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By J. B. Mackintosh

The quantitative determination of copper, by means of electrodeposition, offers so many advantages, that it is to he preferred, when properly executed, to 611 other methods for ease and accuracy. The object of the present paper is to give the results of a number of experiments made during the past few months, and to indicate some sources of error, which must be avoided in order to attain the necessary accuracy. In 1867, C. Luckow, in competition for a prize offered by the directors of the Mansfield Copper Works, submitted the following

Jan 1, 1882

By T. Sterry Hunt

Jan 1, 1882

By F. P. Dewey

Rich Hill is situated in the famous car-wheel iron region of Southwestern Virginia, and although it contains many iron ores, this paper will be devoted chiefly to its car-wheel ore. Geologically, Rich Hill is somewhat difficult to describe, as the strata of the region are seriously folded and contorted. It lies at the base of one of the primordial spurs of the Blue Ridge, the ore appearing as a sedimentary deposit on the limestone No. 2, sometimes showing an imperfect stratification, but generally being an

Jan 1, 1882

Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Department of Mining Engineering, Blacksburg, Va Otto C Burkhart, Professor of Mining. The titles of pertinent publications have been abstracted from the Bulletins on Research and Publication This material has also appeared, in most cases, under other auspices Presumably, the Bulletins whose titles are quoted may be had for the cost of postage The coals of Virginia (1927), Ceramic resources of Virginia and their development (1929), Effect of ilhum crucibles on volatile determinations of coal (1930), Possibility of briquetting southwest Virginia coals (1930), Coking of semi-anthracite coal of Virginia (in preparation), Distribution of ash in the Merrimac coal seam (1929); Unit coal studies on some Virginia coals (1931), Sulphur forms in Virginia coals (1931); Comparison of results of fusion point of coal ash obtained by two different methods

Jan 1, 1933

By Chaz Weaver, James Sheahan, Michael Mo

"The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) undertook a program to replace four bridges along approximately 4 mi (6.4 km) of US 340 in Northwest Virginia. Two of these bridges, which span Compton Creek and the Norfolk Southern Railroad respectively, are the subject of this article. HDR provided roadway and structural design as well as geotechnical engineering services for the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge while their subconsultant, Saeed Associates, provided structural engineering services in support of the HDR roadway and geotechnical team for the Compton Creek Bridge.The project is located in the Valley and Ridge Geologic Province of Virginia, on an alignment that is adjacent to the Shenandoah River. The project lies within the Beekmantown Group consisting of limestone and dolostone that are prevalent and prone to karstic activity in a band that passes through the project area and north into Central and Eastern Pennsylvania. This area has been impacted by karst limestone conditions where caves and sinkhole activity is common. Caves at Luray and Front Royal, located to the south and north of the project, respectively, are popular public attractions.Since the potential for variability of subsurface conditions can be, and often is, greater in karst terrain, the need to develop a design that provides as much flexibility as possible during construction, and then to be prepared to efficiently review and respond to construction questions is heightened. Coordination and communication among the design staff, VDOT’s design and construction staff, and the contractor was a key factor in completion of this project.Compton Creek BridgeThe alignment for the new Compton Creek Bridge is located about 125 ft (38 m) west of the existing bridge, placing it between that bridge and the existing Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge. No information about the foundations was available for the existing bridges. Borings in the Compton Creek valley encountered extensive voids (some clay filled and some open) with numerous boulders, rock ledges and pinnacles, particularly on the north side of the creek. Geophysical and geotechnical investigations indicated that below a poor and variable upper zone of rock was a layer of more competent and consistent limestone, which appeared to contain little or no voids."

Jan 1, 2017

The Virginia State Chamber of Commerce, Central National Bank bldg , Richmond, Va Clarence W. Newman, Director of Research. The State Chamber of Commerce has sponsored a book, entitled "Virginia-Economic and Civil," which is an industrial and technical survey of the state. It was prepared at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and contains a chapter by Roy J. Holden on "Minerals and Their Exploitation " A comprehensive view of the mineral resources of the state is presented The publisher is Whittet and Shepperson, 11 North Eighth St, Richmond, Va.; price, $4.

