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By M. John Brodie

This report reviews the regulatory environment as it pertains to tailings management and disposal from mining operations, excluding coal and placer gold operations, in the state of Alaska. It is based on the EPA's staff position on an effective program to regulate mining wastes as presented in the May, 1990 Strawman II document, The unique conditions which occur in parts of the state, including a fragile environment, high seismicity and permafrost, are identified. The special waste management practices which are necessitated by these conditions are delineated. The report provides a detailed outline of the current technologies that are suitable for designing, constructing, operating and closing a railings disposal facility to meet environmental protection objectives. Cost implications to the mining industry of potential regulatory actions, such as the degree of groundwater protection are examined.

Jan 1, 1992

By Foster Fraas

The most important lithium resource in the United States is in the form of the feldspathoid mineral spodumene. This mineral has not been used to any important extent as a source of lithium salts or lithium metal, as other more easily decomposed minerals have b en available in sufficient quantity to supply the relatively small demand. The need for cheaper lithium salts for such promising new uses as air conditioning or dehumidification and of lithium feldspar for use in the glass and [ramic] trades has justified the recent work done by the Bureau of Mines on King available, through improved beneficiation and extractive processes, some of the lower grade but extensive spodumene deposits.

Jan 1, 1937

By Foster Fraas

The most important lithium resource in the United States is in the form of the feldspathoid mineral spodumene. This mineral has not been used to any important extent as a source of lithium salts or lithium metal, as other more easily decomposed minerals have been available in sufficient quantity to supply the relatively small demand. The need for cheaper lithium salts for such promising new uses as air conditioning or dehumidification and of lithium feldspar for use in the glass and [ramic] trades has justified the recent work done by the Bureau of Mines on [king] available, through improved beneficiation and extractive processes, some of the lower grade but extensive spodumene deposits.

Jan 1, 1937

A number of impending and actual pit wall failures have been observed and documented, which have been interpreted to initiate on newly generated structural features. This infers failure through intact rock. Failure mechanisms have been postulated resulting from circumferential stress, extensional strain and brittle flexure. These will be discussed in the context of the failures and the associated monitoring. The implications of failure initiating on ?unknown? features has a significant impact for deep open pit mines where designs are based on the expected structural regime. Being able to anticipate such failures is important for design. Equally important is management of such changes as they arise. In this context, monitoring using high resolution microseismic techniques will be discussed as a means of providing early warning of such failures.

Jan 1, 2006

By K. Awuah-Offei

The objective of asphalt mix design is to produce a mix with optimal performance using available aggregate stockpiles. Often, this process does not take into consideration aggregate plant stockpile inventories or the cost of aggregate in the mix. This is due to the lack of tools that enable the lab technician or the engineer to optimize the mix for good performance while reducing the cost of aggregate and managing the stockpile inventory levels. The Bailey method provides useful guidance on aggregate gradation selection for optimal performance. This work presents a linear programming model of the asphalt mix design problem. The algorithm is implemented in MATLAB as an Asphalt Mix Design Optimization (AMIDO) program. The program is successfully validated with real-life data. The results show that AMIDO can be used to successfully produce any mix design with known Bailey method ratios. Also, RAP can be included in a design easily by making use of the Bailey method ratios and AMIDO. This work improves the state-of-the-art in asphalt mix design for dense graded mixes and could potentially be modified for other mixes.

