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The extractive industry has the potential to impact the health and well-being of workers, families and surrounding communities. In the current environment of social performance, project planning considers that activities should be conducted in the best environmentally, socially and economically acceptable way across the development cycle (i.e. from exploration ? post-closure). In this context, health impacts of mining can be mapped and extend over the Life of the Community and can encompass worker injury and disease, exposure to communicable and non-communicable diseases, and health outcomes specific to family and community health and well-being outside the fence. To contribute to an emerging field focused on Health and the Extractive Industry, this paper reviews and compares health activities extracted from social and environmental reports published by selected major mining, oil and gas companies with operations in Australia and Canada. The objective of this review is to map corporate approaches to public health management across our previously developed Life-of-Mine within Life-of-Community (LOMLOC) framework in order to identify and compare trends and behaviour in corporate health investments across the project cycle, as well as identify the level of prevention targeted by this investment activity (i.e. primary, secondary and tertiary prevention of detrimental health impact). With the extractive industry facing ongoing rapid growth worldwide, this paper provides preliminary comparative information about corporate health spending by some companies in Australia and Canada. This information serves as a resource for minerals industry managers, civil society and regulators regarding current health management approaches in this sector.

Aug 1, 2013

By D. W. Li

Due to the ultrasonic testing and mechanical wind speed sensor have high requirement for the environmental of the coal mine, the charge induction wind speed detection method based on wavelet analysis is proposed. The same wavelet disturbance detection method is used at a fixed distance to obtain an induction signal to obtain a pass time, and then calculate the magnitude and speed of the wind. Simulation and verification experiments show that the method has application across a wide range of test speeds (up to 60 m/s). The metal probe causes little pipeline flow field interference. The method is particularly well-suited to dusty environment, and does not cause dust deposition through long-term operation. It can be widely used in coal mines for point wind speed continuous online testing.

Aug 1, 2013

By T. Majcherczyk

Shaft lining reinforcing analysis of two shafts under construction has been presented in this study. The first shaft was driven from the surface, while the second was deepened. Mining and geological conditions have been studied with respect to the lining capacity. The improvement of shaft stability comprised two elements, i.e. reinforcement of the shaft lining capacity and improvement of the strength properties of the rock mass. In both tested cases, the particular hazard was connected with non uniform loadings of the lining, which could generate shearing stresses within lining structure. Thus such elements as armored concrete with high strength properties, bolting and injection sealing of the rock mass, and the use of special ring reinforcing the shaft lining have been used in order to reinforce the shaft-rock mass system. Practical conclusions related with new technological solutions, allowing the rock mass and shaft lining reinforcement, have been included for the present study. Practical conclusions related with new technological solutions, allowing for rock mass and shaft lining reinforcement, have been also included to the present study.

Aug 1, 2013

By Philippe Angers

This article analyzes the social acceptability process of a mining project located in an existing city. It will explore how the principles of sustainable development have been integrated in the project of the Canadian Malartic open pit mine held by the Osisko Mining Corporation, and the corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives proposed to strengthen the social acceptability of the project. This mine is located on the ancient south quarter of Malartic and has required the displacement of hundred of houses and five institutions. The location and the inherent social impacts generated by the relocation of the citizens of the south quarter makes this case particularly interesting to understand social dynamics in an era of environmental consciousness. These major constraints of the mine generate high expectations within the urban population with regard to the social and economic benefits it will receive from the project. In a context where society demands higher CSR from the corporation, Osisko is closely followed regarding their actions toward the sustainable development principles to see if they respect the environment and the desires of the community. From the beginning, the company had to be a model of sustainable development in various aspects reflected by the manifold interest of the population. To understand the endeavor made by the company to fulfill the demand of CSR, we will analyze how the company understood sustainable development principles and what CSR initiatives Osisko company put forward. We will explore the involvement of the company in various social aspects like employment, employee satisfaction, and the level of commitment to non-discrimination policy in employment, notably with the native populations. We will also take a closer look at the relationship built by the company with the community and the level of commitment with the various stakeholders of the community. In this way, we will be able to seize the level of involvement of the company in the fulfillment of the principles of sustainable development toward a higher CSR, and to specify the trajectory adopted to build social acceptance.

