Search Documents

In some parts of the world explosions in mines are more commonplace events. Even in the more developed nations explosions have occurred in recent times. In some cases these mines have significantly lowered their lost time injury frequency rates and as such considered themselves to be ?safe? operations. The consequence of these explosions has been devastating. It is not just the loss of those underground, but also to the families that have lost people in them and the broader community that has lost friends, income, business opportunities, and in many cases support and sponsorships. It begs so many questions, ?What went wrong??; ?Why were the circumstances not foreseen??; ?What could have been done to prevent it??; ?How is it that no one stopped it, reported it, fixed it etc.??. Being held accountable for negligence, should not be overlooked, however this may not aid the processes required to find all the answers. If the nature of explosions is understood, the circumstances and tools to prevent them are readily available then the occurrence and reoccurrence are due to weaknesses or inadequacies of the systems of work or in the implementation of them. This paper restates the fundamentals of gas explosions, examines the options to control the underground environment through ventilation, gas management and monitoring, education and training. Case studies have been used to examine systematic failures in ventilation management. In some of these cases it is not so much, the system that had been developed, but the interpretation and implementation of the system that resulted in the failure and subsequent loss.

Aug 1, 2013

By M. Kermani

This paper presents and compares the physical properties of Gelfill and cemented hydraulic fill (CHF) obtained by lab experiments. Gelfill has an alkali activator such as sodium silicate in its materials in addition to primary materials of cemented mine backfill which are deslimed tailings, water and binders. The CHF and Gelfill samples with various mixture designs were cast and cured for 28 days. Initially, the influence of sodium silicate concentration on the mechanical properties of samples was evaluated using the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test. Consequently, the effect of curing temperature on CHF and Gelfill samples cured in various curing temperatures ranging from 5?50 °C was studied using the UCS test. Microstructure of selected samples was studied wirth the mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) technique. This study concludes that: (i) The mechanical properties of CHF can be improved by the addition of appropriate amount of sodium silicate. (ii) The rate of strength acquisition in Gelfill samples is faster than CHF samples over 28 days of curing period. (iii) Curing temperature strongly influences the mechanical and microstructural properties of CHF and Gelfill samples. (iv) The microstructure analysis revealed that the addition of sodium silicate can modify the pore size distribution and total porosity of Gelfill which can contribute to the better mechanical properties of Gelfill. (v) The MIP tests suggested the microstructure of specimens were changed by adding sodium silicate in a way that the Gelfill samples had a higher percentage of fine pores than CHF samples.

Aug 1, 2013

By Jan Butra

In copper ore mines located in the Pre-Sudeten Monocline the deposit mining using room and pillar systems has been carried out for more than forty years. When implementing mining systems in deep copper ore mines it appeared to be necessary to adapt them to variable geological conditions and natural hazards. In the initial period of exploitation there were mainly caving and rockburst hazards. The adaptation of room and pillar system was connected with a state of knowledge in the scope of identifying, forecasting and controlling rock mass hazards. The new solutions allowed the safe and efficient exploitation of a blanket deposit of variable thickness from about 2 to 15m, seated on progressively increasing depth. They included exploitation in constrained conditions, such as in protective pillars. In the exploitation period, technical and organisational activities aimed at rockburst hazard control were introduced including active methods for controlling rockburst hazard and procedures for conducting mining works in the rockburst hazard conditions. When mining at a depth exceeding 1,200 m, the exploitation method and technique are additionally affected by thermal hazard and by gas and rock breakout hazard. New solutions of the room and pillar system and a longwall system with mechanical mining have been developed for exploitation in the associated hazard conditions. The require application of many innovative solutions in the scope of mining process and ore haulage mechanisation, excavation support and forecasting and control of existing hazards. The main purpose of these solutions is to conduct the safe and economically effective exploitation of the deposit.

