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By D. Elroi

This paper addresses the sharing of 2D and 3D data between GIS and mine planning software. Two-dimensional (2D) data, and now three-dimensional (3D) data as well, can be formatted such that both types of software can use, exchange, and display the same datasets. This increases the ability to share data between such groups as environmental, exploration, and mine planning. It overcomes shortcomings of mine planning software in areas of open database connectivity, spatial analysis, and data input and output. It also helps to overcome shortcomings of GIS software in the areas of geologic modeling, three-dimensional interpolation, and visualization.

Jan 1, 1998

"What can we do in ground engineering to reduce damage to the environment, to repair historic pollution, to reduce our demand on basic resources and to reduce the carbon footprint of our industry? Some developments in geotechnical engineering are already heading in the right direction. These include reductions of ground pollution from grouting, improved dewatering procedures and advances in mix-in-place processes, ground improvement and jet grouting.There is increased interest in certain promising technologies (for example, drilled partial or full displacement piles), but this approach remains for the moment somewhat avant-garde. These piles require substantially greater power to install, and the overall sustainability balance for general application has yet to be shown to be in their favour. They are particularly suited to polluted sites where the problem of dealing with spoil would be costly and where, in the past, driven cast in-situ piles would have been employed. Drilled displacement piles offer some environmental benefit over driven piles in that they cause far less drawdown of potentially contaminated near-surface ground into sensitive, underlying aquifers.There is also great interest in various means of increasing the frictional capacity of bored piles, both conventional auger and continuous flight auger (CFA) piles, by threading or ribbing the soil/pile interface. The increase in adhesion capacity allows reduction in the pile dimensions necessary for a specific load. This obviously leads to less construction waste, but also to less permanent material consumption in the piles and also in the pile caps.The role of ground improvement remains significant for brown land sites and lower capacity foundations. Information technology (IT) has improved the quality assurance of stone column construction, for example. From the sustainability point of view, this is a good news method; here is no cement, no pollution and little obstruction to future redevelopment. We now need to introduce recycled crushed materials instead of natural aggregate as general practice and the technique’s green credentials will be really compelling."

Jan 1, 2009

By Arthur T. Ward

DESPITE the intense preoccupation of most of those members connected with the mining, concentration, and reduction of iron ores, the luncheon and subsequent technical session of the Eastern Magnetite Committee were exceedingly well attended. Many of the older faces were absent, but new ones took their places. More than sixty, all told, took in the technical session. Chairman Crockett opened the session by calling upon Meredith E. Johnson, whose paper, with its accompanying graph, was in reality a comprehensive historical review of iron mining from colonial days to the end of 1941. with some notes on current expansion which indicates that New Jersey is destined to become a still more important. factor in the production of magnetite ores.

Jan 1, 1942

By Franklin G. Pardee

IN 1920 the Minnesota Tax Commission estimated a reserve of 1,341,674,538 long tons of iron ore in Minnesota, the Michigan State Tax Commission report showed 199,092,855 long tons in reserve in that state, and the Wisconsin Geological Survey set the Wisconsin reserves at 21,500,000 long tons. The total reserve that year for the Lake Superior District amounted to 1,562,267,393 long tons. Ten years later the reserves of iron ore in these same districts were Minnesota 1,235,227,510, Michigan 168,349,823, and Wisconsin 23,000,000, or a total of 1,426,577,333 long tons. The decrease in ore reserves in this ten-year period was 135,690,060 long tons, but the shipments were 520,746,975 long tons. In other words, the ten-year depletion in reserves was only 8.68 per cent. If similar conditions carry into the future this calculation would indicate a life for the ore reserves of the Lake Superior region of over 100 years.

Jan 1, 1933

By Samer Sadek, Phoebe Cheng, Changmo Kwon, Myat Ohn

BART Facilities Standards (BFS) Structural Criteria is a living document that governs planning, design, and construction of all BART projects. Since its development, the document undergoes incremental changes and updates to reflect policy changes, changes in local, State, or national design codes and guidelines, advancements in engineering and technology, or based on the performance of past built infrastructure. In 2020, the BFS-Structural Criteria underwent a comprehensive update and was released with BFS version 3.2. This paper summarizes the updates to the Tunnels and Underground Structures Section of the Structural Criteria, and provides insights to the basis and logic of the requirements.

