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By Yan-Jun Shen

The rock mass classification system, BQ (basic quality), is the only national system that is suitable to most kinds of rock engineering in China. It uses two main aspects of the rock mass, the intact uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and the rock intactness index (KV), to obtain the rock mass BQ. The index KV could be measured by the acoustic wave method. However, because this method is an indirect approach to characterize the rock mass structure, misfits often occur between the test results and the actual rock mass characteristics. Therefore, a new parameter KGSI expressed by the geological strength index is proposed to replace the original KV, and a new method is presented to express the value of BQ as a function of the UCS and the KGSI. Then, the underground excavations at five hydropower stations were chosen as examples to study the relationship between the revised BQ and the each of the international systems (RMR, Q or RMi). In addition, the applicability of the RMR, Q, or RMi system is discussed for China?s rock characteristics and geological conditions, and suggestions are given for improving the revised BQ system.

Aug 1, 2013

By Jas. E. Thomson

"The Kirkland Lake-Larder Lake gold area is in northeastern Ontario and is a continuation of the ore-bearing belt that extends across northwestern Quebec through the Rouyn, Cadillac, Malartic, and Bourlamaque areas. It is the oldest mining camp along this famous mineral belt. Gold discoveries were first made at Larder Lake and Swastika in 1906, but it was not until 1913 that important developments at Kirkland Lake created a real interest in the country. Total gold production of the camp passed the million dollar a year mark in 1920 and increased in amount yearly until the advent of the second World War when there was a falling off due to labour shortage. The Kirkland-Larder camp ranks as the second largest gold producing area ' in Ontario. To the end of 1944, twenty-two mines in the area had produced bullion valued at $515,631,428 and ten mines had distributed dividends amounting to $205,981,116. The average grade of the ore milled in this period has been $15.17 a ton for the mines in the Kirkland Lake area and $6.49 a ton for the mines at Larder Lake.ROCK FORMATIONS OF THE AREAIn a general way the rocks of the country may be divided into the lithological groups indicated on the accompanying geological sketch map. This map has been compiled largely from recently issued geological sheets of the Geological Branch of the Ontario Department of Minest. Owing to the present difficulty of separating the formations of the Larder Lake country into the twofold age divisions of Keewatin and Timiskaming, the usual custom in the past, a lithological grouping of formations has been adopted. The age terms 'Keewatin and 'Timiskaming' are loosely used in this article to express the often used but not necessarily accurate distinction between the main groups of older strata."

Jan 1, 1954

By P. Leo

Al-Mg-Si alloys are widely used as medium-strength structural materials; extrusion is the most common processing route. In the present hot deformation investigation of a 6060 alloy, the microstructure of the alloy has been analyzed in the as-cast state, after homogenization heat treatment and after hot deformation by tensile tests in the range 400-490°C and 10-4 to 10-2s-1 on both as cast and homogenized alloys. After deformation the microstructure of the as-cast alloy exhibited cavitation. The flow curves at the lowest test temperature T show a gradual softening after a stress peak, being more evident for the alloy deformed in the homogenized state in association with a high yield stress; at higher T a plateau is attained which is lower as T rises and strain rates decrease. For each fixed T, the ductility decreases as strain rate increases for the homogenized alloy whereas, for the as cast alloy, it rises with strain rate. Constitutive analysis gives Q = 240kJ1mol for the homogenized alloy in agreement with published values; this indicates a more rapid strength decline with rising T than Al, suitable for good hot workability along with the lack of cavitation.

Jan 1, 2011

By G. F. Colborne, A. Thunaes

"When the Canadian uranium milling plants went into operation during the early 1950's, they utilized flowsheets developed at the Radioactivity Division of the Federal Mines Branch in Ottawa. Since then, numerous process improvements have been made by the Mines Branch, by the operating companies themselves and by other research organizations. This paper will consider uranium milling technology from the standpoint of a new mine operator charged with the responsibility for the design of an economic flowsheet, and will indicate the range of process elements available to him and the testwork required to enable an intelligent decision to be made."