Aug 1, 2013

By C. Graham

Thin Spray-On Liners (TSLs) have been researched and in development for over two decades and yet their fully functional and widely justifiable application in mining has yet to be achieved. While the explanation for this is partly technical, it is also clear that proving and communicating the operational and economic case for why a mine should change from mesh or shotcrete liners to a TSL is not a trivial matter. Evidence must be presented and communicated effectively, that is both obvious and compelling for a mine operator. The paper describes recent work carried out and directed towards this end, with funding from CAMIRO?s Deep Mining Research Consortium and additional support from 3M Canada and ABB Canada. The essential progress that has been, or is in the process of being made, will be described in providing the necessary proof of acceptable or superior TSL performance in the following areas: polymer formulation, health and safety, geotechnical specification, robotic liner application, business case economics and yielding ground support effectiveness. Future plans are also presented to demonstrate the performance of a new 3M composite TSL/yielding bolt support system in underground trials where the substrate rock is intended to fail through a number of mining-induced mechanisms.

Aug 1, 2013

Waste rock extracted from a mine is typically stored nearby on the surface. Such waste rock piles must be designed to ensure their geotechnical and geochemical stability during the mine operation and after closure. The optimal construction of a pile requires detailed planning. Deposition should involve benches of limited height to control the global slope angle, based on the long term factor of safety. It can also be advantageous to compact the top of each bench and to give the surface an outward inclination to control water flow by limiting infiltration and favoring lateral diversion. When part of the waste rock contains reactive minerals, it is also deemed necessary to use selective placement with the non-reactive portion to prevent direct exposure to natural conditions. The construction must be well documented, and include data from the monitoring program. These and related aspects are presented and discussed in the paper.

Aug 1, 2013

By Margaret Anne Stephenson

While the concepts of Aboriginal title share a similar jurisprudence in both Australia and Canada resource development regimes on Aboriginal title lands differ significantly. In Australia, the process is the right to negotiate with mining proponents. In Canada, the process is the duty to consult with government regarding mining projects. This paper compares and assesses the processes for ?consultation and negotiation? with Indigenous peoples when development actions (particularly in the context of mining resource development) impact Indigenous property rights and how agreement making can be progressed. This paper will question whether the resource development processes afford Indigenous people?s property rights full respect when mining developments on Indigenous lands are proposed.

Aug 1, 2013

By J. Stachulak

In recent years more emphasis has been placed on the control of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions from mining diesel equipment. Worldwide, diesel engine regulations to control emission and protect the environment are also driving the development of the diesel engine technology to reduce oxides of nitrogen NOx (Nitric oxide, NO + NO2). NOx are toxic gases produced in mines during the operation of diesel equipment. Most of the diesel equipment used in underground operations are equipped with Diesel Oxidization Catalysts (DOCs) designed to reduce carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC). The effects of DOCs on NO2 production from diesel powered equipment is not well understood. DOCs do not alter NOx concentration, but may promote the oxidization of engine exhaust NO to the more toxic NO2, thus increasing the undesirable NO2 exposure of workers in the mine environment. In 2012, the ACGIH reduced the NO2 TLV concentration value from 3 ppm to 0.2 ppm. Vale and CanmetMINING have been involved in several research projects to reduce diesel emissions exposure to workers. One aspect of the current program is to determine the effects of in-use DOCs on NO2 production. Several in-use DOCs taken from mining equipment were selected for testing in the laboratory using ISO 8178-C1 and mine LHD transient test cycles. The paper presents the laboratory test results and effects of DOCs on NO2 production. The results indicate significant reductions in CO concentration, by over 77%, while increases in NO2 varied from 46% to 315% based on the ISO 8178-C1 8-mode steady state test cycle. The mine LHD transient test cycle showed the same pattern, although the magnitude of CO reduction was less. Consequently, it is recommended the use of only those DOCs that have been properly evaluated and shown not to significantly increase NO2 emission in the environment be used on mine equipment.

