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By C Bellia, A Maldonado, S Strong, H Baxter

This paper discusses the technical and cost benefits of alternative data collection techniques used to collect lithological information, obtain laboratory testing samples and perform in situ testing. A comparison between diamond coring and sonic coring techniques is made using data from a recent geotechnical investigation for a final pit slope cut-back. The impacts of the coring method on laboratory strength testing results, material character testing and, ultimately, the mass strength parameters and subsequent slope design adopted are compared. The sonic coring method was chosen out of necessity and enabled the collection of tube samples of a clay unit of interest as well as bulk samples for material character and geochemical testing. The sonic coring generated unexpected degradation of clastic units, while cohesive clay-dominated units were recovered well. The likelihood that disturbance due to the coring method would result in lower than expected triaxial strength results was recognised ahead of time, with surplus samples collected and single-stage triaxial strength testing undertaken. This testing compared favourably with historic three-stage testing, where sample degradation occurred during the later stages. Material character testing of fine-grained, clay-dominated units was comparable with historic diamond core testing, while grain size estimates for more clastic units tended to be finer than previous results. The use of sonic coring over non-cored methods enabled the collection of material texture data, geotechnical properties and a full suite of geochemical analyses. This provided a comprehensive understanding of the lithological and geotechnical character of the rock and soil mass. A high-confidence geotechnical model was developed. The end result was the development of a slope design that was more aggressive than was previously designed (5° steeper inter-ramp angle), which has proven to be appropriate to the conditions following excavation. Overall, sonic coring was a cost-effective means of obtaining additional geotechnical data for the site.CITATION:Baxter, H, Bellia, C, Maldonado, A and Strong, S, 2015. Case study assessing alternative data collection techniques and analysis methods to assist with geotechnical slope design, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2015, pp 419–428 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 13, 2015

By Piyush K. Dutta

This report describes the design, development and manufacture of production stoper drills and results of their field tests, it is shown that underground stoper drill noise level can be reduced from 118 dBA to below 100 dBA by using these pneumatic drills. The design concept of these drills is a radical departure from the standard valved rifle bar type drill machine design to a drill featuring a valveless independent rotation system, use of an integral muffler and a shroud tube. Six drills were manufactured in a standard commercial drill manufacturing setup and organization. The design and production technology proved that commercially viable quiet drills can be made available for mine use.

Jan 1, 1983

By M. H. Kline

The Great Gossan Lead in Carroll County, Va., is one of the largest undeveloped sulfide ore bodies known in the eastern United States. It extends for 16.7 miles along the western slope of the Blue Ridge Mountains (fig. 1). The various known segments of the deposit, extending from the southwest end to the northeast, are: The Great Outburst or Iron Ridge segment, Chestnut Creek, Copperas Hill, Sarah Ellen, Wild Cat, Cranberry, Dalton Hill and offset segment to the south of the Cranberry, Little Reed Island, Little Vine, and the Betty Baker at the northeast end. All of these segments have been explored or mined to various extents in the past for the iron gossan and secondary copper ore. The Great Outburst or Iron Ridge segment is now being mined by the General Chemical Division of the Allied Chemical & Dye Corp. for the sulfur and iron content of the primary ore. These deposits are becoming increasingly of Interest as a. large potential source of iron and sulfur owing to their proximity to Birmingham, where the burned cinder sells at a premium, and to the acid markets of the region.

Jan 1, 1949

By Wen-long Zhan, Zhe Ning, Jun-hong Zhang, Ji-hui Liu, Zhi-jun He, Qing-hai Pang

The influence of microwave irradiation and ultrasonic vibration on granularity of 0.074 mm pulverized coal was investigated in this research. It is indicated in the results that the granularity of coal decreased after microwave treatment, which led to the increased in specific area of pulverized coal in combustion reaction and consequently optimized the kinetic condition of combustion reaction. Higher ultrasonic power may lead to better performance of PC in combustion. The optimum condition for ultrasonic treatment is 10 min under 350 W microwave power.

