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By Hugo Medina

Ante el grado de inflación económica en el país, se genera un incremento de precios en contratos mineros y cálculos de reintegros, donde es necesario el reajuste de precios mediante la aplicación del método usual consistente en la determinación del precio unitario reajustado como resultado del análisis del incremento en el precio de cada uno de sus elementos constitutivos. En ese sentido, el presente texto señala la teoría y el análisis comparativo entre el método actualmente utilizado y el de la fórmula de reajuste de precios para así demostrar la conveniencia del método adecuado de reajuste en los contratos mineros.

Nov 1, 1980

By D. Z. Mraz, R. S. Jones

Unlike in coal mines where caving methods are used, the subsidence over potash mines in Saskatchewan, Canada, is a function of gradual mining convergence. Because of the presence of high pressure water aquifers over the evaporite salt formations, the mines have to be designed as regionally stable and no caving is allowed. The extracted area converges gradually and the convergence is mainly a function of the extraction and the mining method employed. Consequently, the subsidence rate is very slow and the bridging of the over-lying strata is a considerably more important phenomenon than elsewhere. The paper evaluates a case history of convergence and subsidence in a deep potash mine in Saskatchewan.

Jan 1, 1986

By A. D. Davis

The former Homestake gold mine at Lead, South Dakota, has been selected by the National Science Foundation as the proposed host site for the Deep Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory. The deep laboratory and associated research campus will be developed at approximately the 7700-ft level. Plans also include the development of the Sanford Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory at the 4850-ft level. After the mine?s pumps were shut off in June, 2003, water levels rose to approximately the 4650-ft level by early 2008. Pumps in the 8150-ft deep mine were turned on again for dewatering in April, 2008. Instrumentation is being installed in the mine to measure water-level declines during pumping, for later analysis of permeability and related hydraulic properties of the formation. Pressure-sensitive transducers and data loggers will provide real-time information on water levels that will be available to interested parties. Quality of the water also will be monitored as it is pumped from the mine. I

Jan 1, 2009

Henry Walker Eltin (HWE) are the mining contractors for Gloucester Coal at Stratford mine, which is in an environmentally sensitive area in the Avon Valley, NSW, Australia. Normal blasting at Stratford is done in a “stand up” or “box cut” mode to suit the truck and shovel operations. Recently an opportunity of doing a throw blast became available when part of a ramp had to be blasted to accommodate changes to the pit design while not damaging the remainder of the ramp. The objective was to maximise throw into the void in order to minimise excavation costs by reducing the amount of overburden to be moved by the excavation fleet. It was necessary that the best result be achieved while staying within the vibration and airblast limits at a neighbouring property and nearby township. Both objectives were achieved through the application of Orica’s knowledge of blast design, modelling and i-konTM electronic detonators.

Jan 1, 2003

Etching solutions containing hexavalent chromium ions (e.g., chromic acid) are used in brass finishing, printed circuit board etching, preparation of plastic for plating, anodizing, and various other industrial surface treatment operations. As the solutions are used, hexavalent chromium ions are reduced to their trivalent state, contaminants accumulate in the solution, and the effective acid concentration is reduced. When the etching rate becomes unsatisfactory for the particular operation, the solutions are discarded. This is a problem because the discarded solutions are pollutants, and because replacing the etching solution is expensive. The Bureau of Mines has developed a process for regenerating these spent solutions and returning them to the surface treatment operation without interrupting the etching process. An electrolysis cell containing anode and cathode compartments that are separated by permeable membranes, is used for regenerating the spent solutions. The spent chromic acid solution is fed to the anode compartment and sui (uric acid is circulated in the cathode compartment. Application of a steady electrical potential of a few volts dc across the electrodes causes the copper ions and other contaminants in the spent solution to migrate through the membrane to the cathode compartment where copper is plated onto the cathode. Zinc and the other contaminants remain in the sulfuric acid. At the same time, the complex, trivalent chromium ions in the spent solution are attracted to the anode where they are oxidized to their original hexavalent state. The regenerated solution in the anode compartment is then recycled back to the plant?s etching operation for reuse.

