Search Documents

By David M. Lapham

In Pennsylvania, 310 sampled sites of clay and shale have been evaluated for: potential use, chiefly as structural clay products, refractories, and lightweight aggregate; lithology; physical properties tests; fired tests, both quick-fire and rotary kiln; major-element chemical analyses, and quantitative five-component X-ray mineralogy for quartz, mica, feldspar, kaolinite, and chlorite-vermiculite-montmoril-lonite. Approximately 80 percent of the samples are of some potential use. Of 220 shale samples, 84 were potential lightweight aggregate sources and 83 potential brick sources. Binary correlations of test data versus potential use indicate that certain empirically determined parameters may be critical. These are: lithology, particularly for medium to super-duty refractories and lightweight aggregate; kaol-finite content for refractories versus low-temperature fired product sources; quartz content illustrating that there is an apparently necessary minimum quantity for brick; quartz content, which is low in high grades of lightweight aggregate; mica content, which is low for refractories and possibly high for lightweight aggregate; total iron, which is low for refractories and shows a 40 percent minimum for lightweight aggregate; carbon dioxide, which is low for refractorfes, beneficial in lightweight aggregate, and probably restrictive for some tiles choroite yermicalite, which is low for refractoies and possibly beneficial in lightweight aggregate. In Pennsylvania, clay and shale materials constitute one of the state's major economic mineral resources. To date, the testing program indicates considerable development potential in brick, tile, and lightweight aggregate industries, and perhaps a future potential for aluminum from shales that exceed 20 percent A12Q3.

Jan 1, 1971

By Atmesh K. Sinha

Death and injury rates in mining have been the highest of any industry; the injury severity rates in mines have also been the highest. Tentative figures reveal that 1971 was the best year yet for the bituminous coal indus¬try with the lowest number of fatal accidents. Nevertheless, 177 men were killed at a frequency rate of 0.76 per million man hours. Coal mine accident statistics have been described at various times as unacceptable and intolerable and recently resulted in the enactment of massive legislation. The 1969 Coal Mine Health and Safety Act was passed by Congress "to improve the working conditions and practices in coal mines and to prevent accidents and occupational diseases originating in the coal mining industry." The prevention of accidents in coal mines is the statutory responsibility of mining engineers and the moral responsibility of all who have any part to play in mining coal. The questions to be answered by these men may well be - What are the reasons for the high accident rate? Are the mines as safe as they can be? Are our mines sufficiently manned to insure proper supervision of production cycles and safety requirements? Are our plans for safety committees, safety campaigns, and safety inspections sufficient? Are they producing the results intended? If not, how can these be reorganized to have a greater impact? What is the real cost of an accident? What are the immediate and long-term plans for further improvements? These questions are in no way exhaustive, and the answers are not easy. There are many aspects of mine safety, and any one of them can be the subject of a lengthy discussion. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to limit the analysis to documented fatal electrical accidents in mines so that meaningful conclusions for improvement in electrical accident-experience statistics can be made. In doing this, it is also the intention to emphasize areas of missing information and propose a few suggestions for better hazard analysis.

Jan 1, 1972

By D. W. Leyshon

The fluidized solids technique for the calcination of phosphate rock has been well established for over 10 years. This paper is intended to review the recent performance of many of the Dorr-Oliver FluoSolids* calciners. In addition, design features of these three compartment refrac¬tory construction reactors will be described and a comparison made with fuel requirements for single compartment calcination. Also presented will be certain, aspects of the use of the rock including a discussion of non sulfate sulfur in the rock. A system is described for producing a blended mixture of calcined and uncalcined rock.