Jan 1, 1968

By T. Avilez, D. Salari

"The economics of developing gold deposits containing elevated levels of cyanide soluble base metals is often challenged by high cyanide consumption and increased operating costs. SART is a chemical process that enables cyanide consumed by base metals to be recovered and recycled for gold leaching. The process also provides concurrent recovery of the base metal to generate incremental revenue from the sale of high-grade base metal sulphide concentrates. Although SART was developed and successfully piloted by Lakefield Research and Teck Corporation in the late 90’s and is now a public domain technology, the adoption of SART has been relatively slow due to concerns about implementation costs and the reliability of metallurgical performance. Through extensive experience in selective metal sulphide precipitation applied to mining wastewater since 2007, BQE Water has provided process know-how, design along with operations and maintenance experience to a number of projects involving the integration of SART into various metallurgical flowsheets on an industrial scale. This paper presents the commissioning experience and operating data from a SART plant treating up to 500 m3/hr of leach solution at a heap leach operation in Mexico. INTRODUCTION One of the current trends in the gold industry globally is the increasing importance of complex polymetallic gold deposits as discoveries of large Carlin type gold deposits become increasingly rare (Sceresini, 2005). The presence of cyanide soluble copper and zinc in complex gold deposits necessitates changes to the traditional gold extraction metallurgical flowsheet. A tool available to the industry to help manage the interference of cyanide-soluble base metals in gold extraction is the SART (sulphidization-acidification-recycling-thickening) process. SART breaks the weak acid dissociable (WAD) base metal-cyanide complexes, precipitates the metals as high-grade sulphide concentrates and makes the freed cyanide available for recycle."

Jan 1, 2018

By D. M. Morrison

"Microseismic systems at five mines in the Sudbury Basin provide the basic data for Falconbridge Limited's rockburst research. Daily and long-term analysis of this data as well as underground observations has confirmed the fault-slip mechanism of rock bursting at three mines. A detailed analysis of the complete history of Falconbridge Mine is being conducted and Distinct Element numerical models are being used to simulate both the stick-slip behaviour of faults and the dynamic effects of the induced vibrations on rock and backfill. University research includes acoustic tomographic imaging of the rock mass based on seismic wave propagation and collection of full micro seismic waveforms to allow application of advanced seismic and statistical analysis techniques. INTRODUCTIONFalconbridge Limited currently has five mines operating in the Sudbury Basin: East, Lockerby, Onaping, Fraser, and Strathcona Mines, which along with the Falconbridge open pit produced 2.8 million tonnes of ore in 1986. The underground mines range from about 600 m to 2000 m below surface and one of the consequences of mining at these depths is the occurrence of rockbursts.Research into rockburst phenomena at Falconbridge began over 25 years ago and research is continuing in an effort to avoid the problem by improved mine design, to protect mine openings from damage by design of effective support systems and to better understand the processes which precede a major fault slip rockburst. Since the early 1980s, significant progress has been made due principally to micro seismic monitoring and advances in microcomputer technology coupled with detailed underground investigations.It is now possible to identify the fault-slip mechanism as the cause of many of the rockbursts which occur at Falconbridge mines. By gaining an understanding of effect of mining-induced stresses on the pre-existing geological structures, areas which may experience rock bursting can be identified and can be protected against severe damage by appropriate support techniques."

Jan 1, 1989

By David J. McDougall

"IntroductionThe production of pig iron, wrought iron bars and castings in Quebec during the 18th and 19th centuries has been so closely identified by historians with the Forges du St. Maurice on the St. Maurice River a few miles north of Trois Rivières (Three Rivers), that one is sometimes left with the impression that it was the only iron works that ever operated in the province. There were however, about twelve others, one of which was so completely re-built that it should probably be considered as a separate entity. All but two were constructed after the midpoint of the 1800s, coinciding with the growing Canadian demand for ""charcoal pig"" for railway car wheels and castings for industry, and about half of them were technically, if not economically, successful. The misconception about the Forges du St. Maurice may have come about either because of its long history of somewhat less than continuous production over a century and a half, or a tendency of Quebec historians to concentrate on events in the French-Canadian rather than the English-Canadian milieu, but whatever the reason, the other Quebec iron work s have been generally ignored. All but one of the Quebec blast furnaces could be described as ""preindustrial"" with capacities ranging between three and ten tons per day, the exception being the Radnor furnace built in 1892 with a maximum production of about 35 tons per day and an alleged capacity of 50 tons per day.Until a railway network was completed in the 1880s, the location of all the Quebec iron works except the Grantham Iron works was dictated by close proximity to adequate ore reserves because horse transport was of little use beyond a ten-mile radius. The other essentials of forest resources (mainly soft woods) for charcoal, limestone for flux and water power, were generally available except within a few miles on either side of the St. Lawrence river. Among the dozen iron works established in Quebec between 1732 and 1880, seven used bog iron ore in charcoal-fired furnaces."