Aug 1, 2013

By G. Lafont

Aug 1, 2013

By H. G. Wang

The production process of a coal mine can often be interrupted by all kinds of events scheduled or unscheduled and thus often needs gas drainage for a temporary or long-term sealed area. Gas drainage has a relatively high risk, therefore attention must be paid to its design to keep the process safe. Based on the conservation laws of mass and constituents, and under the conditions of the allowable gas concentration limit in the return air route, the relationship between gas concentration and gas drainage flow rate as a function of time during the drainage process is discussed in detail to build a mathematical model of gas drainage from a sealed area. With respect to the gas drainage process, two different conditions need to be considered: one with a methane free fresh air supply, the other with a low gas concentration. This paper presents the derived mathematical models for these situations and then shows that they can be incorporated into one model with some modification. This combined model can be employed to determine the optimum gas drainage flow rate with the shortest drainage time. The application is coded using the C# programming language within the .NET framework. Finally, the application program developed by the author is used to validate the mathematical model through an example of gas drainage with varying rate.

Aug 1, 2013

By V. Gangrade

Recirculation is the major concern associated with the utilization of booster fans. In controlled recirculation, a portion of the return air is purposely mixed with the intake air and the mixture is directed towards a working district, while the air quantity and gas concentrations in the air are closely monitored and managed. The objectives of this study were to determine the gas concentration in intake and return airways during controlled recirculation, and to determine the recirculation fraction for multiple headings. Experiments were conducted in a laboratory model to determine the effect of controlled recirculation on the quality of air circulated through the working faces. Preliminary results showed that recirculation is beneficial to ventilation planning because it reduces the build-up of air contaminants at the working faces and reduces the overall power consumptions. The experimental results were used to quantify the recirculation fraction and to calibrate ventilation models of the laboratory model. These models are used to simulate the controlled recirculation and to predict the gas concentrations in multiple headings.

Aug 1, 2013

By Greg Yuriy

Over the past two decades, Vale Canada has used discrete-event simulation in a key role to support many underground mining studies. Traditionally, general purpose simulation software was developed for manufacturing and service applications. Not until recently have Mine Designers and Simulation Specialists been able to model the dynamics of underground mining scenarios without extensive manipulation of the inherent tools and entities contained within these simulation environments. This paper discusses Vale Canada?s past experiences with a variety of simulation software, describing model development methods and highlighting some of the lessons learned. The paper concludes with a review of recently considered software and provides a framework of desired attributes/functions for modeling mining scenarios.

Aug 1, 2013

By Hevina S. Dashwood

This paper proposes to build on my previous research (Dashwood 2012), which analyzed how and why the norm of sustainable development became institutionalized in the global collaborative corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of major mining companies. Since the late 1990s, the majority of major global mining companies have employed the norm of sustainable development to frame their individual CSR policies and to inform industry collaboration at the global level through the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM). This paper proposal seeks to address lingering questions from that research, by developing an explanation for how the normative frame of sustainable development has translated into specific CSR standards adopted by the mining industry. Preliminary findings suggest that, although the global mining industry has reached broad consensus on the meaning of sustainable development in the context of mining, there remains considerable variation between mining companies in terms of which specific global standards they adopt. As members of the ICMM, major mining companies are required to report according to the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) indicators relevant to mining, and there has been wide-spread up-take of the ISO 14,001 environmental management system standard. However, other global standards, such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards and the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, have not been uniformly adopted by the mining industry. What explains this variation? The paper employs a three-level institutional framework (rational choice institutionalism, historical institutionalism and the ?new? institutionalism in organization theory) to explain the influences on the adoption of CSR standards in the global mining sector. Existing research confirms that institutional context is an important factor in explaining CSR adoption in the mining sector (Dashwood 2012). Are similar forces at work in explaining the variation in adoption of specific CSR standards? A three-level institutional analysis lends itself to uncovering influences both external to mining companies (such as pressures from stakeholders), as well as internal company dynamics (such as managerial discretion). Furthermore, the framework can incorporate dynamics operating at the global level (such as isomorphism), the national level (such as the regulatory regime) and the local level (such as community needs and environmental challenges). The theoretical significance of this framework is that the influences on CSR adoption are more complex than can be explained in a single approach (such as narrow rational choice/cost benefit explanations). On a practical level, insights into how global standards get interpreted and acted upon by individual companies could lead to the development of more appropriate and effective global standards.

