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This Bureau of Mines publication contains the texts of the four papers presented at the May 6-7, 1980, seminar on the role of overburden analysis in surface mining. Coverage includes the geologic distribution of pyrite and calcareous material and its relationship to overburden sampling, overburden sampling and analysis, use of soil-overburden data in mine planning and development, and minesoil classification.

Jan 1, 1981

By Michael Arnold, Robert Bachus, Michael Bracher, Jamey Rosen, Robert Roff

"For a high hazard USACE facility, the Center Hill Dam in Tennessee, several disparate streams of data were compiled into a single geospatial and relational enterprise data management system to store, analyze, visualize and distribute the data collected during installation of a deep cutoff wall. These data streams included historical drawings and pre-construction plans and grouting records; geological data from boreholes; attributes of barrier wall elements; element verticality data analyzed from multiple measurement methods; and concrete field and laboratory analytical data. A previously developed data management system developed by the authors, WallTracker, was extensively modified to also include manually collected and real-time measurements from several types of dam monitoring instruments. The system now uses enterprise database technologies with Geographical Information Systems capabilities to manage and relate these data streams into a common platform and allows access to the raw and interpreted data via web and desktop-based interactive tools, including interactive map and cross-sectional viewers and other graphical and tabular reporting tools. One of the primary benefits of this system is the neartransparent interaction that is possible with the Nashville District of USACE on the project. These techniques can now be effectively incorporated into systems that address the unique construction and data management tracking requirements for dams, dikes, and levees.IntroductionThe Center Hill Dam rehabilitation, as with other deep foundation installations, requires the contractor to collect a substantial amount of information over the course of the project, both for internal quality control of construction progress and methods, and for demonstrating compliance with owner specifications. This paper discusses techniques used at Center Hill Dam for consolidating, visualizing and analyzing construction and instrumentation data using relational database and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, collectively referred to as an Information Management System (IMS).The remainder of this paper presents the needs and objectives of the IMS, the components and data flows involved, the capabilities and user interfaces of the systems, and the benefits for the end users."

Jan 1, 2017

By M Stevens, M P. Simpson, J L. Mauk

The Karangahake deposit was the second largest producer of gold-silver bullion in the Hauraki Goldfield, New Zealand. New mapping of a 2 + 3 km (6 km2) area demonstrates that hydrothermal alteration surrounds productive veins. Wallrocks proximal to veins are intensely altered and alteration decreases toward the margin of the system.   At Karangahake, distinct zonation of adularia, calcite, epidote, illite and illite-smectite surrounds gold-bearing lodes with unaltered rocks containing magnetite and plagioclase occurring on the margins. Adularia, illite, illite-smectite, and calcite zonation defines hydrothermal alteration extending 2 km to the east of productive lodes. Epidote and adularia zonation occurs proximal to veins. The adularia zone compares well to potassium/thorium studies conducted in the area. Illite zonation is well developed to the east of the veins grading into interstratified illite-smectite containing 5 to 40 per cent smectite 1.5 km from the Maria Lode. Calcite is restricted to the east of the study area occurring in 18 per cent off surface samples. Less altered rocks containing plagioclase and magnetite occur distal to veins. The magnetite occurrence compares well to aeromagnetic studies conducted in the area.   Adularia and coexisting adularia and albite indicate the host rocks were highly permeable. Epidote, illite, illite-smectite and previous fluid inclusion evidence implies temperatures graded from >240¦C in the core of the system to approximately 150¦C on the periphery. The alteration association of quartz, adularia, calcite, pyrite, chlorite, illite and illite-smectite reflects a near-neutral to weakly alkaline water. Calcite occurrence and the absence of zeolite imply the fluid contained significant dissolved CO2.

Jan 1, 2005

This paper evaluates the effect of longwall mining on a cluster of unconventional shale gas wells located in a district barrier pillar between a current longwall panel and the future panel north of the barrier pillar. A cluster of 19 unconventional shale gas wells have been drilled and 5 additional gas wells have been proposed in the barrier pillar. The closest gas well is 25.6 m (84 ft) to the current panel tailgate and 26.2 m (86 ft) to the tailgate of the future panel north of the barrier pillar. The rib-to-rib width of the barrier pillar is 57.9 m (190 ft). The distance between the two gas wells across the barrier pillar is 6.1 m (20 ft). The pillars in the current tailgate are on 22.9-m (75-ft) and 32.0-m (105-ft) centers, and the pillars in the tailgate of the panel north of the barrier will be on 22.9-m (75- ft) and 36.6-m (120-ft) centers. The two longwall panels adjacent to the barrier pillar are 475.5-m (1,560-ft) wide. The overburden depth at the shale gas well site is 321.6 m (1,055 ft). The wells have been installed in the barrier pillar, and the current district panel and subsequently the panel north of the barrier will be developed and retreated in the near future. The average min