Mar 1, 2017

By Lewis M. McNay

The Bureau of Mines located and examined 292 burning coal refuse banks throughout the Nation's coal-producing regions in 1968. These coal waste fires, extending over 3,200 acres, produce poisonous, acrid gases and particulate matter that pose a threat to health and safety in the surrounding areas, damage vegetation, and cause the deterioration of nearby structures and buildings. Methods of extinguishing coal refuse fires are discussed, and an approach to eliminating future occurrences of these fires is presented.

Jan 1, 1971

By G Williams

Somewhat to the surprise of many heavy mineral sands (TiO2 and zircon) producers, there are important geological structures within their typical placers and aeolian sands deposits that affect plant metallurgical performance. After many years of operations, even experienced producers have encountered unexpected changes in production, product quality and recovery. After looking in all the obvious (but wrong) places, it is recognised that the mine has advanced into ore with different separation characteristics. Metallurgical process response can vary significantly between ore sourced from different geological domains. The mineral characteristics that are exploited for effective separation may be associated with differences in the depositional environment, or be post-depositional in origin. Surface coatings that interfere with electrostatic separation might be associated with paleo-water table movements. Major storm events in the deposition history can also leave distorted mineral assemblage through stranded formations or incisions in older deposits.Apart from the influence on capital and operating costs, geometallurgical variances add another dimension to orebody modelling. Each domain could have specific recovery, mineral assemblage and product quality values to be considered in the value model. Project success is often directly dependent on understanding the geometallurgy of the resource. Tailoring the exploration and early process flow sheet development programs to account for such variances should be standard practice. Such practices have had a chequered history in the mineral sands industry, with sophisticated processes having been developed, only to be shelved for ‘economic’ reasons, and then once again ‘discovered’ when problems re-emerge.It is clear that knowledge gained through a higher level understanding of the changing mineral separation characteristics and advance warning of mineral behavioural differences can mean the difference between lost recoveries and disappointed customers or well timed capital plans and maximised revenues.

Oct 5, 2011

By T L. Horsley

This paper deals with the drilling and blasting methods employed at the Cassiar mine, which is located just south of the B.C.-Yukon border. It covers both the "pit" and "peak" mining operations. Specific problems, such as working in frozen ground, are discussed, and the breaking characteristics of the various rock formations are outlined. The paper concludes with a brief mention of the equipment used in the operation, as "~ell as an outline of the breaking costs. Introduction T HE Cassiar asbestos mine is located just south of the British Columbia -Yukon border high on a spur of McDame mountain. Chrysotile asbestos fibre occurs in a faulted enlargement of a serpentine sill lying conformably be-tween a series of sedimentary beds and volcanic flows which dip at 45 degrees into the mountain. One end of the orebody is eroded by a cirque in which a layer of permanently frozen ore and waste talus lies at the end of the mining benches. The topography at the mine is steep, with no flat areas. Roads, dumps, and areas for crushing,

Jan 1, 1965

By Aquiles Figueroa L

Dado que en el altiplano existen yacimientos de estaño que requieren de nuevas tecnologías para una mejor recuperación metalúrgica, se ha diseñado pruebas experimentales de flotación del estaño con los relaves de San Rafael, adecuándola a las necesidades de la mina misma. Para ello, se describen los procesos de concentración de estaño (flotación de sulfuros, concentración de estaño) y las pruebas experimentales respectivas.

