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By P. K. Kaiser, F. Amann

"Rock mass characterization for deep underground construction and mining offers many challenges. This paper first describes some of the key challenges when characterizing highly stressed brittle rocks and then offers some guidance on how to arrive at reliable rock mass strength parameters for deep mining applications. Focus is placed on characterization for rock mass strength determination. It is illustrated how the common use of currently available rock mass characterization systems tend to underestimate the strength of rock at depth. Modifications to currently adopted approaches, i.e., the use of Geological Strength Index GSI for rock mass strength determination, are presented.INTRODUCTIONFor green fields projects, the first challenge of rock mass characterization stems from a lack of access to examine the rock mass at scales larger than typical core sizes (i.e., ~63mm in diameter) until late in the mine design when the flexibility for making changes is constrained. Hence, rock mass characterization often has to rely on information derived from boreholes alone (e.g., core, logs, etc.). This challenge is lessened when mines are expanded from existing operations. A second challenge is related to changing rock mass behaviour with increasing depth and stress. At depth, the rock is highly stressed, thus closer to failure, and often highly confined which leads to a higher interlocking with elevated strength but more brittleness. The goals of rock mass characterization are to be tailored to the technical goals of an investigation. For example, for cave engineering, the workflow includes the assessment of five key engineering aspects (Brown, 2007): Caveability; fragmentation; cave performance; extraction level stability; and mine construction (rock support). Each engineering aspect has to address specific engineering questions and each design component is influenced by different rock mass behaviour aspects and thus is dominated by different rock mass properties, e.g., the vulnerability to stress fracturing (spalling), the bulking characteristics for flow control and support selection, and the confining stress impact on pillar or support design. An effective rock mass characterization program, including logging, mapping and laboratory testing, thus has to collect and interpret features that are relevant for the above listed purposes. Some of the predominant factors are: block volume of defected and non-defected rock; spalling strength; tensile strength of defects; rock mass modulus; and rock mass strength parameters for application to low and high confinement design aspects."

Jan 1, 2015

By James J. Komadina, Robert R. Beebe

"Heap leaching of gold ores has enjoyed wide acceptance in the arid and semi-arid regions of the western U.S., Australia and South America. There are areas, however, where cold weather or excessive precipitation can limit the usefulness of heap leaching. Even in Nevada difficulties can be encountered which call for special operating procedures.The paper discusses the general climatological limitations and some of the techniques used to extend heap leaching into colder conditions. A case history of the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mining Company operation in Colorado examines 'valley-fill"" technology as an ideal cold-climate solution, where topographical conditions permit.AcknowledgementsThe authors gratefully acknowledge the management of Independence Mining Company for their permission to present this paper. The contributions of Golder Associates; Pikes Peak Mining Company Environmental Affairs Department staff, and the Colorado Department of Mines and Geology were all invaluable in successfully concluding this project.BackgroundWhen heap leaching of oxidized gold ores was introduced in the rnid-1970s it was aimed at large tonnages of low-grade material which could not, in general, be developed via conventional milling. Normally, the reasons for this were economic rather than technical: capital and operating costs for milling were simply too high. At first, grade was almost the only criterion, but deposits too small to justify milling were also potential targets for heap leaching.Renewed interest in gold was centered in the western United States and Australia, where exploration for milling-grade deposits had never really died. When heap leaching came along, it was in these areas that the first developments took place. Coincidentally, these same areas were favorable for heap leaching: climates were temperate for most of the year and competing land uses were limited. Even so, in the western United States in particular, winter temperatures were low enough to complicate operations. Precipitation was less a problem, although heavy snowfalls could periodically interfere as well."