Jan 7, 2020

By Robert E. McIvor

"The Functional Performance Equation for ball milling circuits allows us to isolate the circuit classification system efficiency (CSE) from the mill’s grinding performance. The factors which affect circuit CSE are reviewed, with emphasis on water usage at the classifiers. It is shown that manipulation of such water usage can be carried out to improve plant grinding circuit efficiency, at times by more than 30 percent.THE FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE EQUATIONObservation of the feed and product size distributions going into and discharging from the mill in grinding circuits with low versus high circulating load ratios initially led to the definition of “circuit classification system efficiency” (or CSE, McIvor, 1988a), and ultimately the discovery of the Functional Performance Equation (McIvor, 1988b, and McIvor et al, 1992). The CSE is the percentage of “coarse” (typically with reference to the plus P80) size material occupying the mill (versus “fines” or product size material, finer than the circuit P80), and can be calculated by taking the average of the percentage of coarse material in the mill feed and mill discharge. As this also represents the percentage of the mill energy expended on targeted, coarse size material, it is directly proportional to overall grinding circuit efficiency and production rate. This is all clearly expressed in the Functional Performance Equation for ball milling circuits, which is derived as follows.We define “fines” as any product size material, and “coarse” as that targeted to be further ground, the two typically differentiated by the circuit target P80. For any grinding circuit, the production rate of new, product size material (fines) must equal the specific grinding rate of the coarse material (i.e. fine product generated per unit of energy applied to the coarse material) times the power applied to the coarse material."

Jan 1, 2009

By P. T. Brooks

Mineral nodules from the ocean floor represent a vast potential source of manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper. Process development studies to devise methods for recovering these metals were conducted by the Bureau of Mines using two types of nodules--relatively low-grade calcareous nodules from the Atlantic Ocean and higher grade siliceous nodules from the Pacific Ocean. Ammoniacal carbonate leaching of reduced nodules appeared to have the best potential for processing the calcareous nodules, but the method proved to be impractical for recovering manganese. Extraction of 90 percent or better of the nickel, cobalt, and copper showed the technique to be attractive for recovery of these metals. The siliceous nodules appeared amenable to a process that starts with either a sulfur dioxide leach or a sulfation roast followed by a water leach to dissolve the soluble sulfates.

Jan 1, 1971

GENERALTHE coal deposit, where it is being worked, consists of a bed of brown coal varying in thickness from 120 ft. to 200 ft., covered by an overburden of clay, drift, loam, etc., of a thickness of 22 ft. to 40 ft., and averaging 28 ft.The overburden is first entirely removed from the coal, and then the coal is excavated by. large revolving shovels which work at the bottom of the hole or open cut in the coal and deliver it in shovel bucketfuls to the transport system. The shovels owned by the Commission and available for this coal excavation are two Bucyrus steam revolving shovels, one being type 150B, weighing 150 tons, having a 21-cub. yd. bucket, and capable of digging a 47-ft. face; and the other being type 175B, weighing200 tons, having a 31-cub. yd. bucket, and capable of digging a 61-ft. face.In addition to these two steam shovels, the Commission has recently obtained a No. 250 Ruston electric revolving shovel weighing 340 tons, and having a bucket of 10 cub. yd. capacity, and capable of digging a 75-ft. face. When this electric shovel has been erected it will replace the steam shovels on the coal excavation, and the permanent transport system has been designed to take delivery of the coal from its bucket.The duty to be performed by the transport system is to take the coal from the shovels, elevate it out of the open cut, transport it to the screening house, deliver it iuto the hoppers at the top of this building, then to take the coal after it has passed over the screens and distribute the required grades to the power house and to the briquetting plant.