Jan 1, 2009

By Claude MacDonald, John H. Ashburn

"IntroductionIndustrial growth and technological change over recent years had been accompanied by two major sources of concern to management and employees: (a) increase in occupational injury and illness and the resultant costs involved; and (b) equipment damage and breakdowns in concentrated production lines causing more extensive loss potential.Due to economic factors, management attention has focussed more on production and quality than on safety, health and related loss potential sources. As a result , occupational safety and health activism has grown, government legislation of compensation and occupational safety and health standards have progressively developed and stronger liability attitudes have been taken by courts of law.To improve efficiency and allow development in more competitive markets, rising labour costs, equipment costs and safety related financial losses have dictated that attention be given to conservation of all resources. Conservation of resources, people, equipment, material and environment, can no longer be addressed in isolation but must be managed integrally with production and quality. To this end, systems have developed utilizing sound management principles applied with equal intensity to production, quality and loss potential"

Jan 1, 1987

By Robert A. Jankowski, J. Drew Potts

In this U.S. Bureau of Mines study, four underground respirable dust surveys were conducted to determine factors affecting belt entry dust levels and how using belt air to ventilate work areas affected dust exposures. Belt entry dust levels on the surveyed longwall and continuous miner sections averaged 0.59 and 0.26 mg/m3, respectively. The stageloader-crusher contributed an additional 0.5 to 0.9 mg/m3 of dust to belt air, while the feeder-breaker contributed 0 to 0.2 mg/m3 of dust. A 1,000-ft increase in belt entry length or a 200- to 500-st-per-shift increase in production resulted in roughly a 0.1-mg/m3 increase in dust. Using the belt entry as an intake entry on the continuous miner section appeared to reduce dust levels by 0.1 to 0.3 mg/m3 during cutting. Belt air was not used to ventilate the face on the longwall section.

Jan 1, 1992

By Turcotte. Yves-Laurent

Notre conférencier, Monsieur Yves L. Turcotte, Vice-président et Directeur général chez Promaintech Novaxa est diplômé en génie industriel de l?Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières et détient une maîtrise en gestion de projets de l?Université du Québec à Montréal. Il est une véritable sommité canadienne dans le domaine de l?amélioration de la performance des organisations. Provenant d'entreprises manufacturières et de services, il possède plus de 20 ans d?expérience en tant que développeur de technologies, conseiller et formateur auprès d?entreprises. Il a à son actif la réalisation de mandats dans plus de 400 entreprises. Il est reconnu pour sa grande capacité d?analyse et pour trouver des solutions novatrices et profitables aux problèmes des organisations les plus complexes. Aujourd'hui, il dirige Promaintech Novaxa, une division de DMR, qui a célébré son dixième anniversaire en 2006. Cette organisation ayant des places d?affaires dans la région de Montréal, Québec et Vancouver compte plus de 50 professionnels et a une carte de visite dans 16 pays. Les axes d?intervention sont le Management, la Productivité, la Fiabilité, l?Innovation et l?Amélioration Continue.

Feb 1, 2008

Jan 1, 1884

By Jerry B. F. Champlin

The successful injection of liquids into subsurface permeable formations for production stimulation, storage, or waste disposal requires a rapid, precise, and accurate method of determining the permeability of porous solids. This report describes a method and apparatus, developed by the Bureau of Mines, that use the principle of specific-volume permeametry. Calibration of the apparatus over a wide range of permeabilities and standardization of several apparatus constants have eliminated many of the tedious calculations and problems of manipulation common to some other methods. Improvements in reproducibility and accuracy have resulted from reducing experimental measurements to one parameter--time. Specific permeabilities of reservoir rock samples are determined directly from a chart that relates elapsed time to a permeability equivalent to that determined by bubble-tube measurements.