Jan 1, 1997

By A. Rod Kern, Michael A. McNicholas, Yaser Taheri

Deep foundations were required for construction of an 18,000 ft2 (1,672 m2) 4-story office building and an adjacent 23,750 ft2 (2,206 m2) 5-story parking garage in Queens, New York due to an existing uncontrolled fill layer ranging from 15-20 ft (4.6 - 6.1 m) in thickness beneath the building footprint. The geotechnical engineers for the project initially selected auger cast-in-place (ACIP) piles over driven piles to limit the impact of noise and vibrations on the surrounding neighborhood. Ultimately, drilled displacement piles (DDP) were installed since this method offered a more economical solution that would generate the required pile capacity with shorter drill depths and would also mitigate spoils volume. During installation of test piles by the geotechnical contractor retained for the foundation work, multiple unanticipated soil conditions were encountered that would adversely affect the constructability of the piles. The existing fill contained significantly more natural and manmade obstructions than expected and the underlying glacial soil became too dense to penetrate at shallower depths than anticipated. This paper discusses how these issues were overcome through pre-drilling and the use of detailed instrumented test pile data coupled with in-house engineering capability to proactively re-evaluate minimum pile lengths at any given location and keep the project on track. INTRODUCTION Geotechnical work in the New York City market presents soil conditions that can be highly variable and challenging due to the presence of uncontrolled urban fill placed over the native soils. Construction in this area can therefore pose many unforeseen challenges, even with detailed geotechnical analysis being performed at project sites. A case in point is a construction site in Queens, New York. The proposed site development consisted of construction of a 4-story office building with a footprint of 18,000 ft2 (1672 m2) and a stand-alone 5-level parking garage with a footprint of 23,750 ft2 (2206 m2), together with associated new pavements and utilities. The site is bordered by a mix of commercial buildings and residential properties on all sides. Depth of the uncontrolled nature of the fill extended up to 20 ft (6.1 m) below street grade. Given the significant cost associated with removal and replacement, deep foundations were recommended to bypass the unsuitable soils and support the structures at depth where good bearing material existed.

Jan 1, 2019

By Zhenqi Cai, Mike Lichte, Kimberly Kennedy

The Ohio River Tunnel is the first of three combined sewer overflow tunnels to be constructed under Allegheny County Sanitary Authority's Clean Water Plan. The project consists of a total of approximately 5.5 miles of 18-ft and 14-ft finished diameter, segmentally lined deep rock tunnels and smaller diameter dewater and flow connector tunnels, as well as 8 deep flow drop and access shafts varying from 25-ft to 70-ft in finished diameter and 130-ft to 170-ft in depth. This paper describes the project components and the primary engineering challenges faced during design, including tunnel alignments and shaft site optimization with tight right-of-way constraints and multiple railroad and highway crossings. Assessment of tunneling methodology as well as tunnel and shaft designs and constructability included overcoming 5-bar hydrostatic pressure, abrasive bedrock, and the selection of the appropriate support of excavation systems in high-permeability alluvial soils adjacent to the Ohio River.

Jun 23, 2024

By Ian Tolliday

Emulsion Explosives manufacturers are aware of the destabilizing effect that the presence of inorganic impurities such as magnesium and iron and organic impurities such as naphthalene sulfonates and alkyl amines can have on their emulsions. This destabilization often manifests itself as severe crystallization and subsequent product loss. This paper describes the performance testing of specifically developed emulsifiers which give greatly improved emulsion stability in the presence of high levels of impurities. The test work involved a series of stability tests using ammonium nitrate doped with various levels of crystal modifier and anti-caking agent. A further series of tests were done to evaluate the stability using ammonium nitrate doped with various levels of iron and magnesium ions.

Jan 1, 2018

By Jared M. Green

This paper presents the wall stabilization design and implementation for a 541 linear ft masonry and concrete gravity-type retaining wall flanking the west perimeter of a 7.37 acre parcel in Bronx, New York. This paper will discuss the results of static and dynamic stability analyses performed for the pre- and post excavation phases for the proposed 300 ft wide open-cut of up to 14 ft of contaminated soil below the toe of the retaining wall. The wall stabilization consisted of over 74 inclined drilled and grouted anchor dowels, and 55 tiebacks drilled and grouted to the underlying mica schist bedrock. Three over-lapping rows of jet grout columns were chosen as the foundation solution for the existing retaining wall. This paper focuses on the design, construction and performance of the jet grout curtain wall. The jet grout wall served three purposes: 1) underpinning and excavation support for the removal of contaminated site soils, 2) permanent hydraulic barrier, and 3) resistance against a deep seated failure within the thick clay layer present at the site. The originally designed jet grout wall had unexpected negative effects to the existing retaining wall. The jet grouting program was modified while the Observational Method (Peck 1969) was employed to keep wall movements to a minimum. This paper discusses the diagnostic methods used to determine the cause of retaining wall movement; the implementation of a remedial ground improvement program; the modification to the jet grout installation procedure; and the ultimate performance of the jet grout wall.

