Search Documents

By E. F. Schnitzer, P. J. Wampler

During 1996 and 1997, Oregon experienced flooding on a scale not seen in many years. Some gravel pits located near rivers experienced erosion and, in several cases, breaches between the gravel pit and the river. Initial evaluation of several sites that experienced breaches indicates that impacts to the river system are complex and vary significantly from site to site. The impacts to the adjacent river system may be viewed as both positive and negative. Several floodplain-mining sites in Oregon located in areas of historic river flow have reverted to active riverbed. In many cases, state and federal fisheries biologists and university researchers see the resulting increase in channel complexity and habitat as favorable. The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries – Mined Land Reclamation Program (DOGAMI-MLR) is performing additional studies of the impacts to the off-channel areas that resulted from the 1996 floods. More data is needed to make sound floodplain decisions regarding mining.

Jan 1, 1999

By Chris Searing

An underground room-and-pillar limestone mine in Western Missouri acquired a new primary crusher, physically larger in every dimension than the unit it replaced. Due to the space constraints within the mine, resetting the truck dump and feeder to account for the larger crusher was unfeasible. Mine management determined the most practical solution was to increase the available area for the new crusher via blasting. Fitting the new crusher into the existing area required the removal of 6 feet (1.83m) of limestone from the original floor grade. Blast parameters had to be designed to effectively break this shallow depth of rock while controlling movement to avoid contacting the mine back 23 feet (7.01m) overhead, an apron feeder 13 feet (3.96m) above the southern extent of the area, and the original crusher which was still in place 15 feet (4.57m) from the first pattern. Additionally, work needed to be completed within an aggressive schedule set forth by the mine, allowing little room for delay or error. This paper will examine the efforts taken to safely and effectively blast the rock while protecting nearby equipment and integrity of the mine back. Subjects covered will include blast design, adjustments made to account for drilling and equipment-related constraints, and how seemingly small changes in load parameters can significantly impact performance with small-diameter blast design.

Feb 6, 2023

By J. C. Stankus

Many coal seams are associated with soft floor strata and during mine development if coal pillars are not properly designed, floor heave occurs and causes interruption of coal production. In the severe cases, the section or mine is abandoned. One of the methods for controlling floor heave is floor bolting. This paper describes the demonstration of floor bolting methods in a West Virginia coal mine. Three methods were used: (1) vertical full resin bolting, (2) floor truss bolting, and (3) floor truss bolting plus a floor cut at the center of the entry. The design of each method and the experimental results are discussed in detail.

Jan 1, 1993

By Chuang Sun, Feng Luo, Guo‑dong Li, Xue‑qing Li, Tuan He

The mining-induced failure of the coal seam floor is essential for water inrush. The mining disturbance to the floor, especially in the thick coal seam, is severe, and the water inrush risk is also higher than that in regular thick coal seam excavation. The superposition of many stresses, including in situ stress, mining-induced stress, and confined water pressure, must be considered in the prediction of the floor failure depth. This study adopted the elasticity analysis, FLAC3D numerical simulation, and on-site acoustic wave test comprehensively. The thick coal seam working face of the Zhong-Yu coal mine affected by confined water was selected as the engineering background to study the characteristics of the floor failure. Based on elastic foundation theory and the superposition principle, the mechanical model and the failure depth criterion of the floor were established, respectively. The distribution and evolution of mining-induced stress and the plastic zone in surrounding rock during the mining process are obtained by FLAC3D. In addition, the changes in the P-wave wave velocity in the floor before and after mining were compared and studied by the acoustic wave test method. The range of floor damage depth is determined on the basis of the above research.

Jun 8, 2022

By Joel Bradley, Kot Unrug, Kyle Perry, Mark Klimek

"A West Kentucky mine operation in No. 11 seam, encountered floor heave, due to the localized increase of the thickness in the fireclay mine floor. Floor heave has overridden seals installed in two mined out panels. The third seal’s location was planned for isolating that area from the Mains. A plan of support has been developed to prevent repetition of the floor heave and related problems outby the seals. The applied ground control measures were successful. An attempt of a 3D numerical modeling was made, that it would match the observed behavior of the mine floor and could be used as a design tool in similar conditions. In the paper described are sequence of events, a mitigation ground control system applied, and the first stage of numerical modeling.IntroductionWest Kentucky coal mine operation in the No. 11 seam has approached an area where the fireclay floor thickness increases to about 5 ft. Delayed floor heave has been observed. In the first sealed area (Panel KK), floor heave has overridden the seals and has begun to progress outby. This could not be allowed at the new seal location PP described in this paper because such override would affect the mains. Previously numbers of standing support systems were used, but their effectiveness was not satisfactory as is illustrated in Figure 1, Figure 2, and Figure 3. Therefore, with sealing of the next area approaching, mine management was looking for a better solution that would eliminate the problem. In that stage, our team looked closely at the geology and strength of roof and floor, as well as the characteristics of ground failure around the seal at the first site. The technical literature has been searched as well Haramy et al. 1986 Hsiung and Peng 1987, Peng 2008, Santos & Bieniawski 1987. This led to the identification of factors responsible for the ground failure. It has been determined that increased fireclay thickness from typically less than 2 ft to about 5 ft, when compared to the previously mined parts of reserve, and the strong limestone strata just above the immediate roof composed of 2 ft of black shale, created conditions of failure. It appeared that, when pillars were punching into the mine floor, the strong roof did not break but was bending, exerting high pressure on outby pillars, causing rib failures and closure. This is a similar mechanism to a strong roof affecting longwall shields. The remedial action planned was additional support."