Jan 1, 1962

By Ning Shi

This paper suggests an alternative design approach for an innovative shovel dipper, for use in ground conditions where cutting of virgin ground rather than scooping of blasted material is required. Not only does the new design have an optimized dimension ratio (width:height:depth) and attachment arrangement (angle, position), but also a non-linear pro¯le in 2D and 3D. The approach is based on the simulation of a shovel's duty cycle to verify a pilot dipper model. In order to achieve a realistic simulation that could be used to evaluate a dipper design, the model is e®ectively a descriptor of actual shovel activity under soft ground conditions. The shovel geometry, motion and operation, with an emphasis on digging and dumping kinematics and dynamics are the principal elements of the simulation. The simulation considers a fresh face location, repeating tucking, digging and dumping swing motions within the geometric range of the machine, ending when no more face material remaining within reach without re- positioning. The simulation yields digging force, friction force, trajectory, ¯ll time, ¯ll factor, etc, which may be integrated into two basic considerations: power draw (output) and volume delivered (production), as indicators of dipper performance. The simulation has been used as a tool to modify an existing dipper design, prior to looping further simulation cycles. Ultimately, an optimized or totally-new-concept shape is realized. A prototype dipper as a fractional scale model will be built to verity the performance under actual mining conditions.

May 1, 2004

By Roger G. Long

In May 1973, the Bureau of Mines asked Arthur D. Little, Inc. (A DL) to investigate existing industrial communication standards that may be applicable to the problem of developing standards for mine communication, considering that the standards that may ultimately be developed will require simple field procedures for the industry and the inspectorate to determine that communication systems are properly functioning. The emphasis on this study is on telephone communications as related to coal mine applications. B. TASKS The tasks agreed upon for this program were as follows: 1. "Investigate the current practices and existing standards of other industries under government regulation. 2. Determine applicable methods for industry personnel and inspectors to ascertain conformance on-site with minimal test hardware. 3. Review the Bureau's approval, testing and inspection procedure as it may impact the development of such standards. 4. From the above studies investigate the development of installation and performance standards for mine communications, including voice and telemetry. 5. Prepare a written report specifying what standards and field inspection techniques are applicable with recommendations for development of subsequent data and ultimately standards and field inspection techniques. 6. Prepare a written summary of the findings of various investigations with an appendix covering the detailed findings of each investigation. 7. Prepare a list of suggestions of additional assistance the Bureau might require in subsequent phases of developing communication standards and means of ascertaining performance."

Jan 1, 1973

By Dilip I. Patel, Jesus Schabib, W. Allen Mawr, Daniel A. Louis

East Side Access (ESA) will extend Long Island Rail Road into midtown Manhattan via 11 km of tunnels, a new terminal station and associated rail support facilities. The hard-rock tunneling in Manhattan will traverse under Park Avenue and some of the most historically and commercially significant real estate in the world. The soft-ground tunneling in Queens will traverse beneath Amtrak’s Sunnyside Yard and the Harold Inter locking, the busiest rail interlocking in North America. This paper details ESA’s program-wide geo-instrumentation monitoring system for obtaining, processing and presenting all geotechnical monitoring data. Data streams will be real-time, such as from automated total stations, and manually read, such as from optical survey instruments and handheld data loggers. All data will be input into a web-based Geo-Instrumentation Data Management System, which will be accessible to project stake holders via ESA’s intranet or via the Internet using remote access controls.

Jan 1, 2007

By Dale Preece, Stephen Chung, Qian Liu

Stoping is one of the widely adapted methods in underground mining. In this method, fanned or parallel holes are often drilled from a top sill down to a sub- level in the ore zone and blasted ring by ring into a stope for excavation. At Brunswick Mine of Canada, this technique has been used daily in conducting production blasts. However, when mining into the West Ore Zone, it has been identified strategically that a mass stope blast, involving the blasting of rock from the 3-sub level down to the 1-sub level, should be considered to ensure the safe operation and regaining of access to the trapped main ore zone. The challenge of this mass blast lies in the control of ground vibration and precise timing for blasting 800 holes drilled in six blocks from three different levels within 6.5 seconds, to allow sufficient void to be created in each level for the muck moving in order from the upper to the lower levels without bridging. This paper describes stope blast simulations using a discrete element computer code for modeling blast-induced rock displacement in conjunction with a precision electronic programmable delay timing system for various stope geometries including a drop raise blast at the start of the mass blast. The modeling concept is also described in the paper.