Jan 1, 2011

By L Bertoss, D Carvalho

In the last decade, the use of advanced implicit modelling software/algorithms in mineral resource workflows has become a best practice in the mining industry. In most cases, these workflows can easily replicate the level of detail of explicitly modelled geometries, even for very complex deposits. These techniques are flexible and can produce fast results since software is responsible for generating 3D surfaces and solids based on geological and interpretation data. Nevertheless, depending on how unique and complex some deposits are, intense manual editing and input are required to honour the geological context and produce the desired outcome. The current geological modelling workflow at George Fisher Mine (GFM) is based on the semi-automatic built-in tool that generates stratigraphic sequences (stacked lithology layers) based on logging and mapping data. This tool (stratigraphic sequence from Leapfrog Geo™) works for the majority of areas in the mine but fails to capture observed mineralisation pinch-outs in operational areas and at extrapolated boundaries of the deposit. These pinch-outs have the potential to negatively impact grade forecasts if not resolved manually. Using built-in software tools only, the alternative for a more accurate model is to generate each individual layer and adding tens of thousands of manual interpretation points to honour pinch-outs (based on the amount of existing drilling in the mine and number of layers). This approach would require an estimated minimum of two to four years of a full-time employee (FTE) to be exhaustively completed. This study presents an automated approach to generate pinch-out points using a set of Python scripts that only take a few minutes to run. The newly generated points are then combined into the commercial software workflow as interpretation points, honouring observed pinch-outs. The remarkable time difference between approaches removes chance of manual errors and allows mine geologists to spend valuable time in validation and testing of scenarios, ensuring they are more representative of the deposit’s geology.

May 24, 2023

By Bish Chanda

In the minerals business, like any other commodity-based business, management faces the daily challenge of holding down costs while the real prices of products are continually falling on an inflation-adjusted basis. Since the marketplace sets the prices, often without any premium attached for product quality, being one of the lowest-cost producers is the most viable competitive strategy. Continuous improvement is the mantra that can make the difference in terms of long-term survival of a mining company. Yet, this message has not always been followed, especially during periods of prosperity ushered by high commodity prices. More often than not, the need for improvement is only triggered by a crisis. This may be caused by events such as the onset of a severe economic recession, a prolonged oversupply situation due to an optimistic expansion of capacity during the period of prosperity, or simply falling profits alerting management to bring costs under control. At that time, there would be a need to implement a new cost-saving program, bring in a consultant to find ways to reduce costs, or re-activate an old program that had been shelved for some time.

May 1, 2003

By G. Balletto, C. Furcas

"The mineral raw materials industry is a key-component of the Gross Domestic Product of industrialised economies, closely related to both the building and the industrial sectors. Despite this, at local level mining and quarrying are associated with both irreversible environmental damage and several visual alterations affecting the natural landscape. In this sense, SIA (Social Impact Assessment) has become a strategic tool that can not only improve the prediction but also the assessment of the social impact by involving the local communities in a participatory process. Taking into account the SIA experience, together with the examination of some relevant international case studies, it is possible to draw up a list of good practices for mining project management, from exploration through to closure and beyond, with quarry restoration. Such good practices will complement the existing studies, focusing on environmental issues, with the social issues arisen considered in SIA application."

