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By Hermann Schmalzried, Carl Wagner

UPON heating a metal oxide or sulfide in H2, first only oxygen or sulfur is removed from the surface. Thus the metal/nonmetal ratio in the oxide or sulfide increases and the thermodynamic activity of the metal increases accordingly. For the formation of metallic nuclei, a certain super saturation is necessary, i.e., the activity of the metal must become greater than unity. Once nuclei of the metal have been formed, the supersaturation is supposed to decrease. Even under steady-state conditions of a reduction process, however, the activity of the metal inside an oxide or sulfide phase must be greater than unity in order to have a driving force for the individual steps of the reduction process. As an example, consider the reduction of Ag2S with a high mobility of cations and electrons. As shown schematically in Fig. 1, the reduction process involves the following steps:' 1) sulfur removal along the entire Ag2S surface in form of H2S, 2) migration of Ag' ions and electrons from the Ag2S surface to nuclei of metallic silver, 3) transfer of Ag+ ions and electrons from the Ag2S phase to the metal. For a finite rate of step 3, the activity of silver in Ag2S next to the Ag2S-Ag interface must be greater than unity. Moreover, for a finite rate of step 2, the activity of silver at the gas-Ag2S interface must be still somewhat greater. Theoretical considerations lead to the tentative conclusion that at least under steady-state conditions the supersaturation will be rather low.' To test this conclusion, the average activity aAg of silver in a Ag2S tablet about 2 mm thick with a diameter of 5 mm was followed as a function of time by measuring the electromotive force E of the cell Pt I Ag | Agl I Ag2S I Pt where AgI is used as a solid electrolyte in which only Ag+ ions are mobile. The activity aAg is calculated as aAg=exp(-EF/RT) Since the diffusion coefficient for transport of silver in Ag2S is very high (- 3 . l0-2 sq cm per sec),3 the average activity aAg is representative for both the bulk and the surface of the Ag2S tablet. Experiments were conducted at about 400°C. The cell was surrounded by an aluminum block in order to secure a uniform temperature and to eliminate thermoelectric effects. With the help of a potentiometer, first a potential of 0.16 v was applied to the above cell in argon in order to obtain a well defined initial state with a Ag/S ratio close to 2.000.~ Then the cell was disconnected from the potentiometer and a gentle stream of H2 was passed along the Ag2S surface. In view of the removal of sulfur in form of H2S, the electromotive force E decreased within 20 to 30 min to zero corresponding to a Ag/S ratio of 2.003 and became negative, indicating a value of aAg> 1. A representative plot electromotive force E vs time is shown in Fig. 2. The minimum of the electromotive force characteristic of the onset of

Jan 1, 1963

By J. O. Lewis, H. R. Pierce

Since the sudden revival of the air or gas-lift and its extensive use in the oil fields, many questions have arisen as to principles and as to their application under the conditions actually encountered in the field. Much has been written regarding both theory and practice, especially on the air-lift as applied to lifting water. Many statements have been made as to the use and benefits of the gas-lift, some of which are reasonable but many of which are unreasonable, many specialty makers claiming to have devices which operate in almost miraculous ways and even to generate energy nature never possessed. These claims are often based upon incomplete or inaccurate data. A review of the literature discloses many valuable articles, but it also discloses the need for setting out more clearly the different practical ends sought, and for working out specific engineering principles upon which to formulate the design and operation of gas-lifts to meet the desired ends within the limitations of field conditions. A check on some of the published information has revealed basic errors in the sources of data upon which conclusions have been predicated and has led the writers to doubt the value of a large part of the compiled data. The writers have concluded, therefore, that it will be opportune to direct discussion to the sources of error in the data now being collected, to recommend for consideration by the engineers some methods of collecting and correlating data, and to point out some of the factors relating to the application of the air-lift principle to oil production as dictated by the different economic ends sought, and the limitations of working conditions that may be met. Until these several considerations are clearly understood by the engineers, and the unreliable data have been sifted out and dependable data substituted, there seems little chance of evolving satisfactory engineering control for the air-lift. In the following pages no distinction will be made between gas-lift and air-lift, as they are generically the same.