Jan 1, 1980

By Harald Ludwig

In 2002, excavation support work commenced on the Capitol Visitor Center project located adjacent to the nation?s Capitol building in Washington, D.C. The outlying work (Slurry Wall Work at Main Site is not discussed) consisted of providing excavation support for a new truck tunnel approximately 1900 feet long up to 50 feet deep as well as support for the new underground auditorium and Library of Congress tunnel. The excavation support consisted of a combination of conventional drilled in soldier beams, lagging, tiebacks and braces; intricate underpinning inside the existing Capitol building; support of an existing Russell Tunnel; soil nailing and tiebacks underneath the existing Russell Tunnel; two temporary bridges; and a deep soil mixed wall with lateral support provided by braces. As part of an on-going research program, some of these braces were instrumented with strain gauges. The deep soil mixed wall was approximately 300 feet long and 65 feet deep on either side of the truck tunnel. Approximately 34,000 sf of deep soil mixed wall, 90,000 sf of conventional excavation support, 200 braces, and 320 tiebacks were installed. This paper describes the large scope and breadth of the project that required a variety of excavation support techniques. A few of the challenges in designing and installing the support of excavation are discussed. This paper also presents the results of the instrumentation program conducted on the deep soil mixed wall, which stood open for more than a year.

Jan 1, 2006

The status and outlook for mining, in your view. Minerals remain a major part of the world’s economic foundation. The fortunes of the mining industry rise and fall with general economic trends, but mining is no less important today on a global basis than it has been historically. Certainly, portions of the industry are critically depressed — domestic copper to name one area —but other sectors are prospering. Mineral consumption, both worldwide and in the United States, has increased steadily since the Great Depression, hitting all-time highs in 2000, the last year for which I have seen data. The highly developed economy in the United States tends to obscure the continuing importance of minerals here. But in less developed nations the critical nature of minerals is obvious and well accepted. In short, although there is no shortage of problems or challenges facing mining — there never has been — mining remains an essential business with great global opportunity.

Jan 1, 2003

By G. W. Jones

In the course of experiments on the stabilization of acetylene gas by addition of other gases, notably hydrocarbons such as methane, propane, and butane, it was observed that large quantities of carbon black are produced during the explosion of acetylene or mixtures of acetylene with the, above hydrocarbons, the added hydrocarbon being essentially decomposed into hydrogen and carbon. It is known that in the complete absence of air acetylene explodes upon application of an intense ignition source at pressure above 5.9 p.s.i. gage. The same is true of mixtures of hydrocarbons and acetylene. However, the pressures necessary for explosion are considerably higher in the case of these mixtures and depend on the amount of added hydrocarbon. The present report contains data on gaseous products and the physical characteristics of the carbon black formed by explosion at elevated pressures of various mixtures of acetylene and hydrocarbons as well as other gases, such as hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.

Jan 1, 1950

By Richard Maurice

RÉSUMÉ La restauration du site minier Poirier, à Joutel s?est déroulée entre 1998 et 2001. Le principal élément des travaux a été la restauration du parc à résidus et des zones d?épanchement qui totalisaient 4,5 millions tonnes de résidus répartis sur une superficie de 74 hectares. Les résidus sont fortement générateurs de drainage minier acide. La première partie de la présentation consiste en un bref rappel du concept de restauration suivi d?une description des principaux éléments de travaux avec l?emphase sur les leçons apprises de l?exécution des travaux. La deuxième partie de la présentation est axée sur les résultats du programme de suivi en cours depuis la fin des travaux en 2001. Les éléments de suivi se rapportent à la baisse du niveau de la nappe phréatique à l?intérieur de la cellule, au tassement des résidus dans la cellule, aux mesures de température et d?oxygène à l?intérieur de la cellule et finalement à l?amélioration dans la qualité de l?eau de surface. ABSTRACT The reclamation of Poirier Mine, in Joutel, was carried out between 1998 and 2001. The main component of the works has been the reclamation of the tailings basin and tailings spill area which contained a total of 4,5 million tonnes of tailings and occupied some 74 hectares of ground surface. The mine tailings are highly acid-generating. The first part of the presentation will deal with a brief review of the reclamation plan followed by a short description of the main work components laying emphasis on experience gained during construction. The second part of the presentation will deal with the results obtained from the environmental monitoring program still in progress since the end of reclamation work in 2001. The aspects discussed include the drawdown of pore water inside the covered tailing pile, the settlement of mine waste material, the monitoring of moisture, temperature and oxygen underneath the liner and finally, the reduction of loadings in surface water.