Jan 1, 1972

By Nathaniel Herz, R. J. Adamson, C. M. Romanowitz, Frank W. Jr. McQuiston, C. D. Hoyt, Robert S. Shoemaker, P. H. O’Neil

1. INTRODUCTION In this section, precious metals are defined as gold, silver, and the platinum group metals comprised of platinum, palladium, iridium, osmium, and rhodium. If the first three years of the 1970's are the criteria, gold, silver, and platinum seem destined for a bright future. Gold advanced in price from the historic figure of $35 established in 1934 to over $100 per oz (1973). For the five years 1966 to 1970, silver consumption exceeded production by about 50%. The silver price appears to be definitely on the uptrend, and a price of over $3 per oz seems probable. On this basis (at 1964 costs) the United States has an estimated 5 billion oz of unmined silver. The fresh burst of interest in platinum with a surge of renewed price strength (end of 1972) is due to the activity in the automobile emission control area, where platinum re¬mains the front runner in the catalyst area. Some international financial experts believe that governments will not rush into reform of the monetary system, and "Special Drawing Rights" (SDR's) will gain increased standing as international mone¬tary reserve assets. Gold will continue to be reviewed as the ultimate store of value and will remain the global monetary base. Devaluation of the U.S. dollar caused by imbalance of import payments over ex¬ports is the basic reason that the price of gold will likely remain above the $90 per oz figure for the balance of the 1970's. Gold and silver usually occur intimately associated, and recovery methods are often closely related; however, they were assigned sepa¬rate chapters, because the major production of each metal is from ore deposits classified as either gold or silver. For example, the gold ore occurrences in South Africa, the world's leading gold producer, have a ratio of gold to silver of approximately 10 to 1. The ores at the Homestake Mine, Lead, S.D., the largest U.S. gold producer, are predominantly gold with a ratio to silver of approximately 5 to 1. Silver in each example is a byproduct. By this same classification, the largest U.S. silver producers are the silver ores of the Sunshine, Galena, and Lucky Friday mines in the Coeur d'Alene district, Idaho. However, the largest single-mine silver producer in the Free World is the Kidd Creek Mine at Timmins, Ont., where the occurrence is with sulfides of copper, lead, and zinc. Thus, the major gold production of the world is derived from those ores classified as gold ores; whereas, less than one-half of the silver production is from silver ores, and only a small percentage of the silver production is from gold ores. 2. GOLD Gold, the noblest of metals, has been mined for thousands of years. Its chemical symbol, Au, is derived from the Latin "aurum," meaning "shining dawn." A precious substance because it is one of the rarest metals, it has unique physical properties: it does not tarnish; it exceeds all other metals or alloys in malleability and ductility; it is a good conductor of electricity and is one of the most nonreactive metals. Its greatest strength is its indestructibility. It is the only metal mined at depths exceeding 10,000 ft. Since the early 1800s, its chief role has been as a medium of exchange, providing the basis for interna¬tional trade. In the past 15 years, however, gold has emerged as a useful industrial commodity. This role has been fortified by the estab¬lishment of a two-tier pricing system which maintains monetary gold prices at an established U.S. Government price, with industrial gold being priced higher by the free-market system. Occurrences and Production Native gold furnishes most of the world's production, since gold forms stable natural compounds with few other elements. Neverthe¬less, the metal is widespread with traces of it found in seawater and in the ashes of plants and animal material. Next to the native metal, the tellurides have been the most important gold-bearing minerals; these include calaverite, krennerite, slyvanite, hessite, and nagyagite. Native gold is invariably alloyed with more or less silver, but it is exceptional to find any other metal in the alloy. It is found in veins associated with quartz, calcite, alunite, other gangue minerals, and with various sulfides. Sulfide minerals in order of frequent associa¬tion are: pyrite, galena, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, arsenopyrite, tetrahe¬drite, and pyrrhotite. Small amounts of metallic gold are commonly disseminated through such sulfides. When considerable amounts of silver occur in gold, the mineral electrum is formed. In a few deposits, gold and mercury form natural amalgam. Native mercury is formed by weathering from cinnabar and other mercury minerals. Among the minerals sometimes mistaken for gold, pyrite, marcasite, and especially chalcopyrite may be men¬tioned. The flakes of biotite and other micas, especially when partially oxidized, also may imitate it closely. World gold reserves never have been estimated carefully. Esti¬mates indicate that present world reserves approximate I billion oz, of which about 60% occurs in South Africa and 20% in the USSR. World gold output is dominated by South Africa which produces two-thirds of the world's production from reserves that are adequate to maintain existing output levels. South African gold output comes from approximately 50 large underground operations that mine and mill 70 to 80 million tons of ore annually to recover 30 to 32 million oz of gold. The USSR is the second largest gold producer, followed by Canada and the United States (see Table 1). Gold production in the United States and Canada rose to high levels in the 1930's, following the increase in price from $20.67 to $35 per oz and with an abundance of good labor due to depression in other industries. Production of over 10 million oz in 1940 was behind only that of South Africa. World War II caused a precipitous drop in gold output due to the imposition of War Production Board Limitation Order L-208 issued in October 1942, which caused over 9,000 gold mines in the United States to shut down, most of which never reopened. The U.S. Treasury, which suspended purchases of newly mined gold in 1968, had been the sole buyer of U.S. produced gold since 1934. This created the two-tier pricing system, and in March 1972 the President signed into law a bill authorizing a $3 increase in the official price of gold to $38 per oz. In February 1973 the President ordered a second devaluation of the dollar, amounting to about 10% which raised the official price to $42.22 per oz. The erratic development of the gold market, which has seen the