Jan 1, 2011

By Hiroyuki Tamaru, Futoshi Kusumoto, Kosuke Tanimura, Atsuyuki Kimura

"SUMMARY The Hachinoshiri tunnel is a 2,469 m long two-lane road tunnel on the Chubu-Odan Expressway. Since more than 70% of the total tunnel length consists of low strength rock masses the competence factor of which is less than 1.0, it is expected that a self standing span cannot be achievable because of no ground arch to be established. The tunnel was thus designed with tunnel support patterns forming multi-arc early ring closure that can develop the load-carrying capacity estimated from the exerted earth pressure, Po, which can result from the competence factor, cf. The tunnel support pattern was selected based on the competence factor at tunnel face, then the subsequent tunnel support patterns were determined with reference to the monitoring data. The tunnel construction adopted full-face excavation accompanied by early ring closure using a 330 kW road header. The proposed construction methods at this tunnel site have turned out ensuring tunnelling in massive squeezing rock, so that they can be verified as reasonable tunnelling technologies, clarifying the relationship between the characteristics of the mechanical behaviour of the tunnel and its design parameters. INTRODUCTION The presence of highly weathered mudstone having the competence factor less than 1.0 where the tunnel became unstable with the early ring closure having the distance to early ring closure, Lf, of 6 meters, resulting in difficulty in maintaining the inner section of the tunnel, prompted a substantial amount of high strength double support and replacing of the tunnel support (Sato et al., 2015). Based on the mechanical characteristics learned from the construction, the mechanical stability of multi-arc tunnels was investigated using 3D FDM analyses with respect to the ratio of the radius for early ring closure, r3/r1, and the distance to early ring closure, Lf, so that tunnel support patterns for early ring closure can be established in terms of the competence factor, of, which was employed for a 725 m long section. Consequently the tunnel support patterns for early ring closure which can be determined from the competence factor became applicable to tunnel construction. The relationship between the characteristics of the mechanical behaviour of the tunnel and its mechanical parameters was also clarified. The early ring closure method adopted ensured tunnelling in massive squeezing rock, verifying its effectiveness in stabilizing the tunnel."

Jan 1, 2016

By M J. Ireland, D P. Horne, S J. Simpson

The Sinclair Nickel Project, wholly owned by Xstrata Nickel Australasia (XNA), includes an underground mine, a concentrator, a village, an all-weather airstrip and associated mine infrastructure. The operation is located 70 km north of Leonora in the prospective and historically productive eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia. Xstrata Nickel has successfully developed the Sinclair deposit into a 350 kt/a operation since its discovery in November 2005, with contained nickel metal production to date in excess of 10 600 t, of which 5500 t is from the underground operation.The narrow, continuous, medium-grade Sinclair nickel sulfide deposit accessed by the Phoenix Decline has a shallow 15¦ - 20¦ plunge that is approximately 1000 m long down dip and open at depth to the north. The flat plunge and low-grade nature of the orebody presents challenges regarding the amount of horizontal waste development that can be economically excavated, which in turn affects ventilation, egress, mine services and diamond drilling.The mineralisation is hosted between an ultra mafic hanging wall and a basalt footwall and is being mined using a bottom up, sublevel open stoping method. The stopes are retreated to a central access, filling voids in the process with waste mullock where possible and using cemented mullock fill where end exposure is required. Tight filling the flat dipping hanging wall has proved to be challenging given the angle of repose for the waste mullock fill is steeper than the angle of the hanging wall.Reconciliations of mine performance against the original feasibility study show positive changes and operational optimisations enabling Sinclair to achieve its mining targets in a safe, sustainable and economic manner. This paper discusses the mining operations associated with the first two years of the Sinclair Underground Nickel Project, providing an overview of the various issues encountered and the lessons learnt in the process.CITATION:Ireland, M J, Horne, D P and Simpson, S J, 2012. Overcoming mine design and production challenges at the Sinclair underground nickel project, in Proceedings Narrow Vein Mining 2012 , pp 37-48 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 26, 2012