Jan 1, 1983

By D. Maddocks

"IntroductionThe greater part of the iron ore industry in Canada is located along the Labrador-Quebec border on a geological formation known as the Labrador trough. The Labrador trough is a 700 · mile long geosynclinal segment composed of folded and faulted Proterozoic sediments, volcanics and intrusives, extending from Gagnon, Quebec, to the north west tip of Ungava Bay. This geosyncline can be divided into three parts (Fig. 1).The northern unmined part, extending from southern to northern Ungava Bay, is a low grade metamorphosed iron formation.The iron deposits of the central region, represented by Schefferville, are hematite-limonite ores formed by oxidation and leaching of an unmetamorphosed taconite formation. Average iron content of the ore is greater than 540Jo for direct shipping and 50% for plant feed.The deposits of the southern section (Carol Lake, Wabush, Mt. Wright, Gagnon) extend from just north of Carol Lake to Gagnon and is a metamorphosed silica-iron oxide (specular hematite and magnetite) formation averaging plus 30% iron.The mineral wealth of this area was first observed by Father Louis Babel about 1870 and again by Dr. A.P. Low of the Geological Survey of Canada in 1894. However, the remote location hindered development until after 1945. First production of direct shipping ore from Schefferville was in 1954. Production at Carol Lake commenced in 1962.This area now accounts for sixty million long tons (61 Mt) per year of processed iron ore products as follows:This chapter will concentrate on pelletizing and agglomeration as experienced at the Iron Ore Company's Carol Lake operation. However, whenever possible, reference will be made to alternate methods, procedures, equipment, etc."

Jan 1, 1989

By R. L. Veenstra

This paper explores the connection between the stresses observed and the failure mechanisms present in the modelled cemented paste backfill. In order to look at this connection, the authors have used a previously developed model to conduct a sensitivity analysis of the model?s strength and permeability input parameters. The results from the sensitivity analysis were then compared to determine what causes modelled stresses and failure mechanisms to vary. Increased insight into the behaviour of the modelled paste will help clarify how paste behaves in the field.

Aug 1, 2013

By A. R. Farkoosh, J-P. Fortin, M. Pekguleryuz, S. Bagherpour

"Titanium aluminides are structural intermetallics which offer an attractive combination of high temperature strength and light weight. For such properties, these intermetallic alloys have become front-runners in replacing nickel-based superalloys used for several high temperature applications. These alloys are produced from metallic titanium, aluminum and master alloys involving an expensive and difficult process. A low cost alternative to current industrial production method is the new modified aluminothermic process which directly reduces titanium oxide (TiO2) to titanium aluminides. Nevertheless, this process has itself significant challenges in achieving alloys free of oxide inclusions; the close densities of the slag and the titanium aluminides makes slag/molten metal separation a challenging task. Usually, the alloy produced requires a second refining step. In this study, thermodynamic calculations based on CALPHAD method were performed to determine the solidification path and an attempt has been made to develop a criterion to increase the density deference between the slag and the alloy by alloying with appropriate elements. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were utilized to examine the microstructure and phase selection of three Ti-Al alloys produced by the aluminothermic reaction, including the as-cast, refined in a controlled atmosphere and inert-gas-refined alloys. The composition range of the alloys studied was restricted to the a2-Ti3Al + ?-TiAl phase field (Ti-30Al) in the binary Ti-Al phase diagram leading to a lamellar structure with different complex intermetallics as shown in Figure 1.INTRODUCTIONTiAl based alloys are promising structural materials for high temperature aerospace and automotive applications. This is due to some attractive properties such as low density, high specific strength, high specific stiffness and high temperature strength retention (Wen-bin, Xue-wen, Hong-fei, & Yong-feng, 2011). These alloys have become leading candidates to replace Ni-based super alloys in gas turbine engines. Replacement of Ni-based super alloy parts with titanium aluminides is expected to reduce the structural weight of high performance gas turbine engines by as much as 20–30% (Kothari, Radhakrishnan, Sudarshan, & Wereley, 2012)."

