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By C Staak, H Mischo, A Fichtner, F Reuter

In mining and remote areas of resource industry, there has been a development towards lacking emergency medical first aid response, that creates a potential disadvantage for patients after work accidents and other medical emergencies compared to standard population. This raises the question how a professional emergency medical coverage can be provided underground, taking into account lacking medical professionals in small resource companies combined with long rescue times. Aiming on the closure of this gap, a team of the mine rescue brigade from the Research and Training Mine Reiche Zeche (Forschungs-und Lehrbergwerk (FLB) Reiche Zeche) of the TUBAF Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg in Freiberg/Germany and its cooperating emergency departments of the Freiberg District Hospital and the Zeisigwaldkliniken Bethanien Chemnitz developed a totally new rescue concept using elements from tactical medicine and advanced emergency medicine combined with a specifically designed compact equipment and a highly standardised teaching curriculum. A fully new standardised and condensed tactical medical approach was developed including specifically adjusted equipment, and was taught in a didactically optimised way within 16 lessons in two days. Objective Structured Practical Examinations (OSPE) using manikins and simulated patients were conducted and compared to the identical exam of the reference group, which consisted of advanced paramedics. The standardised tactical medical scheme includes vital functions and body checks, advanced life support, nasal and intraosseous drug application, supraglottic airway management, artificial ventilation, thoracocentesis, bleeding control including tourniquet, fracture repositioning and splinting, transport bedding and thermal preservation. The developed Tactical Medical Mining Rescue (TMR) concept was subsequently included in the German guidelines for mine rescue services in 2022 and is already implemented in many companies in Germany and several international projects.

Sep 1, 2024

The outlook for suppliers of energy to the expanding economies of the Pacific Basin region is essentially positive, but particularly for exporters of high quality steam coal. This paper argues that economic growth in the Pacific Basin region has exceeded world economic growth for some years and that this will continue to be the case for the next decade at least. It looks briefly at the link between economic growth and energy demand and at the relationship between energy demand and the demand for electricity. Changing preferences in fuel mix for electrical generation in the region are noted and tentative forecasts made about variations in this mix. The pros and cons of various forms of fuel used to generate electricity are considered from the point of view of the consumer. Having concluded that steaming coal in particular is likely to become even more important as a generator of base load electricity, the paper looks at the opportunities this presents for exporters such as Australia, and touches on some factors that could prevent development of those opportunities. This paper will concentrate on electrical energy. For the purposes of this paper, the Pacific Basin refers essentially to Australia, New Zealand and the Asian countries bordering the Western Pacific. As a supplier, Siberia is not included because, although it has great potential, it is thought that problems of climate, infrastructure and political restructuring will delay the realisation of that potential until the next century. Although it deals with the Pacific Basin region, where many countries are industrialising rapidly from a predominantly agricultural base, it looks at the experience of mature industrial DECD economies where their experiences seem relevant.

Jan 1, 1990

I want to explore whether it is valid or even useful to talk about sustainable corporations. After 20 years of focus on sustainable development, the concept of a sustainable corporation is not particularly helpful and it may in fact be profoundly misleading. Why? û because it obscures the need for corporations to be recognised as part of a sustainable society, rather than achieving some kind of corporate nirvana divorced from the social, political and environmental reality. It is more helpful to ask whether corporations are ready to recognise that they are one player among many within society û with the demands this would place on them in terms of transparency, accountability and social responsibility. The achievement of sustainable development has become the new corporate orthodoxy of many large corporations. It has become a clichT to argue that corporations must become æsustainableÆ. The achievement of æsustainabilityÆ is encouraged, as the ultimate step in some form of corporate evolution. We are failing to recognise that sustainability a process û not an end in itself. An enormous array of instruments is being developed to measure when sustainability is or is not being achieved. For example, corporate reporting has burgeoned into an art form, which describes æsustainabilityÆ in a variety of ways. There is no external standard applied to such reporting. These descriptions are quite partial and often place the best possible gloss on the companyÆs activities. I have become increasingly uneasy about this rhetoric and this paper has allowed me the luxury of sorting out my unease. I will discuss, largely in the Australian context, the current debate and literature and describe the way some global mining corporations are dealing with these questions, and finally, offer some suggestions which might be helpful at the operational level.