Jan 1, 1985

By Thomas J. Wright

The evaluation and development of the Eastern North Carolina phosphate deposit resulted in one of the world's largest and most modern phosphate mines and fertilizer complexes at an investment in excess of $90,000,000. The resulting ore beneficiation process showed excellent correlation with pilot plant data. A number of variations from current industrial practices were introduced and projected from bench scale tests through pilot plant to production. Principal among these variations were the following: 1) removal of magnesium by classification, 2) simultaneous flotation of coarse and fine phosphate, 3) the use of saponified fatty acid, 4) utilization of filter wash water for deoiling, 5) utilization of a rougher concentrate for acidulation, 6) calcination of flotation concentrates, and 7) elimination of grinding prior to the manufacture of phosphoric acid.

Jan 1, 1971

Dynamic permeability is a significant hydrologic condition associated with in-situ leaching at the Cyprus Casa Grande operations. Several factors contribute to changes in the permeability conditions. They are: 1) hydraulically induced fracture development, 2) geochemical changes during leaching in the rock matrix, and 3) changes in the relative degree of saturation of the deposit. Dynamic permeability conditions were evaluated using available pressure and flow rates from the 58 injection and recovery wells obtained over one year period. A finite element, 2-D hydrologic model called INVERT which is designed to estimate aquifer parameters under transient and steady state flow conditions was used for the investigation. The permeability conditions during 7 different steady state intervals throughout the one year time frame were determined. The results confirm that big changes in permeability occur as a function of time as well as a function of injection pressure condition.

Jan 1, 1991

By Kate Willa Brown Requist, Eric Lutz, Moe Momayez

As air quality sensor networks become increasingly popular in underground coal mines, it is important to generate paradigms for the application of the collected data. To date, air quality sensing has been primarily used as an early warning system for hazardous air conditions. Using data collected from a network of sensors in a US underground coal mine, we have created multiple visualization methods to show the interactions of carbon monoxide evolution with ventilation airflow. These visualization methods can allow for further analysis of the source of contaminant, as well as better data resolution across the area of concern within the mine. By utilizing univariate spatial interpolations, we present methods for identifying the movement of carbon monoxide at one-minute intervals. The resulting visualizations display the evolution of carbon monoxide concentration across a sizeable study area over a period of 14 minutes.