Jan 1, 1928

By John G. Reid

Subsequent to extensive laboratory testing, a pilot plant was constructed to further evaluate the process for high temperature copper cementation on iron in continuous operation. The plant was designed to produce 1 to 10 tons of copper a day depending on the copper concentration of the pregnant solution. The energy required to operate the plant was very low as virtually all the solution heating requirements were supplied by the exothermic cementation reaction. The results demonstrated that this, process has potential for commercial application with respect to operating considerations, and yields a copper product in excess of 95% copper at high reaction rates, low iron consumption, and at least 98% copper recovery from solution.

Jan 1, 1976

By R. A. Swalin

IN this paper, the results of an investigation concerning the diffusion of three elements, magnesium, silicon, and molybdenum, in nickel are presented. The work represents a continuation of a diffusion program relating to solute diffusion in nickel. The program has the dual aim of obtaining useful diffusion data and of yielding insight into the factors governing solute diffusion in close-packed metals. The first paper of this series has been published earlier? In both investigations, in agreement with recent results from other laboratories, the activation energies for solute diffusion were found to be close but not identical to that of self-diffusion in the pure solvent in question. In order to obtain valid diffusion data, certain experimental pitfalls recognized only in recent years had to be avoided. Chief among these were the necessity for minimizing short-circuiting diffusion paths such as grain boundaries and the necessity for using low solute concentration gradients. In this series of investigations the following precautions were taken in an attempt to minimize such errors. 1) Samples with large grain sizes, 0.5 to 10 mm, were prepared. 2) The diffusion coefficients were measured at relatively high temperatures, since imperfections such as dislocations play a less important role at such temperatures than at lower temperatures. 3) Alloys containing less than 1 atomic pct were chosen for study. Experimental Work Materials—A diffusion couple technique was employed in the experimental investigation. Briefly, this technique consisted of the following. A diffusion couple was fabricated by placing a flat face of a cylindrically shaped alloy disk against a similar face of a pure nickel disk, and a bond was formed at an intermediate temperature under pressure. The diffusion couple thus fabricated was subjected to a diffusion anneal at higher temperatures for a measured period of time and then sectioned perpendicular to the direction of diffusion. After analyzing the sections for solute concentration the diffusion coefficient was determined from a probability, plot of concentration vs distance from the diffusion interface. Vacuum melted Mond nickel was used in the experimental program. The chemical analysis of this nickel is listed in Table I. Alloys used were prepared

Jan 1, 1958

By Haydn H. Murray

Although alumina constitutes about 15% of the earth's crust, it is expensive to separate and purify for the production of aluminum with the exception of the alumina in bauxite. The United States has a variety of nonbazurite resources that could substitute for bauxite, including high alumina clays, alunite, dawsonite in oil shale, anorthosite, and nepheline venite. Each of these resources is discussed from the standpoint of geology, geography, processing, and potential recovery. Potential byproducts include alica from clays, potash and sulfuric acid from alunite, soda ash from dawsonite, and soda ash and potash from anorthosite and nepheline syenite.

Jan 1, 1983

By Sherwin Kelly

The prime objective of geophysical exploration is to promote the economical and rapid dis-covery of mineral or oil deposits of commercial value. To a few this concept as applied in min-ing may signify the direct discovery of ore-bodies, but to the geophysical engineer this latter Idea is one of the most insidious and detrimental misapprehensions which he has to combat. The destruction of this annoying obstacle to the progress of geophysical exploration reveals the kernel of truth behind it, that the exploration geophysicist has for the better part of two decades been concerned primarily with the discovery of mineral formations favorable to the occur-rence of commercial ore. There is a very real distinction here, since geophysical methods are capable of discovering certain mineral formations such as sulphide bodies or quartz veins, but are totally incompetent to predict whether or not they constitute ore; that is. whether or not they contain minerals of economic value in the amounts requisite to repay extraction. The art of geophysical exploration is now, however, rapidly outgrowing these early limita-tions. The rate of this growth will in large measure depend on the recognition by the mining industry of the fact that geophysics can play a role far wider and more important than it usual-ly does now, in guiding the future exploration and development of mineral deposits. It is my own firm conviction that as time marches on we will see the methods of applied geophysics turned more and more to the delineation of both minor and major structural features. The outlining of such features having a bearing on the probable loci of mineral deposition will be of inestimable value in guiding the development of a mining district. It is in this field that there will In-evitably occur a meeting and overlapping of the activities of the exploration geophysicists and

