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By James J. Tansey

A Deep Foundations Institute meeting with the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in March of 1984 featured legal rights under Differing Site Conditions. A workshop conducted by the authors and Gerard Ittig, Esq. added to the value of the symposium. This paper will be of interest to your attorneys in any subsurface disputes.

Jan 1, 1985

By Jeff Hammer, John McGregor

"The Twin Tunnels, originally constructed in 1964, have become a major choking point for trafficheading up to and returning from the Colorado high country along the I-70 corridor. To increase traffic flow, the Colorado Department of Transportation undertook the first widening of the East Bound Tunnel in 2013. After the successful completion of that project, CDOT began the widening of the West Bound Tunnel in 2014. Both projects had a limited schedule for tunnel construction of just nine months. The innovative blasting and demolition of the existing tunnel lining was a crucial component to the success of both projects. During the construction of the West Bound project in 2014 a large amount of surface bench blasting using conventional methods ran concurrently to the West Bound tunnel excavation to allow for enough room for the new tunnel portals."

Jan 1, 2016

By F. H. Gunnell, W. C. Dunham

"INTRODUCTION The Treasure Hill mines, situated in Dry Canyon, Ophir mining district, Tooele County, Utah, together with several other properties in the district, examined were examined by Frank L. Wideman, an engineer, the Bureau of Mines, in September 1942.In April 1945, development drilling was started on the Treasure Hill mines, which are operated under lease from the Madison Mines Co. The project was continued in 1946 and terminated in 1947.While the Bureau of Mines project was in progress, the Morgan and Fullion tunnel workings were surveyed by Bureau engineers.ACKNOWKEDGEMENTSIn its program of investigation of mineral deposits, the Bureau of Mines has as its primary objective the more effective utilization of our mineral resources to the end that they make the greatest possible contribution to national security and economy, It is the policy of the Bureau to publish the facts developed by each project as soon as practicable after its conclusion. The Mining Branch, Lowell B. Moon, chief, conducts preliminary examinations, performs the actual investigative perk, and prepares the final report. The Branch, O. C. Ralston, chief, analyzes samples and performs beneficiation tests. The work here described was under the direct supervision of Paul T. Allsman, chief, Salt Lake City Division, Mining Branch."

Jan 1, 1948

By Ovsei Volberg

Motion capture involves recording the position and global orientation of joint sensors of a real object, in most cases a real person performing some human activities. This information is usually recorded at uniformly spaced instances of time, or as it is often called frame-by-frame. Then the recorded motion data sets are processed and mapped into a skeleton hierarchy of a virtual, computer simulated human figure to control the motion of the virtual human in the computer simulation. In the first part of the paper we review several new techniques developed to facilitate the manipulation, noise reduction, storage and reuse of captured data, which have a potential to reduce the overall cost of motion simulation and improve its realism. In the second part of the paper we consider the real life problem of reducing a worker?s risk from being hit by underground mining machinery in a confined space. We formulate a set of requirements to motion editing for this particular task and analyze the limitation of existing techniques

Jan 1, 2000

The modern resource extraction enterprise is a complex capital intensive business operating in a world of constantly evolving social, environmental and economic scrutiny. Investors, government, media and special interest groups expect to see business environmental and social performance respond and deliver increasing corporate responsibility and sustainability.   Thorough interrogation of business performance using a multi-disciplinary due diligence approach presents a more sophisticated review and benefits beyond the traditional compliance/conformance 'audit' style assessment.   Using a due diligence approach allows assessment through a comprehensive lens which examines potential short- and long-term risks including sometimes less tangible environmental and social liabilities, and informs management, investors and regulators of broader business performance. This approach provides information in a form that business can measure performance in a repeatable and enterprise wide sense.   This paper provides an outline of the due diligence process applied in this way, drawing from lessons learnt and industry based experiences in the due diligence process and the benefits and tools that can  be applied in an environmental and social due diligence business performance assessment

Jun 1, 2010

By F. Djahanguiri

The U.S. Bureau of Mines is conducting research on underground stope leaching of metalliferous ores to minimize the environmental impact of ore processing on the surface and to maximize minable reserves. An aspect of this research is to minimize pregnant solution losses and/or groundwater contamination by leach solutions. Bulkhead design and construction are important issues for solution control and stope leaching economics. A reinforced concrete bulkhead was designed, constructed, and tested for solution control in an underground mine near Idaho Springs, CO. This paper presents the bulkhead design methodology and construction procedure.