Jan 1, 2015

By Tristan Worsey, Nathan Rouse

Florida is one of the major limestone producing states in the United States. The state has unique regional geology and groundwater characteristics that require equally unique mining methods to extract limestone for construction materials. In many regions, aggregates quarries operate by drilling and blasting underwater limestone and then digging the muck with large draglines, while in others, mining operations are able to operate above the water table.

Jan 1, 2019

By Tristan Worsey, Nathan Rouse

The Florida legislature allocated funding for the Florida State Fire Marshal (FSFM) to review the applicability of the United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) Report of Investigations (RI) 8507 blast vibration limits with respect to Florida and its soils. The study also discusses whether the current blasting vibration limits set by statute are still appropriate, including a review of measured vibration amplitudes and frequencies, structure responses, and theoretical analyses of material strength and strains.

Jan 1, 2019

By Tristan Worsey, Nathan Rouse

The Florida legislature allocated funding for the Florida State Fire Marshal (FSFM) to review the applicability of the United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) Report of Investigations (RI) 8507 blast vibration limits with respect to Florida and its soils. The study also discusses whether the current blasting vibration limits set by statute are still appropriate, including a review of measured vibration amplitudes and frequencies, structure responses, and theoretical analyses of material strength and strains

Jan 1, 2019

By Tristan Worsey, Nathan Rouse

Florida legislature allocated funding for the Florida State Fire Marshal to review the applicability of the United States Bureau of Mines (USBM) Report of Investigations (RI) 8507 blast vibration limits with respect to Florida and its soils. The study also discusses whether the current blasting vibration limits set by statute are still appropriate, including a review of measured vibration amplitudes and frequencies, structure responses, and theoretical analyses of material strength and strains.

Jan 1, 2019

By Russell E. Clemons

Coarse-crystalline granite, quartz syenite, syenite, meladiorite, and anorthosite in the Florida Mountains, southeast of Deming, New Mexico, were originally mapped as Precambrian. They were remapped in 1971 and some of them described as Mesozoic intrusives. Several subsequent papers presented Precambrian and Ordovician ages. Zinc, lead, copper, silver, gold, manganese, fluorite, and barite mineralization in the Florida Mountains invite more extensive exploration. Clarification of ages of rocks and periods of alteration and mineralization are necessary for efficient exploration. Field observations combined with petrographic studies strongly suggest that all the coarse plutonic rocks are Precambrian and most were altered extensively by late Tertiary hydrothermal activity.

Jan 1, 1982

By Carl Henrich

While the size of the blast-furnaces used for smelting leadand copper-ores has constantly increased, during late years, the manner of removing the slag from the furnace to the slag-dump has (until quite recently, at least) practically remained the same. The only appliance in practical use has been the two-wheeled slag-pot, holding about 300 to 400 pounds of slag, or as much as one man could manage to pull or push on a smooth, hard surface. When these slag-pots on wheels were first introduced, the daily capacity of a lead or copper blast-furnace hardly reached 30 tons of smelting-charge. With furnaces of this size, and even when the capacity had been doubled, this kind of slag-pot answered well enough. All the improvements made were in the construction of these pots and not in an increase of their size, which was limited by the weight which one man could handle. But the size of the furnace went on increasing. The daily consumption of one furnace rose gradually to 75 tons, 100 tons, and even more. The writer had occasion to construct some of these furnaces, which, in their day, were among the largest, if not the largest, of the water-jacketed kind then in existence. A water-jacketed furnace will always smelt more in the same time than a furnace with brick walls. Already, in those days, the slag-removal from these enlarged furnaces received due attention by the writer. The removal of 60 tons of slag in 24 hours, in pots holding only 300 pounds each, will require 400 pots to be filled in 24 hours; and when the amount.of slag increases to 90 tons, 600 pots will be required. That is to say, in the last case, 25 pots in each hour, or 1 pot each 24 minutes, will have to be put under the slagspout, filled, pulled away, and replaced with another. This will involve too much hurry for any degree of comfort, convenience