Jan 1, 2002

By B Bamford

High speed diamond cutting has extensive applications in civil and mining engineering. A project involving the diamond sawing of black granite is investigating the nature of the diamond cutting process. A sawing machine was devised to adjust the cutting load and measure cutting speed. Cuttings were collected for size distribution analysis. The surface produced by interaction between diamond. grits and the rock was subjected to microscopic investigation. Increasing load prompts the proportional increase in the cutting rate. But the mean size of cuttings shows little change. The photomicrographs of the cutting tracks indicate neither patterns of crack formation nor signs of the ductile behaviour of the rock. A diamond cutting model for hard rock is formulated on these observations. Diamond cutting is a process of surface failure, which advances in four stages. The polycrystalline characteristics of a hard rock and the action of high-speed diamond grits guarantee the creation of crack nuclei which develop into cracks in various directions. This network crisscrossing cracks enable the stripping of this surface layer from the rock.

Jan 1, 1992

By Manca PP, Lassandro R, Caranassios A, Massacci G, Ciccu R

The paper discusses the state of the progress reached in the development of the diamond wire tool for cutting hard rocks. To the advances of this relatively new technology a substantial contribution has been provided by the research being carried out at the University of Cagliari on samples of granite rocks from different Sardinian stone quarries. On the basis of field experiments and laboratory test data, the mechanism of diamond wire cutting has been assessed. In particular the influence of the rock features and operational variables on tool performance (cutting rate and bead wear) has been Elucidated.

Jan 1, 1992

By N H. S Oliver

Five major veining events have been identified within the area surrounding the Mount Whaleback microplaty hematite deposit. These veining events can be directly correlated to the established deformation history of the Hamersley Province (Brown et al, in press). Vein formation temperatures of 203 to 231¦C have been obtained from primary fluid inclusions within veins which formed around the postulated time of ore formation. Preliminary proton induced x-ray emition (PIXE) analysis of these inclusions indicates KCl is the dominant salt species with varying levels of Ca, Fe, Ti, Mn present. It is suggested that some of these veins may have formed from feeder or effluent fluids from microplaty hematite ore formation.

Jan 1, 2002

By A Rojc, J Ronaszeki, C Smith

Nuclear logging was tested for the in situ determination of Fe, Si, and Al in iron ore blastholes with field tests at the BHP Billiton Iron Ore, Mount Waleback Mine. Prompt gamma neutron activation analysis (PGNAA) was used to determine percentages of Fe and Si while natural gamma logging was employed for the determination of Al. The accuracy given by nuclear logging is comparable to the accuracy provided by the laboratory analysis which was determined by taking the average of four samples collected from the cuttings deposited on the surface around the perimeter of a drill hole. The work also indicated that there is a chance of determining Al by PGNAA.

Jan 1, 2002

By B Smith, R Gelson

Springvale Colliery is an underground longwall mine situated approximately 10 km north-west of Lithgow in the western coalfields of New South Wales. Following a full-scale review of the mineÆs ventilation system in mid-2010, it was clear that the mine by early 2013 would become ventilation constrained as a result of the increasing size of the mine workings, the predicted worsening tailgate conditions and plans to introduce a fourth continuous miner unit. This realisation led Springvale to embark on a major upgrade of the mine ventilation system that would meet short-term and life-of-mine (LOM) requirements.Included in the upgrade project was the installation of a new high pressure centrifugal main exhaust fan that is capable of overcoming the high resistances imposed frequently on the circuit by restrictions in the tailgate airway. The new fan featuring a 2.5 MW motor is designed to be capable of operating at a quantity of 250 m3/s at a pressure of 7.9 kPa, a substantial improvement over the previous system, which had an operating duty of approximately 145 m3/s at 1.9 kPa. The new fan is of a centre hung design and features a backup diesel motor to maintain ventilation in the event of a power outage.Structural engineering analysis determined that under the operation of the new main fan the existing standard of ventilation control devices (VCDs) at Springvale would not be adequate to withstand the increase in differential pressures. As such, an upgrade of critical VCDs was undertaken utilising a novel high flexural strength (9 MPa) shotcrete and thin spray-on liner, which help serve to safeguard the structural integrity of the appliances and prevent increased leakage as roadway conditions at VCD sites deteriorate over time (a serious problem in many areas of the workings at Springvale).In addition to the main ventilation system upgrade, a separate upgrade focusing on improving development face ventilation was also undertaken. This upgrade included the purchase of two high capacity (22 m3/s) variable inlet vane (VIV) auxiliary fans to facilitate comfortable development face ventilation.The upgrade of the mine ventilation system at Springvale has been three years in the making, but has removed a major business risk in that it has afforded mine planning and operational flexibility (a fourth unit can now be introduced) for the LOM, and importantly provided unprecedented levels of comfort to operators at the working faces where previously ventilation and heat issues were frequently reported. The impact of this on the morale of the workforce, and hence their output, should not be underestimated.CITATION:Gelson, R and Smith, B, 2013. Life-of-mine ventilation system upgrade at Springvale Colliery - A case study, in Proceedings The Australian Mine Ventilation Conference , pp 79-86 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 1, 2013