Jan 1, 2016

By T. R. Kostecki, K. V. Jessu

"Roof bolts are subjected to axial stresses, shear stresses, or both. Axial and shear stresses were compared between roof bolts machined with two and three slots. Shear stresses perpendicular to and at an angle to the shear planes were evaluated by analyzing a three-slot instrumented roof bolt, performing laboratory tests on two- and three-slot roof bolts, and conducting in-situ test analyses. Threeslot bolts appear to provide a complete bending strain profile, requiring no prior knowledge of the estimated shear-plane orientation. Minimum displacements occur in roof bolts installed perpendicular to rather than at an angle to the shear planes.RÉSUMÉ Les boulons d’ancrage dans le toit d’une mine sont sujets à des contraintes axiales, des contraintes de cisaillement ou les deux. On a comparé les contraintes axiales et de cisaillement de boulons d’ancrage usinés avec deux ou trois fentes. Les contraintes de cisaillement perpendiculaires et à angle aux plans de cisaillement ont été évaluées en analysant un boulon d’ancrage de toit à trois fentes, en effectuant des essais en laboratoire sur des boulons d’ancrage de toit à deux et à trois fentes et en effectuant des analyses de tests in situ. Les boulons à trois fentes semblent fournir un profil complet de résistance aux contraintes de flexion, sans avoir besoin de connaître l’orientation estimée du plan de cisaillement. Des déplacements minimums ont lieu dans les boulons d’ancrage de toit installés perpendiculairement, plutôt qu’à un angle, aux plans de cisaillement."

Jan 1, 2016

By A. Kowalski

Telvis Limited, manufacturer of an emergency communication dispatcher's broadcasting system, now introduces the possibility of a remote software upgrade to its devices. The paper presents methods, features and ways to accomplish this task. It describes the mechanisms used and the opportunities that arise from the use of this type of functionality. The mechanism software update presented applies to devices on the surface and in underground areas of mines. The electronics used currently allow the use of remote software updates, but the mining equipment makes little use of these methods. This paper aims to start the discussion on this topic and tries to lay the path of development by showing one of the first examples of the application.

Aug 1, 2013

By A. Fahr, T. Byczkowski, M. Genest, C. Mandache

"Layered aluminum structures assembled with rivets are often found in aircraft fuselage. These structures are exposed to various mechanical loads and a range of environmental conditions that contribute to their ""aging"". The rivet holes are the source of stress concentrations and the location of crack nucleation and growth. Detection and sizing of second and third layer cracks under fasteners represent a major challenge for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) technicians. Electromagnetic methods are currently the most feasible NDE techniques that are capable of successfully inspecting such structures. However, different probe lift-offs, due to protruding rivets and paint coatings, or interlayer separations, due to sealant or air gaps, pose difficulties in detecting and sizing cracks. In addition, the use of conventional eddy current technique is limited due to the inverse relationship between the probe spatial resolution and its field penetrability. In this paper, we present an alternative approach that overcomes the previously mentioned shortcomings by using pulsed eddy current excitation and magnetoresistive sensor pick-up. Various signal manipulations are employed for defect detection and quantification."

Jan 1, 2006

By B. Grinbaum, A. Mazuelos, F. Carranza, N. Iglesias, M. Avila, J. L. Lozano, G. Perez, R. Romero, M. \/aliente

Following a failure of a tailings pond darn at a mine in Andalusia, Spain, a huge effluent stream, that contained about 1 g/1 Zn and significant amounts of ferrous, ferric, calcium, copper, aluminium and manganese cations has to be treated, to prevent pollution of a nature reserve. EGMASA, as the regional government environmental agency, suggested to improve the current depuration process by recovery of the Zn from the effluent. A solvent extraction (SX) followed by electrowinning (EW) was proposed and developed to remove zinc.. A pre-treatment stage consisting in bio-oxidation of ferrous iron by using a bacterial process followed by an alkaline precipitation was employed because iron in the effluent is incompatible with both the SX and the EW processes. The SX process was developed successfully at the laboratory scale and verified in a pilot plant on-site, using two Bateman Pulsed Columns for extraction and stripping of zinc. The results were satisfactory obtaining a recovery of 90% of Zn. The process was suitable for industrial application.