Aug 1, 2013

By Jun Dai

Based upon research findings from several countries, the combination of microwave and mechanical means to break hard rock holds promise for the future. To achieve this goal, it is essential to understand the laws governing strength reduction of hard rock, such as granite, induced by microwave irradiation. Two aspects to consider are: 1) laws associated with the tensile strength of hard rock after microwave irradiation and 2) the sensitivity of different types of rock strengths to microwave energy. In this study, granite with a range of tensile strengths was exposed to microwaves for various time periods to compare the response of rocks with different strength values exposed to the same microwave irradiation. In addition, a method based on hotspots is presented to explain the mechanism by which granite strength is reduced by microwave irradiation. Granite extracted from Qinling Mountain in Shaanxi Province, China is used in the research. ?50 × 50 mm cylindrical granite specimens were exposed to microwaves at a specific power level. The strength values of the heated granite specimens were compared with those of unheated specimens. Through the comparison and analyses, relationships were determined between 1) reduction in granite strength and microwave irradiation time period, and 2) granite strength and sensitivity to a given energy of microwave irradiation. Finally, a mechanism to explain the experimental results is proposed. Research findings will aid in the design of a microwave + machine rock-breaking system for use in rock breakage in underground mines at depth and for future mine applications on earth and other planets. In addition, the experimental approach could be used to test other rock types to further our understanding of rock damage induced by microwave irradiation.

Aug 1, 2013

By A. Motamedi

Indoor localization has gained importance as it has the potential to improve various processes related to the lifecycle management of facilities and to deliver personalized and location-based services. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) based systems, on the other hand, have been widely used in different applications in construction and maintenance. This paper investigates the usage of RFID technology for indoor localization of RFID equipped movable assets during the operation phase of facilities. The location-related data on RFID tags attached to fixed assets are extracted from a Building Information Model (BIM) and can provide context-aware information inside the building which can improve Facilities Management (FM) processes. The paper proposes a new approach to use received signals from available reference tags in the building attached to fixed assets to locate movable assets. The approach uses signal pattern matching and clustering algorithms for localization. As a result, a user equipped with an RFID reader is able to estimate the location of target assets, without having access to any Real- Time Location System (RTLS) infrastructure. A case study is performed to demonstrate the feasibility of proposed methods.

Aug 1, 2013

By Ramsey Hart

MiningWatch Canada is the only national independent civil society organization with an exclusive focus on mining in Canada and Canadian mining companies operations internationally. In 2005, MiningWatch Canada collaborated with other NGOs to develop the Framework for Responsible Mining: A Guide to Evolving Standards. The project was the result of a perceived need by NGOs and retailers, particularly from the jewellery sector, for a framework that would set out environmental, social, and governance standards for the minerals sector ?providing recommendations for retailers and others seeking to source or invest responsibly, as well as regulate and encourage responsible mining practices?. This paper is a reflection on the Framework that examines key areas of concern and notes where the industry norms and expectations of civil society have evolved. The paper focuses on developments in social issues related to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, new initiatives associated with financial transparency, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The environmental components of the Framework that are revisited are waste management, biodiversity, energy and climate change, environmental assessment, mine closure, mercury and seabed mining.

Aug 1, 2013

By Rita Awwad

Building Information Modeling (BIM) has been gaining a significant edge in the construction industry over the last decade. BIM allows gathering all building information in one shared database that can help all construction entities better understand, integrate and visualize all work progress from inception to operation of the building. The main purpose behind BIM is to bring all project participants together (Client, Architect, Contractor, Consultant) since the initial stages of a project allowing them to cooperate and work as a team in the promise of an increased productivity, reduced cost, enhanced quality and faster delivery. However, a full-fledged implementation of BIM tools and benefits is not yet achieved in the construction industry and remains a debatable issue for researchers and practitioners in the construction field. This paper aims at assessing BIM awareness and usage in the Lebanese construction industry through conducting interviews with contractors, architects and consultants that are key players in the Lebanese market. A comprehensive literature review about BIM adoption in some developed countries and in the surrounding region is also provided in order to better evaluate the Lebanese industry status in comparison with foreign industries. This research sheds the light on BIM awareness of the different construction parties in the Lebanese market, assesses the extent of its current use, identifies the pertaining implementation challenges, and provides recommendations to enhance BIM role in the Lebanese construction industry.