Aug 1, 2013

By K. Cybulski

Coal dust explosions still remain the main hazard in the coal mining sector, notwithstanding their relatively wide recognition compared to other hazards and the development of effective methods of prevention. Coal dust explosions are still the cause of numerous catastrophes, often leading to fatalities. Fortunately, they rarely occur, and it is for this reason that their hazardous impact is often underestimated. This problem in Poland is being exclusively solved by the Central Mining Institute, Experimental Mine Barbara. Here, basic research on the phenomenon of coal dust explosions and prevention methods is carried out, as well as investigations into the causes and circumstances of past accidents. After 15 years of no coal dust explosion accidents in Poland (1987?2002), a few coal dust explosions have recently occurred, with tragic consequences. These events have taken place not only in hard coal mines, where the presence of dangerous coal dust is the result of common production cycle, and safety measures against coal dust explosions are subject to specific regulations, but also in coal-fired power plants. This is of special concern because prior to 1987, such accidents had been been reported only for coal mines and not for coal-fired power plants. In recent years, two dust explosions occurred in Polish power facilities: the Dolna Odra and Turow power plants. In both cases, coal dust explosions occurred in the fuel supply system, but biomass dust was also involved. The explosions caused significant damage to the systems and buildings. This paper gives description and schematics of the regions of catastrophic coal dust explosions that have occurred in recent years in Poland, as well as the results of post-accident investigations, presenting the coal dust explosion hazard at the accident scene The results specify in detail the state of safety measures against coal dust explosions in light of the relevant regulations in force, including amount of deposited coal dust, content of incombustible matter in coal dust, free moisture content in coal dust, state of coal dust explosion safety zones, and state of explosion barriers. The conclusions from the site inspection and post-accident investigations presented enable us to determine locations of explosion initiation, probable ignition sources, range of explosion flames, and explosion barrier performance. A complete elimination of coal dust explosion hazard at the site of dust deposition is practically impossible to achieve. Similarly, a total elimination of ignition source, which may be related to the occurrence of other natural hazards, equipment malfunction or human errors, is impossible. The examples of tragic events that took place in Polish coal mines and coal-fired power plants highlight shortcomings and mistakes made in terms of assessment and prevention measures taken against the coal dust explosion hazard.

Aug 1, 2013

By Ju-hyung Ha

New automated curing system for mass concrete has been developed to improve the quality of concrete structure and to save construction time and cost. The principle of this system is the automated water circulation system of heated curing water. Applied curing water on the surface of mass concrete keeps the temperature difference between center and surface of the structure below the threshold of specification. Mock-up test and field application have been conducted to investigate the performance of this system. In the results, new automated curing system reduced the chance of thermal crack occurrence and improved quality of the concrete structure as well.

Aug 1, 2013

By S. Bergquist

In this paper, it is investigated how different types of automation would affect the safety for workers in asphalt paving. The risk for the workers on road construction sites is consistently high in comparison to the average risk of the working population. Automation has been suggested as an alternative for improving the safety in roadside construction assuming that removing workers will inherently eliminate the risk of them being injured. In this paper, the potential for improving the safety using automation is analyzed in detail. By investigating accident statistics and understanding the type of accidents that appear, several different automated functions for increased safety are proposed and described. Based on available statistics, it is possible to estimate the safety benefit, as the reduction in fatalities, for several of the proposed functions. The highest safety benefit would be achieved by automating the road traffic driving through the work zones. This has the potential of reducing the total number of road worker fatalities with over 30 %. In addition, it would decrease the number of road traffic accidents in work zones. Automation of construction machinery and dump-trucks also has the potential to increase the safety.