Jan 1, 2008

By M. Choy, A. Kadiayi, E. Magdzinski

"Design of engineering controls to limit occupational noise exposure rely on accurate calculation inputs. Sound in mines can carry considerable distances. Mine ventilation engineers rely on noise propagation calculations to estimate silencer performance criteria for key mine fan installations that are often in proximity to occupied areas of a mine and can remain in service for decades. The blasted and rockbolted walls of hard rock mining tunnels have unique acoustical properties. Underground testing in an operating metal mine in Sudbury, Canada was performed and results processed to characterize noise propagation in mines, with the goal of improving the accuracy of noise calculations.INTRODUCTIONAs mine operators continue to improve and promote workplace safety, addressing noise at fixed infrastructure locations is observed as increasingly common. Underground fans are important to consider in this context, as they are typically loud, in proximity to occupied and sensitive workplaces, and operate nearly continuously. Predicting noise propagation from ventilation fans within underground mines has long been a challenge, with few available resources documenting acoustical properties as calculation inputs. Other factors in addition to rock face absorption properties include tunnel geometry and distance from the fan, which play critical roles in characterizing the noise level at any given point away from the fan. By understanding and establishing methods to better predict noise dissipation along underground mining tunnels, engineers can design noise controls with a greater degree of precision and confidence to effectively protect workers from over exposure to noise.This paper investigates classical methods of predicting reverberant room and direct field noise propagation. These prediction methods are then compared to noise measurements taken within the Fraser Mine of Glencore’s Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations (Sudbury INO) Measurements were taken at a depth of ~881 m (2,889 ft), along an ~300 m (984 ft) long blasted hard rock mining tunnel. The noise along the mine tunnel resulted from the intakes of two 900 kW (1,200 hp) ventilation fans with a combined exhaust capacity of 300 m3/s (630,000 cfm)."

Jan 1, 2019

By A. Giacomini, M. Nazem, E. Fathi Salmi

"Numerical simulation of collapse of tunnels in weak rocks is one of the challenging problems in rock mechanics. Collapse can impose technical and financial difficulties during the construction of underground excavations. This phenomenon, particularly in shallow excavations, may lead to propagation of a caved zone toward the surface and formation of chimney subsidence. Chimney subsidence has numerous catastrophic consequences such as the adverse environmental impacts and damage to surface structures in vicinity of excavations. Due to the importance of subsidence in civil engineering, the main goal of this study is to propose an appropriate method for preventing the formation of subsidence in shallow tunnels in weak rocks. The Dolaei road tunnel is investigated as a case study, where a large chimney subsidence has occurred. The geology of the area and the geostructural characteristics of the rock mass surrounding the tunnel are briefly reviewed in this paper. Two-dimensional as well as threedimensional numerical simulations are conducted to study the tunnel stability. Moreover, the effects of staged excavation and pre-supporting method on controlling the ground movements are studied. Outcomes of this study indicate that employing forepoling and staged excavation can be a practical remedy to control the ground movements and prevent the formation of chimney subsidence.INTRODUCTIONPredicting the formation of subsidence, mainly sinkhole subsidence over civil or mining excavations, is a very challenging task. An accurate prediction of subsidence is required for selecting an appropriate control and mitigation system to reduce the level of ground movements and its impact on the surface life (Bétournay et al. 1994; Leca and New 2007). Excavations, particularly in weak grounds, could result in surface subsidence; they modify the in-situ stress conditions as well as the hydrogeology of the area. Construction of unsupported excavations in soft soils and relatively weak rocks usually leads to the formation of a failure zone behind the face. In a very soft ground, the failure zone can extend towards the ground ahead of the tunnel face. Propagation of this zone toward the ground surface results in generation of sinkholes."