Jun 25, 2023

By A. Kaina

The San Luis deposit is one of the few documented gold deposits on a detachment surface. This paper presents mineralogic and geochemical data that was gathered to characterize the mineralization, classify the ore deposit, and provide details of the ore forming process. Included are data on the paragenesis; alteration-mineral assemblages major and trace element geochemistry, and fluid inclusions. The San Luis deposit occurs on the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains adjacent to the San Luis Basin about 5 miles northeast of the town of San Luis in Costillo County, south-central Colorado. Mineralization was discovered in the district in the early 17th century. Production began in 1890 on lead-silver ores from which the district took the name the old name of "El Plomo". From 1897 through 1934 gold was intermittently produced. Battle Mountain Gold Company took an option on the property in 1987 and proved on ore body comprising an eastern block that has 1,277,300 t ore at a grade of 1.68 g/t and a western block of 9,744,000 t with a grade of 1.34 g/t. Production began in 1990. A companion paper by Benson (1994) describes the San Luis district and the ore body, hence the reader is referred to this or Robert and David (1990) for details of the geology from which the following is summarized.

Jan 1, 1994

By Akira Ishikuro, Masamichi Shintaku, Futoshi Kusumoto, Takeshi Kudo

"The Bankei-Kitanosawa tunnel that is located in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan includes a 450m long section near the arrival point where mudstone which can liquate out natural hazardous materials such as arsenic and selenium exceeding the tolerance stipulated by country as well as weathered mudstone and unconsolidated sedimentary rocks with small overburden and the competence factor less than 1.0 are present. The mucks containing hazardous materials were disposed into the waterproof branch tunnels created from the inside of the main tunnel. The full face early ring closure method was employed to ensure the stability of the tunnel in the low strength rock masses having no stand-up time. As a result, the waterproof tunnels branching off the main tunnel can manage water tightness so as to ensure safety and relief against environmental risks of the hazardous materials. It is also demonstrated that the full face early ring closure method enable construction of the tunnel with a small overburden in the low strength rock masses. INTRODUCTION The Bankei-Kitanosawa tunnel includes a 450m long section near the arrival point where mudstone which can liquate out natural hazardous materials such as arsenic and selenium exceeding the tolerance stipulated by country as well as weathered mudstone and unconsolidated sedimentary rocks with small overburden and the competence factor less than 1.0 are present. In order to overcome the restrictions, the hazardous materials were designed to be disposed into large cross section waterproof tunnels which were newly designed and constructed in high strength and hazardous material free Andesite. The lining for the tunnels was composed of with shotcrete. In addition, full face early ring closure (Sato et al., 2013) was employed to stabilize the tunnel so as to enable safe tunnel excavation in low strength rock masses where a ground arch is deemed unachievable. This paper presents the safe disposal method of mucks which are likely to liquate out natural hazardous materials as well as the full face early ring closure method and its mechanical characteristics."

Jan 1, 2016

By Patrick G. Hatcher

Studies of sedimentary humic acids by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), stable isotopes, and elemental analysis show they are derived by oxidative degradation of complex plant macromolecules that are insoluble in aqueous or organic solvents. The mechanism by which humic acids originate is fundamental to our understanding of the role of organic matter in ore deposition, because these substances can complex and mobilize a number of metal ions. The organic matter associated with uranium ores of the San Juan Basin, New Mexico and Carlin-type disseminated gold deposits of Nevada has certain organic geochemical characteristics that suggest an origin from humic acids.