Aug 1, 2013

By Elaine R. Goetz

The eastern and southeastern regions of Ohio are part of Appalachian coal country, with a documented 1,300 miles of streams impacted by acid mine drainage. Since 1995, partnerships of local watershed groups, government agencies, private industries and universities have focused on the remediation of the affected waterways. The partnerships have spent $2.4 million annually in constructing and operating treatment systems such as wetlands, anoxic limestone drains, successive alkalinity production systems, steel slag leach beds, and lime dosers. These systems have been partially successful, and water quality has improved in the region, but no treatment has yet met the ultimate objectives of low cost, continual remediation. Our research group has investigated an alternative system for acid mine drainage treatment: electrolysis combined with pH adjustment to selectively precipitate recoverable, saleable metal products to offset the cost of treatment. We utilized a $0.2 million pilot facility constructed by the Wayne National Forest, in Nelsonville, Ohio, to process approximately 40 L/min of mine drainage from surrounding seeps. The pilot facility has multipurpose tanks that can be adapted to process acid mine drainage with different characteristics, such as high or low aluminum content or high or low carbonate concentrations. Sodium hydroxide was used for pH adjustment. Results indicate that saleable product can be generated with this treatment technology. In an initial, not optimized trial, one seep yielded 4.7 kg of dried 69 % iron oxide product from 10 hours of pilot facility operation, treating 23,000 L with electricity costs of $4.68. Dissolved iron concentrations in the water were reduced from 242 ± 18 mg/L to 2.8 ± 2.0 mg/L (99.0 % removal) while the initial acidity of 443 mg/L as CaCO3 was neutralized to an alkalinity of 160 mg/L as CaCO3. Iron oxide can be sold as pigment for an average of $1.47 per kg in the United States. Currently, approximately 80 % of all pigment used in the United States is imported, and there is incentive to purchase domestically recovered pigment. If the iron oxide from the pilot facility could be sold as pigment for $1.47 per kg, 43 % of the operating cost (raw materials, electricity and construction costs) of treatment could be offset by the sale of the product. Considering the cost offset, the electrolysis process shows potential as a sustainable low cost alternative for treating acid mine drainage.

Aug 1, 2013

By E. De Souza

Energy associated with ventilating an underground operation comprises a significant portion of a mine operation's base energy demand and is consequently responsible for a large percentage of the total operating costs. Ventilation systems may account from 25?40% of the total energy costs and 40?50% of the energy consumption of a mine operation. Fans are the most important mechanical devices used to ventilate underground mines and the total fan power installed in a single mine operation can easily exceed 10,000 kW. Investigations of a number of mine main fan installations have determined their assemblage to be, in general, very energy inefficient. The author has found that 40?80% of the energy consumed by a main fan is used to overcome the resistance of fan assemblage components. This paper presents how engineering design principles can be applied to improve the performance and efficiency of fan installations, resulting in substantial reductions in power consumption, operating cost and greenhouse gas emissions. A detailed case study is presented to demonstrate that, by designing fan assemblages using proper engineering concepts of fluid physics and industrial ventilation design, main fan systems will operate at efficiencies well above 80?90% (compared to common operating efficiencies of between 20 and 65%), resulting in a drastic reduction in a mine's overall costs and base electrical and energy loads.

Aug 1, 2013

By M. E. Bilir

In this paper, we review cases in which dramatic and visual swelling problems are experienced in underground structures. Swelling rocks have caused many problems in underground engineering projects. They pose severe problems to the design, construction and maintenance of underground openings. If an appropriate integrated design procedure, which proceeds from exploration, tests, analyses and realistic assumptions of swelling behavior, is used during the design stage, the execution of the project can be completed without any serious delays or dramatic design changes. The case histories were subdivided into three classes that include tunnels, underground coal mines and others. For the evaluation of cases, the surrounding rocks, swelling minerals, water inflow, swelling test results and swelling problems were considered. The main purpose of this review is to inform the reader about potential problems with swelling phenomenon and to emphasize the rehabilitation and extensive cost which are encountered due to the lack of necessary integrated design approaches.