Jan 1, 1933

Commonwealth of Virginia, Department of Labor and Industry, Rooms 313-318, State Office bldg , Richmond, Va John Hopkins Hall, Jr., Commissioner of Labor The Department of Labor and Industry publishes an Annual Report containing a review and statistics of industry in Virginia. One section is devoted to the statistics and a review of mining and quarrying during the year The latest or 34th Report (1930) will be sent to those with a particular interest in these matters

Jan 1, 1933

Section 89 Virginia State Geological Survey, Box 329, University, Va. Arthur Bevan, State Geologist A list of publications will be sent free upon request. Publica¬tions are distributed free to residents of Virginia, and others are asked to pay the cost of postage. Selected Bulletins available are: Bulletin 3-A, Geology of the titanium and apatite deposits, with chapters on the Lower Cretaceous and The economic geology (1913), 4, Physiography and geology of the Coastal Plain Prov-

Jan 1, 1933

A few years later another gazetteer said of Virginia: "The Ouasioto Mountains are 50 or 60 miles wide at the Gap. These mountains abound in coal, lime and free-stone." The Gap was the Potomac River. "Copper, iron, black-lead, coal, marble, limestone &c are found in this country."' In the Morris papers, in Louisa and Goochland Counties, some records of operations in 1797 and 1798 have been preserved. These are: [ ]

Jan 1, 1942

In 1820, the Board of Public Works was considering some improvements to the canal, in order to reduce the cost of transportation, and in its annual report for that year gives a description of the method of loading the coal from the pit to the boat, and also from the boat to the dealer's yard, which is illuminating in showing how coal of this type should not be handled. It follows:- "It will be seen by the estimates, that the improving the present canal, forming a canal of large dimensions, from the head of the present lower canal to Sabbot Island; erecting locks of large capacity, and making a communication with the river, so as to completely accommodate the coal trade, (except it should hereafter be found necessary to make another communication with the river,) will not cost more than 126,000 dollars. But as there is some doubt whether the streams that may be received into the canal between Sabbot Island and the upper arch, will at all times be competent to supply the locks on that portion, we will extend our calculation to a point nearly half a mile above Pleasants' Island; where, by erecting a dam, any desired quantity may be thrown into the canal. This extension of the canal with one lock, and the dam across the river, is estimated at 34,000 dollars, making in the whole a little over 160,000 dollars. There will then remain a surplus of 40,000 dollars after completing the works to the point last mentioned. "In order to discover what effect the improvement of this first section will have on the tolls, it will be necessary to take a view of the present state of the coal trade, and endeavor to ascertain what change will result from the increased facility of transportation. "That part of the business which is carried on by water, is conducted nearly in this way. When the coal is drawn out of the mines, it is thrown in a heap near the mouth of the mine, or shaft; it is then loaded into carts, and carried to the river bank, where, in some instances, it is discharged from the cart at the brow of the bank, and runs down to the beach near the water's edge; then shovelled into wheel-barrows, and wheeled aboard of the boat, and discharged from the barrows by upsetting. In other instances, the carts are driven on to a kind of scaffold, furnished with a wide spout or director at the edge; by which the coal is conveyed immediately into the boats. These boats are the common James river poplar batteaux, and require three men to each. The up-stream navigation being laborious, the boats are built of light materials, and continue fit for service but a short time, (say) from two to three years; their cost, when new, from fifty to one hundred dollars. "When the river is tolerably flush of water, one of these boats will carry about two hundred bushels; but in low water their load is sometimes diminished to one hundred, and even as low as eighty bushels. They pay for passing the canals and locks to the Basin, one dollar per load; so that when full loads are taken, it will amount to half a