Jan 1, 1924

By Chi-Mun Song, Seok-Hyun Choi, Seok-In Hong, Han-Kee Jang

Accurate measurement and evaluation of hand-transmitted vibration from a power tool is an important issue for tool manufacturers, because they are obliged to develop low-hazard power tools for workers. The International Standard ISO 5349(1) dictates a systematic procedure for the measurement and evaluation of hand-transmitted vibration. However, the uncertainty in this measurement is too large for manufacturers to apply such data to the design and modification of power tools. There can be several sources of this uncertainty in such measurements; e.g., operator-dependent, power tool-dependent, and operational conditions (see Table 1). For a manufacturer to characterize the exposure of a power tool’s use to a given level of vibration, the relationship between these uncertainty factors and the measured vibration must be elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effect of several factors on the uncertainty in measurements. [ ] Methods In this study, some of the factors in Table 1 were selected for examination, and their effect on the measured variation was quantitatively investigated. Three tools from the same manufacturer were sampled at random in our experiments, and each of five of the same type of insert (disks or tips) was installed into each tool. Although each of the tools and inserts were of the same design and were made by the same production process, they differed from one to another, which can be a source of the variation in the measured vibration. Three human subjects participated in our experiments, which were carried out as stated in ISO 5349. The subjects were asked to maintain their posture, and the applied force was kept as constant as possible. The applied force was monitored using an indirect method, where vibration energy was displayed in real time during the experiment using a three-axis accelerometer attached to the work piece at a specified point. The appropriate range of the applied force was predetermined to cover the range of real work operations. The engineering tolerance between the inner diameter of a grit disk and the outer diameter of the tool shaft leads to an eccentricity of the mass at the center of the disk. The degree of eccentricity varies with installation, and this is another source of uncertainty. In our study, the effect of this eccentricity was investigated by carrying out repeated assembly and disassembly of an insert.

Jan 6, 2006

By Evans E. C.

At first sight, the extinction of a mine fire by the action of some such gas as carbon dioxide would appear to be quite a simple and practicable operation. From a consideration of the theoretical aspects only of the question, it becomes evident that the matter is not so simple as it appears to be at first sight. The fire at the Senghenydd Colliery occurred as the result of the disastrous explosion of October 14th, 1913. This explosion was confined to the west side of the colliery; and as a result the timbers in the main intake on this side were set on fire; but these were soon buried beneath falls, and the tire continued under them. Attempts were made to extinguish it with water, with the aid of chemical extinguishers, and by digging it out; hut these had to he abandoned, and ultimately the fire-zone was sealed off by “ bashings” (stoppings). By December, progress in the decrease of combustion was so slow that it was decided to try the effect of inert gas. The installation, control and operation of the carbon dioxide plant and associated water-gauge are described in detail and conclusions drawn for the extinguishing of mine fires by CO2

Dec 1, 1916

By Andrew J. Freyman, George S. Barry

"Mineral endowment in northern British Columbia and the Yukon Territory was assessed on the basis of geological opinion which was gathered in a quantitative framework of subjective probabilities. The survey area encompassed 364,000 square miles and was divided into 310 cells having dimensions of one degree of longitude by one-half degree of latitude. The response solicited related to tonnage, grade and number of deposits of a particular mineral in each cell. The questionnaire sought an expression of mineral endowment down to mine-able depth as distinct from economic expectations. Details on the questionnaire and responses are presented in a series of contour maps on individual commooities, which illustrate the collective occurrence picture of the respondents. The approach is largely dependent on the cooperation of an adequate number of geologists familiar with the region being examined. This approach to an assessment of the mineral endowment of a region has a wide range of applicability, from the focusing of exploration effort to aiding government and development bodies in the formulation of regional strategies and the planning, for example, of road, rail and power facilities."

Jan 1, 1970

By K. Thuro, H. Käsling, F. Menschik

"With increasing data volume, due to enhancing requirements for ground investigation programs for large construction projects, the demand for more efficient filing systems is more and more growing. Depending on the project we also have to use flexible systems to cope with varying data out of different lab and field tests.The chair for Engineering Geology at TUM is developing a web-based database solution to handle all project relevant data in a more appropriate way. We aim to optimize our data management to achieve a fast and easy way of collecting, documenting and analyzing our gained data. The second objective is to provide an easy access to our data for project partners across broadly distributed locations.This Database system consists of a PHP web interface and a MySQL database core. The current setup allows an online access via Internet (www). We are able to grant and constrain access to all data or only arrays of data with our user management system to guarantee the safety of project data and respect all rights and proprietorship. The database system is of modular design and consists of the following three base modules: module of general project data, module of laboratory data and user management module. At the current stage we are able to save and work with all usually generated specific values from unconfined compressive strength tests, brazilian tensile strength tests, point load tests, CERCHAR and LCPC abrasivity tests and ultrasonic tests. The user is able to perform a simple statistical analysis within our database (e.g. average calculation of one sample) and export data as csv or xls files for further analysis.For specific questions within projects we are able to deploy and integrate further modules in our database system. At this moment, we are developing an add on to use this database for different drill test analyses. One of the tools correlates drilling performance and drill head wear measured in the field with rock mechanical properties, and extrapolates the data to estimate the performance and wear in new projects. Today we are managing 90 projects with 550 samples and almost 1350 lab tests with the base module.In our contribution we aim to demonstrate an efficient way of data structuring using a relational database for laboratory and field testing data."