Jan 1, 1995

By M Ash, P Bellairs

The world class iron ore mines at Mt Whaleback, Tom Price and Paraburdoo located in the Hamersley Province of Western Australia must mine the Mt McRae Shale to obtain high grade ore from the Dales Gorge Member of the Brockman Iron Formation. The Mt McRae Shale contains a Black Pyritic Shale lithology that reacts with Ammonium Nitrate based explosives. This paper provides an overview of the problems associated with mining this reactive rock type as well as the development of a comprehensive procedure to safely and efficiently blast, excavate and dispose of this material.

Jan 1, 1995

By Steve Lalancette

Centre Jardin Lac Pelletier (CJLP) has been a leading actor in the revitalisation of closed mining sites in northern Québec for over 20 years. Over that period, CJLP developed a cost-efficient technique that transforms sterile mining residue into a substrate able to support a resilient ecosystem. Using a unique mix of organic matter, fertilisers and selected plant species, this technique rapidly builds a microorganic fauna and a layer of humus that will sustain the creation of vegetation coverage. The coverage is composed of over 13 different plant species, each having a unique role in the development of a resilient ecosystem, from soil stabilisation to nitrogen fixing. Considerably less expensive than traditional methods using civil engineering techniques, it does not require the use of heavy machinery or the spread of topsoil. This technique has been successfully used to restore over 20 sites in Québec such as Joutel, Yvan Vézina and Louvicourt. It is a proven technique that has passed the test of actual implementation. The presentation will review the biological, production and economic aspects of the technique through the revitalisation of the Joutel site.

May 1, 2011

By L C. Pretorius

Pipe pigging is a technique for the in situ (field) coating application, to create a seamless internal anti-corrosive lining of long pipelines. The technology originated in the cleaning of pipes, and these proven cleaning methods continue to be used today. Firstly mechanical cleaning of the pipeline is performed, using wire brush, razor back, course stud and fine wire pigs, then foam pigs, or criss cross pigs, and urethane blade scrapers to remove loose debris, wax, residual hydrocarbons and corrosion products from the pipeline. Part of the proprietary techniques and expertise is to ensure that these cleaning pigs do not get stuck Next chemical cleaning of the pipeline is performed, using repeated pig runs with detergents, solvents, acid etching, corrosion inhibitors, consecutively batched between two pigs, to ensure a clean, dry metal finish to a visual cleanliness standard of ISO SA2½. These in situ techniques were developed, 40 years ago to apply internal corrosion protection to pipes using a thin layer of epoxy based paint (50 to 100 micron). Until recently these old techniques were never improved upon. Although many thousands of kilometres of pipes were successfully coated with these thin film epoxy based paints and old application techniques, these thin paint films had problems in weld coverage, and were also unable to fill pits caused by pitting corrosion, and unable to replace metal loss caused by channel erosion. New coating material developments, revised application methods and modified pigging equipment have now made it possible to apply thick film coatings as corrosion barriers to the internals of pipes in the field, using these pigging techniques. The thick coating films can be up to 1 mm (40 mils) thick in a single coating run over long distances. The new thick film coating materials and application techniques are similar to continuous screeding, creating a far more robust seamless internal pipe lining when compared to the old technology of thin film paints. With thick film polymers the option now exists to create a structural GRP pipe within a pipe, be it steel or cementicious. It has been preferable, even necessary, to move away from the traditional epoxy paints and coatings. It was found difficult or impossible to use epoxy materials for these pipe coating applications due to the requirement for achieving a suitable viscosity with adequate hold up. In order to reduce epoxy viscosity a solvent or reactive diluent is required. This inevitably lead to solvent entrapment and poor cure characteristics in cold climates. Further mud cracking in over thick areas, the inability to extend or reduce pot life, poor control of cure time and limited resistance to aggressive or chemical environments made solvent based epoxy resins a poor choice.