Jan 1, 2013

By Dan Witkowsky

In an increasingly environmentally conscious world, mining's importance to society has often been misunderstood and even maligned by the public. Extreme and impractical ideas have often been presented to children because of the lack of accurate, timely resource materials available to educators. In the late 1960s. two mining engineers, S.P. "Pi" Warren and C.L. "Lindy" Barker, became aware of this situation. They proposed to develop a summer field course to provide a factual overview of the minerals industry for teachers. The pair believed that teachers could become better informed to educate students, and future generations, about mining. These two Colorado Mining Association (CMA) members felt that such a course could reduce much of the misunderstanding about this vital industry. This could be done by providing a balanced perspective of mining, not only for kindergarten-through-grade-12 teachers, but also for the students they would be teaching during their careers. Students who better understood the minerals industry could better formulate an unbiased view of it. The course would seek recognized authorities from industry, academia and government who would lecture in their respective fields of expertise. The course would provide a total concept of the coal, aggregate, metals and industrial minerals industries. It would include geology, geophysics, exploration, mining, processing, marketing, product applications, economic, mining history, careers, and environmental responsiblity. When possible, site visits would permit educators to view operations and to meet the men and women who are industry leaders. Teachers would pay a small tuition fee. The balance of the program expenses for each teacher would be paid through scholarships provided by industry and individuals. The "total concept" idea obtained the support of the minerals industry. The support of CMA's Education Committee and the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) was obtained in 1968. Colorado's Commission on Higher Education approved teacher recertification credits through CSM's Office of Special Progams and Continuing Education for those successfully completing the program. The first six-week series of classes presenting the total concept of the indus¬try was held at CSM in 1969. In 1977, the CMA Education Foundation Inc. (CMAEF) was established as a Colorado nonprofit corporation. The "Total Concept of the Mining Industry" (Total Concept) course was placed under its sponsorship. CMAEF is dedicated toward this continuing education program (Table 1). In 1994, the course was streamlined to four-weeks for six hours recertification credit.

Jan 1, 1997

By J. A. M. Cano

A brief introduction is made on the existence of sulphides in the top gas of the Midrex Shaft Furnace, giving consideration to the operation of the furnace and the liberation of sulphur as well as its consequential effects on the reduction process. The text shows a study of sulphur distribution in the pellet, emphasizing the importance of this distribution in relation to the liberation of sulphur during the reduction. A study was made to determine the sulphur compounds that exist in the pellets, showing ways of controlling the sulphur distribution and reducing its liberation?during the reduction.

Jan 1, 1989

By Yuexin Han, Yanjun Li, Peng Gao, Yongsheng Sun, Qiang Zhang

The non-isothermal magnetization roasting process and isothermal magnetization roasting process of siderite ore were investigated using thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and a real-time infrared gas analyzer. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) were used to analyze the characteristics of samples. The results showed that the decomposition degree and decomposition rate of siderite ore were vitally affected by heating rate and roasting temperature. It was determined that A1 reaction model (f(α) = 1 − α) and A3/2 reaction model (f(α) = (3/2)(1 − α)[−ln(1 − α)]1/2) were the most probable mechanism function of the non-isothermal decomposition process and isothermal decomposition process, respectively. The phase transformation and decomposition mechanism during the roasting process were evaluated. Siderite decomposed in the process of magnetization roasting, released CO and CO2, and transformed into strongly magnetic magnetite. The SEM images highlighted that as the decomposition progressed, the structure of roasted samples was destroyed, and an increasing number of cracks and pores emerged on the surface, which is advantageous to the following grinding process.