Jan 1, 1942

The Enquirer of October 13, 1835 carried a letter signed "G," calling attention to the great number of Virginians who were leaving the state and to the lack of enterprise shown in not developing the ample natural resources available. He mentioned coal in particular and in closing said: "Besides the coal mines owned by individuals, the Black Heath company of colliers are carrying on extensive operations. Owing to the derangement of the currency, and the immense expenses incurred in boring and sinking new shafts, I understand that their dividends have not yet been so large, as they may be confidently expected in future.-Another company, under the title of the Midlothian Coal Mining Company, is now about being organized by the Messrs. Wooldridges of Chesterfield, for the purpose of establishing an extensive coal business. Having examined the lands embraced in the charter and the principles upon which the company is designed to be organized, I am persuaded that more productive stock can no where be found. The charter embraces a space nearly equal to a mile square, adjoining the mines of the Black Heath company, those of Mr. N. Mills, and those of Stone Henge, which space must contain coal of great thickness of excellent quality, as the strata of coal of those other mines pass through it; exhibiting a field so extensive, that centuries may elapse before it is exhausted. A shaft has been sunk on these lands, from which a very large quantity of the best coal is being raised. The terms of the charter require the Proprietors to sell one-half of these lands and mines, from the sale of which they will appropriate $100,000 as permanent capital, to purchase hands and engines, and to sink other shafts to work the property and thus going into operation with such decided advantages, as to produce a profit as great as a reasonable man should desire. Here is an opportunity for investing capital, which I think should satisfy the wishes of many Virginians who speak of emigrating. Will they not embrace it?-I have confined my remarks to the coal mines, because they are in the heart of our State, and their operations are familiar to many who can verify the statements. I might extend them to the other mineral treasures of our State; but if I do so, they must be reserved for another number, this being longer than I intended, and perhaps longer than you can conveniently find room for in your crowded columns. G." In January 1828 the Tuckahoe Canal Company was authorized to construct a canal along Tuckahoe Creek, from the James River up the stream about five miles; later this was amended to allow the use of the stream with a depth of water of two feet, no tow path was required, or provided: A toll of one cent per bushel was collected and the canal company made large profits. The service was so poor that in December 18, 1835, John G.,

Jan 1, 1942

After the explosion in the Black Heath pit, that company sent to England for some experienced miners to reopen the mine. The results of their work in this vicinity are mentioned in an advertisement for pit hands by the Mid-Lothian Co., as follows: "PIT HANDS WANTED.-In consequence of reports having been circulated of the insecurity of hirelings in the Mid-Lothian Mines, the Company deem it proper to make known, that the mines have recently been opened, and that not the slightest explosion from gas has occurred; the workings were laid out and are now progressing, ° under a plan furnished by Messieurs Foster & Hall, .two distinguished English Colliers, sent over from England to reclaim the Pits of the Black Heath Company after the recent explosion of gas-and the present under ground operations are now conducted under the management of one of the English foremen left here by these gentlemen, and supervised by Mr. Wm. Hall, who has under his superintendence the Black Heath Company's Works at present. The skill and capacity of those gentlemen, is fully evinced in their skilful reclamation of the Black Heath Mines, and their present successful working of said Pits; and their confidence in the safety of the hands in the Mid-Lothian Mines, will be seen, by reference to the annexed extract from the Plan left by Messrs. Foster & Hall for laying out and working the Mid-Lothian Mines, and from the Certificate of Mr. William Hall, as to the manner in which that plan is carried into effect. This publication has been deemed proper, as the Company are now in want of some ten or fifteen additional able-bodied, active Pit-hands, on hire by the year, for which they will give the most liberal hire. The Company have not hitherto spared any labor or expense, deemed necessary to secure the absolute safety and comfort of the hands in their mines; nor is it designed in future to omit any thing that can add to the security of their own hands, or the hired laborers of other persons-indeed they can, with great propriety, say, as far as they have progressed, that no mines in this country exhibit stronger, if as strong, evidence of general safety. The Company will receive on hire, no hands who do not voluntarily enter their service -and they request of those having hands to hire out, to remember that they will want upon hire, successively, at intervals of every ninety days, some additional four or five hirelings during the year, or to purchase, progressively, that number of healthy, able-bodied young men. "Owners of slaves at a distance from the Coal Mines, would do well to give some attention to the subject. There is no place in this country where slave labor commands as much, where their general health is better, and where the treatment and contentment of the slaves are surpassed. It is true that within the last few years several disastrous accidents have occurred, but from the scientific and practical skill attracted to the mines, these accidents will be of rare occurrence, it is to be hoped. A. S. WOOLDRIDGE, President, at the Mines in Chesterfield County.