By Hunter W. H, Wilson I. P, Craig R. W

In September 1988 the Imperial Smelting zinc - lead blast furnace at Avonmouth England, was uprated from its then 52 week annual rated capacity of 90 000 tonnes/year of furnace zinc to 110 000 tonnes. In order to provide sufficient extra feed the sinter plant was likewise uprated in April 1989 by increasing the blowing rate of the sinter/acid plants from 100 000 to 120 000 Nm3/h, effectively a 20 per cent increase. In the 12 months after the uprate zinc production was only 85 000 tonnes. Two years after the uprate zinc production had increased to 100 000 tonnes, but it was not until January 1992 that a rolling 12-month zinc production of 110 000 tonnes was consistently achieved. This paper describes the problems encountered with the uprate and how they have been or are being overcome. It deals chronologically with events starting with the restart of the ISF at the end of 1988 and covers the following issues and their resolution: 1. Initial shortages of sinter due to an offset in uprate timing. 2. Greater difficulties in operating the larger furnace particularly on start-up, the greater tendency for iron production and serious slagging problems. 3. Coincidental timing of deleterious trends in slag chemistry. 4. Refractory problems in the furnace shaft and condenser. 5. Shortages of sinter due to commissioning problems with the wet gas and sinter tip end fans, and difficulties in obtaining sufficient sinter hardness. 6. Unrealised full benefits of the sinter-acid uprate due to a late change in design to dispense with sinter gas recirculation, but offset by successful use of oxygen. In a planned maintenance stop in September 1992 further improvements to the furnace design were carried out to resolve the refractory problems, and with improvements to the sinter plant the furnace zinc output capacity is planned to rise to a rate of 120 000 tonnes/year within two years.

Jan 1, 1993

By James Humphrey

There is a natural resistance to change in any form. When it comes to implementing a game-changing technology like autonomous haulage on an operating mine site, the resistance can at times appear insurmountable. Whether based on real information or misguided preconceptions, it?s essential that we don?t underestimate the effort it will take to overcome this resistance, while clearly recognizing when it?s worth the effort. These realizations did not happen overnight for sites where autonomous haulage has been implemented. Nor did they happen overnight for manufacturers of autonomous mining equipment. Caterpillar, for example, began building toward autonomy more than 30 years ago and had a truck operating in the mid-1990s. Lessons learned during those early years led to the realization that there was much more to be learned ? not just about the machines themselves, but about the systems and knowledge that must be in place for a successful implementation. Working closely with customers, initiating real-life demonstrations on mine sites, having discussions with regulatory agencies and other stakeholders ? these and many other activities were necessary before autonomy could be fully and successfully launched. After decades of effort, Caterpillar?s first official commercial autonomous mine site went to work in 2011 in Farmington, NM.

By Bernd Hagenah, Eric C. Wang

New tunnels of significant alignment lengths such as mountain tunnels, base tunnels, as well as beneath urban centers pose unique environmental challenges. This paper highlights key environmental considerations for planning, design, construction, and operations by sharing lessons-learned from the authors' extensive project experience on these types of tunnels. Discussion of unique constraints include limited right-of- way, ventilation and emergency egress during the construction phase and revenue service, safety and security, and protection of existing structures. Practical approaches and applied innovative state-of-the-art solutions addressing distinct sustainability challenges and unique requirements are shared from US and international project examples.

Jun 23, 2024

By Kalle Härkki

Sustainability principles in the minerals industry are now becoming more and more important from the perspective of securing a license to operate and enhancing environmental, economic and social performance. This trend is also setting new challenges for the design and operation of future concentrator plants. It is evident that ore grades are declining and ores are becoming more complex requiring new technology innovations and holistic approach for process optimization. There is a demand for more energy-efficient process technologies especially in comminution that is the major energy consuming unit operation in the process chain. Energy is not only a major source of cost but also contributes significantly to the carbon and environmental footprint. There is also an increasing awareness that more intelligent water management is required for reduction of fresh water consumption and mastering the impacts of process water recycling will cause for process performance. In association with water recycling, tailings disposal is an integral part of concentrator plant representing significant environmental and economic issues to the operation. This presentation will discuss general trends and challenges of future minerals processing plants and how innovative technology solutions and better integration of unit processes in conjunction with intelligent process control would contribute to meeting the sustainability challenges.