Dec 1, 2022

By Arthur Connolly

WHEN scientific literature was lacking or meager, research necessarily meant laboratory investigation above all else. Today, scientific literature has attained tremendous proportions, and the volume increases at a much faster rate than it is digested and efficiently utilized. For that reason the present-day research worker should spend much more time in the library, and correspondingly less in the laboratory, than is the general custom. Library research would overcome two serious errors often made by scientists: duplication of work described completely and failure to appreciate inventions described almost verbatim in the literature. To emphasize these failings that often occur in present-day research, consider a hypothetical scientist as he conducts his search from inception to the stage where it is made available to the public by patent or other publication.

Jan 1, 1942

By William L. Batt

FROM the time the Japs overran the Far East, the United Nations faced a serious military problem in the critical shortage of many raw materials desperately needed to prose¬cute the war on two fronts. For many months this critical shortage threatened substantially to limit the gigantic effort to get shooting equipment into the hands of the fighting men on the far-flung battle lines. Now this crisis has been met. Solvency in raw materials has been achieved. Simply stated, this job of producing solvency has been done by "cutting cloth to fit the garment." This does not mean that we have all the raw materials we need. Unfortunately, a few raw materials are still short, thereby limiting the total production of certain war goods, or making these goods less effective. Where the supply of raw materials is known to be limited, however, substitutions have been made or production schedules have been geared to the amounts available, and an over-all balance has been achieved between various parts of the war-production program.

Jan 1, 1943

By Paul Soros

The cost of shipping British coal by water to domestic and ex- port users has been expensive. The traditional transportation system functioned as follows: coal in up to 50 different grades was accumulated in railway cars at several loading ports; on the arrival of a vessel, cars were dumped in the desired order to produce the required blend. It was a direct rail- road-to-water interface. Railroad freight was high because of the poor utilization of the large number of small (14, 18 or maximum 28-ton capacity) hopper cars required. Ocean freight was high because the ships were small, mostly on the order of 1500-3000 dwt and even these took a long time to load. Assembling and loading larger cargo presented a challenge in logistics to the ports, the railways and the coal washeries. The accommodation of larger bulk carriers was hampered by a tidal range of up to 24 ft which led to the development of impounded harbors, with locks that limit the size of vessels.

Jan 12, 1973

By Russell Webster

In having maintained production for more than 40 years Arizona's Magma mine is unique in a mineral district that includes several major copper mines. Other past and present producers in this area are Miami and Inspiration at Miami, the Old Dominion in Globe, the Ray mine in Ray, and to the south the new San Manuel mine near Tucson. Magma's production of copper, silver, gold, and some zinc has come from nearly parallel east-west striking mineralized faults, one called the Main or Magma vein and the other the Koerner vein, about 1100 ft to the south. This vein system has been prospected and partially mined for some 9000 ft horizontally and 4800 ft vertically. In ascending order from the deepest exploration level, the Main vein cuts Pre-Cambrian schist, Pre-Cambrian Apache Group, Post-Devonian diabase, and Devonian, Mississippian, and Pennsylvania limestones. Until 1950 very little ore was obtained from replacement mineralization.

Jan 10, 1958

By John E. Frost

Duval's (now Battle Mountain Gold Co.) copper and gold deposits in the Battle Mountain District in Nevada are in two subdistricts - Copper Basin and Copper Canyon - about 18 km (11miles) apart. Location of the two subdistricts is shown in Fig. 1. The two centers of mineralization have distinctive geologic and ore characteristics that required different innovative approaches to exploration and development. Nearly all of the copper from Copper Basin has been recovered by heap leaching. Because of relatively high gold and silver values in the Copper Canyon ores, a significant part of the sulfide copper ores has been recovered by a conventional flotation mill at Copper Canyon. Recently, this mill has been converted to the recovery of gold that is mined from zones peripheral to the copper deposits. Prior to Duval's entry, small amounts of copper, gold, silver, lead, zinc, and antimony had been mined in the district over a nearly 100 year period, beginning in 1866. The bulk of the $13 million total production to 1962 was derived from copper and gold lode ores and gold placers. Duval's interest in Battle Mountain-arose directly from a submittal by Asarco, which controlled key claims in both the Copper Basin and Copper Canyon subdistricts. Asarco acquired its holdings in the district in 1959 and undertook limited exploration until mid-1961. At that time, the company decided to dispose of its interests. Duval was invited to evaluate Asarco's properties and accepted. On Dec. 6 and 7, 1961, J.E. Frost, R.C. James, R.W. Sayers, and H.A. Schmitt, representing Duval, and K. Richard and E.W. New- man, representing Asarco, visited Copper Basin and Copper Canyon. Frost concluded that the properties were of considerable interest and prepared, by Jan. 12, 1962, a voluminous report recommending that Duval acquire and explore Asarco's properties. Furthermore, he recommended a large initial exploration program that included not only geologic mapping, geochemistry, and geophysics, but also the extensive drilling that was to involve, as the first phase of exploration, 49 drill holes in Copper Basin and 21 drill holes in Copper Canyon. Following property agreements between Duval and Asarco, and Duval and several other claim owners, geologic mapping, geochemical surveys, and drilling began in August 1962. Exploration drilling was completed in July 1964 and engineering studies in April 1965. Development of the Battle Mountain properties was authorized in July 1965, and production commenced in the first quarter of 1967. Because of the unusually high oxide copper content of the ore bodies, particularly in Copper Basin, a much larger than typical proportion of the copper in the deposits has been recovered by heap leaching. The generalized geology and ore zones of the Copper Basin are as shown in Fig. 2 and of Copper Canyon in Fig. 3.