Mar 26, 2021

By S. Tuylu, D. Adiguzel, A. Bascetin, O. Ozdemir, U. Cinar

"In recent years, use of mineral processing tailings as a paste backfill has been significantly increased due to the environmental problems occurred during the disposal of the tailings in mine area. The paste material used to fill the stopes excavated is generally consisted of tailings (solid ratio: 70–85%) and cement (3-7%w/w). Meanwhile, the strength of the paste material is completely related to ratios of these materials. Cemented Paste Backfill (CPB) system is used as support depending on the roof pressure and also as an underground disposal method. Therefore, temporary strength value of the paste material gains a great importance. For example, the paste backfill material must compensate the minimum 4 MPa strength value in order to procure the permanent fortification, and the mixture cost must be minimal as well. For this reason, in this study, the Pb-Zn tailings were used to prepare for the paste backfill material using cement in order to perform the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) tests. Additionally, a statistical experimental design and linear programming techniques was used to find the optimum mixture in terms of strength and cost. The pulp solid ratios (PSR) of the tailings and cement (by the solid) were varied as 75-85% and 3-8%, respectively. The results of this study; the optimum mixture is ~79.5%PSR and 6.8% cement ratio (by the solid) for 4 MPa UCS (28 day) and 16-17 cm slump value determined by this method with statistically reviewed experimental data. INTRODUCTION Fine-grained tailing waste materials resulting from mining activities are an important environmental problem. In terms of environmental protection, the use of tailings with paste backfill is a very attractive approach and a desirable solution to tailings management. Paste backfill, which is used to fill underground openings, is made by primarly mine tailings mixed with hydraulic binders and water. Its main benefits are not only disposal of mine tailings in underground, but also providing a certain strength to ensure a safe working environment. Therefore, it is necessary to use hydraulic binders due to durability of the system (Benzaazoua et al., 2004). Paste backfill, formed from the mix of dewatered plant tailings (75-85 wt. % solids), water and binder (3-8 wt. %) (Brackebusch, 1994; Landriault et al., 2005).Water is used to determine the chemical reactions between tailing and binder materials for strength as well as increasing pumpability. Portland cement and ash can be used as binder materials (Douglas and Malhotra, 1987). The factors which affect strength and stability of paste backfill separate into two groups called interior and exterior factors. Interior and exterior factors determine the strength, stability and deformation features of backfill in short and long terms and also affect the transportation of backfill to underground (Benzaazoua et al., 2004; Erçikdi et al., 2006; Yilmaz et al., 2010; Nasir and Fall, 2010). Material properties of tailings as well as site operations to fill the underground openings are the most important steps for the design purposes. Grain size distribution, chemical, and physical properties of tailings, and mechanical properties of paste fill material are used to understand the suitability of tailings as paste fill material (Ozturk et al., 2014). In addition, Fig. 1. is also proposed to apply a typical design for the operational stages of paste fill applications on the site."

Jan 1, 2016

By V. R. Bovino

In the early 80's, the cover of a major weekly magazine proclaimed the "Death of Mining." A few years ago, mining conventions, similar to this, around the country sported the theme, "The Survival of Mining." Today, the SME announces that "Mining is Alive." Being part of an industry that is simply alive is not very exciting. We can do better! Our challenge must be to flourish, blossom, maximize our potential and expand our horizons. The pace of rejuvenating this industry is still woefully inadequate. The new generation of mining industry leaders recognizes the urgent need for bold operational changes?changes in the way we deal with our employees? changes in the way we achieve productivity? and changes in the way we reward our employees for productivity.

Jan 1, 1991

By H. B. Miller

By its nature, underground metal mining is unlike any other business in the industrial sector. Operations are continuously exposed to economic risk as a normal consequence of mining due to uncertainties associated with the? deposit, excavation, and ever changing political, regulatory, and market conditions. Out pacing advances in productivity and technology, these conditions have contributed to the steady decline of underground hardrock mining in the United States. This paper investigates the trends and major factors believed to be responsible for this decline. Special consideration is given to changes in direct operating costs, labor productivity, and production capacity.

Jan 1, 1995

By J. Y. Kim

Lead ions originating from galena during processing of complex sulphide ores migrate to "cover" the surface of sphalerite and iron sulphide mineral particles, and cause poor selectivity in differential flotation. Generally in sulphide ore processing, the lead-activated minerals float in the Cu/Pb rougher circuit. Subsequently, surface lead complicates the zinc flotation circuit by lowering the concentrate grade due to the co-flotation of lead-activated iron sulphide minerals. The effect of lead in the differential flotation of sphalerite from Cu-Pb-Zn and Pb-Zn ores is discussed. Plant and laboratory test data are interpreted by determining the surface composition of individual grains of sphalerite and iron sulphide particles using two surface analytical techniques, Laser Ionization Mass Spectrometer (LIMS) and Time of Flight-Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (TOF-SIMS). Cationic and anionic species on the surface were analyzed to elucidate the phenomena.