Aug 1, 2013

By John D. Nelson

Foundation underpinning is a common component of remediation schemes for distressed foundations on expansive soils. For many applications in expansive soil, micropiles have distinct advantages over other techniques. This paper will concentrate on the design and construction of micropiles in expansive soil. It discusses the nature of building distress and the relationship between foundation movement and soil heave. It presents methods for determining the factors that are required for the design of micropiles. Such factors include calculation of expected free-field heave, depth of soil wetting, and prediction of pier movement. A finite element program developed by the authors and others to determine pier heave and internal forces is presented. The input parameters that are required for pier analysis are discussed, and the nature of the output and the sensitivity of the results to the output are described. A case example illustrates the advantages of micropiles over other methods.

Aug 1, 2013

By M. Jayaraman

With the ever increasing demand for commodities, due to changes in lifestyle and increase in population, people are striving to find ways to keep up. Mining is one essential element in the solution. Though being a powerful boost to a country?s economy, mining can have disastrous effects in the absence of waste management practice and technologies; because of the harmful heavy metals and toxic chemical waste that is generated as a by-product in mining operations. It is an established and documented fact that pollution is a major concern for communities having to live with it. Disproportionate water consumption significantly impacts local rivers and ponds thereby reducing freshwater availability and have given rise to social conflict. In light of these misgivings, management and treatment of mine water and waste has gained considerable attention recently. In this paper, we summarize some of the treatment methods that can be adopted by mining companies to reduce their environmental footprint. Appropriate treatment solutions depend on various factors including available space and capital cost for treatment solutions, type of mining waste generated, current state of the mining plant, geographical location, and other location specific issues. Incorporating waste and water management solutions as a priority within mining operations is critical for addressing increasing regulatory requirements and a starting point for initiating other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs. Collaboration among mining companies, NGOs, local community, and government facilitates successful projects which build trust leading to long term relationships. In this paper we also talk about the benefits of implementing a CSR project that captures the focus of local communities and allows the mining company to focus on operations. Implementing a sustainable business model that incorporates the broader community impacted by projects will continue to benefit even after the mining company ceases operation in that location. The challenges involved with implementing effective CSR projects, which require measuring and reporting effectiveness to create a positive social, economic, and environmental impact is also presented in this paper.

Aug 1, 2013

By A. Atef

Vulnerability is a measure of the extent to which a community, structure, services or geographic area is likely to be damaged or disrupted by the impact of particular hazard. Current asset management practices focuses on studying factors that affect performance of isolated infrastructure networks and model a set of actions to control the expected performance of these networks. This approach ignores the underlying spatial and functional interdependencies among these infrastructure networks and their vulnerability. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new method that recognizes the effect of spatial and functional interdependencies on vulnerability rating of water, sewer and road networks. The proposed method consists of: 1) risk assessment model, 2) interdependency assessment model and 3) vulnerability assessment model. The risk model is composed of two modules: 1) water and sewer risk module and 2) road infrastructure module. The water and sewer risk module will cluster these assets into three risk categories based on environmental, social, operational and economical factors. The road infrastructure module will cluster road assets into three risk categories by using rational factorial technique based on road type, serviceability index, traffic load, and freeze and thaw index. The interdependency model will deploy the risk ranking to perform geospatial analysis in ArcGIS which results in determining the interdependent layers of waters, sewers and roads. The vulnerability model will deploy fuzzy neural networks technique to determine the vulnerability rating based on spatial and functional interdependencies. The fuzzy neural networks are utilized to overcome the lack of historical data and incorporate experts? preferences for establishing the knowledge base for vulnerability assessment. The expected contribution of this framework is to aid decision makers in understanding the interdependencies between civil infrastructure assets and to which extent such interdependencies can compromise assets performance.