Jan 1, 1942

In 1846 a bill was pending in Congress to reduce, or eliminate, the tariff on coal; the debate caused the same writer to visit the mines on the north side of the James River and to write a letter about them to the same paper.' Omitting the political arguments, his account follows: "July 13, 1846. "Early in the morning we rose, washed, combed, and ate a first-rate breakfast, and then went to the Tuckahoe, mined by Messrs. Sneed and Dietrock. Coal was first discovered here sixty years ago, and mined by Colonel Thomas Randolph, the proprietor of the land. They were worked by him for his smith-shops. Since which time they have been worked periodically, up to the war of 1812, when they were abandoned; and recommenced in 1837 under the management of Dr. W. T.- Scott. Subsequently a Company was formed called Tuckahoe Coal Mining Company, which purchased the whole track at a cost of $30,000. They commenced the sinking of a shaft and went as far as 412 feet, and then pitched the fat all into the fire by hauling off altogether in despair. In 1843 Major Sneed went to work at it, and succeeded. I may here remark that Major Sneed has been the pioneer in this business on the North side of the River, and has sunk more shafts than any other man who has pursued this vocation in Eastern Virginia. The difficulties and expense in sinking these shafts are sometimes immense. The coal on the outcrop or surface is not always a guide to where it may be found imbedded many hundred feet under earth and rock. "The Tuckahoe Pits are on the Eastern end of the coal field, within twelve hundred yards of the Canal, and about twelve miles from Richmond. They employ fifty hands and raise some three hundred thousand bushels of coal per year. It is highly bituminous and excellent for the manufacture of iron. The Tredegar and Belle Isle Rolling Mills are supplied with it. It must be good and of the right kind', or they would not use it. These pits are the only. ones on this side troubled-with gas-of course ventillation is necessary. There is not as much water in this Pit as I have found generally in many others, although they have extended their operations to a considerable distance under ground. I have observed in examining the coal mines, that, where they are sunk over four or five hundred feet, they are annoyed by gas, and where there is a less depth they are troubled with water. It is evident, therefore, that water, in the region of these coal fields, does not run through the earth to any extent, even five hundred feet deep, and the farther you go below that the greater the increase of gas. "We next visited William Cottrell's Pits, situated one mile and a half north of this. He employs some thirty hands, and raises from 4 to 500 bushels per day. "T. & R. Crouch's Pits are one hundred yards north of Cottrell's. This firm employ from 80 to 90 hands, and raise from 8 to 900 bushels per day. They are now

Jan 1, 1942

With the exception of the mentions of coal in Illinois in the period 1660-1680, already referred to, the first coal found in the United States was in the James River, Virginia, field. In 1699 a large tract of .land above the present city of Richmond was allotted for a settlement of French Huguenots by the colonial, government, near the present Manakin, about fourteen miles above Richmond. They soon found coal, tradition says it was uncovered by a hunter pulling out a small tree in a. steel) bank near a stream, and Colonel William Byrd, F.R.S., the most prominent man of his day in the colony, wrote to the Colonial Council of Virginia, May 10 and 11, 1701: "The 10th of May, last., I with Coll. Randolph, Capt. Epes, Capt. Webb, &c., went up to the new settlements of ye French Refugees at ye Manaken Town.... We went tip to ye Cole, w'ch is not above a mile and a half from their settlement on the great upper Creeke, w'ch, riseing very high in great Raines hath washed away the Banks that the Coal lyes bare, otherwise it's very deep in the Earth, the land being very high, and near the surface is plenty of Slate.", Some of the Frenchmen were evidently familiar with the use of coal, as on May 22, 1702, "David Menestrier a black smith and one of ye french Refugees Inhabiting at Luciana Petitioning his Excellency that he may have leave to use ye coal mines lately discovered there for his forge his Excellency by and with ye advice of ye Council loth hereby give Leave to ye said David Menestrier to take what coales he shall want. out of ye said Coal mine for ye use of his forge according to ye Prayer of ye said Petition."2 There was some uncertainty about the grant of these lands to the Huguenots which caused the request for leave to use this coal, as a Virginia patent in its usual form allowed the owner to mine all minerals excepting gold and silver, which were subject to royalties for the Crown. After the visit to the coal above mentioned, "Wm. Byrd, understanding the land had not been granted to the French, took out a patent for 344 acres, including the same, (the coal) which patent was dated October 20, 1704".3