Jan 1, 2015

By James J. Scott

Eleven workshops were held in various locations throughout the country in an attempt to reach the many diverse groups working in various mineral commodity areas and special ties. These meetings were held between March 1, 1974 and June 25, 1975. They were held under the auspices of the Bureau of Mines Contract to the University of Missouri-Rolla which was designed to help define Bureau research and development priorities. At each workshop a summary of current Bureau research and development was presented and the attendees were asked to present their ideas on what Research and Development programs should be undertaken to meet their needs locally. Participants included representatives of federal and state agencies, educational institutions, mining companies, equipment companies and other interested parties. The workshops covered under this report include lead mining in Missouri, limestone mining, coal mining both surface and underground in the midwest and in the Rocky Mountain area, iron mining in Minnesota, two top management meetings on institutional problems and, finally, a special two-day meeting on roof control.

Jan 1, 1977

By K. Ding

The thermodynamic activity of MnO was measured in MnO-CaO-MgO-SiO2slags that are typically encountered in the production of manganese containing stainless steels. Gas equilibration-quenching technique was employed in measuring the activities. Activity of Mn in Pt-Mn alloys were redetermined at 1600°C which reconfirmed earlier results of strong negative deviations. MnO activities were then measured by equilibrating slags of various compositions based on a statistical experimental design procedure with Pt-Mn alloys under controlled partial pressure of oxygen in MnO saturated platinum crucibles at 1600°C. Activities of MnO were found to increase with increasing concentration of MnO, basicity and CaO to MgO ratio. Two multi-coefficient repression models were developed to predict the activities and activity coefficients of MnO in slags at 1600°C. Keywords: activity, MnO, slag.

Jan 1, 2004

By Adilson Rodrigues da Costa

Os cilindros usados em laminadores a quente, especialmente os cilindros de trabalho são submetidos a altas taxas de desgaste da superfície durante a laminação. Após a campanha de laminação os cilindros devem ser enviados para uma retifica de cilindros para remover a camada danificada. Para este processo de retifica, são utilizadas rebolos com alta eficiência de corte e alta resistência. O objetivo foi analisar os resíduos metálicos e as partículas abrasivas do rebolo após a retificação dos cilindros e, correlacionar com o desempenho obtido com dois tipos diferentes de rebolos, sendo assim capaz de definir um rebolo com melhor desempenho e menor custo operacional.

Jul 30, 2018

By Angela Lorena Cardenas Manosalva

Este trabalho investigou o efeito do hidrogênio nas propriedades do aço 2,25Cr-1Mo-0,25V. As amostras foram envelhecidas a 600°C por 100h e 600h. Uma parte dos corpos de prova foi deixada somente na condição envelhecida e conduzidas ao ensaio de tração. Outras partes dos corpos de prova foram carregados com hidrogênio, sob tensão elástica e sem tensão aplicada, antes de serem conduzidos ao ensaio de tração. Análises microestrutural e fractografias foram realizadas via microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). Os corpos de prova envelhecidos por 600h não apresentaram significante diferença entre as tensões de escoamento e máxima, entre os corpos de prova carreagados com hidrogênio e não carregados (envelhecidos). Os corpos de prova envelhecidos por 100h e carregados com hidrogênio, no entanto, apresentaram uma queda nas tensões de escoamento e máxima quando comparadas com os corpos de prova somente envelhecidos.