Oct 14, 1980

By Jon Huff, Jeffrey Donville, Hannah Iezzoni, Dan Stevenson

Occasionally, in the design of deep foundations for a structure, a single deep foundation element may be used to support a building column. The most common type of element used in such cases is a drilled shaft (also referred to as a drilled pier, caisson, or bored pile). However, as installation capabilities have improved, large diameter augercast piles are increasingly more common. While drilled shafts and augercast piles differ significantly in construction methods, in the eyes of the International Building Code (IBC), both are treated as cast-in-place deep foundations and must comply with many of the same code provisions. Deep foundations are required to be braced such that lateral stability is provided in all directions, however isolated, cast-in-place elements that have a diameter (D) of at least 2-feet and a length (L) not more than 12 times the diameter can be an exception. In response to the concerns raised by some member professionals, the Deep Foundations Institute’s (DFI) Augered Cast-in-Place Pile and Drilled Displacement Pile Committee took a closer look at the code and its applications, the historical development of the code language through the years and performed analytical modeling to evaluate the impact of this ratio on a pile’s stability. The question is whether the limiting ratio included in the IBC 2018 code provisions is justified, or whether different criteria should be used to determine when isolated deep foundation members are allowed.

Sep 8, 2021

By Lucas Travi

Os problemas gerados no processamento do aço inoxidável AISI 316 são um grande problema do setor metal mecânico, por exemplo, no processo de usinagem, onde o material sofre altas taxas de deformação plástica e elevadas temperaturas na região de contato ferramenta-peça. Além disso, a adesão de aço inoxidável em materiais de maior dureza, no caso a ferramenta, também são problemas enfrentados. Neste trabalho foi feito um estudo qualitativo em escala laboratorial do contato entre um material de maior dureza (aço AISI M2 nitretado a plasma) e o aço AISI 316. Foram realizados ensaios de microdureza Vickers e rugosidade afim de caracterizar as amostras de aço AISI M2. Ensaios tribológicos do tipo Ball-on-Plate foram realizados com a finalidade de determinar o coeficiente de atrito ao longo do tempo para os pares tribológicos formados. Análises feitas via MEV/EDS foram feitas tanto nas trilhas geradas nas superfícies das amostras quanto nas esferas, para detectar pontos de adesão, deformação plástica e transferência de material entre as duas superfícies. Ficou comprovado que a nitretação a plasma com gaiola catódica proporcionou um menor coeficiente de atrito ao longo do tempo quando posta em contato com a esfera de aço inoxidável, bem como foi possível observar a formação de uma menor quantidade de pontos de adesão de aço inoxidável para esta superfície.

Aug 17, 2017

By David B. Dill, Edgar R. Lea

The zinc deposits of the Balmat-Edwards Division of the St. Joseph Lead Company in northern New York State provide some 10 per cent of the domestic zinc produced annually within the United States. These complex ore deposits are contained within marbles of the Precambrian Grenville series, in a repetitive sequence of dolomites and silicated units. The Balmat ore bodies are localized at various intervals throughout some 1800 feet of the stratigraphic column on the northwest side of a band of gneiss that has continuity to the Edwards area, some 10 miles to the northeast. The Edwards ore bodies are located to the southeast of this gneiss. The marble formations are thought to have included repetitive intervals of marine sedimentation that provided mineralized source "beds" and were subsequently folded, flooded, and injected with melts at great depth and were sheared, recrystallized, and reconstituted. Detailed structural and stratigraphic studies throughout the northwestern Adirondacks, in the Balmat-Edwards district, and at each mine in particular indicate the close dependence of the ore deposits on the enveloping structure whether it be local, district-wide, or regional in scope. Primary folding has developed a northeast regional trend with northwest dips. Secondary folding has been developed by an almost horizontal northeast-southwest-oriented shear couple in the plane of the regional trend. The secondary folding has produced crossfolds that intersect the regional northeast trend and plunge north to northwest at various angles. The ore bodies are found within certain stratigraphic horizons where repeated alternation of competent and incompetent beds encouraged unusually complex folding. Analysis of individual mine structures indicates that the location of each deposit is controlled by structural crossing of primary and secondary folding. The ore bodies, which are tabular, lenticular, or pod-like in form, have features that suggest parallelism to true bedding or modified flow banding, developed by northeast-southwest shearing stresses related to the development of the crossfolds. The ore deposits in general follow both structural and recrystallization trends within the wall rocks. Mobilization of the pre-metamorphic ore minerals is believed to have involved a combination of plastic flow under stress and solution of the sphalerite, minor galena, and pyrite. The ore fluids are thought to have been guided by secondary shearing and microbrecciation into structurally prepared areas where reprecipitation took place. The presumed premetamorphic mineralization now exhibits epigenetic high-temperature features related to late-stage metamorphism.