Jan 1, 2015

By Micheal Mayhew

"This presentation will provide information and facts on the drilling and blasting within a frozen shaft using a full face methodology. The Author will briefly discuss the history of the sinking of a frozen shaft in Saskatchewan, the challenges faced, and the solutions delivered. The case study will include a discussion describing the series of events that led to the decision to adopt a full face blasting methodology. The case study will describe key elements such as the drilling pattern, hole size and depth, explosive products and blast vibration monitoring systems. INTRODUCTION During the shaft sinking process at a project in Saskatchewan, it was recommended that a drill & blast benching method be utilized. Following an evaluation of the site, the geological conditions proved amenable to a ground freezing system that would stabilize the rock formations and prevent inflows of water into the shaft (Table 1).The shaft sinking process required that the ground surrounding the proposed shaft be frozen by drilling several near vertical freeze holes radially at a specified distance from the edge of the proposed shaft excavation. This would allow for the circulation of a chilled brine solution down the freeze holes. The circulation is achieved by means of stainless steel pipes encased within each other to provide a delivery and return conduit for the brine (Figure 1). As a result of this periphery freezing, the ground within the shaft excavation is also predominately frozen.The finished internal diameter of the shaft was 5.5 meters with varying overall excavation diameters to facilitate different liner designs used for various rock formations. For the most part, the fully unsupported/unfinished excavated diameter of the shaft varied from 6.9 meters to 8.5 meters depending on the zone excavated. The challenge was that the proposed drill and blast excavation method posed a significant risk due to the potential to damage the freeze wall and pipes during blasting. The decision was made to commence the excavation through mechanical excavation (i.e. chip and cut) methods then change to a drill and blast method utilizing a split benching design. Through this process, the team encountered five main challenges: 1. Sub-horizontal geological structures and slips that affected blasting performance and sometimes resulted in a sloping surface to the top of the bench; 2. Confined working area for the crews and equipment due to a limited work area as a result of utilizing the split (half) bench drill and blast methodology; 3. Mechanical chipping and cutting of the one-meter buffer zone to the final shaft diameter; 4. Crews working on extremely slippery uneven frozen rock and ice surfaces, which affected safety and efficiency; 5. Establishing a blast vibration monitoring system to determine if the drilling and blasting of the full shaft excavation diameter were acceptable."

Jan 1, 2019

By Alexander Burns, David Dreisinger

The kinetics of the oxidation of uranium(IV) by oxygen gas in aqueous systems is dependent on acid concentration, oxygen partial pressure, and temperature. In order to better understand the relationship between these variables and the speed of oxidation, a series of experiments have been conducted where each parameter has been varied in turn. Data were collected continuously using UVVis spectroscopy, allowing for a detailed examination of the reaction rate over the course of each experiment. The data fit an overall apparent rate law that is 1.5order in uranium(IV), -2order in H+, first order in oxygen, and unaffected by uranium(VI). This relationship does not appear to hold for solutions with <0.2 mol/L initial acid, where a different kinetic mechanism appears to be dominant.

Jan 1, 2014

By R Chandramohan

Comminution is the science of size reduction of brittle materials. It is integral to mineral extraction and is one of the most energy intensive processes in the mining industry. There are a number of tests used to quantify the strength of ore, which are then used to size the AG / SAG mill in circuit design. The calculated energy utilized for breakage in these devices is based on the assumptions that the materials treated are of average shape and that the processing equipment is designed to break the ore as efficiently as possible under the given operating conditions. In drop weight tests, it was found that shape significantly influences the measured rock strength. Controlled experiments with variations in blends of rock shape show that mill throughput increases with the addition of weaker shaped rocks.

Jan 1, 2012

By L. Zhu, S. Kaierle, M. Dahmen, C. Zimmermann, T. Haubold, I. Kelbassa, C. Mattern

Application of integrally bladed disks (blisks) is of increasing interest in compressors of aero engines. Blisks are preferred due to their potential for size and weight reduction, for increased performance and for reduced manufacturing costs compared to conventionally bladed disks. In case of a damage the blisk aerofoils cannot be simply replaced. If the damage is beyond acceptance or blending limits refurbishment is possible only by scrapping the whole blisk assembly, or more cost effective by the application of advanced weld repair methods. Weld repair of blisk aerofoils is challenging as it affects a critical part with specific requirements regarding its mechanical integrity, and as the accessibility is usually limited. The paper describes the ongoing development of advanced weld repair processes as part of a comprehensive repair strategy which have been developed for small-sized blisk assembly to give competitive maintenance cost.

Jan 1, 2006