Aug 1, 2013

By Yoginder P. Chugh

This paper discusses an ongoing field study in southern Illinois (USA) that focuses on: 1) Identifying mechanisms of instability in the set-up rooms (SR) and their T-junctions with headgate and tailgate entries, 2) Developing alternate 3-entry and 4-entry set-up rooms geometry using 3-D numerical analyses, 3) Implementing developed geometries in cooperation with mining professionals and regulatory agencies, and 4) Demonstrating performance of implemented geometries through field monitoring. Illinois longwall mining operations typically experience ground control problems (roof falls, rib sloughing, floor heave, etc.) within SR layouts and around the T-junctions of SR. These occur around the areas where the SR for adjacent longwall face (to be mined) connect with the SR of the previously mined face, and around the tail-gate entries of the mined-out longwall face and around the T-junctions of SR. The problems manifest as highly fractured immediate roof strata, major shear zones in the roof, horizontal displacements within the excavations that result in shearing off the heads of the bolts, floor heave and severe rib sloughing. Similar observations have also been made in longwall mining in Utah.

Aug 1, 2013

By D. Tsweleng

In the Evraz Highveld production process, iron ore is prereduced in rotary kilns prior to charging into submerged arc furnaces (SAFs). Owing to the highly aggressive slags that are formed within the combustion zones of these kilns, chrome-oxide-containing lowcement castables have been used for some years in the kiln lining. Due to concerns around the potentially harmful effects should Cr(V1) be present in the spent linings, Highveld and its suppliers of kiln castables devoted time to developing alternative chrome-free lining materials. Such materials needed to be cost-effective and ensure good performance and improved kiln availability. This paper discusses all the parameters surrounding this development. Keywords Low-cement castable, chrome-oxide free, chrome (VI), titaniferous magnetite ore, rotary kiln, submerged arc furnace, open slag bath furnace, Evraz Highveld Steel & Vanadium Limited.

Aug 1, 2013

Pillars are used in various forms in underground mining. For several decades pillar design has been an issue in both soft and hard rock underground mining. The major use of pillars is in room-and-pillar type mining. Pillars are critical structures in the production levels of block cave mines. With most mines leaning towards the use of block caving for ore extraction today, pillar design has become even more important. Empirical pillar design is popular. The use of numerical modeling is becoming more common in the design of underground mine pillars. A critical review of both the empirical and numerical modeling approaches to the design of underground mine pillars reveal some fundamental flaws. In general, pillar design approaches often assume the pillars are vertical, and are subjected to pure compression. Pillar failure criteria are then based on this assumption. Most papers on numerical modeling for pillar stability assessment use vertical pillars. This paper shows that where pillars are not subjected to pure compression the empirical pillar design approaches are inadequate, and that when using numerical models for the assessment of pillar performance, more care is needed in the determination of the average pillar stresses. The practice of relating field scale pillar strength to laboratory scale intact rock strength determined from conventional laboratory compression tests in empirical design equations is misleading when pillars are inclined or subjected to compressive and shear stresses. New data is added to the hard rock empirical pillar stability chart, and it is shown that it is misleading to conclude that failure of pillars with width to height ratios greater than 2.3 should not be anticipated. New empirical pillar design charts are presented for pillars at various degrees of inclination for different ko-ratios.

Aug 1, 2013

By Mengmeng Gai

This paper introduces a model-based automatic object recognition and registration framework to assist heavy equipment operators in rapidly perceiving 3D working environment at dynamic construction sites. A video camera and a laser scanner were utilized in this study to rapidly recognize and register dynamic target objects in a 3D space by dynamically separating target object?s point cloud data from a background scene for a quick computing process. A smart scan data updating method has been developed which only updates the dynamic target object?s point cloud data while keeping the previously scanned static work environments. Extracted target areas containing 3D point clouds were orthographically projected into a series of 2D planes with a rotation center located in the target?s vertical-middle line. Prepared 2D templates were compared to these 2D planes by extracting SURF features. Point cloud bundles of the target were recognized, and followed by the prepared CAD model?s registration to the templates. The field experimental results show that the proposed rapid workspace modeling method can significantly improve heavy construction equipment operations and automated equipment control by rapidly modeling dynamic target objects in a 3D view.

