of new mine workings or changes in ventilation control structures, external influences (varying outside temperatures), and internal influences (fires). Extensive output enables detailed, quantitative analysis of the effects that the alteration will cause to the ventilation system. The program was developed at Michigan Technological University (MTU), Houghton, MI, with support from the Bureau of Mines. A personal computer (PC) version of the program was completed under contract for the Bureau by MTU. The purpose of this report is to document the installation and use of the PC version of the program MFIRE.

Jan 1, 1990

By Russ Darr

New methods and techniques in the field of hydrogeology are being developed constantly. One of these advances has been brought about through the use of inexpensive microcomputers. The formulas used in this paper and developed by Theis, Jacob, Glover, Keck, and Dupuit are not new. The methods by which these formulas can be solved are now available to all who wish to get faster, less expensive, and more reliable answers. These methods involve the solution of standard groundwater formulas using microcomputers. Examples and case histories of these methods are presented

Jan 1, 1980

By Alistair James, Mo Shahsavari, Leon Botham

Recent catastrophic failures of heap leach facilities have revealed fundamental weaknesses in prevailing design paradigms, modeling toolkits, and oversight practices that continue to treat heaps as static, free-draining earthworks despite compelling evidence to the contrary. The core proposition advanced in this paper is that heap materials are intrinsically dynamic: their structure, permeability, and shear strength evolve under the sustained influence of irrigation, climate, and geochemical reactions, and these timedependent changes can precipitate abrupt transitions from granular stability to flow-like failure. Drawing on investigations of recent failures at Çöpler Mine in Turkey and Eagle Gold Mine in the Yukon, alongside earlier incidents in Peru, Arizona, Nevada, and Chile, the analysis identifies a recurrent sequence driving catastrophic behavior: progressive weathering elevates fines and suppresses permeability; drainage systems designed for initial conditions become overwhelmed; pore pressures rise heterogeneously within the heap; and static liquefaction initiates rapid mass movement with long runout. Current guidance, including ICOLD and ANCOLD frameworks and ASTM testing standards, provides a necessary foundation but is tailored to tailings and conventional soil mechanics. These documents offer insufficient direction for characterizing timedependent material degradation, quantifying rheology of weathered ore, and modeling post-failure mobility. To address this deficit, the paper proposes an integrated framework combining enhanced characterization, multi-physics numerical modeling that couples hydro-geochemical processes with large-deformation mechanics, and comprehensive monitoring with Trigger Action Response Plans. The conclusion argues for a heap-specific standard that embeds these elements from concept to closure, aiming to materially improve safety performance and reduce the likelihood and consequences of future failures.

Feb 22, 2026

By D. L. Neylan

The Bureau of Mines evaluated various methods for identifying sources of mercury vapor in excess of the threshold limit value (TLV) of 0.05 mg of mercury per cubic meter of air set by the American Council of Government and Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) for mines and mineral processing plants. Chemical spot tests and portable devices for mercury determination were evaluated, based on information from published sources and performance in laboratory tests. Among the parameters examined were sensitivity, interferences, cost, ease of use, and other factors pertinent to field application, More than 50 methods were evaluated. The investigators found that many readily available methods are suitable for identifying sources of mercury vapor in mines and mineral processing plants. The best method appears to be one that uses a commercially available mercury test paper sensitive only to mercuric ions. For some of the more promising chemical spot tests, this report includes step-by-step instructions for field application.

Jan 1, 1983

By J. Janzen

The cost to supply ventilation may exceed 40% of the total mine energy cost for underground mines and is often higher for deeper mines. The goal of Ventilation-on-Demand (VOD) is to ensure that the required quantity and quality of air is supplied to underground mining crews and diesel equipment at the least energy expenditure (minimum cost). A VOD system may include control of surface fans (Supply & Exhaust), underground booster fans, auxiliary fans and automated regulators/dampers to regulate the flow of air with more control elements providing more value. Strategically located Air monitoring stations measure air quantity and quality and provide feed-back enabling control. The modular design involving controls, intelligent instrument and intelligent motor control centres coupled with a communication network allows the quick installation, commissioning and expansion of the system as the mine develops. The result is a very robust, flexible system while reducing maintenance costs and spare parts. This paper discusses the impact of sensors, installation and commissioning on advanced controls and provides solutions for in-field applications.