Jan 1, 2014

By Raffaella Granata, Wesley Schmutzler, Matteo Bertoni

"The Lower Wood River Levee system, at the confluence of the Wood River Creek and the Mississippi River, in East Alton, Illinois, has been plagued with underground seepage and, in 2010, remediation was deemed necessary by the Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention District Council and the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE). The experts enlisted by the council produced a design that provided for constructing a cutoff wall approximately 2,000 feet long and up to 140 feet deep, through alluvial and outwash soils, and embedded in bedrock. This paper will describe the challenges faced by the Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA) teams due to the complex nature of the project in conjunction with an extremely thorough QC/QA program.INTRODUCTIONThe “American Bottom” is an area of 453 km2 (175 square miles) in Southwestern Illinois, extending from Alton south to the Kaskaskia River, which is home to 156,000 people. In the 1940s and 1950s the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) designed and built a 120 kilometer (74 mile) long levee system to protect the area from a 500-year flood event on the Mississippi River, which flows through it. The levee system has been plagued by under-seepage for several years. The phenomenon has worsened to varying degrees, depending on location, to the point that remediation was needed.The Southwestern Illinois Flood Prevention District Council (SIFPDC), to obtain Federal Emergency Management accreditation, in June 2010 commissioned a team lead by Amec Foster Wheeler for the design and management of the required levee improvements. The team presented in 2011 the project’s first set of drawings showing proposed design features throughout the levee system. The project was subdivided in four areas, based on the controlling levee districts, one of which, the Wood River Drainage and Levee District, was split into three subdivisions: Upper Wood River, East-West Forks of Wood River, and Lower Wood River.The project included the installation of a cutoff wall at the confluence of the Wood River and the Mississippi River in East Alton, IL (Fig. 1). The Engineer of Record (Amec Foster Wheeler) considered the cutoff wall as the only viable solution to stop the severe under-seepage that was undermining the integrity of the Lower Wood River Levee. The Lower Cutoff Wall (LCW) project is the subject of this paper."

Jan 1, 2017

By D R. Anstey

The growing demand for iron ore from Western Australia has led to an increased focus on the development of magnetite and lower grade iron ore deposits. The need to process and beneficiate the ore from these projects can result in the generation of significant quantities of iron ore tailings over the life of a project. Over the coming decades, the management of iron ore tailings will become a significant aspect of the mining landscape in Western Australia.The tailings generated from iron ore projects differ signifi cantly from other mineral tailings currently produced in Western Australia. Iron ore tailings are generated on a scale not matched by any other mineral process and can often contain asbestiform or potentially acid forming components. New iron ore projects are coming under increased environmental scrutiny because of their large scale operations and the sensitive environments in which they occur. This combination of factors creates some unique challenges for the management of tailings generated by iron ore mining in Western Australia.This paper presents the fi ndings of two studies conducted in recent years to overcome the challenges posed by iron ore tailings. The paper discusses the role of laboratory testing in the development of management strategies for asbestiform minerals in tailings. It also presents a numerical modelling approach for evaluating the rates of rise in the storage of magnetite tailings. The paper concludes by outlining how the findings of these studies can be applied to reduce tailings management costs, lower risks and improve environmental outcomes for the management of tailings from iron ore mining.

Jul 11, 2011

By John A. Herbst

Plantwide control of mineral processing operations has long been sought for its potential benefits. These benefits include minute-to-minute optimization, reacting to disturbances in ore characteristics and equipment status as they happen and the coordination of all unit operations in pursuit of the highest performance level. However several difficult challenges have kept us from fully realizing those benefits. One of these challenges has been to provide fairly complete quantitative descriptions of Unit operations to account for critical interactions within and 'between unit operations. In some cases we understand the physics and chemistry very well and can incorporate that 'knowledge into phenomenological models. In other cases our knowledge is incomplete, so we must rely on other forms of knowledge such as fuzzy logic or neural nets. Another challenge to be met has been to simultaneously compute a large number of manipulated variables. In the past this challenge was met by optimizing only unit-by-unit, rather than on a global basis to significantly reduce the number of variables. In this paper, a procedure that globally optimizes one or two important variables is outlined. This procedure comes much closer to true plantwide optimizing control while remaining computationally feasible. Finally, another major challenge is to choose a meaningful global objective that can be calculated With the models and can be effectively optimized. Financial goals seems to be the objectives of choice. This paper discusses recent progress In overcoming the challenges and illustrates a promising approach which is being pursued at :Mexicana de Cobre's 'La Caridad copper ore concentrator. At M de C, advanced ,control strategies have been 'installed one at a time in the crushing, grinding and flotation sections. During this period, the throughput of La Caridad, Mexico's largest copper concentrator, 'increased from 76;000 tpd to 90,000 tpd. Plantwide integration is expected' to gain an additional 3% improvement in profitability.