Jan 1, 1940

By F. F. Poland

The purpose of this paper is to describe the recent applications and improvements made in the process and equipment for the recovery of metallic zinc from secondary metals by means of high temperature electric resistor furnace distillation. The process and high temperature furnace, as developed by Revere Copper and Brass Incorporated, Research and Development Department, was described in a previous paper. † Since the publication of that paper the process and equipment have been licensed to others. Consequently its field of application has been expanded, particularly for the treatment of scrap brass, galvanizers dross and scrap zinc. Other applications are being considered, particularly the melting of metallic titanium and special alloys requiring a controlled atmosphere. Consideration is also being given to modification in design that would allow the melting of copper cathodes for the production of oxygen-free and electrolytic tough pitch copper shapes without the necessity of blowing and poling. In the design of a furnace for melting copper cathodes it is intended that the fundamental principle of charging the solid material into a large pool of molten metal through a double door charging vestibule as shown in Fig 3 of the previous paper, † would be adhered to and, in addition, either dehydrated and desulphurized producer gas or commercial nitrogen, that is, approximately 96 pct nitrogen, 2 pct hydrogen 2 pct CO, also dehydrated, would be used to provide a protective atmosphere for the resistors and to flush out more soluble gases from the molten copper. The operation of a small unit producing approximately 1000 lb of copper per hr has shown that the commercial nitrogen will allow the production of tough pitch electrolytic copper when the metal is transferred from the meltdown unit contemplated to a special type induction unit where the oxygen absorption and temperature can be controlled. Standard practice in treating low grade scrap brass has been to oxidize the zinc by blowing air through the molten metal. This operation results in the recovery of approximately two-thirds or less of the zinc content of the brass in the form of an impure zinc oxide having only a fraction of the value of the zinc in metallic form. The balance of the zinc is lost to slag, fume and drosses. Fig 1 shows the revised flow sheet of the process for the treatment of scrap brass. For this application and as shown on the flow sheet a low frequency induction furnace has been substituted for the Wilkins-Poland type as a melting unit. This type of furnace has been found the most suitable for the purpose as will be shown by the following discussion. Serap Brass The melting of refinery scrap brass preparatory to distillation presents a melting problem quite different from the usual melting of brass mill scrap for recasting because refinery scrap is a heterogeneous mixture of alloys each having different melting and boiling points, and coated with a variety of corrosion products and foreign materials. In addition, brass and copper plated pieces of sheet iron, stainless steel, ceramic materials, and others are present that do not melt except at temperatures above the boiling point of the liquid bath. In the previous paper it is noted that difficulty was encountered in the melting of refinery grade scrap brass without excessive loss of zinc by volatilization and that 5 to 10 pct razorite flux was used to alleviate this condition. While this flux was successful in preventing the excessive loss of zinc by volatilization it interposed a low heat conductivity layer between the source of heat and liquid charge and resulted in lowering the melting rate of the furnace. This same problem presents itself in all types of furnaces in which the metal is heated by radiation and conduction from above the charge. It has been found in melting this type material that the melting rate per hour or per square foot of hearth area

Jan 1, 1950

By John F. Kendrick, Paul D. Cornelius

This paper is a progress report of a study the authors are making of the sucker-rod pump, considered as a vibrating system with one degree of freedom, with forced vibrations and with viscous damping. Dr. S. Timoshenko's formula is given, defining such a system. Each factor is considered in respect to the problem of operating sucker rods, and the zone is pointed out in which the mathematics do not apply to the sucker-rod pump, because of its variable mass. This general theory is interpreted in the light of nearly two years of testing wells in the field, and correlating the results of other tests. The motion of the pumping mechanism is a vibration. The string of sucker rods vibrates with a natural frequency. The motion of the plunger is the result of adding together these two vibrations, and is modified by a damping or friction factor. The controlling factor appears to be the ratio of the period of the natural vibration of the rod string to the period of the vibration of the pump. The first conclusion is that a definite value of this ratio, which is below resonance and is probably not greater than 0.5, should not be exceeded in order to assure satisfactory performance from the sucker rods. The second conclusion is that the component parts of the pumping equipment should be selected to give the smallest practical period of the natural vibration, and when this does not permit operation at a safe speed and give the required plunger displacement, a longer polished-rod stroke should be used. While the quantitative results are but rough approximations, the qualitative analysis of pumping problems on this basis promises to be of considerable value in diagnosing the cause of poor performance and prescribing suitable remedies. The trouble that results, whenever it becomes necessary to crowd the sucker-rod pump, to take potentials or to handle increasing volumes of water, is responsible for the belief that this type of pump is not equal to present day needs, and that it is only a question of time before some other pumping device will take its place. Of the troubles experienced, it is not surprising that the frequency of sucker-rod failures should