Jan 1, 1991

By W. M. Tupper

Municipal governments recognize the importance of aggregates in the local economy and the need to manage this resource in the interest of the public good. They have encountered problems with regulating the industry and the dichotomy between the urban need and the rural source. They have suffered from a lack of financial benefit, an adequate aggregate inventory, provincial strategy, economic information and public understanding. A provincial strategy for ensuring the availability of aggregate supplies to developing areas of the Province is essential. The Province should also be responsible for licensing, research, technical expertise on rehabilitation, public education and financial assistance. Upper-tier municipalities (regions or counties) should assume responsibility for resource management, including resource availability, demand characteristics, truck routing, phasing of resource development and sequential land-use planning. Area municipalities (towns and townships) can best determine the social and environmental impact of a specific aggregate development proposal and should therefore have the primary responsibility for the location of new pits and quarries. They should also have the authority to supplement provincial regulations concerning operating standards and the phasing and standards of site rehabilitation.

Jan 1, 1978

Jan 1, 1924

By M Laxman, A Kundu

After multiple tailings dam failures in recent times, the owner organisations have made increased efforts to step up the governance systems to industry best practise in the design, construction and operational management areas. The measures include but are not limited to, site investigation, rigorous peer review (both internal and external), certification through appropriately qualified personnel and improvement in operational management practises. While a lot of focus is on design and operational practices, the construction stage requires adaptation (both in terms of materials and approved design) and immediate decision making on site. Work undertaken in these areas is mostly irreversible and sometimes poses serious threat to the future TSF raise/ expansion planning and may lead to reduced life of the TSF and additional risk to the Owner.This technical paper will discuss some challenges and highlight the importance of appropriate processes to achieve a successful construction regime. The process will include a robust quality control/ quality assurance process, a team of designer-constructor-owner with suitable skills and technical understandings and robust documentation of the entire construction process from day 1 to the completion of construction.CITATION:Kundu, A and Laxman, M, 2018. Robust construction and quality assurance culture for tailings storage facilities – equally important as robust design and review practice, in Proceedings Mine Waste and Tailings Stewardship Conference 2018, pp 111–116 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 23, 2018

By A. Kowalski

This paper presents methods of implementation and the added value that can be achieved by connecting personnel tracking systems and alarm-broadcasting systems. The authors point out the functions of the two systems that enable cooperation between them. Methods for connecting the systems on the surface and underground areas of mines require some intervention in both systems, so the authors point out a possible phased approach to introducing cooperation methods. Due to the fact that tracking systems in Polish mines are at an early stage of implementation, the article aims to provide new functionality, attempts to identify the needs of future users, and describes the experience of both production companies in terms of the development of cooperation methods.

Aug 1, 2013

By H. R. Thompson

The Grant Town Power Plant is a nominal 80 MW (net) Waste Coal-Fired Electric Generating Plant which is located in northern West Virginia, approximately 15 miles southwest of Morgantown. The Steam Generator consists of two (2) Pyro-Power Circulating Fluidized-Bed Boilers (CFB), each rated at 400 000 lbs/hour @ 1,350 psig. Main Steam. The Turbine Generator is a single GEC Ahlstrom unit rated at 95 MW gross and 80 MW net. The Plant began commercial generation during April, 1993. The facility is owned by American Bituminous Power Partners, L.P. (AmBit), and operated by Mission Operations and Maintenance, Inc.