Aug 1, 2013

By A. P. Sasmito

It is well known that underground miners are exposed to one of the most dangerous working environments on earth. As mine delve deeper, the geological factor, mine position and climate condition as well as heat generation from mining machine give rise to the mine operating temperature. This, in turn, has an adverse effect on the environment and thus leads to higher operating costs. Careful estimation and design of air flow rate, spray system, cooling load and additional ventilation auxiliary equipment are of importance to ensure safety, comfort and productivity whilst maintaining low operating cost. A computational fluid dynamics simulation approach is employed to examine underground mine ventilation in a 36 m cul-de-sac of tunnel of coal mine. The model predictions in the turbulent range were validated by comparison with published data. Different turbulence models were tested to select one that yields adequate accuracy and is computationally efficient. Effects of the following parameters are evaluated: tunnel geometry, air flow rate and inlet air temperature. The objective of the simulation is to arrive at an optimal strategy for ventilation and thermal comfort at low cost.

Aug 1, 2013

By J. D. Steenkamp

Southern Africa has a history rich in the pyrometallurgical processing of ores. Two of the alloys produced are high-carbon ferromanganese (74?83 per cent Mn) and silicomanganese (59?67 per cent Mn and 14?31 per cent Si). The largest land-based manganese ore deposit in the world is based in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. In 2010, 6.3 Mt of ore from the deposit was exported, mainly to China, Norway, Japan, and India, and an estimated 1.1 Mt beneficiated locally to produce manganese ferroalloys. In southern Africa the producers of manganese ferroalloys are Metalloys and Assmang, and of silicomanganese Transalloys, Mogale Alloys, and Match Corporation. Submerged arc furnace technology is utilized in the production of high-carbon ferromanganese (HCFeMn) and silicomanganese, applying the discard slag practice in both instances. The carbon content of HCFeMn is reduced using converter technology and that of SiMn using the Perrin process. Ninety per cent of the world?s manganese ferroalloys production is consumed by the steel industry. The consumption (and production) of manganese ferroalloys therefore closely follows worldwide steel production. From 2001 to 2010, the doubling of the worldwide production of manganese ferroalloys can be attributed to an increase in production capacity in Asia and Oceania, with the largest increase in the production of SiMn. Manganese ferroalloys produced in Asia and Oceania are mainly for the local market, with North America, Europe, Russia, and Turkey the major markets for alloys from southern Africa. The major challenges faced by the southern African manganese ferroalloy producers are increasing electricity tariffs and productivity of labour, which require a concerted effort by all parties involved to achieve a satisfactory solution. Keywords manganese ferroalloys, ferromanganese, silicomanganese, southern Africa, South Africa, manganese ore, high-carbon ferromanganese, refined ferromanganese, refined silicomanganese.

Aug 1, 2013

By E. Quaquero

This article reports on the current state of an ongoing research project which is aimed at implementing intelligent models for hardly predictable hazard scenarios identification in construction sites. As past evidences showed that no programmatic action can deal with the unpredictable nature of many risk dynamics, we tried to survey on how the current approach for safety management in the construction industry could be improved. In our previous research the use of Bayesian networks elicited from subjective knowledge were preliminarily tested. Those networks might be meant as a reliable knowledge map about accident dynamics and they showed that a relevant ratio of occurrences fall in ?hardly predictable hazards? class, which cannot be warded off by programmatic safety measures. This paper reports the second outcome of our research project, which focused on the development of first elementary fragments, regarding the occurrence of a possible ?hardly predictable scenario?. Instead of experts? contributions (who, over their carrier, seldom incurred in accidents), we used ?legal cases? as an accurate source of information. They suggested which categories of ?hidden hazard scenarios? are more likely to happen. We found that the most frequent hidden hazard scenarios are linked to operator?s negligence and abnormal behavior, e.g. irregular removal of scaffolding?s components, unprotected openings, improper use of PPE, etc. Every pattern determined by legal cases has been formalized by a fragment (i.e. elementary network) of the overall Bayesian network. Finally, all the elementary networks were integrated into a comprehensive intelligent tool for realtime hardly predictable hazards prevention. The final setup, asked for interfacing these intelligent models to a low-level sensor network and used to feed them with inputs about the current state of the context, is discussed too.

Aug 1, 2013