Aug 1, 2013

By Etienne Roy Grégoire

Since the early 1990s, the Canadian mining industry has been increasingly defined by the signing of Impact and Benefit Agreements (IBAs) between mining companies and Aboriginal peoples. While these agreements are intended to complement the legal system, they also serve to establish the legitimacy of mining projects and to encourage the harmonious integration of these projects into their social and environmental contexts. Beyond their practical implications, what are the effects of such agreements on the ability of Aboriginal communities to access the institutional space where the authorization of mining projects and the conditions of their implementation are decided? Can we view IBAs as a preliminary step towards the operationalization of the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent? This paper aims to explore the potential of IBAs as a sustainable solution to the legitimacy issues that result from the implementation of the formal regulatory framework governing mining activities in this jurisdiction. We highlight what constraints and opportunities the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA) engenders for local communities and draw attention to the ways in which the negotiation of the Raglan IBA and the environmental evaluation processes act upon each other. We find that certain structural problems - and problems of legitimacy ? related to mining in Northern Quebec cannot be solved by the sole signature of an IBA, which suggests the need for caution when considering such agreements as a panacea. The Raglan case demonstrates that IBAs, like other modes of regulation relying on the direct interface between companies and communities, would benefit from a stricter framework and more explicit ties with official regulation channels.

Aug 1, 2013

By K. Webb

At both the international and country level, the issue of how the mining sector and indigenous populations should engage on issues of mutual interest or concern has emerged as one of central importance and controversy; involving the mining industry, Aboriginal communities, governments, the courts, and other stakeholders. At its heart, stakeholder engagement is an ethical issue, although it manifests itself in international instruments, domestic laws, industry guidance and agreements. At the international level, the concept of ?free, prior and informed consent? (FPIC), while not subject to widespread agreement on the finer details of evolving definitions, seems to be emerging as an increasingly recognized engagement norm. Within Canada, through a series of decisions, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has articulated a fiduciary obligation of the Crown to consult with and accommodate impacted Aboriginal groups on resource management issues. Provincial governments have been variously attempting to adjust their resource management regimes to stay in alignment with SCC and lower court decisions. Mining sector organizations, working with First Nations partners, have developed agreements to work together for mutual benefit. At the individual mine and community level, there have been instances of constructive engagement, as well situations of physical resistance and legal challenges. The purpose of this paper is to examine the potential impact of new rules under the Ontario Mining Act introduced in 2012 and taking full effect in 2013, which amongst other procedural specifications, addresses the issue of mining industry-Aboriginal consultation in exploration and development activities. Leading up to the passage of the regulations, representatives from some junior mineral exploration companies have been highly critical of the new rules. Similarly, there have been a range of responses to the new rules from some in the First Nations community. The paper will review the regulation in terms of its apparent alignment with SCC decisions and the international norm, compare the regulations with existing mining sector organization guidance documents, and it will draw on the stated perspectives and commentaries of First Nations communities, mining firms, governments, nongovernmental organizations, and others. Building on the foregoing, the paper will provide a preliminary analysis of the perspectives and potential impacts of the new regulation on various stakeholders, and on that basis, possible avenues for further consideration will be suggested.

Aug 1, 2013

By J. K. Shaw

The science of low temperature engineering is well entrenched in mining. Uses for common cryogens, including liquid oxygen (LOX), liquid nitrogen (LN2), and liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the gas and minerals industries are reviewed. Potential future applications are discussed within the scope of mining, particularly in refrigeration and ventilation. The second part of this paper focuses on the Linde cycle, which is at the heart of most liquefaction plants. Steady state equations describing the mass and energy flows are presented. The paper concludes by explaining the concept of a wind powered Linde- Hampson cryogenic cycle and assessing, with scoping calculations, the technological feasibility of producing cryogens with an intermittent source of (renewable) energy.

Aug 1, 2013

By Richard Wells

Peabody Energy is the largest pure-play publicly traded coal company in the world. We have been in business 129 years and like most of the coal mining companies in the United States, since 1969 the majority of our safety improvement efforts had been driven by compliance with the various versions of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act and the supporting federal regulations. In 2004 Peabody Energy management came to the understanding that in order to achieve our goal of zero incidents, that focus must change. This paper will describe the elements of the journey we began at that point to make the transition to a behavior and systems-based approach to safety management and our efforts to win the minds and hearts of our employees. This journey is undertaken with the goal of making safety truly a way of life for all Peabody Energy employees.

Aug 1, 2013