Aug 1, 2013

By T. B. Williams

THE British Columbia Coal Control was established in 1946 as a branch of the Department of Lands. Its functions are the administration of the Goal Act, the making of field and laboratory investigations bearing on the delineation and utilization of British Columbia coal deposits, and the dissemination of information concerning them. The Department of Lands in the Province of British Columbia retains and administers many of the Province's resources until such time as they are actively developed under the departments of Agriculture, of Forests, of Mines, etcc. The work of the Control is one of stock taking and appraising. We are picking up where the geological surveys leave off. In an effort to assist in the orderly, scientific development -of our excellent and extensive' ?Coat resources, we are bridging the gap between exploration and geological examination on the -one hand and mining on the other. All coal analyses required in the course of the investigations, together with? those requested by prospectors and others, are carried out in the very modern and efficient laboratories of the Coal, Petroleum, and Natural Gas Control. At its inception, the Coal Control began an investigation of coal seams in the Peace River area, specifically those contiguous to the Pine River valley about one hundred miles west of Dawson Creek. The occurrence of coal in the Peace River canyon, east of Hudson's Hope, bad been known since 1792, but the first record of production is for 1923.

Jan 1, 1951

By William Detty

An architect representing the Atlanta office of the Brick Institute of America periodically presents a slide lecture to interested groups entitled "The First 10,000 Years of Brick". The title signifies the fact that brick, man's oldest manufactured building material, has been around for quite some time and will continue to be utilized by architects and builders in the foreseeable future. This is not to say that the brick industry can rest on its laurels and ignore the competition presented by newer more innovative products. The industry will have to be equally inovative and market oriented in order to maintain its market share of the predicted construction boom between now and the year 2000. The implication is made, however, that brick can be produced under rudimentary conditions and that the desire to use the product has been long standing. In addition, history has sham that there has been plentiful clay available to produce the product. This paper is an attempt to assess the climate in which the brick industry will operate during the next 26 years. An analysis of regulatory conditions affecting the manufacture of the product will be followed by an assessment of the materials environment in which the industry will be operating. These factors are then reconciled with a projected demand for the product to determine the ability of the industry to satisfy future demand for brick. From a mineral point of view this paper will address itself generally to the availability of and demand for clay. However, other than a brief overview of the uses of other specific types of clay, it will concentrate on the clays utilized in the production of structural clay products, specifically brick.

Jan 1, 1974

By T. R. Ellis

The valuation of mineral properties in the U.S. is only partially regulated. The regulations which have jurisdiction or impact appear to have such mainly as a consequence of unintended fallout, since the regulations were designed for other purposes. Court case history can also be important. The combined results are a mixture of bad and good, with important lessons to be learned. Since 1981, the Securities and Exchange Commission has prohibited U.S. listed companies from reporting quantitative estimates of mineralization and the value of mineralization, other than proven and probable reserves. This results in the minerals appraiser (valuator) working with a shortage of data in his everyday work, both on the subject property and in sales analysis. Between 1989 and 1995, all 50 states and essentially all federal agencies adopted the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) for real property appraisals (valuations). The major national appraisal societies also require their members to abide by USPAP. A significant portion of minerals appraisals must now follow these standards. This paper will discuss the content of USPAP. It provides a very good framework for the valuation of a minerals property or a mine, both as real property and as a business. However, the credentialing standards for real property appraisers are now prohibitive for minerals appraisers.

Mar 1, 2002

By T. R. Ellis

"The valuation of mineral properties in the U.S. is only partially regulated. The regulations which have jurisdiction or impact appear to have such mainly as a consequence of unintended fallout, since the regulations were designed for other purposes. Court case history can also be important. The combined results are a mixture of bad and good, with important lessons to be learned.Since 1981, the Securities and ExchangeCommission has prohibited U.S. listed companies from reporting quantitative estimates of mineralization and the value of mineralization, other than proven and probable reserves. This results in the minerals appraiser (valuator) working with a shortage of data in his everyday work, both on the subject property and in sales analysis.Between 1989 and 1995, all 50 states and essentially all federal agencies adopted the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) for real property appraisals (valuations). The major national appraisal societies also require their members to abide by USPAP. A significant portion of minerals appraisals must now follow these standards. This paper will discuss the content of USPAP. It provides a very good framework for the valuation of a minerals property or a mine, both as real property and as a business. However, the credentialing standards for real property appraisers are now prohibitive for minerals appraisers."

Jan 1, 2002

By J. A. Restrepo, K. D. Luxbacher

"The U.S. underground coal mining industry has recently seen the occurrences of several multifatality events that have interrupted an otherwise steadily improving safety record. These events transpired even with an unprecedented level of government regulations and safety technologies. These events may indicate that current safety practices have reached a level of diminishing returns. Risk management, a safety approach that has been successfully applied in numerous industries including mining, may provide a means to overcome this plateau. Riskgate is an Australian mining risk management program that may be successfully applied in the United States. However, fundamental differences between the Australian and U.S. coal mining industries prevent direct implementation. This paper discusses aspects of the Riskgate body of knowledge that require adaptation for its application in the United States. IntroductionThe underground coal mining industry in the United States has recently seen the occurrences of several high profile, multifatality events. These events transpired in the midst of an unprecedented level of government regulations and modern safety technologies. The recent increase in fatal events in conjunction with minimal declines in fatal and nonfatal injuries over the past decade may signify that current safety practices have reached a level of diminishing returns. In order to surpass this plateau, a modification to the manner in which the mining industry approaches worker safety may be warranted.The implementation of a risk-management- based approach may potentially provide a means for not only surmounting the current safety stagnation but also for achieving the long-desired objective of zero harm.Riskgate is an Australian risk-management- based body of knowledge that shows great potential for application in the United States. This paper discusses aspects of the Riskgate body of knowledge that require adaptation for the U.S. mining industry. The proposed adaptations are based on differences in operating practices and government regulations. This discussion will focus on the three major U.S. risk areas of explosion prevention, ground control and moving equipment."