Nov 1, 2002

By Henry Luna

El Instituto Nacional de Concesiones y Catastro Minero – (INACC ) busca mejorar el acceso de la información sobre los derechos mineros y áreas restringidas de la actividad minera del país a los usuarios, órganos concentrados y gobierno regional a través del "e-catastro minero" como herramienta informática que grafica la información alfa numérica digitalmente. En ese sentido, el presente texto plantea el "e-catastro minero" como una herramienta de fácil acceso que permite a cualquier usuario superponer varias capas de información y así tomar decisiones para el ejercicio de las actividades mineras de cateo, prospección, exploración, explotación, transporte y beneficio de minerales.

Sep 19, 2006

By M. H. Farjadi, J. Azari

Cost analysis of chrome ore reduction is one of the important issues facing ferrochrome producers in today?s competitive environment. Much of this depends on quality and various ratios in the actual ore. The latter can have a direct bearing on electricity consumption and optimum efficiency of the furnaces. While the industry has been successful in reducing costs by designing larger and more efficient furnaces, the role of the optimum blend of ore has perhaps been given less emphasis. This paper will discuss the general specification and metallurgical characteristics of various chrome ores for producing high carbon ferrochromium on industrial scale. By analysing the results obtained from smelting, including chromium recovery and energy consumption, the determining parameters in total cost of ferrochromium i.e. chrome ore; reductant and energy consumption can be optimized. Our study is based on actual experiences obtained from Faryab Ferroalloy Plant over a period of approximately three years.

Jan 1, 2004

By Christopher Mark

Colombia is 11th largest coal producing nation in the world, and the world?s fifth largest coal exporter. But while most of Colombia?s coal is mined at large modern surface mines located near the Caribbean coast, there are also underground mines that produce high-grade metallurgical coal. These mines employ traditional hand-loading techniques in a variety of geologic environments, and they have some of the highest accident rates of any Colombian industry. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has been collaborating with POSITIVA, the primary provider of worker?s compensation insurance to the Colombian underground coal industry, to reduce the economic and social cost of rock falls in these mines. The specific goals of the collaboration are to 1) document practices and conditions in Colombian underground coal mines, 2) identify relevant international best practices, and 3) provide recommendations for developing a national campaign to reduce fatalities and injuries associated with roof falls. NIOSH conducted a survey of seven underground coal mines in four separate coalfields. Five of the mines were characterized by steep dips and weak roof and floor rock. The coal was loaded by hand at all seven mines, though two employed partially mechanized longwall techniques. Wood posts were by far the most common ground support. Roof bolts were not observed in use at any of the mines, and they are unlikely to replace timbers any time soon. While long-term entries generally appeared to be adequately supported, the survey found that less attention was paid to the temporary support that is installed right after the coal is removed. This temporary support is critical for protecting the workers from rock falls, however, because with hand-loading mining methods most of the activity takes place between the permanent supports and face. The study concluded that improving the temporary support in the working faces would be the most effective way to reduce the number of rock fall injuries. The key principle should be that every worker is protected by planned roof support at all times. Ground Support Management Plans, consisting of specific rules about when, where, and what roof support is to be installed, should be the focus of the campaign. Each Plan should be tailored to a specific mine based on the geologic conditions and mining methods in use. The Plan provides miners with clear, simple rules that can be easily understood, while management can easily check to see if it is being followed. Ground Support Management Plans will also provide the campaign with a concrete focus for the necessary cultural change.