Jan 1, 1937

By N. B. Aughenbaugh, W. C. Patrick

The availability of a thorough, simple-to-use roof fall classification system is desirable for several reasons. First, such a system would expedite the reporting of falls for the purposes of estimating material removal costs, analyzing damage levels, and complying with federal regulations to report falls in certain areas of the mine. Second, the classification system would allow the mining engineer to record falls routinely with little time and effort expended. This would encourage him to make observations concerning what type of roof support would work best in a given situation. Third, and probably most important, an

Jan 3, 1979

By V. K. Karra, A. J. Magerowski

An overview of the scope of a computer program meant for aiding the design of crushing circuits is presented. Effect of circuit variables like the screen separation size and the crusher setting is illustrated. For a better understanding of the logic behind the circuit sizing, a detailed commentary in the case of a starting example is given.

Jan 1, 1982

By H. A. Buehler

The Ozark region occupies a large part of the southern half of Missouri, the northern portion of Arkansas and comparatively smalll areas in northeast Oklahoma, southwest Kansas, and southern Illinois. It is a roughly elliptical plateau which has been deeply dissected by stream erosion, and which slopes imperceptibly into the prairie regions to the north, east, and west, but which terminates rather abruptly along the Arkansas River on the south and Tertiary lowland to the southeast. The Boston Mountains extending for a distance of some 200 miles (321 km.) along the Arkansas River rise to an elevation of 2000 ft. (609 m.), forming the most prominent topographic feature of the region. The so-called St. Frangois Mountains in St. Frangois, Madison, and adjoining counties in southeast Missouri, form a prominent but more restricted topographic feature, the highest point rising to an elevation of 1800 ft. (548 m.). The remainder of the region is largely a plateau area varying from 800 to 1500 ft. (243 to 457 m.) in elevation. Stratigraphy The region is underlain chiefly by sedimentary formations, which outcrop in roughly concentric bands around a comparatively restricted area of igneous rocks in the St. Frangois Mountain district. Although located geographically near the eastern edge of the Osarks, the St. Frangois Mountains have apparently suffered the greatest orogenic movement and the lowest formations of the succession are exposed in their immediate vicinity. The various sedimentary formations of the region do not show any considerable metamorphism and have suffered little change since consolidation. With the exception of a few basic intrusions in Ste. Gene-vievg County and a pegmatite dike in Camden County, Missouri, there is no evidence of igneous action, since the first sedimentary beds were deposited.

Jan 1, 1918

By D. Brion, J. J. Prédali, J. Hayer

The need to grind volcanic-sedimentary ores very finely (d80 < 20 µm) so as to liberate Pb, Zn, and Cu sulfides from their pyritic gangue causes difficulties in selective flotation. The pyrite, which accounts for 70-80% of the mineral content, is insufficiently depressed by the usual pH and NaCN techniques. To determine better depressing methods, the surface evolution of pyrite during flotation was followed by ESCA spectroscopy to compare the stability range in the Eh-pH diagram. Surface iron hydroxide was formed, which is the main pyrite-depressing factor. NaCN appears to play a more restrictive part, since no ferricyanides were detected, except for very small amounts at pH 7.

Jan 1, 1980

By W. F. Hergert, L. H. Banning

Experimental production of Al-Si alloys, containing from 33 to 55 pct Al, by direct reduction of aluminum silicates in a three-phase arc furnace is described. Advantages of a smelting technique utilizing hogged wood waste as part of the reductant and for temperature control are discussed. WORK on the problem of producing aluminum by smelting has been in progress since the middle of the eighteenth century. Early work met with little success and in 1782 Lavoisier, an eminent French chemist, expressed the belief that alumina could not be reduced by carbon. It was almost a century later when the Cowles brothers developed a process for the production of aluminum alloys by reducing alumina coincident with the reduction of other metal oxides. In practice, the other metal oxide was usually copper. In 1907 it was first shown that alumina alone could be reduced by carbon at a temperature of 2200°C. The metal produced was volatilized and lost or recombined with the oxides of carbon formed in the reaction.&apos; For a number of years after the Cowles brothers abandoned production of Cu-A1 alloys because their product was not commercially competitive with the aluminum produced by the Hall process, there was little interest in thermal reduction processes. After World War I interest in such processes was renewed and a number of patents were issued on processes for the production of A1-Si alloys.&apos; , "he function of the silicon in these processes was the same as the function of the copper in the Cowles brothers process, namely, to prevent the reduced aluminum from recombining with the oxides of carbon and to promote absorption of the aluminum vapors set free at the high temperature required for the reduction reaction. The advantage of using silicon in place of copper for this function is that silicon has a higher boiling point (2600"C) than copper (2310"C) and its oxides, combined with aluminum oxides, occur in nature in almost unlimited quantities. No A1-Si alloys have been produced commercially in the United States, as far as is known. However, considerable experimental smelting of aluminum silicate materials has been done by the TVA at Wilson Dam, Ala.&apos; The most extensive development and commercialization of the electrothermal production of A1-Si alloys took place in Germany before and during World War II.V he furnaces used in the