Jan 1, 1968

By S. Bhattacharaya, S. Aich, B. K. Nandi

"At present scenario, there has been an increasing demand in the usage of blend coal in power sector; regardless of how, specific knowledge on burning and ignition characteristics and their interactive effects is stingy. In this work a detailed investigation was therefore taken up to study in detail the combustion characteristics of selected coal samples and their blends. Certain parameters were believed to have significant effects on combustion characteristics of individual coal and their blend. Major parameters identified for this purpose included proximate analysis, combustion conditions, heating rate, reaction regions, blending ratios, ignition condition, reactivity (or reaction rate) and burnout temperatures. With the help of these parameters, thermal features and reaction kinetics of the individual and blended samples were investigated through a qualitative and quantitative thermo-gravimetric analysis of two different individual coals and their blend carried out in an oxygen atmosphere from ambient to 800 0C at a constant heating rate of 10 K/min. A significant difference in terms of rate of mass loss with temperature correlated from Arrhenius expression along with coal-coal blend interactions and deviation from their expected behaviour, have been observed between the kinetics of individual and blend samples, the latter showing better ignition performance and comprehensive combustion phase. It was also found that particles having the lowest percentages of volatile matter and ash could possibly be blended with particles having high ash and volatile matter to meet the required burning condition which can be effective in terms of cost savings, improved fuel economy, reduced undesirable exhaust emissions and improved safety of coal burning equipment. Experimental results further indicated that individual samples and coal blend samples have different combustion features in terms of residue left, peak temperatures and activation energies. Thermodynamic activation parameters such as activation energy, pre-exponential factor and order of reaction were computed from the thermal data using the modified form of non-isothermal methods. INTRODUCTION Coal has been the most significant source of energy for India and would remain so at least for the next few decades. About 60-65% of the electricity produced in India is from coal fired power plants. Indian coal is of drift origin and of high ash content. Ash content of the coal burnt in power plants in India is in the range of 30-45%, most of it being Run-of-Mine coal. Most of the power plants in India source their coal from number of mines, most common being multiple sourcing. Usually coal from each source [1] is burnt separately. For various reasons mostly associated with logistics, burning of blended coal is rarely practiced. Blending of coal is practised mainly for improving the quality of available coal and meets the shortage of coal supply. Blending technique is generally practised in power industries to reduce the cost of power generation along with mitigating combustion performance or slagging problem ensuring consistency in as fired coal quality and also for environmental compliance. Blending good quality imported coal can improve coal quality and helps in preserving indigenous coal resources for longer period [2]. Use of blended coal shall reduce load on all boiler components (Mill, CHP, Boiler, AHP) & reduce O&M cost and increase the availability. The main purpose of blending is to get a blended as fired coal having ash, volatile matter and gross calorific value close to design coal and the two coals are to be blended in such ratio proportions that resultant coal blend have desired ash, volatile matter and gross calorific value [3]. For a coal to be blended certain parameters have to be considered to get compatibility with respect to combustibility ( Burn ability) of coal, grindability ( HGI), ash fusion behavior, swelling characteristics of coal, need to be checked"