Jan 1, 2006

By Timothy D. Arnold

Barrick Gold’s Bullfrog underground mine, near Beatty, NV, was established as an after-thought to the main open pit. As open pit ore dwindles, the underground mining became increasingly more important as an ore source, and to the overall economics of the project. This situation is similar to many other mines. Today, there is a move towards underground mining in the United States. There are inherent problems in starting and operating underground mines in the shadow of any open-pit operation. Several attempts were made at the Bullfrog Mine for productive increases. Some were successful, while others were not.

Jan 1, 1996

By S. R. Zimmerley, C. H. Schack

"INTRODUCTION The pilot-mill concentrator at Boulder City, which has a nominal capacity of 40 tons per day, was planned and built to investigate further the beneficiation of domestic manganese ores that have been concentrated successfully in the ore-dressing laboratory. As milling of manganese ores in general is a new field, it is necessary to prove the success of laboratory processes by means of large-scale operations employing standard milling equipment, and thus to obtain engineering and metallurgical data essential to designing and operation of full-scale concentrating mills.The first ore tested in the pilot plant was the Three Kids Annex manganese ore from the Las Vegas Wash area 15 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nev. The deposit was worked for its high-grade ores during the First World War From 1930 to 1939, 4,500 feet of diamond drilling was completed by a private company. Diamond drilling started by the Bureau of Mines in November 1940 and completed in July 1941 aggregated 6,600 feet. Exploration by the private company and the Bureau outlined reserves of about 1,000,000 tons of ore assaying plus 28 percent manganese. A much larger tonnage of lower-grade ore also was outlined by the drilling.Because of its physical nature, the Three Kids Annex ore had long proved unamenable to concentration by ore-dressing methods. The ore is a mixture of manganese oxides (wad) filling the pores and to some extent replacing a silt composed of very fine grains of volcanic tuff, quartz, feldspars, other silicates, and clay. Some gypsum occurs as fillings along fracture planes. The ore is light and very porous. Upon wetting, it disintegrates into granular but friable particles and a large amount of slime. It is these characteristics that make the ore so difficult to concentrate."