Jan 1, 1956

By C. Gregory Knight

The Pennsylvania Coal Model is a research activity of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences of the Pennsylvania State University, in association with the Economic Development Council of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Planning Commission. In this project, sponsored by the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Pennsylvania Science and Engineering Foundation, data banks and models have been developed to simulate potential coal production and utilization systems in Pennsylvania. Building from a coal system data base for 1974 and mining simulation models, computer optimization models predict potential coal production and transportation for alternative future demand scenarios. The model allows derivation of costs of various coal supply systems under specific economic, transportation, and environmental constraints. The model also provides insight into such impacts of coal production as employment, land use, and environmental quality.

Jan 1, 1977

By Brahm Prakash, R. Schuhmann

Chemical conditions for flotation and nonflotation of cassiterite and fluorite with oleic acid as collector and with alizarin dyes as modifying agents were studied by means of small-scale, vacuum-flotation tests. Artificial cassiterite was prepared for these tests by high-temperature methods, especially by crystallization from borax melts.

Jan 5, 1950

By A. B. Dyes, P. H. Braun, B. E. Cole

This paper presents a reservoir engineering analysis of the performance data for a waterflooding project in the Johnson Lease, South Ward field. This type of engineering analysis adds to the knowledge of the mechanics of water flooding. This study reveals that in general (a) high ultimate areal sweep-out efficiencies (95 to 100 per cent) can be expected, and (b) cross-flow among strata of different permeabilities during the fill-up phase can have an important influence on the behavior and should be dealt with in studying reservoirs for water flooding. The analysis further showed that the recovery predictions based on what was considered a consistent interpretation of core data and logs were low because little contribution was assumed from the low permeability, oil-bearing sand sections which have apparently yielded considerable waterflood oil. This project has yielded in excess of 2 1/2 times as much oil by water flooding as by primary depletion. These very favorable results were achieved without the use of any special injection well completion techniques. However, all of the low permeability material war included in the section open to injection despite its poor estimated primary yield. LEASE PERFORMANCE HISTORY The South Ward field lies in the southeast corner of Ward County near the southern tip of the tremendous Yates trend. Deposition of sand bodies along the seashore reefs during the latter part of the Permian period established what have turned out to be ideal conditions to form a great number of independent productive sands. Probably, these reservoirs in Ward and Winkler counties are providing operators with some of the nation&apos;s richest sources of secondary oil reserves through the use of waterflooding techniques. In South Ward field water has been very successfully used to flood oil from the Bennett sand occurring at a depth of about 2,300 to 2,400 ft. About 150 ft above the Bennett sand reservoir, the Grand Falls sand produced gas from a large cap extending over most of the field. The Atlantic Refining Co.&apos;s 320-acre W. D. Johnson lease (Fig. 1) is on the northwest edge of the structure with only gas cap apparently present in the Grand Falls sand. The Bennett sand under this lease is oil productive, however, having a gross sand thickness averaging about 80 ft with a net of 18 ft of fairly clean, highly permeable sand, and about 36 ft of oil-bearing sand with low permeability and high water saturation. The lower permeability sand is interbedded with numerous layers of lime, shale, and anhydrite. Radioactivity logs from 12 wells and cores from two, examples of which are shown in Fig. 2, reveal that the total Bennett sand pore volume is about 71,000 bbl/acre. The estimated initial water saturation averages 41 per cent in the 54 ft of sand considered to contain oil; thus, also considering an estimated 18 per cent oil shrinkage, the lease originally contained about 34,000 bbl of oil per acre. Original pressure was probably about 1,400 psig. PVT correlations indicate that the reservoir fluid was originally saturated with gas. After discovery of the field in 1930, Atlantic completed the first well on the Johnson lease in March,