Jan 1, 1996

By John A. Herbst, William T. Pate

"Plantwide control of mineral processing operations has long been sought for its potential benefits. These benefits include minute-to-minute optimization, reacting to disturbances in ore characteristics and equipment status as they happen, and the coordination of all unit operations in pursuit of the highest performance level. However, several difficult challenges have kept us from fully realizing those benefits. One of these challenges has been to provide fairly complete quantitative descriptions of unit operations to account for critical interactions within and between unit operations. In some cases we understand the physics and chemistry very well and can incorporate that knowledge into phenomenological models. In other cases our knowledge is incomplete, so we must rely on other forms of knowledge such as fuzzy logic or neural nets. Another challenge to be met has been to simultaneously compute a large number of manipulated variables. In the past this challenge was met by optimizing only unit-by-unit, rather than on a global basis to significaritly reduce the number of variables. In this paper, a procedure that globally optimizes one or two important variables is outlined. This procedure comes much closer to true plantwide optimizing control while remaining computationally feasible. Finally, another major challenge is to choose a meaningful global objective that can be calculated with the models and can be effectively optimized. Financial goals seems to be the objectives of choice.This paper discusses recent progress in overcoming the challenges and illustrates a promising approach which is being pursued at Mexicana de Cobre's La Caridad copper ore concentrator. At M de C, advanced control strategies have been installed one at a time in the crushing, grinding and flotation sections. During this period, the throughput of La Caridad, Mexico's largest copper concentrator, increased from 76,000 tpd to 90,000 tpd. Plantwide integration is expected to gain an additional 3% improvement in profitability."

Jan 1, 1996

By Rainer Hüsken

Over the last decades long BOF campaign lives have successfully been established due to improved quality of the refractory material and due to intensive use of slag splashing. On the other hand, steelmakers are more and more faced with elevated phosphorous contents in the hot metal. This phenomenon is a global tendency caused by the increasing pressure to utilize cheaper iron ore sources. In India, iron ore sources have traditionally elevated phosphorous contents. The phosphorous removal challenge calls for using bottom stirring at the BOF converters, as these combined technology of top oxygen blowing and inert gas stirring through the bottom, helps significantly to improve bath mixing and thus in shifting the process towards the optimum metallurgical equilibrium conditions. All this is common knowledge and daily business in the steelmaking shops all over world. Unfortunately, focusing on a long BOF refractory campaign by means of slag splashing and maintaining optimum conditions for high efficient bottom stirring are naturally conflictive aims. Applying slag splashing causes unavoidable bottom built-up which in turn covers or even blocks the bottom tuyeres. Most of the steelmaking shops today are either operating slag splashing without bottom stirring or bottom stirring without slag splashing. Some are trying slag splashing with bottom stirring but mostly only for a certain short period of the whole campaign. Baoshan Meishan Steel is an integrated steel plant, located in Nanjing (China). The plant is operating two BOF shops (3x 150t and 2x 250t), producing various steel grades. Because of the iron ore source used, the hot metal phosphorous content is rather high with up to 2,000 ppm. In order to achieve low phosphorous contents in the molten steel below 200 ppm, Meishan uses the TBM (Thyssen Bottom Metallurgy) bottom stirring technology in both of their steel plants, successfully applying slag splashing and efficient bottom stirring for campaigns up to 10,000 heats. This paper describes the operation procedures, strategies, and the maintenance concept established at Meishan Steel which is suitable to meet both conflicting targets at the same time.

Jul 30, 2018