By B B. Du, Y N. Lu, L X. Wang, S L. Wu

The cohesive zone in the blast furnace is largely affected by the softening and melting behaviour of ferrous burden because of its vital role in the blast furnace process. The Visual High Temperature Methodology (VHTM) has been given to study the softening and melting behaviour of sinter, two kinds of lump ores and acid pellet intuitively. Before softening, both two kinds of lump ore swelled and more serious for lump ore B because of its denser structure than lump ore A. The softening and melting temperature intervals are different from one another and this phenomenon contributed to the gas permeability of ore layer in the cohesive zone since the ‘ore window’ has formed. Besides, the softening and melting behaviour of mixed burdens have been studied, where it has been found that the softening and melting characteristics of mixed burden A (consisting of sinter and lump ore A) is better than mixed burden B (consisting of sinter and lump ore B) and mixed burden C (consisting of sinter and acid pellet) despite the poorest characteristics of lump ore A. The reason is that the high temperature interactivity between lump ore A and sinter is much better than lump ore B and acid pellet. The high temperature interactivity is mainly influenced by the chemical compositions, porosity and contact condition. This paper provides a new research method for the softening and melting behaviour of iron ore and an important technical basis for the optimisation of blast furnace burden.CITATION:Wang, L X, Wu, S L, Lu, Y N and Du, B B, 2017. The softening and melting behaviour of single and mixed iron ore burdens, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2017, pp 605–610 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 24, 2017

By J B. Taylor

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are being increasingly used by the mineral exploration industry in the search for new ore deposits. A mineral exploration GIS links geological and geophysical data by virtue of their geographic location in a digital map setting. Geological and geophysical data are categorised into a number of themes or layers within a mineral exploration GIS. These layers may include polygonal information such as rock type and tenements, line information such as faults and fold axes, point information such as mines and mineral occurences, and images such as gridded geochemistry and aeromagnetics. A mineral exploration GIS is a powerful tool to help the explorationist comprehend the spatial associations and interrelationships of his/her data. These spatial associations can be integrated with a mineral genesis model, to create a mineral prospectivity map to more effectively target exploration. Arguably a competent geologist who has a good understanding of the genesis of the local ore deposit types and knows their local geology backwards could intuitively derive a mineral prospectivity map. However, in an era of rapid data accumulation from many different disciplines, the ability to assimilate and understand is a huge task for any individual. A mineral exploration GIS enables the explorationist to spend more time analysing data and testing ideas, rather than finding and manipulating data into compatible formats.

Jan 1, 1994

By D Nicoli, P Feltoe

The operation of grinding circuits are vital to the success of most mineral processing operations in the provision of effective size reduction whilst maximising throughput. However these same circuits, and especially semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mills, are highly interactive with product re-circulations and long time delays. This makes the optimal control of these difficult by conventional controllers, such as PID, which generally places a heavy reliance upon operations for control. In order to account for the peculiarities (such as ore type changes) and the abnormal situations that continually beset these circuits, it is necessary to adapt linear control techniques to cater for these situations. The Honeywell Hi-Spec Solutions SmartGrindTM controller is a marriage of multivariable predictive control (MPC) with techniques that provide adaptation of the control to optimise the circuit under all conditions. Optimal control is achieved by incorporating pattern recognition techniques to detect and act on discrete events (eg ore type changes) and adaptation of the MPC to account for known process and equipment non-linearities. AlcoaÆs Wagerup Refinery is the first site worldwide to have this technology applied to the SAG milling circuits and this has resulted in throughput increases in excess of two per cent and significant improvements in circuit operations. This paper describes the implementation of the control to the refineryÆs Mill 3 bauxite grinding circuit and the capacity/operational improvements achieved thereof.