Jan 1, 1996

By T. M. Biddle

If an accident occurs at a mine, the mining company, its parent and affiliates, and its supervisory employees may face substantial -- and sometimes unexpected -- liabilities and costs. This presentation surveys the likely sources for post-accident exposure, including wrongful death and personal injury claims, mine closure/operational disruptions, and government civil and criminal actions against the company and its employees.

Jan 1, 1986

By Jean-Michel M. Rendu

Increasingly, geologists use geostatistical methods to evaluate drilling programs. The complexity of the methods varies with the nature of the available sample information, the objective of the statistical analysis and the geologist's experience. Occasionally, estimating the average sample grade is all that is required. In other instances a semivariogram calculation may be considered. If sufficient data is available, the geologist may wish to estimate blocks or panels of complex shape, using the kriging method of evaluation. Historically, the use of geostatistics by geologists has been limited by a number of factors, most significant being the difficulty in accessing and using computer programs needed to complete the necessary studies. Geologists are often working in remote areas from which electronic communication is unreliable, if not impossible. Even when access to computer programs is technically possible, the costs incurred in accessing and using these programs are often considered prohibitive. In many instances using the programs requires an understanding of computer systems far beyond that which a field geologist can justifiably be interested in acquiring and maintaining.

Jan 1, 1984

By John W. Padan, John E. Crawford

Beginning with a small but positive participation in undersea mining, the Bureau of Mines continues its active investigations into this potentially tremendous field. The Bureau began its active role in undersea mining in September 1963, with a small task force of three dedicated scientists and a secretary, establishing headquarters at the old Tiburon Naval Net Depot about seven miles up the coast from San Francisco. The past months have been both busy and productive. With 22 Federal agencies involved in oceanography, it logically was the intent of Congress that the Bureau of Mines undertake research concerned only with the technology of marine mineral production and utilization. The Bureau has maintained this purpose in its activities at Tiburon, for while institutes, universities, the Navy and other Government agencies have developed exceptional programs in the fundamental science of the oceans, commonly called oceanographic research, little has been done toward advancing man's ability to exploit the ocean floors other than by drilling for oil and gas and sulfur.

Jan 3, 1965

By R. E. Cook

"Mineral deposits require substantial amounts of energy to transport and be processed into useable form, and as such present a real processing challenge in that the deposits are never homogeneous and ore body compositional characteristics are all over the map! Extracting the desired mineral(s) from the deposit at sufficient profit margin, despite severe fluctuations in market price, requires process automation architecture capable of supporting an integrated enterprise solution. Such an architecture will encompasses the activities of individuals, process units, process areas, plant level activities, mine management and business planning and accounting systems. Key to the automation process is the aspect of value generation. This paper brings together the various requirements for the automation of a mining enterprise and presents the different aspects of how to obtain value across the entire mining operation.INTRODUCTIONMinerals’ processing sites are historically long lived, 20 year life of mine is not uncommon and 75 years is not unheard of. Considering that hardware technology advancements are introduced every six months, or less, it is prudent to select process automation systems that adhere to “open” industrial standards versus proprietary based systems. In the minerals processing industry, the key to survival is driving the cost of production per unit volume to the lowest possible level and provide enough profit to sustain operations. Control system architecture and Business information technology are rapidly becoming important tools in the quest for productivity. Getting key dynamic business performance information at the right time to the right person or process unit is crucial to successfully achieving corporate goals. The process automation architecture selected must therefore be able to integrate to the various networking enterprises and business systems.The mining industry is generally known as an “extractive” industry that is very physically-oriented with respect to operations and the activities in which workers engage. Large numbers of people performing manual tasks in difficult surroundings, produce very variable outputs. But, times are changing – and so are industry best practices. While the nature of work still consists of activities such as ore extraction, ore movement, ore concentration, refinement and logistics, automation innovations are starting to change the nature of many of the production steps. The industry has transitioned from requiring more physical activities by workers, to more information management, automated control and collaboration within the operation. Humans are good at situational intervention and non-linear reasoning and do best when empowered with an overall production perspective. Machines and automation are good at repetitive functions, steady state operation, and managing transitions. Thus, a combination of advanced technology solutions, reliable and useful information and full human contribution are necessary to mining operations for value generation."

Jan 1, 2015

By E. R. Kaiser

ACTIVITY on long-range and on immediate wartime problems shared the attention of specialists in coal research during 1943. Programs of the principal coal laboratories were more adequately financed than in previous years, but all reported shortages of technical personnel. Expansion in coal research in the year to come will depend primarily on the availability of qualified research talent.

Jan 1, 1944