Jan 1, 2003

By C. Sun

The Leeville underground mine has been in operation since 2006 and currently produces 3,500 tons of ore per day with an average gold grade of 0.34 opt. The mine has a large horizontal extent of 2,500 feet by 500 feet and a vertical extent of 20 to 200 feet. Based on the characteristics of the ore bodies, a long-hole stope and cut-and-fill mining methods are used at the deposits which are divided into several mining zones. Cemented rock fill (CRF) is used as the backfill in the open stope. CRF design includes the aggregate design, the ratio of cement and fly ash design, and strengths for the long-hole stope and cut-and-fill. In the aggregate design, the particle size distribution is one of the most influential aggregate characteristics in determining how it will perform as a basic backfill material. Gradation helps determine durability, porosity, cement and water requirements, strength, and shrinkage. To cut the backfill cost, fly ash usually is added into the binder to replace some part of cement. However, adding fly ash can affect the strength of the backfill. The reasonable percentage of fly ash is also important for making a good and low cost backfill. Based on the different mining method, the different backfill with different strength is designed. A systematic quality control procedure for aggregate and backfill is followed. After four yeas application, CRF system in Leeville achieved very good results.

Jan 1, 2011

By Robert J. Rothwell

Underground mining of coal by longwall mining methods has not been a predominant technique in Ohio. To date, only five mines in the state utilize this method, however, the technique has sparked a certain amount of controversy. As a mining technique, longwalling was introduced into southeastern Ohio in the early 1970's but it did not attract public attention until the mines began moving into privately held surface lands. This occurred coincidentally at about the same time that the state of Ohio began to regulate the environmental impacts of underground mining. Prior to the passage of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act in 1977, (SMCRA), Ohio's reclamation law, Chapter 1513 Ohio Revised Code (O.R.C. 1513) did not regulate underground coal mines. As a result of SMCRA, the Ohio Statute was amended in 1978, to include regulation of the surface effects of subsidence. The inevitable result was that existing mines were immediately subject to regulations that were not considered during the initial mine planning process. (For an excellent survey of Ohio Laws that deal with coal mine subsidence, see Zima, 1985. ) The problem faced at that time by both the coal industry and the Ohio Division of Reclamation (the agency within ODNR charged with implementing O.R.C. Ch. 1513.1, was that of attempting to superimpose permitting requirements, and design performance standards onto mines that' had been operational for a number of years.

Jan 1, 1986

By C. R. Austin

THE investigation described in this paper deals with the development of high-temperature alloys of the Konel series over a considerable period of time at the Research Laboratories of the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co. The word "Konel" has been coined to designate a class of alloys which are essentially nickel-cobalt-iron with other elements added, usually in small quantities. Most of these alloys contain titanium, usually about 2.5 percent. The main consideration related to strength at high temperatures but the thermionic characteristics of the alloys was also of considerable importance. It is, however, with the mechanical properties at elevated temperatures that we are herein concerned. Much attention has also been devoted to their age-hardening characteristics. There is little need to stress the utilitarian aspect of this subject, as it has been discussed frequently. Alloys exhibiting superior properties at normal or elevated temperatures rapidly find many suitable applications. There may be some question, however, as to what constitutes a "superior alloy, " or an alloy that may have good service possibilities at high temperatures. The problem is complex and various means have been employed to predict the useful life that may be expected of a material. In recent years the "creep limit" has been used as the best means of evaluation. Such tests necessarily are prolonged and hence collection of data is very slow. In a general survey of many alloys therefore the creep test is not desirable and recourse must be had to much shorter time tests in order more rapidly to select alloys which appear to show promise. For this reason the present survey has been made using the high-temperature tensile test and a bend' test developed by Howard Scott.1 In the tensile test the conditions have been standardized for all tests, so that values obtained are at least comparable, one alloy with another, although the absolute values recorded merely indicate the mechanical properties at the given temperature under a definite rate of loading.