Jan 1, 2000

By G E. Ho, M Anda, S Dallas

Water auditing and water conservation measures are fast becoming the quantitative tools for water balance reporting in the mining and minerals processing sector. Therefore, this paper was written to describe the process of water auditing in a goldmining environment and to contribute towards building an appropriate water management framework for The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for sustainable resource processing (CSRP). The research will assist with the assessment of water balances in mining and hydrometallurgical processes and ongoing probabilistic modelling for Newmont Mining Corporation, its wholly owned gold mines, and its joint venture operation of Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM). Kalgold or KCGM are the managers of a joint venture project between Barrick Australia (50 per cent) and Newmont Mining Corporation (50 per cent) at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia (WA). Boddington Gold Mine (BGM), Western Australia, will commence operations this year and manage the new goldmine expansion project. BGM is 100 per cent Newmont owned and will operate to continue mining gold and copper from the existing (BGM) site that was decommissioned in 2001.

Jan 1, 2009

It is no longer satisfactory to assess the value of a coking coal on its intrinsic properties alone; its value depends upon its behaviour as a component in a blend. No single test can be used to make this assessment, it can only be made by carrying out a suite of tests. The quality parameters which are considered desirable, and which have widespread acceptance, have been discussed and their application to the blending of coals from New South Wales and New Zealand has been reported and discussed. Blending can be utilised to offset deficiencies, or capitalise on advantages, of the individual coals making up a blend. Coals can be blended, which alone are poorly, Coking, but which have compensating features. Blending also allows better exploitation of coking coal reserves. Several applications of blending have been reviewed with regard to coal producers and exporters, as well as coal users. The possibility of extracting a coking coal fraction from fuel coals is discussed. Blending systems and the coking of coal are also briefly reviewed.

Jan 1, 1971

By L J. Ingle, K L. McPhee, A G. Hunt

Iron Road Limited (IRD) is currently developing the Central Eyre Iron Project (CEIP) at Warramboo on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. The project consists of a 30 year open pit mine, magnetite processing facilities, standard-gauge railway and deep water, Cape class capable port. Major South Australian government approvals have been received and funding arrangements confirmed.The 4.5 Bt Mineral Resource (3.7 Bt Ore Reserve), the largest in Australia and among the largest globally, is to be mined to produce 24 Mt/a high-grade, 67 per cent Fe, magnetite concentrate. This in-demand, premium product has a P80 of ~100 µm, suitable for both direct sinter feed and an additive in pelletising.The extensively drilled, homogeneous orebody is unique in both geology and mineralogy; only averaging 15 per cent Fe yet coarse-grained with almost negligible phosphorus and sulfur content. This has allowed significant opportunities to tailor the mining method to the orebody, utilising both optimised blasting as first stage comminution, as well as in-pit crushing and conveying (IPCC) to reduce the heavy haulage diesel fleet and optimise the pit shell.Approximately 1 Mt/d of total material, ore and waste, is required to be moved from the pit daily, introducing materials handling challenges, overcome by a flexible IPCC set-up, multiple overland conveyors and an exacting mine plan. Non-conventional waste and tailings storage is utilised to allow for significant water savings, progressive rehabilitation and minimisation of land impact.The processing facilities utilise both the magnetic and density properties of the magnetite to beneficiate the ore. The coarse-grained nature of the ore is exploited to minimise comminution yet still liberate a high quality product. Utilisation of modular construction methods allows risk reduction during construction and reduced pumping requirements during operation.This paper highlights the uniqueness of the CEIP, with focus on the mineralisation of the orebody, and the beneficial impacts this has on both the proposed mining method and processing. Magnetite mining is not new and IRD has used the learnings of others, and input from various vendors and industry experts, utilising knowledge and expertise to engineer an innovative, yet supported, project design.CITATION:McPhee, K L, Hunt, A G and Ingle, L J, 2017. The Central Eyre Iron Project – developing a new iron ore mine in a challenging climate, in Proceedings Iron Ore 2017, pp 613–620 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Jul 24, 2017

By T Harding, T Riggs, D Taylor

High-grade hematite ores in the Hamersley Province of Western Australia are associated with hydrothermal magnetite-apatite and magnetite-hematite-carbonate-apatite proto ores below the modern weathering surface. In addition, hydrothermal alteration of country rocks, once believed to be absent, is now recognised widely in shales and dolerites up to several hundreds of metres away from the ores. Both observations appear to exclude a simple supergene model for ugrading the host iron formations to high-grade hematite ore. Similar hydrothermal proto ores and country rock alteration are now being recognised in other high-grade hematite deposits worldwide, or have been recognised in the past.