Jan 1, 1995

By A. Juganda, H. PINHEIRO, J. Brune, N. SANDOVAL, G. Bogin, K. Gallagher, F Wilson

The present work discusses the nuances of scaling and flow similarity to develop a 1/40th scale version of a longwall coal mine. Details on the geometric, kinematic, and dynamic scaling of the physical model are presented and discussed. This works also discusses using a 30% CO2 – 70% He gas mixture as a surrogate for methane. It also presents the implications of various Reynolds numbers (ranging from 7,000 to 140,000) and rotation of the shearer drums in the dynamic representation of the airflow and gas mixtures in the physical scaled model.

Mar 19, 2022

By Richard A. Thomas, Liming Yuan, Wei Tang, JOHN SOLES

Lithium-ion battery applications are increasing for battery-powered vehicles because of their high energy density and expected long cycle life. With the development of battery-powered vehicles, fire and explosion hazards associated with lithium-ion batteries are a safety issue that needs to be addressed. Lithium-ion batteries can go through a thermal runaway under different abuse conditions including thermal abuse, mechanical abuse, and electrical abuse, leading to a fire or explosion. The NIOSH Mining program is conducting research to prevent and respond to lithium-ion battery fires for battery electric vehicles in the mining industry. In this study, experiments were conducted to investigate the effectiveness of different suppression systems including dry chemical, class D powder, and water mist for lithium iron phosphate battery pack fires. The effects of activation time and release time of the water mist system on the suppression of lithium-ion battery fires were studied. The results of this study may be helpful for developing strategic firefighting and response plans for battery-powered vehicles used in mining.

Feb 17, 2024

By Werner A. Ruemmele

Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel, called Straight Creek Tunnel during construction is located 60 miles west of Denver, Colorado at 11, 160 ft. elevation. It is 8, 510 feet long, and carries two lanes of 1-70 traffic under the Continental Divide. This paper describes improvements and changes made in construction methods for utilities, concrete lining, ceiling, wall covering and paving to allow maximum offsite fabrication and activity overlap resulting in a one-year faster completion for traffic. The substantial changes proposed on a design-and-construct basis by the contractor and put into effect after State approval were: 1. Substitution of ductile iron and thick-wall P.V. C. pipes for clay pipes allowing placement and operation before hole-thru. 2. Outside pre-assembly of large rebar mats, using a novel tension-splice with cable clamps. 3. Arch concrete placement method modified to make 4, 322 ft. of lining in 10 weeks possible. 4. Safety barriers precast and epoxy coated offsite instead of cast-in-place and tile faced. 5. Prestressed hollow ceiling slabs with porcelainenamel coated steel sheets assembled offsite, instead of in-place glazed tile and in-place cast concrete ceiling. 6. Glazed tile wall panels 8 ft. long by 11 ft. high assembled off site and erected using vacuum pad mounted on special lift. 7. Asphalt paving while other work proceeded, instead of reinforced concrete slab and asphalt overlay. Work started in January 1968, but advance came to a one-year standstill for major structural redesign and negotiations of a new agreement during 1970. Using multiple drift construction followed by top-heading and bench excavation, it then progressed to hole-thru in July 1972. As a result of art 18-month overlap of activities the tunnel was opened for traffic only eight months later in March 1973. Gibbons and Reed Company of Salt Lake City, Utah sponsored the joint Venture of Al Johnson-Gibbons and Reed-Western Paving-Kemper during 1971, 1972, and 1973. The tunnel was the subject of a previous paper delivered at the RETC '72 in Chicago by R. C. Hopper, T. A. Lang, and A. A. Mathews, describing geology, unusually severe structural loading and multiple-drift tunnel excavation.

Jan 1, 1974