Sep 1, 1947

By Warder A. Shaver

INTRODUCTION Mine No. 95 of the Consolidation Coal Co., a divi¬sion of Continental Oil Co., is located in Shinnston, WV. Mine No. 95 was opened in January 1967 and has been operating continuously since that time. The mine has 544 hourly and salaried employees. In 1974 this mine was the largest coal producer in West Virginia. Opera¬tions include two longwall sections and eight Marietta Borer continuous miners. Originally there were also two Jeffrey Heliminer continuous miners, but use of these was discontinued in June 1978. Production averages 12 727 t/d (14,000 stpd). Two portals now service the mine with a third portal proposed for 1978. GEOLOGY Mining takes place in the Pittsburgh coal seam which dips 0.04 rad (21h°) northwest. The working seam is steam coal with an average height of 2.2 m (86 in.). Immediately above the seam, the overburden is com¬posed of 6.1 m (20 ft) of shales followed by 6.1 m (20 ft) of weak sandstone and 51.8 (170 ft) of shaley limestone. The shale weathers when exposed to mois¬ture. Surface water has been a problem due to a fire¬clay floor which turns to paste when mixed with water. GENERAL DESCRIPTION The present mining plan for Consol's No. 95 mine has a proposed life of 35 to 40 years. One set of main headings has been driven in the north direction and one set in a western direction. These are the areas in which the majority of the virgin coal lies. The panels are driven off of the mains at 2134 to 3048-m (7,000 to 10,000-ft) intervals. The continuous mining sections are set up 133 x 610 m (600 x 2000 ft). Longwall sections are 259 x 1220 m (850 x 7000 ft). All of these mining sections are retreating uphill. Development is with continuous miners. A Marietta Borer miner is used for the main development work. These miners cut 4.1 m (13 ft 6 in.) wide and 2.1 m (7 ft) high, leaving an arch cut. Along with the arch, a 152.4-mm (6-in.) thick layer of roof coal is left in place to protect the roof from weathering. The combi¬nation of the self-supporting arch and the roof coal al¬lows the entries to be driven 30.5 m (100 ft) without bolting. Full bolting, however, is carried outby the last open crosscut. This bolting is done on 1.5 x 1.5-m (5 x 5-ft) centers using 1.5-m (5-ft) long roof bolts with tandem anchors and 152.4-mm (6-in.) steel washer plates. When needed, crib blocks with a 50.4-mm (2-in.) drill hole are used as supplemental supports. Three-hole steel channel with the ends curved down¬ward to conform to the borer arch may also be used. In the mining sections, a 14 BU loader is used be¬hind the Marietta miner to load two Torkar shuttle cars. These haul to Long-Airdox feeder breakers which load onto a 1.07-m (42-in.) wide conveyor belt. With the exception of the shuttle cars, which use 275-V d-c power, the face equipment operates on 550-V a-c power. The main power line is 7200 V ac. The same loading and hauling equipment is used with the Marietta Borer miner for driving both panel and development entries. In the retreat sections, the same equipment with the exception of the miner is utilized. Because of the advantage of a variable cutting hight, Jeffrey Heliminer ripper-type continuous miners were employed in these retreat sections. For longwall mining the first unit uses an Eickoff EDW 300-L double-drum ranging shearer. Drum di¬ameter is 1.69 m (66 in.) with a drum rotation speed of 45 rpm. The drum is equipped with 48 Carmet 34-L-1 bits. The 300-kW (400-hp) motor operates on 1000 V. Tramming of the shearer head is done through a hydraulically driven 26-mm wide chain. Maximum cutting speed is 7.93 m/min (26 fpm), and maximum tram speed is 12.8 m/min (42 fpm) with an average cutting speed of 3.66 m/min (12 fpm). Web cutting depth is 762 mm (30 in.) and the cutting height is 2.13 m (7 ft). The conveyor width is 686 mm (27 in.). It uses a single chain, 26 mm thick, with flights on 0.91-m (3-ft) spacing. The face conveyor speed is 64.3 m/min (211 fpm) when driven by two 112-kW (150-hp) 1000-V Louis Allis motors through torque convertors. The roof support used is Gullick Dobson chocks [6-legged 77.3 t (85 st) per leg, 463.6 t (510 st) total capacity] with double-acting leg jacks. The hydraulic pressure for the legs is 13.8 MPa (2000 psi), and the hydraulic pressure for rams is 6.8 MPa (1000 psi). The yield valves are set at 57.8 MPa (8500 psi). Each chock weighs 4.09 t (4.5 st). The stage loader is an Eickoff drive, with a 68-kW (90-hp), (00-V Reliance motor. A 26-mm thick single strand chain with flights on 0.6-m (2-ft) centers runs at 75.89 m/min (249 fpm). The stage loader is self-advancing and is connected to the belt tail piece with a special fifth wheel attachment so that the stage loader can advance and guide the tail piece. The hydraulic pressure for the roof support is supplied by two 45-kW (60-hp) Reliance motors op¬erating on 699 V, with 1.26 L/s (20 gpm) constant volume Gullick hydraulic pumps. Each pump services alternate chocks, with the two pressure lines connected at the tailgate by 25.4-mm (1-in.) hydraulic hoses, rated at 27.21 MPa (4000 psi). The 6.8 MPa (1000 psi) pressure rams advance is supplied by a 45-kW (60-hp), 600-V Reliance motor and a 1.26-L/s (20-gpm) con¬stant volume Gullick pump. Return lines are 35.5-mm (1.4-in.) diam hydraulic hoses with rated capacity of 27.21 MPa (4000 psi). The fluid used in the hydraulic system consists of 95% water and 5% Hy-chock fire resistant water soluble oil. Water is stored and mixed in a 6096-L (2000-gal) track-mounted tank and goes to a 655-L (180-gal) reservoir at the pump. The belt conveyor structure is 1.07 m (42 in.) wide with 0.47 rad (27°) idlers, bottom stands located on 3.05-m (10-ft) centers, top stands on 1.5-m (5-ft) centers, and is supported on a 19-mm (3/4-in.) diam

Jan 1, 1982

By Linneas W. Laage

The purpose of this report is to document the fire experiments conducted at the Waldo Mine, NM during March 1990. The U.S. Bureau of Mines is concerned with improving and validating the predictive capability of the mine ventilation and fire simulator, MFJRE. To accomplish this, fire experiments were conducted at the Waldo Mine and temperature profiles were developed as functions of time and distance from the fire. These tests then provided data for verifying the heat transfer model in the MFIRE mine ventilation and fire simulator. An initial analysis of this data indicates that it will serve this purpose well. This report summarizes the data obtained during six fire tests at the Waldo Mine.