Jan 1, 2014

By Suthan Pooranampillai

This paper presents a case study of the use of single axis cement deep soil mixing (CDSM) to deal with static settlement and seismic stability of the foundation soils under a reinforced soil slope (RSS) embankment up to 50 feet high. As part of the widening of Interstate 5 (I-5) to allow High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes in Tacoma, Washington, a new approach and span over the Puyallup River will be constructed. During the soils investigation and design phase of the project, low plasticity silts (ML) inter-bedded with silty sand layers and organic silt where identified as being potentially liquefiable. CDSM was selected to address the embankment foundation concerns and allow for future trenchless installation of utility lines beneath the embankment. The presence of a confined, artesian aquifer within the design depth of the CDSM led to the installation of a depressurization system to avoid an upward gradient through the wet soil-cement. In addition to addressing the design approach, the paper discusses the challenges associated with quality assurance of CDSM within the time constraints of an ongoing project. The limited recovery rate of conventional triple tube coring in the soil-cement and double tube wet sampling led to the use of sonic coring to provide a near continuous core of the soil-cement.

By Jan E. Nesset, L. Paul Staples

"High Gradient Magnetic Separation (HGMS) technology, although developed over 2 decades ago, has not been widely applied to the separation of sulphide minerals. Under conditions of strong magnetic field gradients, weakly magnetic minerals such as chalcopyrite (CuFeS2) and marmatite (Zn(Fe)S, sphalerite with iron in solid solution) behave paramagnetically and can be effectively separated from diamagnetic minerals such as galena (PbS). The application of this technology to the separation of Cu-Pb and Zn-Pb bearing streams in the treatment of fine grained complex sulphides may in some cases be more effective than separation by flotation. A 2 TPH Sala HGMS pilot plant was operated at Brunswick for a nine month period, ending in March 1995. The testing demonstrated the mechanical reliability of the technology, the consistency of operating results and the scale up from laboratory testing. HGMS is seen as a complimentary technology to flotation, best suited to performing those separations of galena (and other diamagnetics) which flotation does not do as well.IntroductionBackgroundSince the turn of the century, the magnetic character or magnetic susceptibilities of minerals have been determined with increasing precision and accuracy. Figure 1 illustrates specific magnetic susceptibilities of some common minerals. As long as susceptibility ranges do not overlap, separation is possible.In 1937, the principle of using a magnetizable matrix material in a magnetic field to increase both magnetic flux density gradients and number of capture sites for susceptible minerals was first applied (Frantz). It was not until the 1970's, however, that the genuine development of wet high gradient magnetic separation began with the introduction of very fine matrix materials to the magnetized volume of large solenoid magnets. Today, dozens of HGMS units purify, filter and separate minerals, primarily for the removal of iron stained minerals from clays used in the paper coating and china clay industries and for the recovery of fine titanium and iron oxides in the iron ore industry. Only the Garpenburg mill in Sweden is currently applying a continuous HGMS machine to separate complex sulphide minerals; upgrading a lead concentrate since 1988."