Oct 30, 2017

The Waimumu area, 12 km southwest of Gore, is underlain by the Gore Lignite Measures, an early Tertiary fluvial sequence approximately 500 m thick resting on Triassic-Jurassic argillitic basement. The Waimumu Quartz Gravels (Pliocene) have been deposited locally and are in part due to the localised reworking of the Gore Lignite Measures. Structurally the area is dominated by the Dunsdale Fault System, a steeply dipping series of NE trending reverse faults (Isaac and Lindqvist, 1990). The Belle-Brook, Hedgehope and Parker Road sites sampled are adjacent to the downthrown (east) side of the Hedgehope Fault.The authigenic gold-sulphide association at Belle-Brook was discovered in 1987 (Falconer, 1987: Clough and Craw, 1989). Despite a very limited amount of alluvial mining a significant quantity of authigenic marcasite has developed. Authigenic sulphide trace element analysis has shown anomalous amounts of As, Ni, Cr and to a lesser extent Zn, Pb and eu (Table 1). It has been established that the nickel occurs as a colloform banded Ni sulphide, possibly bravoite, within the marcasite (Figures 1 & 2). Arsenic and nickel (re)mobilisation are well documented in the literature. Generally As and heavy metals are mobilised in the groundwater as a result of the oxidation of sulphides (ie as a result of mining). At Belle-Brook it is reasonable to assume the authigenic sulphide trace element composition reflects either localised groundwater contamination or hydrothermal mineralisation. This poster presents some preliminary findings.

Jan 1, 2001

By Robert J. Mitchell

A general approach to mine backfill design, including laboratory testing procedures, is outlined in this paper. Relationships between certain design parameters are developed and the effect of other factors is discussed. It is concluded that the inclusion of backfill design calculations at an early stage of mine design can often produce over-all design economies. Not only are the data needed for backfill plant and tailings disposal area design, but also the pillar recovery method and over-all mine stability are dependent on the attainable fill properties.

Jan 1, 1979

By B. P. Simser, R. K. Brummer, A. Mortazavi, P. P. Andrieux

"A large-scale panel destress blast was fired at Brunswick mine in the fall of 1999 in order to reduce the ground stresses in a critically important neighbouring mining region. This work, sponsored by the Mining Division of CAMIRO and Brunswick mine, consisted in heavily choke-blasting — and subsequently leaving in place — a massive waste sulphide pillar in the southwest end of the 1000 m level. This paper describes the approach and design methodology used to try to maximize breakage in the rock mass in the area to destress, while minimizing damage to critical infrastructures in the vicinity. The loading operations, as well as the results of the blast — in terms of its field performances, as recorded by near-field blast vibration monitoring equipment, visual postblast assessments and measured impact on the regional stress field — are discussed as well. A brief comparison between the measured stress changes and inelastic numerical modelling of the test site is also presented.Un tir à grande échelle de relâchement des contraintes dans un pilier a été effectué à la mine Brunswick à la fin de l’automne 1999 dans le but de diminuer les contraintes de terrain dans une très importante zone de production adjascente. Ces travaux, financés par la division minière de CAMIRO et la mine Brunswick, consistaient à tirer violemment sans aucune face libre, et à laisser en place, un pilier de sulphures massifs au sud-ouest du niveau 1000 m. Cet article décrit l’approche et la démarche conceptuelle utilisées pour tenter de maximiser les fractures dans le pilier visé, tout en minimisant les dommages collatéraux à des infrastructures critiques se trouvant dans les environs immédiats. Les opérations de chargement des explosifs et les résultats du tir — en termes de ses performances, telles qu’évaluées par de l’équipement de monitoring rapproché des vibrations de tir, d’observations visuelles, et de son impact sur les contraintes de terrain locales — sont également discutés."

Jan 1, 2003

With the exhaustion of orebodies close to the main haulage shaft of the Emperor mine, an increased rate of development, aimed at earlier investigation of values disclosed by exploration drill holes has been attained with an overall reduction in unit costs.This paper describes the techniques used in rates of advance up to and exceeding 1,000 ft per 28-day period.

Jan 1, 1966

By D P. Sainsbury, B L. Sainsbury, A Vakili, H-D Paetzold, P Lourens

The cave propagation behaviour of a jointed rock mass is strongly governed by the unique nature of joints and discontinuities, together with the intact strength of rock bridges that make up the rock fabric. A discrete finite difference (DFD) modelling technique has been developed to allow for the detailed consideration of the rock mass structural fabric at many scales and through many different stress paths that can be used for complex mine-scale analysis. The DFD methodology uses interfaces to explicitly represent large-scale structures and ubiquitous joints embedded within the simulated rock mass matrix to characterise intermediate structures. Through simulated testing of DFD materials, properties such as strength anisotropy and scale effects can be obtained. This paper discusses the successful application of implementing a DFD modelling technique for the back-analysis of caving-induced subsidence behaviour of Lift 1 at the Palabora mine.CITATION:Sainsbury, D P, Sainsbury, B L, Paetzold, H-D, Lourens, P and Vakili, A, 2016. Caving-induced subsidence behaviour of Lift 1 at the Palabora block cave mine, in Proceedings Seventh International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining (MassMin 2016), pp 415–426 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2016