Jan 1, 2017

By Joseph M. Pugliese

The U.S. Bureau of Mines has produced a generic in situ copper mine design manual, which contains a computerized cost model for in situ copper oxide mining. The model specifies (1) site-specific parameters, which must be quantified for mine design, (2) a method for minesite design based on those parameters, and (3) a procedure for assessing economic viability for the mine design. The menu-driven computer program performs calculations for developing commercial mine design specifications, as well as capital and operating costs. The default values are based on 1986 dollars, and indices for updating costs are included. The program also provides discounted-cash-flow rate of return (DCFROR) and allows for sensitivity analyses for an in situ mining operation at any specific undisturbed copper oxide deposit. This report is to be used with the 1990 version of the computer program, which has been made user friendly. It describes the flies, tutorial, input phase, help function, and monitor display of all calculated values and of the DCFROR table. The monitor-displayed discounted initial value of investment and annual operating costs are defined. The dual rate-of-return situation and sensitivity analyses are also briefly discussed. Information is provided on obtaining the computer program on diskette.

Jan 1, 1991

By Edmund Cardoza

In the spring of 1993, construction began on an ambitious building project in Boston, Massachusetts. The Shriners organization committed to offer state-of-the-art adolescent burn treatment and rehabilitation in its Boston facility by expanding in a most unusual way. In short, the concept included installation of caisson foundations and perimeter slurry wall panels to enable construction of a completely independent structure around and above the existing, continually functioning, hospital. Two distinct phases of work were detailed in the Contract Documents. At the completion of the first phase, patients will be moved into the new building, above, and demolition of the old structure, beneath, will be performed. In Phase I, sections of the slurry wall and caissons, located outside the footprint of the existing building, were planned. The next phase of the work includes the installation of the remaining caissons and slurry wall. Once excavation is completed, the balance of the new hospital structure will be constructed from the bottom upward, connecting to the under side of the new structure.

Jan 1, 1994

By Geraldo Lúcio de Faria

O sucesso do transporte ferroviário depende, entre outras coisas, da integridade física dos componentes metálicos empregados na via permanente. Um dos mais importantes é o trilho, pois falhas catastróficas deste componente podem gerar graves acidentes. No intuito de desenvolver aços com bom desempenho para esta aplicação, estudos têm sido desenvolvidos para se entender os efeitos de composição química e histórico de processamento termomecânico sobre a microestrutura e propriedades mecânicas dos aços. Neste contexto, este trabalho caracterizou microestruturalmente dois aços de aplicação ferroviária, sendo um Standard e um Premium. Amostras representativas destes aços foram submetidas a ensaios dilatométricos e a cinética de transformação de fases austenita-perlita foi investigada. Por meio dos resultados obtidos, foi possível concluir que o aço Premium estudado possui microestrutura mais refinada e que este efeito é devido, principalmente, à menor concentração de Mn em sua composição química. O menor teor de Mn facilita a nucleação de cementita eutetóide, possibilitando a formação de perlita em tempos mais curtos e temperaturas mais baixas do que no aço Standard. Isto possibilita que o aço Premium, em seu processo de fabricação, possa ser resfriado a taxas mais elevadas do que o Standard sem formação de martensita, justificando sua estrutura mais refinada.

Aug 17, 2017

By Humphrey Dean

"Canadian mining companies now operate numerous Koepe-type friction hoists in a variety of different shafts, most of which have a depth in excess of 3,000 feet. Rope performance reliability is an absolutely essential ingredient of most installations and, for this to be provided, a more comprehensive understanding of rope reactions to applied stresses is required.It is the intent of this paper to illustrate for the operators the importance of the critical stresses encountered and to provide a maintenance program designed to circumvent potential difficulties."

Jan 1, 1970

By Per-Martin Sandgren

LKAB's ores have specific mineralogical properties that make them especially suitable for the production of super-grade concentrates. Conditions are particularly good for this purpose at Malmberget, where a concentrate for high-purity sponge iron production has been produced for many years. Until 1978 the approximate assay was 71.2 % Fe and 0.45 % SiO2. Since then the assays have been improved by process modifications to approximately 71.5 % Fe and 0.20 % SiO2. Scope exists for still further improvement. In recent years the production of fractioned concentrates has been started. The material lies within the size range 74-125 µm and the approximate chemical analysis is 71.6 % Fe and 0.30 % SiO2. Other special products are under discussion. The Malmberget ores are also suitable for the production of high-purity direct reduction pellets with a SiO2 content below 1 %.