Jan 1, 1896

In response to Dr. Ledoux's paper, a large number of metallurgical establishments and individual assayers expressed their willingness to co-operate in the plan he proposed. The necessary samples were prepared as follows : Matte.—A car-load of matte was put through a Blake crusher, then automatically subdivided into tenths by a Taylor and Brunton sampler, and one-tenth passed through Cornish rolls and through a 12-mesh screen. This was again subdivided by an automatic sampler into tenths, and a final tenth, representing 1 per cent. of the original lot, was finished by hand-sampling on an iron floor until 100 pounds remained. This was pulverized to pass a 40-mesh screen and then thoroughly mixed and divided in the presence of my assistant for distribution to the parties co-operating. Copper Borings.—These were taken from a lot of anodes, the dip-samples from several batches having been united, remelted and cast into a plate, which was proved by assay to be of uniform quality in its different parts. Borings from this plate were intimately mixed and divided in the presence of my assistant. Samples were sent out November 1,1894, with the following letter: New York City, November 1, 1894. Samples of matte and copper (about I pound each) carefully prepared in the presence of my assistant and sealed with his seal as below, are sent you by express for assay and report according to the plan of Dr. Ledoux. These samples are constituted about as follows: Matte. Copper. From. To. From. To. Copper, per cent.,.....50 60 ..........., Gold, oz. per ton,.....2 3 0.20 0.50 Silver, oz. per ton,.....100 150 140 180

Jan 1, 1896

By R. W. Raymond

By the death of Bergrath Prof. M. F. Gaetzschmann, which occurred on the 18th of February, in the 95th year of his age, at his lifelong home in Freiberg, Saxony, the Institute loses one of its earliest and most eminent honorary members, and the profession of mining and engineering one of its most influential and useful representatives,

Jan 1, 1896

C. A. Stetefeldt, Oakland, Cal.: It has always been assumed by the writer, and also by others, that the silver volatilized by roasting in a Stetefeldt furnace was a minimum as compared with roasting in other furnaces. Now, Mr. Morse records at

Jan 1, 1896

By H. O. Hofman

Jan 1, 1896

By E. T. Cox

The peninsula of Florida is remarkable for the uniform character and simplicity of its geological structure. Major Henry Whiting, of the U. S. Army, was one of the first to give an account of the physical features and rocks of Florida, in an article published in 1839, in the American Journal of Science (vol. xxxv., p. 47). He says: " The rocks found in situ are all calcareous, though siliceous boulders are occasionally seen, and nodules of hornstone are here and there mingled with the limestone, which elicit sparks and are sometimes used by the Indians for flints."

Jan 1, 1896

By Francis T. Freeland

In the West many precious-metal mines are worked in patches by lessees, under conditions which closely resemble those of what is called " tribute-work" in Cornwall.* The company has its own foreman or inspector, and usually employs the engineman, blacksmith, pumpman, and perhaps other general workmen. As an inducement to work on a new piece of ground, where no ore is in sight, the company may advance a " footage"

Jan 1, 1896

By Carl Henrich

The Ducktown copper-mines are located in the southeast corner of Tennessee. The name Ducktown was originally given to a district occupying the southeast corner of Polk county, which in turn occupies the southeast corner of the State. Fig. 1 is a map of the vicinity of Ducktown, taken from the topographical surveys of the United States Geological Survey. The Ducktown district is bounded on the east by Cherokee county, North Carolina (the boundary-line between the two States running here a little east of north along the western slope of Pack mountain), and on the west by the eastern foot-hills of Little Frog mountain. On the north, Stansbury mountain, really a chain of low mountains or hills, forms the dividing-line between Ducktown and Turtletown districts. On the south, the Ducktown district extends beyond the Ocoee river to the Georgia State line.. This line, in going west, gradually recedes southwards from that river into the foot-hills of Big Frog mountain, the highest mountain of the neighborhood, which rises about 4300 feet above sea-level, while the surface of the Ocoee river, where it leaves the Ducktown district, is less than 1500 feet above sea-level. It will be seen from this description, and from a study of the map, that the Ducktown district occupies the northern part of a kind of basin, bounded on the east by Pack mountain and on the west by Little and Big Frog mountains. Between these mountains the Ocoee river, draining the basin, cuts its way to the Hiwassee and the Tennessee rivers in a narrow gorge, through the crystalline slates and schists, which from their excellent exposure in this Ocoee gorge have received the local

Jan 1, 1896

By E. W. Codington

The pebble-phosphates of Florida occur in a district roughly bounded on the north by the 28th parallel, on the east by an irregular line running a few miles east of Peace river and on the west by the Gulf of Mexico, and covering an area of about 4000 square miles. There seems to be no reason why the deposits should not extend farther south along the gulf coast. That section remains unprospected, transportation-facilities being non-existent. It is not intended in this paper to discuss the geology of these formations; but a word as to their probable origin will be perhaps the best method of giving a correct idea of their present position. Starting with a low, flat surface, with even less of superficial undulation than appears at present, an im-

Jan 1, 1896

By G. M. Wells

A view of the map of Floridat shows the phosphate-deposits to lie on the western side of the State, extending southward over

Jan 1, 1896