Jan 1, 1996

By F. A. Crossley

The titanium-rich end of the Ti-A1 system has been investigated up to 35 at. pct A1 (23 wt pet). One conzpound Ti3Al was found to occur between primary a and TiAl. It is ordered hcp with DO19 structure, it has virtually no solid-solubility range, and it has a closed maximum at about 875°C. OIL either side of the compound are a +Ti3Al two-phase fields. The limiting a1uminum solubility in primary a at the titanium-rich end is indicated to be 7.5 at. pct A1 (4.4 wt pet) at 550°C and about 6.8 at. pct Al fl wt pct) at 500°C. Quenching alloys from above the a + Ti3Al two-phase field produces the following structures with respect to alloy composition: Up to 13 at. pct A1 (7.8 wt pet), a solid solution; from 15 to 18 at. pct A1 (9 to 11 wt pct), shear transformation product or martensite; from 19 to approximately 30 at. pct (11 to 19 wt pet), submicro-scopic coherent Ti3Al in an a malvix. The twin hcp phase fields reported in the literature are the result of nonequilibrium corzdztions. Ti-A1 alloys, once partitioned by dwelling- in the a + ß phase field during either hot working or heat treatment, are extremely difjicult to homogenize at temperatures below 1000°C. Such partitioned alloys exhibit the characteristics or symptoms of two-phase materials, and may be said to suffer the "twin-phase syndrome". THE earliest investigations of the Ti-A1 system by Ogden et al.1 and Bumps et al.2 reported wide solubility of the primary solid solutions. Aluminum was reported soluble in the low-temperature allomorph to the extent of 37 at. pct (25 wt pct), and the first intermediate phase was reportedly TiA1. Somewhat later Kornilov et al.3 reported a similar diagram with phase boundaries displaced towards lower aluminum contents and higher temperatures. Beginning about this time (1956) reports in the literature made it very clear that one or more intermediate phases occurred at lower aluminum contents than TiAl.4-17 These reports included five major investigations of the titanium-rich end of the Ti-A1 diagram.4,12,14,16,17 Three of these diagrams show two two-phase fields below 37 at. pct Al, while two of them show a single two-phase field. The existence of the phase Ti3A1 is firmly established and is included in each of the diagrams, except one—that of Sato and Huang.12 The new phases are reportedly hcp and differ from primary a only slightly when disordered, and when ordered the "a" parameter is approximately one,4,12,15 two, 6-10,13,14 or four14 times that for primary a. Beyond this, however, the diagrams are remarkable for their lack of agreement. Two tacit assumptions are usually made in phase-diagram determinations of metal systems. These are: 1) equilibrium anneals bring the alloy to equilibrium or to indistinguishable closeness to it, and 2) equilibrium conditions established at elevated temperatures are either "frozen" by rapid quenching for evaluation at room temperature, or quench-transformation products are recognized as such. In the current investigation evidence was obtained that over substantial composition ranges neither of these two conditions was met in any of the more recent major investigations. I) MATERIALS, METHODS, AND TECHNIQUES The alloys of this investigation were prepared by nonc on sum able electrode arc melting. Materials used in the preparation of the alloys are summarized in Table I. The investigative tools employed were: optical and electron microscopy, differential thermal analysis (DTA), disatometry, X-ray diffraction, electron diffraction, and resistometry. Alloys for microscopic and X-ray investigations were prepared as 15-g melts. Alloys containing from 7 through 11 at. pct A1 were hot-rolled out of a furnace at 900°C, from 12 through 15 at. pct out of a furnace at 1000°C, and from 16 through 18 at. pct out of a furnace at 1125°C. Alloys containing more than 18 at. pct A1 could not be hot-rolled. The ingots were covered with Markal coating prior to hot rolling to minimize atmospheric contamination. After hot rolling, alloys containing up to 15 at. pct A1 were ground and pickled to remove 7 mils from each surface; alloys containing 16 and 18 at. pct A1 were skinned to a

Jan 1, 1967

By A S. Leitch

This paper is based on the accident prevention pro-gram carried out in the coal mines of Alberta. It defines the role of the Alberta Mines Branch and of The Work-men's Compensation Board, and relates how a safety pro-gram was initiated. The formation of the Alberta Class 1 Mining Safety Council is also described. The responsibilities of both management and the individual worker are then outlined, and the main features of a successful accident prevention program are delineated. T HE purpose of this paper is not to repeat generalities and platitudes about industrial safety, but rather to relate the experience of Alberta coal mines during the past number of years in their efforts to keep accidents to a minimum. It has been learned from experience that many basic principles are as sound today as they were 20 years ago. How-ever the complexities of modern mining methods and the modern man or miner have created problems that did not exist then.