Jan 1, 2015

By Donald E. Redmon

This Bureau of Mines report reviews injury experience in the nonmetallic mineral industries (except stone and coal) for 1966-67. For each of the years, 23 tables summarize disabling work injuries by department, source of injury, extent of disability, part of body injured, and nature of injury. Correlative information on employment, worktime, and operating activity is also presented.

Jan 1, 1973

By Raymond M. Stateham

Calculations based on data obtained from measurements of smoke from coal-fired powerplants predict that infrared imagers will be useful tools for smoke vision. Infrared imagers operating in the 3-to 5-um spectral region have been evaluated for this purpose. A mine opening 110 meters long was filled with smoke from burning coal, and two men, wearing breathing apparatuses, moved through the smoke to serve as targets. The men were detected and identified at 80 meters.

Jan 1, 1976

By M. G. Beukes

"In South Africa most of the large gold mines operate between 1500m and 4500m below surface where reef is accessed initially through a vertical shaft system then via a network of tunnels and mined in either a longwall, sequential grid or scattered mining configuration. Due to the complexity of the ventilation networks used to ventilate these mines and the potential disastrous consequences associated with underground fires, it is of utmost importance that these mines are managed in such a way that underground fires are prevented. However, if they do occur the fires are managed to firstly prevent the loss of life and secondly protect the infrastructure and viability of the mine. The aim of this paper will be to: • Discuss current SA mining legislation regarding underground fire prevention and control. • Examine these fires from a risk management perspective by means of a bowtie assessment. • List and discuss the major Threats and Consequences as determined by the bowtie assessment. • Discuss the various prevention and consequence controls for deep level underground fires. • Examine how to effectively run an emergency control room. From this, a practical way of designing, implementing and managing an underground fire management system is explored. Lastly, the paper identifies new technology and ways of thinking and how these can be used to combat underground fires. INTRODUCTION The orebodies of South African gold mines are generally narrow tabular structures that vary in thickness between 0.8m and 1.2m with an inclination of between 200 and 700. This, coupled with depths of between 1500m and 4500m, as well as the unpredictable geology, creates unique challenges and significantly impacts on mine designs and mining methods. In general, gold bearing reefs are accessed initially through a vertical shaft system then via a network of tunnels and mined in either a longwall, sequential grid or scattered mining configuration (Figure 1). Mining is very labour intensive with very limited mechanisation opportunities and this increases the risk to human life if an underground fire occurs. On 16 September 1986, one of the worst mining disasters in SA mining history took place when 177 mineworkers were killed at Kinross Mine. An acetylene tank sparked flames that swept through the mining tunnel igniting plastic covering on the wiring and the flames also set fire to polyurethane foam. The burning plastic combined with polyurethane and the toxic fumes that filled the shafts caused the miners death. This incident was a stark reminder of the serious consequence that underground fires can have on human life as well as the crippling financial and asset impact for the mining companies. Over the past thirty years, the SA mining industry reduced the number of mine fires significantly by replacing normal timber support with fire retardant treated timber, alternative support systems such as backfill and elongate support and many other fire prevention initiatives. Although the number of fire incidents and number of fatalities due to fires does not show a direct correlation because of various factors, the controls put in place against fires has had an impact on the number of fire and explosion fatalities (Figure 2)."