Jan 1, 2002

Platinum-group minerals (PGM) are recorded from a number of localities along theWaiau River, western Southland, and the south coast of the South Island, New Zealand. At each locality, small amounts of PGMs were recovered as by-products of historical gold mining operations. During the period 1890-1950 an estimated 1000-2000 oz. of æplatinumÆ were recovered from the region, the only area within New Zealand where PGM have been commercially exploited. The PGM suite of southern New Zealand consists of Pt-Fe alloys, IPGE (iridium subgroup, platinum-group elements) alloys, sperrylite (PtAs2), cooperite (PtS) and braggite ((Pt,Pd)S). The composition of Pt-Fe alloy exhibits considerable variation and two compositional populations are recognised. Some Pt-Fe alloy grains are chemically zoned. Iridium is the most abundant IPGE alloy phase and often contains considerable Pt, in contrast to osmium and ruthenium alloys. Cooperite and braggite grains are characterised by extremely low concentrations of Ni.   Exsolution of osmium and iridium from Pt-Fe alloy and Pt-Fe alloy from iridium is observed Several PGM host mineral inclusions which vary from single to poly-phase, display rounded to equant outlines and range in diameter from greater than 100 ¦m to less than 5 ¦m. Olivine and Ni-sulphide inclusions are only present within IPGE alloys. Pt-Fe alloy, cooperite, braggite and sperrylite host Cu-Fe sulphides, a wide variety of PGM, clinopyroxene, amphibole, magnetite and plagioclase within inclusions. Sperrylite also hosts Pd bismuthiotellurides, gold and several potassium-rich silicate phases. Similarities in inclusion phases and mineral chemistry from several localities suggest that the PGM are derived from a single (as yet unidentified), probably calc-alkaline magmatic source. This source is situated somewhere along the margins of the western Southland sedimentary basin where PGM liberated by erosion are transported down the Waiau River and dispersed eastwards along the coast by strong longshore currents.

Jan 1, 1995

By S Long, D Carnovale, L Louwrens

The Mt Wright underground mine (MTW) is located near the town of Ravenswood in north Queensland and is operated by Carpentaria Gold – a wholly owned subsidiary of Resolute Mining Limited.The Mt Wright mine has gone through many stages, from the conception and implementation of the world first ‘sub-level shrinkage’ stoping (SLS) with continuous fill mining method in 2010, through to steady state production. These have been outlined in detail in papers presented by Mackay (2011) and Mackay, Long and Koen (2014) at previous Underground Operators Conferences.Since the last paper was presented, MTW has experienced significant change in two key areas.The first significant change was the discovery of a previously unknown hazard in the form of flat rilling events (FREs) from closed drawpoints (DPs). These events are believed to be unique to MTW and pose a significant risk to both the safety of personnel and the business as a whole. The paper will discuss this hazard and the evolution of the controls and practices that have been introduced to mitigate the risk posed by the identified hazards. The material involved in these events is extremely dry, fine and hot.The second significant change is an altered stress regime bought on in part by a change in the production front orientation and a general deterioration in ground conditions in some areas of the mine. This has caused some production interruptions at MTW. The second half of the paper will describe the challenges encountered, the mechanisms behind these challenges and the strategies implemented to safely return MTW production to planned levels.It is believed that other operations can learn from the issues mentioned above, and the paper has been written with this in mind.`CITATION:Long, S, Carnovale, D and Louwrens, L, 2017. Mt Wright – managing unique risks, in Proceedings 13th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2017, pp 295–304 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Oct 16, 2017