Jan 1, 1942

By D A. Bowman, S Schafrik

With the goal of reducing injuries and fatalities related to haul truck accidents, this research investigates technologies and intervention strategies for improving worker training using a virtual environment (VE). Funded by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), this research specifically focuses on training workers in preshift inspections of haul trucks to avoid preventable defects from causing worker injuries and expensive equipment damage. Improved training in these inspections is expected to increase uptime. The VE developed to train workers for preshift inspections consists of three phases: the virtual tour, the virtual inspection and the shift simulation. The virtual tour introduces information necessary to conduct a preshift inspection by guiding the worker around a haul truck, identifying parts to be inspected and explaining defects to look for. The virtual inspection assesses retention as the worker navigates around a haul truck and identifies defects. During the shift simulation, the worker is shown a simulation of the work shift, which animates severe consequences of any overlooked defects to emphasise the importance of preshift inspections. To provide multiple training platforms, desktop and CAVEÖ versions of the training VE were created. Flux Studio was used to model the environment and to produce Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML) files for the desktop version. DIVERSE, an application programming interface, was then used to implement a more realistic version of the VE in a CAVEÖ, a room-sized visualisation system. Initial feedback from mining colleagues indicates that the training VE may replace normal classroom training for preshift inspections in the future. As opposed to PowerPoint presentations and instructional videos, the training VE provides better spatial understanding of the location of parts and incorporates interactive features to actively engage drivers in the learning process, which may result in better retention. Initial feedback also indicates that minor improvements can be made to the virtual tour and virtual inspection phases.

Jan 1, 2008

By Stephen Se

Geological assessment of active mine faces enables ore grade control, geological modelling and exploration planning. Monitoring of the mine advancement at every drill-blast-muck cycle allows for effective production management. However, geological assessments are performed infrequently due to the need to travel to active mine faces, and detailed surveys to map the mine progress are performed at the end of the month. Instant Mine Modeller (iMM) is a portable ruggedized stereo-vision system that creates photo-realistic three-dimensional models of underground mine faces on-site. The 3D models are generated automatically within minutes and can be viewed underground and annotated with geological information. The overall ore percentages of the face are calculated automatically for grade control. Annotated 3D models are located in the mine coordinate system and can be imported into mine management systems. iMM allows for daily monitoring of the mine progress and geology, and for re-visiting the mine virtually as it existed. iMM has been deployed in an underground hard rock mine for 18 months, and it effectively brings the underground work face into mine management offices enabling the right decisions at the right time. iMM has demonstrated benefits to various mine processes including grade control, geological mapping, 3D photo-realistic as-built and production volume.

Oct 1, 2009

By Denby B, Hollands R. Schofield D

Surface mines are in operation worldwide, the vast majority employ large haul trucks for the transfer of material both to the outside world and around the site. The sheer size of these trucks and the operating conditions means there is a high