Jan 1, 1964

By G. R. Belton, R. J. Fruehan

The Knudsen cell-mass spectrometer combimtion has been used to study the Fe-Al and Ag-Al liquid alloys. By application of the recently developed integration technique to the measured ion-current ratios, activities have been derived for the Fe-A1 system at 1600° C and for the Ag-Al system at 1340"C. The results are partially represented by the following equations: Internal consistency between the data on silver-rich and iron-rich alloys is demonstrated by application of the literature measurements on the distribution of aluminum between the nearly immiscible liquids iron and silver. The usual restrictions on the ratio of the mean free path of the escaping atoms to the orifice diameter of the Knudsen cell are shown not to be limiting in this technique. DESPITE the importance of a knowledge of the activity of aluminum in understanding deoxidation equilibria in molten steel, no direct studies have been made of activities in liquid Fe-A1 alloys at steel-making temperatures. Lower-temperature direct studies have, however, been carried out on aluminum-rich liquid alloys by Gross, Levi, Dewing, and Eilson' at 1300°C and by Coskun and Elliott' at 1315°C. Apart from phase diagram calculations by Pehlke, other determinations have been indirect and were made by measurement of the distribution of aluminum between iron and silver475 and combination of these data with extrapolated activities in the Ag-A1 system.~-% ecently, however, Woolley and Elliott have made a significant contribution by directly measuring heats of solution in the Fe-A1 system at 1600°C. The present authorslo have recently employed a Knudsen cell-mass spectrometer technique in a study of activities in iron-based liquid alloys. In this technique activities and heats of solution are determined from a series of measurements of the ratio of ion currents of the components; and since ion-current ratios are used, problems caused by changes in instrument sensitivity or cell geometry are overcome. Results obtained for the Fe-Ni system were found to be in excellent agreement with previous work, thus demonstrating the reliability of the method. The present paper describes a similar study of activities in the liquid Fe-A1 and Ag-A1 systems, this latter system being included in order that a meaningful comparison can be made with the above-mentioned indirect studies. INTEGRATION EQUATIONS A detailed derivation of the equations used to determine the thermodynamic properties from the measured ion current ratios has been given elsewhere;'' however it is useful to summarize them here. By the combination of the Gibbs-Duhem equation with the direct proportionality between ion-current ratios and partial pressure ratios, it was shown that for a binary system at constant temperature and pressure: where al is the activity of component 1 with pure substance as the standard state, N, is the atom fraction of component 2 in the solution, and I; and t'2 are ion currents of given isotopes of the components. The activity coefficient is given by: this latter equation being more suitable for graphical integration. Combination of Eq. [l] with the Gibbs-Helmholtz equation gives an expression for the partial molar heat of mixing: EXPERIMENTAL A Bendix Time-of-Flight mass spectrometer model 12! fitted with a 107 ion source and a M-105-G-6 electron multiplier, was used to analyze the vapor effusing from the Knudsen cell. The arrangement of the Knudsen cell assembly was essentially that of the commercial instrument (Bendix model 1030) but with several modifications. Instead of heating with a single tungsten filament, a cylindrical tantalum-mesh heater was employed. Up to 1400°C simple resistance heating was used but above this temperature electron bombardment between the tantalum mesh and the tantalum cell susceptor was necessary. The temperature was measured by means of a Leeds and Northrup disappear ing-filament type optical pyrometer sighted on an essentially black-body hole in the side of the cell. Details of the temperature control, temperature measurement, and in situ calibration of the optical pyrometer can be found elsewhere.I0 In the investigation of the Fe-A1 system the Knudsen cells were constructed of thoria crucibles with fitted thoria lids (Zircoa). The cells employed in investigating the Ag-A1 alloys were made up of high-purity alumina crucibles (Morganite) with lids of recrystal-lized alumina (Lucalox). The cells were 0.370 in.