The overwhelming weight of scientific opinion indicates that human activity is having a discernible and negative influence on the earthÆs climate system. The Australian Government, together with about 100 other nations, has accepted the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change third assessment report, released in 2001. This report was prepared by several hundred eminent scientists from all over the world, from various scientific disciplines and with differing opinions on global warming. The IPCC third assessment report contains a series of relevant, significant conclusions; for example, it finds that there is an increasing body of observations that gives a collective picture of a warming world and other changes in the climate system. Global average surface temperature increased over the past 100 years by about 0.6¦C. This may not seem much, but in the 900 years beforehand, the EarthÆs temperature remained relatively stable. The 20th century was the warmest of the past 1000 years in the northern hemisphere (there is much better information available from the northern hemisphere than the southern hemisphere). The 1990s were the warmest decade of the millennium in the northern hemisphere and 1998 was the warmest year. Although many factors influenced the EarthÆs climate, scientists are confident that greenhouse gas increases were the main factor contributing to global warming in the last 50 years of the 20th century. Increases in carbon dioxide, methane, troposhperic (lower atmosphere) ozone, halocarbons and nitrous oxide have all contributed to global warming. Combating climate change cannot be done without the cooperation of industry and the community at large. It is important that Government and industry work together to achieve greenhouse gas abatement while ensuring continued economic growth. The cause of the problem û the generation of greenhouse gas emissions û lies at the heart of the structure and size of modern economic activity. Greenhouse gas emissions are embedded in our way of life from our energy consumption patterns to the basic production of food. Moreover, the costs of the impacts of climate change to the earth will be potentially revolutionary, not merely evolutionary. It is in this light, acknowledging both the seriousness and nature of the problem before us that I want to reflect on the key drivers in the international climate change negotiations. A consideration of the past, present and future from what I see as the mid-way point in the process. In 1997, Parties agreed to adopt the Kyoto Protocol, which sets out mandatory targets for greenhouse gas emissions for developed countries.

Jan 1, 2002

Over recent years the trend in Australia has been towards the definitions of sustainable development which emerged from the 1992 Rio Summit of retaining a commitment to ecological integrity, but also incorporating social and economic dimensions of sustainability. Sustainable development may be seen as maintaining and enhancing:natural capital: defined as all natural resources, both environmental and those of traditional economic value; manufactured capital: made by human kind; including produced goods, infrastructure and built environment; human capital: defined as the health, well-being, intellectual capabilities and spiritual welfare of individuals; and social capital: defined as social relations and institutions within and between societies, their norms and functionality (Ameef, 2002). This paper will endeavour to assess the challenges and opportunities facing the professionals and their Institute in the minerals industry in Australia because the MMSD Global and Regional Australia Reports do not, in the authorÆs opinion, adequately address the æhuman capitalÆ input into the current or future development of the minerals industry, in particular, the sustainability of the professionalsÆ skills, knowledge and experiences in a global context.

Jan 1, 2002

By G C. Sen

All mining and quarrying operations that employ blasting to fragment and move broken ground have a price to pay for æby-productsÆ such as vibration and noise. These æby-productsÆ cannot be eliminated but they can be controlled and modern blasting techniques have improved to the point that excessive environmental restrictions can be adhered to whilst maintaining acceptable production rates and quality. Accurate measurement is the key to control, and as the environmental limits are becoming tighter, the proper way to measure vibrations from blasting operations becomes an integral part of the mining or quarrying operations. The basic vibration monitoring system consists of a primary sensor connected to a data logger and computer software for the analysis of the signal received and recorded. Currently, as with all fields of measurement, much improvement has occurred over the past decade, and electronic devices are much more accurate and reliable. Data analysis has also improved considerably with the computing power that is available to field operatives today. Mounting the primary sensor has been often overlooked in supposed æstandardsÆ with procedures such as double sided tape, resting on a flat surface provided the vibration level is less than a given amount. But if it is worth going to the expense of the monitoring equipment and manpower, surely it is worth a little extra effort to ensure the primary sensor is coupled to the ground effectively. The primary sensor must move with the ground and measure this movement; so if the primary sensor is allowed to move without respect to the ground (ie poor coupling to the ground) then a false record of the physical event will be measured. This scenario can easily be a practical reality if the primary sensor coupling method to the ground is not effective. In this study a number of mounting methods were fabricated and connected to similar data monitors and a series of ænormalÆ production blasts were used as the vibration source. These mounting devices were measured against an in-house procedure (the æstandardÆ) and the relative merits compared. A laboratory investigation was also carried out to look at the physical parameters of the æsoil and their effect on vibration attenuation of the in-house standard method.

Jan 1, 1999