Jan 1, 1931

In all the industries that require blasting operations using explosives, there exists numerous unwanted side effects of the blast which may pose as environmental hazards. These hazards face prominence, especially in India, where there are very stringent rules and regulations governing the use of explosives. The environmental hazards associated with blasting operations as a whole can be tacked successfully to a certain extent depending upon the ultimate expectations of ,the post-blast effects and the limitations of the environmental obligations as specified by the authorities from time to time and from place to place. The main parameters which require attention to limit the post-blast results to the optimum level are ground vibrations, dust pollution, gas pollution, air blast effects, noise pollution & fly rocks etc.

Jan 1, 1995

By L. Moyd, P. Moyd

The first commercially available portable gamma ray-neutron beryllium detector, the Rerylometer, was developed by the same group that developed the first practical portable scintillation counter, the Scintillo-meter. This group includes Professor George Brownell, of the Geology Department of the University of Manitoba in winnipeg, and his associates, K. I. Roulston, R. w. Pringle, and R. L. Funt, of the Physics and Engineering Departments of the University of Manitoba. A prototype model was tested in the field by Dr. Brownell during the summer of 1958. Commercial production was undertaken shortly thereafter by Nuclear Enterprises Ltd., of Winnipeg, and a license for manufacture and distribution in the U.S. was granted to Isotopes Specialties Co., of Burbank, California, a division of Nuclear Corporation of America. Early in 1959, we were retained by the 'Mining Division of Minerva Oil Co. to Legin a search throughout North America for minable deposits of beryllium, and to train members of their permanent staff to continue the program. The project included literature sur-veys, interviews with members of various federal, state, and provincial agencies, scanning of our own collection of suites of specimens from various mineral occurrences, and the examination of deposits in the field. The value of a beryllium detector to this program was obvious and arrangements were made to procure one as soon as possible, which resulted in our obtaining and using the first instrument that was produced commercially in the U. S. In addition to the commercially available Berylometer, Mr. William Vaughan and his associates, of the U. S. Geological Survey Geophysics Division, in Denver, have developed and tested several experimental instruments based on the same principles. DETECTOR Principles The detection of beryllium is based on the fact that "hard" gamma rays (1.6 MEV and geater), such as those produced by Antimony convert ordinary beryllium (Be9) to Be8 , with the release of a neutron. The neutrons are counted by a scintillator designed to favor neutron responses while suppressing those of gamma rays. 'The instrument is completely selective for beryllium. No other element can interfere. Instrunlentation The Rerylometer itself, which is cylindrical, is about 8 inches in diameter, 13 inches high, and weighs about 11 pounds. (Figs. 1, 2). The principal components include: 1. A disc of wax to moderate (or "thermalize") neutrons. 2. A boron-enriched polyester-zinc-sulphide fluorescent screen. This material produces strong flashes when struck by thermalized neutrons but only weak flashes from gamma rays. 3. A photomultiplier tube. 4. An electronic circuit, complete with one srnall 71/2-volt dry battery. The photomultiplier tube and electronic circuit convert neutron flashes to electrical impulses, but gamma ray effects are almost

Jan 1, 1961

By Robert Jakiel

The following paper is being presented to provide an understanding of the Deep Soil-Cement Mixing (DMM) performed at Contract C09A7 at the Fort Point Channel Site (FPC), for the I-90/I-93 Interchange of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project (CA/T), Boston, MA. The paper is written as a summary of the DMM from the DMM Contractor's perspective. The summary provides technical information and practical observations that are currently considered to be state-of-the art knowledge within the soil mixing industry. The observations and information are being provided by Robert L. Jakiel, Chief Engineer of SMW Seiko, Inc., who was the DMM Project Manager and Project Engineer for the A7 Joint Venture at FPC. The DMM was started in April of 1996 and completed in December 1999. The various acronyms and terminology used to describe the soil mixing are found in a section at the end of the paper.

Jan 1, 2000