Jan 1, 1998

By Arpana P. Sabu, Themis Vaxevanis, Sissy Nikolaou, Guillermo Diaz-Fanas

Geo-failures from extreme events (landslides, wild fires, earthquakes, floods, etc.) have increased exponentially in recent years around the world and within the USA. When catastrophic failures occur, they usually involve hundreds of fatalities especially in cases of unexpected triggering events, such as large intensity earthquakes or heavy flash floods. Protective actions against identified potential geohazards can mitigate the associated risks and the future occurrences and prevent these occurrences from becoming disasters, targeting the essence of resilience in geotechnical engineering. Imaging and other virtual design and construction tools can be used to identify weaknesses that trigger geohazards and can, in combination with numerical simulations, guide decision making. In spatially distributed problems, 3D visualization and LiDAR-type of technologies are essential in providing geotechnical engineers a deeper understanding of precarious soil zones and support finding appropriate solutions. This paper will present the value of using virtual design and construction technologies though the case study of the Iztapalapa suburb of Mexico, about 20 km southeast of Mexico City. Iztapalapa was developed within irregular topography and has a long history of severe soil subsidence. Following the 2017 Puebla-Morelos earthquake, the town experienced large settlements resulting in extensive damage to the already frail buildings and unregulated infrastructure. The soil subsidence was visualized by mapping available historic and geotechnical data. The visualization helped to identify areas where additional investigations were needed. Additionally, this paper presents a case study of a series of landslides from the 2016 Mw7.8 Muisne Ecuador Earthquake, which demonstrates the advantages of using novel technologies to collect data and create cloud datasets from drones and digital photos to understand and evaluate geo-vulnerabilities in anticipation of an extreme event and during rapid reconnaissance to plan for long-term instrumentation, which can enhance geo-disaster prevention and overall community resilience. INTRODUCTION Iztapalapa is a southeastern borough of Mexico City (CDMX) located within the Mexico Basin (Figure 1). This borough is a densely populated area of CDMX with a total of 1.8 million inhabitants, and has a third of its population living in poverty (Gonzalez-Hernandez et al., 2015) with limited to no access to clean drinking water. Iztapalapa also suffers from high rates of crime, drug trafficking, sex trade and illegal buildings. As the population continues to grow, the already non-regulated and fatigued infrastructure is unable to meet the community needs, especially during and after natural hazard occurrences. The region of CDMX is one of the world’s most seismically active regions that is also exposed to other geo-hazards such as floods, volcanic eruptions, and continuous settlement due to water pumping that has reached 11 meters over the past 100 years (Nikolaou et al, 2019). While the soil subsidence alone has caused significant infrastructure damage in Iztapalapa and throughout the rest of the city, recent earthquakes have also contributed to those damages.

Jan 1, 2019

By Dieter Loh, Mathias Knoll, Florian Werres

When a new tunnelling project starts, it has been a vital tradition for decades to cast and erect master rings horizontally on a flat surface to demonstrate the compliance with dimensional tolerances. Some tenders ask for the erection of two or even three rings upon each other or repeated master ring erections at intervals throughout the project. Especially for large diameters, this is a challenging and risky task for the workforce in the segment factory. A truck-mounted crane is often necessary, and in some cases it can take up to a week to complete a master ring. The concept of virtual rings has the potential to replace this tradition by assembling master rings digitally instead of physically. This is based on a best-fit approach, considering the 3D coordinates from laser tracker measurements of segments or segment moulds. Building a virtual ring, a sub-millimeter accuracy can be achieved, the alignment of neighboring circumferential and ring joints observed, and the fit of bolt holes checked. The traditional method, on the other hand, is discussed controversially despite the significant amount of work and risks—particularly as the horizontal position of the ring and absence of gaskets do not simulate the reality in the excavated tunnel. This paper will highlight the technical aspects of virtual rings, as well as their pros and cons, illustrated by a case study from London Thames Tideway where a total of 30 physical master rings could be replaced by virtual rings.

Jun 13, 2023

By S Sullivan

The key skills for a competent geologist are observation, documentation, analytical thought and the ability to communicate. These attributes have served the geological world for the past two centuries since the field of geology was separated out from natural philosophy. The understanding of the structural setting, lithologies, alteration and 3D distribution of the target mineral species are essential precursors to resource evaluation and potential economic extraction. The advent of artificial intelligence and machine learning has matured to the point where observation by dedicated sensors and analysis by customised AI algorithms can replace manual processes and deliver credible results. In combination with analytical data such as assays, various sensors now collect physical properties of rocks which are used as proxies for mineral identification and rock mass classification. These sensors include X-ray and infra-red spectra, magnetic susceptibility, gravity/density, EH/pH measurements, conductivity, colourimetric readings, porosity, fracturing and fracture intensity. Analysis using machine learning techniques trained using known data sets can determine rock type classification, rock density, quantification of grade/quality attributes, mineral alteration, weathering and geotechnical attributes such as rock quality. This type of data relies on calibration and quality control of a variety of different types of electronic hardware. The resulting data is non-additive, has error ranges and will be suitable for consumption by fast AI methods providing probabilistic analysis. A second stage could include geometallurgical constraints to provide an ‘extractability index’, which is of more interest to miners than pure geotyping. Using resultant interpreted geological criteria, 3D domain models with spatial attributes will be built.

Sep 1, 2024