Jan 1, 1994

By Danny Riley, Brian Curry, Sandya Govindaraju, James Bain

Hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) affects industrial workers exposed to long term hand-transmitted vibration from powered-tools. Peripheral neuropathy is a major component of the symptom complex of HAVS. Long term exposure to vibration causes myelin damage in peripheral nerves and reduces nerve conduction velocities in rats1. This study addresses the effects of acute vibration at constant acceleration of 49 m/s2 on myelinated fibers in peripheral nerves in Sprague-Dawley male rats using the ‘rat-tail vibration model,’ which simulates hand-transmitted vibration2. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats (~300 g) were assigned to vibration groups: 1 hr continuous vibration at 60 Hz; 4 hr continuous exposure at frequencies of 30, 60, 120 or 800 Hz; immediate and 24 hr following a 4-hr cumulative exposure of continuous and intermittent vibration at 60 Hz. Unanesthetized rats were restrained in cages on a nonvibrating platform with their tails placed on a vibrating stage accelerated by a B&K motor type 4809 and vibrated. Intermittent vibration was delivered in bouts of 10 min vibration alternating with 5 min rest periods repeated over 6 hr. Sham controls were restrained without vibration. After vibration exposure, the rats were anaesthetized, and the ventral nerve trunks from the proximal tail segment 7 were fixed in glutaraldehyde, embedded in epon-araldite and sectioned at 0.5 µm thickness and stained with toludine-blue for morphological quantitative analysis. The total number of myelinated axons in each cross-section of the nerve was counted using the Image J software. Myelin damage was identified by focal increase in area and intensity of toludine-blue staining and unraveling of the myelin sheath. Statistical analysis for comparing sham and the different vibration groups was done using Dunnett’s test. Animal treatment and all surgical procedures were approved by the institutional review board and compiled with the Laboratory Animal Welfare Act. Results The rats tolerated continuous vibration very well and exhibited no behavioral signs of stress. When exposed to intermittent vibration, there was increased vocalization, a startle reflex at the beginning of each bout of vibration, deposition of porphyrin around the eyes and transient hypersensitivity to touch.

Jan 6, 2006

By A. M. Bryukhanov, A. G. Mnukhin

The report states accident rates for gassy/dusty coal mines represented as an ergatic system "man – machine - environment" with further analysis by the method of conditional probabilities. A coal mine has been analyzed with allowance for the attending personnel, equipment and environment as a sequence of events and states. Probabilities of operational states have been determined and prediction of mine behavior has been made on the basis of investigation findings for equipment and the personnel states, and analysis of the environment (i.e. mine and mining conditions). Utilization of expert estimation methods has been considered for determining major operational parameters of gassy/dusty mines. The importance of standardized values of permissible occupational risks (permissible probability of accident, PA) is demonstrated. It is also stated that a procedure is essential to determine these values, involving regular check-ups of the integral safety criterion at all mines and further development of customized recommendations for individual mines on efficient improvement of accident situations. Methodology to determine the assessment criteria has been developed and scientifically substantiated for permissible accident rates in hazardous industries.

Jan 1, 2003

By David C. Grant

A laboratory technique for simulating in-situ uranium mining was developed and used to determine the effects of leaching variables on permeability, uranium recovery, leach solution interaction with the ore-aquifer environment, and post-leach chemical leakage. In particular, ammonium bicarbonate, the commonly-used leach solution, was examined in great detail. Agitation leach tests were conducted to examine the effect on ammonium sorption and desorption of clay content, solution and clay ammonium levels, pH, and the type and concentration of other anions and cations in solution. Initial column tests were performed to determine the degree of ore-aquifer interaction that could be expected for various leach solutions; sulfuric acid, and ammonium, sodium, and potassium bi-carbonates. Subsequent tests examined various methods to restore the ores by lowering the post-leach chemical leakage. The restoration tests examined the use of reducing agents (e.g., ammonium bisulfite, sodium bisulfite; and sodium sulfite), ore blocking and stabilizing agents (e.g., sodium silicate, aluminum chloride, and magnesium-calcium salt).and ammonium displacement agents (e.g., aluminum chloride and lanthanum chloride-sulfate)