Jan 1, 1958

By Wolfgang Pietsch

Direct Reduced Iron is a product obtained during solid state reduction of iron oxides into metallic iron. General chemical and physical characteristics of all direct reduced iron materials result in a noticeable reoxidation tendency and a relatively low ignition temperature. As most of the chemical reactions are exothermic, normally heating occurs and if water is present hydrogen evolves. Dry direct reduced iron deactivates quickly in air but is still reactive if it comes into contact with moisture. Because of these characteristics, special requirements are necessary for safe storage, shipment, and handling. In an effort to improve this situation passivation techniques were and still are being developed. The paper discusses the properties of direct reduced iron, presents past experience with storage, shipment, and handling of MIDREX® Iron, a direct reduced iron material produced in the MIDREX® Direct Reduction Process, and evaluates benefits derived from different passivation techniques.

Jan 1, 1978

By M. R. Hatfield, F. J. Vosburgh

IN a recent article,† it was shown that in the blast furnaces in Germany that are lined with carbon blocks no cooling plates are used, and that shower cooling is employed on the hearth and bosh sections. While one of the authors was in Germany he was told that one furnace was being operated without even the shower cooling on the bosh section, though the hearth section was shower-cooled. In discussion of this interesting situation with a number of blast-furnace operators in this country, it was made clearly and promptly evident that shower cooling was very unpopular, probably because of its messiness and its ineffectiveness. Both of the causes for the dislike of shower coolings are reasonable ones. Shower cooling can be and frequently is messy, but the present cooling of blast furnaces leaves much to be desired on that score. Shower cooling is ineffective as compared with plate cooling, so far as its usefulness in keeping the bricks cool enough not to melt or fall to pieces is concerned. However, the introduction of carbon linings changes the situation. No one is concerned with keeping a carbon lining cool, for no temperature in the blast furnace has any effect on carbon, which is just as stable at 3000°F. as it is at 70°F. The only concern is for the shell-to keep it cool enough for safety and comfort and for that shower cooling is sufficient. Of course, with only the shell to cool, instead of the shell plus all the refractory material, much less water would be required, and the necessity for constant attention to the flow would be lessened, as the hundreds of inlets and outlets would be eliminated. Probably half of the water used in cooling a blast furnace is used for cooling the shaft and tuyeres and the remainder for the bosh and hearth sections. However, in view of the dislike of shower cooling in the United States, and particularly because at least one German blast furnace is operated with no cooling of the bosh section, thought was given to the possibility that a carbon-lined blast furnace might be operated without any cooling of the entire carbon-lined portion. For that reason a series of experiments was performed to determine what might be the temperature of the shell of a blast furnace protected by a carbon lining and operated under varying conditions up to a maximum inside temperature of 3000°F. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE A schematic diagram of the experimental setup is shown in Fig. I and a photograph of the entire assembly in Fig. 2. The heating element was a carbon tube nominally 2 5/8 in. o.d. by 2 in. i.d. by 30 in., used as a resistor. Power was furnished by a 15-kva. transformer operating

Jan 1, 1941

By D. T. Farnham

The shale used at the Renton plant of the Denny-Renton Clay and Coal Co. for the manufacture of vitrified paving brick occurs in a hill rising from 200 to 300 ft. above the level of the valley in which the plant is situated.

Jan 1, 1915

By John Cogan, P. M. Gomez

A typical problem in applied rock mechanics is an accurate prediction of support requirements for deep rock cuts. This paper presents experience with this problem as obtained from excavations for a powerhouse at the Pine Flat Dam near Fresno, California. The project, sponsored by the Kings River Conservation District is still under construction. Highly jointed and weathered rock was discovered during initial excavation. Wedge failures along clay filled joints and bedding planes presented potential support problems. Detailed mapping of joints and beds was undertaken to establish basic patterns of all rock discontinuities including mean orientations and an estimate of orientation variations. Rock bolting patterns were devised to meet these patterns as excavation proceeded. Shear friction angles across joints and beds were estimated from rock wedge fallouts. Friction angles as low as 27º were identified on highly weathered joints. Weathering strongly influenced stability conditions. Examples of bolting patterns to stabilize critical slopes are presented.

Jan 1, 1982