Jan 1, 1981

The plans for the activities of the Petroleum Division for the coming year do not differ materially from those of the past several years. The fall meeting is scheduled for Oct. 12 and 13 and is to be held at Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Division, of course, will take part in the annual meeting of the Institute at New York. A fall meeting will also be held in California at approximately the same time as the meeting at Tulsa. A number of papers are to be presented at the two meetings simultaneously. The various committees are at work arranging the programs. The Division will continue to be active in its various fields of endeavor, such as stabilization, production reviews, and economics, but special stress is to be laid on the engineering and research fields. In the past the Division has served as a forum for open and frank discussion of problems confronting the engineers in the oil industry. It is hoped that it will continue to function in this capacity. Papers presenting original ideas and extending the boundaries of knowledge and understanding in the field of petroleum production will be welcomed. Members who have interesting information to contribute should not wait until called upon by one of the Committees, but should offer a paper at the earliest opportunity. The past year has seen a decided strengthening of the control over production, with prospects of even more rigid control in the future. It is essential that production programs under such control be carefully planned and it is highly desirable that petroleum engineers take an active part in the planning, to insure efficient production of oil and minimize the waste of this natural resource. At a time like this, when it is difficult to keep the production of oil within reasonable limits, it may seem unnecessary to improve the efficiency of production methods, but, as has been aptly said, the trouble is not that we have too great a reserve of oil but that we are producing tomorrow's oil today. Therefore it behooves those who are entrusted with the engineering and scientific phases of production to learn how to get the greatest yield economically possible from the present and future fields in order that we may enjoy the advantages of petroleum products for a long time to come.

Jan 1, 1934

By B. Erdem, N. Çelebi

An important problem associated with tandem dragline systems is that of matching the productive capability of individual draglines in the combination. In this paper, a dependence mechanism among draglines in a tandem system is described, and possible consequential problems in a poorly-matched system are defined. The rate of linear advance and the cost of stripping are determined as two major indications for an efficient operation. The proposed decision criteria and the underlying mechanism to select a synchronous couple are introduced and used in simulating tandem dragline systems. The developed model is tested on a hypothetical strip mine where pullback stripping is applied with a tandem dragline system.

Jan 1, 1999

By Jesse Paegle

Um grande esforço foi realizado por diversas empresas, visando à melhoria de nosso parque industrial e, nos últimos 10 anos, o nível de investimento no setor foi importante. Este cenário, fez com que novas tecnologias surgissem por aqui, facilitando ao corpo técnico avançar com soluções mais eficazes para carroçarias. A disponibilidade local de todos os estágios da cadeia produtiva, desde a matéria-prima, até a adequação das linhas de manufatura das montadoras, afasta o efeito da variação cambial. A ideia que ficou impregnada no mercado brasileiro, é que novos materiais e tecnologias são caros para nossa região. O que não é verdade. Estudos de caso realizados antes de 2005, incluíam no preço, taxas de câmbio e internação, pois consideravam o produto importado. Com a localização este custo extra reduz. Ações governamentais atuam, hora incentivando localizações, hora definindo objetivos de emissões e segurança. O programa INOVAR AUTO estabelece algumas metas importantes de emissões, percentual de localização e promove o P&D local. Todos estes ingredientes têm auxiliado no aumento da utilização de AHSS (Advanced High Strength Steel) nas estruturas veiculares. Usando os aços de alta resistência como base, temos um crescimento significativo. Em 2001 não passavam de 2% das carrocerias. Em 2008 chegaram a importantes 8%. Atualmente, estão próximo dos 15%.

Aug 17, 2017