Jan 1, 1980

By Sean Gallagher, William S. Marras, Alan S. Litsky, Deborah Burr

This paper describes a comparison of the fatigue failure responses of older versus younger lumbar spine cadaver motion segment specimens. These specimens were repeatedly subjected to loads simulating those experienced by the spine in lifting a 9 kg load in different torso flexion postures (0, 22.5, and 45 degrees of flexion). An older sample of 36 motion segments (average age 81 years + 8 SD) is compared with a younger sample of 18 motion segments (average age: 47 years + 9 SD) with respect to the number of cycles to failure and results of survival analyses evaluating the effects of flexion and bone mineral content with and without the younger data set. Compared to the older sample of spines, the younger sample exhibited many more cycles to fatigue failure in all the torso flexion conditions (10020 versus 8267 average cycles to failure in 0 degrees flexion, 7124 versus 3262 in 22.5 degrees flexion, and 3229 versus 263 cycles to failure in 45 degrees flexion). The increased cycles to failure in young specimens is likely due to the increased bone mineral content (BMC) in younger motion segments (30.7 g + 11.1 g per motion segment versus 27.8 + 9.4 g). Cox regression analyses modeling both flexion effects and BMC indicate that betas are similar when just older spines are modeled and when younger specimens are included in the analysis. Betas for survival analysis models with and without younger specimens generally show little change for flexion (2.716 versus 2.756 for 22.5 degrees [0 degrees referent], 3.926 versus 3.380 for 45 degrees [0 degrees referent]). Bone mineral content shows a similar protective effect in both models (Betas: -0.127 versus -0.087). Overall, comparison of the models indicate that risk ratios are similar for 22.5 degrees flexion, slightly increased for 45 degrees flexion and slightly more protective influence predicted for BMC in the combined sample versus the older sample alone.

By Paul Downing

Anyone in business today knows how difficult and time consuming it is to keep abreast of new and revised federal regulations. Those in the explosives industry know that such a task can be next to impossible as the regulatory environment faced by those in the hazardous materials community continues to undergo a major overhaul following the events of September 11th, 2001. This paper will attempt to clarify today’s regulatory picture by identifying some of the regulatory “hotspots” and “pitfalls” that affect individuals and companies involved in the sale, transportation, distribution and use of explosives.

Jan 1, 2003

By M. A. D. Azevedo, J. D. Miller, R. Kobler, E. Mutkowska

Up to 3 million tons of automotive shredder residue (ASR) is generated annually in United States. Plastics are the most valuable component of the ASR material making up approximately 25% of the total weight. In order to reuse these plastics, a selective process is required to separate each plastic, with very high purity and favorable economics. One separation technique, which may be able to selectively recover the plastics from ASR, is flotation. The preliminary flotation results have demonstrated that acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC) can be selectively separated from the model ASR feed, the PC/ABS/PA 66 system, by appropriate control of the surface chemistry.

Jan 1, 2001

By T. Yegulalp, R. Farrauto, A. Belova, M. Castaldi

Calcium oxide, with its ability to capture and store carbon dioxide, is emerging to become an important tool in carbon management. Calcium oxide can be used reversibly to capture carbon dioxide in situ and then be regenerated to produce a pure stream of carbon dioxide ready for sequestration; the Zero Emission Coal Alliance technology utilizes this property of calcium oxide to generate emissions-free electric power from coal. The reaction of calcium oxide with carbon dioxide resulting in thermodynamically stable carbonate is well understood; however, the efficiency of this reaction is limited by the diffusion of gases through bulk calcium oxide and through a layer of carbonate formed on the surface. In addition, the regeneration of calcium oxide is an endothermic reaction and is favored at high temperatures. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to address the diffusion limitation, a thin layer of calcium oxide, supported on a high surface area material, is studied thermogravimetrically to demonstrate the physical adsorption of carbon dioxide on calcium oxide. The adsorption is to take place at temperatures lower than required to form calcium carbonate.

Jan 1, 2007