Jan 1, 1970

By Nickolas J. Themelis

Nearly thirty two million tons of municipal solid wastes (MSW) are combusted annually in over one hundred U.S. Waste-to-Energy (WTE) power plants, thus reducing the use of fuel oil by about 1.6 billion gallons of fuel oil One of the advanced WTE processes is the 0.9-million ton/y SEMASS facility at Rochester, Mass. Most of the combustion in the three giant combustion chambers occurs while the injected shredded wastes are in suspension, i.e., in flash combustion mode. The velocity, temperature, and concentration profiles in the SEMASS combustion chamber were simulated by representing the combustible fraction of MSW by the simplified formula C6HIO04 and using the CFD program Fluent to solve the turbulent energy and mass transport equations. After validation against plant data, this model will be used to examine options for increasing the productivity of WTE combustion chambers, such as optimum distribution of primary and secondary air and oxygen enrichment.

Jan 1, 2003

By Moi Arzamendi, Jose Ramirez, Kenneth Kniss, Sunil Arora, James Gingery

Construction of a new approach embankment for a railroad bridge over a river in Southern California required placing up to 12 ft of fill over soft to medium stiff silts and clays along an approximate 1,500-ft long stretch. The embankment, situated within a narrow railroad right-of-way between an existing live track and existing buildings, would have been susceptible to excessive settlement that could damage existing buildings and numerous underground utilities if regular weight soil fill had been placed over the unimproved ground. To limit total and differential static settlements to tolerable levels, a design was developed using a combination of mechanically stabilized earth wall with lightweight cellular concrete fill and rigid inclusions ground improvement. This paper describes the design of the ground improvement system, construction methods used, and challenges of working next to live railroad traffic. Ground improvement quality control and assurance measures, and verification of performance by settlement monitoring are also addressed. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND The 0.9-mile San Diego River Double Track (SDRDT) project is located on the Los Angeles-San Diego- San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) Corridor in San Diego, California. The project includes the replacement of the existing 900-ft long single track railroad bridge over the San Diego River with twin double track structures. Construction of the project is phased and closely coordinated with the associated Mid-Coast light rail project (San Diego Trolley Blue Line Extension). The new bridge is a 7-span, twin steel, through girder structure supported by six cast-in-place reinforced concrete pier caps and two abutments. The large diameter cast-in-drilled-hole (CIDH) foundations are up to 9 ft in diameter, with upper portions encased in a 1.5-in.-thick permanent steel casing. The north abutment approach embankment includes a mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) retaining wall up to approximately 10 ft high and 1,520 ft long. This paper focuses on the design and construction of the north approach embankment. The project site is characterized by challenging geotechnical and seismic conditions. The site contains liquefiable soils interbedded with soft cohesive soils, underlain by competent layers of sand/gravel/cobble and other sedimentary formations. Static settlement of the new railroad, crossing utilities and adjacent buildings was a primary design concern for the north approach embankment.

Jan 1, 2018

By Nickolas J. Themelis

Nearly thirty two million tons of municipal solid wastes (MSW) are combusted annually in over one hundred U.S. Waste-to-Energy (WTE) power plants, thus reducing the use of fuel oil by about 1.6 billion gallons of fuel oil. One of the advanced WTE processes is the 0.9-million ton/y SEMASS facility at Rochester. Mass. Most of the combustion in the three giant combustion chambers occurs while the injected shredded wastes are in suspension, i.e .? in flash combustion mode. The velocity. temperature, and concentration profiles in the SEMASS combustion chamber were simulated by representing the combustible fraction of MSW by the simplified formula C6HIO04 and using the CFD program Fluent to solve the turbulent energy and mass transport equations. After validation against plant data. this model will be used to examine options for increasing the productivity of WTE combustion chambers, such as optimum distribution of primary and secondary air and oxygen enrichment.

Jan 1, 2003