Jan 1, 2019

By David S. Robertson

"IntroductionCanada has been one of the world's leading producers of uranium since atomic energy first became of practical importance in 1942. Indeed, prior to this time, between 1933 and 1940, Canada produced significant amounts of pitchblende, as a source of radium, from the Eldorado Mine at Great Bear Lake*.Uranium was first reported in Canada, however, in the middle of the 19th Century in the vicinity of Theano Point on Lake Superior north of Sault Ste. Marie. In the early 1900s, uranium-bearing minerals were reported in Quebec north of the St. Lawrence River and in pegmatites in Quebec and eastern Ontario. In 1930, G.A. LaBine and E.C. St. Paul visited an occurrence of cobalt reported by the Geological Survey of Canada in 1900, and brought the Eldorado Mine into production in 1933, as noted above, producing, in the main, silver and pitchblende.In 1942, developments in atomic energy were such that the Government of Canada, at the behest of Great Britain and the United States, requested that Eldorado, which had been closed in 1940, be re-opened to produce uranium for the Manhattan Project. In September, 1943, all discoveries of radioactive minerals were reserved to the Crown and their staking by private interests was banned. In January, 1944, the government nationalized Eldorado and formed a Crown corporation, the present Eldorado Nuclear Limited, to take over the assets. That year marked the formal beginning of uranium exploration in Canada.The Period 1944 to 1948In 1944, the Crown Corporation and the Geological Survey of Canada began exploring for uranium deposits, largely in the areas of Great Bear Lake and Lake Athabasca. In that year, A. W. Joliffe of the Survey visited properties on the north shore of Lake Athabasca near Beaverlodge Lake and recommended that Eldorado acquire claims in the area. In 1946, P. St. Louis and E. Laurum, prospectors working for Eldorado, found the pitchblende veinlets that led to the Ace Mine. Shaft sinking began in 1951, and production, through a carbonate leach plant, began in 1953.Continuing drilling on the Eldorado claims led to the Verna ore bodies, some 6,000 feet northeast of Ace, on which shaft sinking started in 1954."

Jan 1, 1986

By W. TRINKS

RAPID progress has been made in the automatic control of open-hearth furnaces in the past few years and many firms today\supply such control apparatus. It is somewhat surprising that so little was heard about open-hearth control up to about, 1928, and that thereafter the practice of automatically controlling open-hearth furnaces spread very rapidly. Before discussing the reasons for this it may be advisable to list the quantities that can be controlled. One of the easiest quantities to be controlled in the open-hearth furnace is pressure. The reasons for controlling it are plain. If there is excess pressure in the furnace, products of combustion leak out around .the .door and through all the cracks in the brick-work. The stability of the piers between the doors is seriously endangered, and front wall repairs become frequent. Furthermore, hot gases are lost that might be usefully employed in heating the checkerwork. If there is a slight vacuum in the furnace, cold air entering through the doors and cracks cools the interior, slowing down the reactions and making it impossible to secure the highest degree of preheat from the checkerwork.

Jan 1, 1931

By Robert Linton

SPECIFICATIONS for clays serving raw materials in the ceramic industry usually contain the following items: (1) Chemical analysis, sometimes with mineralogical structure determined by microscopic investigation. (2) Maturing temperature and firing range, usually expressed in terms of pyrometric cone equivalent. (3) Shrinkage (drying and firing shrinkage separately). (4) Degree of plasticity. (5) Color after firing. Clays may be classified, according to the purpose of the classification, in several different ways, based on (1) Geological occurrence-transported, altered An place, indurated (shales). (2) Physical properties-plastic (bonding clays, ball clays) and nonplastic (flint clays, kaolins or china clays, bone clays). (3) Color. (4) Use. A common classification of clays for commercial designation, and one fol-

Jan 1, 1936

By G. J. Hundman

Control of respirable dust produced by auger type continuous mining machines is normally attempted by water sprays from fixed nozzles mounted on the frame of the machine. In tests conducted under this contract, a 'wet auger' system was used, where the spray nozzles were mounted on the rotating auger itself. The tests were conducted at the Hunter mine of Smith and Stover Coal Company using a Jeffrey 1.00L auger miner. Operating the mining machine in the wet auger mode, it was found to produce 47 pct less respirable dust than when the fixed conventional sprays were used. On section dust levels were reduced too 3.5 mg/m3 which is equivalent to approximately 2.0 mg/m3 for a full shift portal to portal sample. The major difficulty that had to be overcome was the development of a simple reliable water transfer mechanism to get the water into the rotating augers. This was successfully achieved by the development of a water-through-the-shaft water system. This system can be retrofitted to existing machines and is available in kit form.

Jan 1, 1977

By C. L. Brown

Coal has been transported by belt conveyors in mines for many years; however, only since the beginning of the general mechanization period have complete transportation system of this type been employed. Aside from my complete belt-conveyor transportation systems, belt conveyors are frequently used in conjunction with other transportation. Many early installations, for the most part, were made without standards as a guide. As a result, some States have outlined certain requirements based more or less on experience following mine fires. Correlation of these regulations should result in more uniformity in connection with standardization of regulations. The National Electrical manufacturers Association has published standards for mining-belt-conveyor installations2/ that should be helpful to the coal-mining industry generally. Bureau of Mines Schedule 2F3/ requires certain controls for permissible-belt- conveyor drives, and similar requirements are listed in Bureau of Mines bulletin 514.4/ Committees of the American Mining Congress have prepared much valuable information concerning operation of belt conveyors, and a subcommittee on fire-resistant belting has been active. 5/

Jan 1, 1956