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This paper reviews the issues of mining machinery automation with special emphasis on underground applications. Automation is desirable because it offers the following advantages: ò increased safety by reducing human exposure to hazards of underground mining; ò higher productivity; and ò reduced wear of equipment. In spite of these advantages and in spite of numerous attempts over the past several decades, mining automation has been a difficult proposition, partly because no two mining operations are exactly alike and these operations are carried out in an unpredictable environment. This is the main difference between automation in factories and in mines and that is why mining automation has been lagging so far behind factory automation. Automation is possible only when the machine 'knows' its workspace. In a factory, this workspace can be 'described' to the machine because it is sufficiently controlled. In a mine, the environment undergoes continuous change and the only way the machine can 'know' its workspace is through real-time sensing.

Jan 1, 1995

A large-diameter road tunnel will cross beneath the strait in Istanbul and expand the infrastructure bottleneck between Europe and Asia. The technical planning of the tunneling operations poses complex challenges. Therefore, the construction consortium ordered a specially adapted tunnel boring machine (TBM) from Herrenknecht. The 13.6-m (44.6-ft) machine, a Mixshield, was completed in early July 2013 in Schwanau, Germany. To get from the European to the Asian side of Istanbul, people and goods have to cross the Bosporus Straits. So far, two road bridges as well as ferries provide the only transport link between the two parts of the city and the two continents. The tense traffic situation for the nearly 14 million residents of the city and for international transit traffic should be improved considerably thanks to the construction of a new road tunnel under the Bosporus. ?The project is certainly one of the most challenging tunneling operations currently being addressed in the world,? said Herrenknecht project manager Georg Schleer. The route of the ?Istanbul Strait Road Tube Crossing Project? runs around 100 m (330 ft) below sea level at its deepest point. The interior diameter of the tunnel will be 12 m (40 ft) so that two lanes in each direction can be accommodated. They will extend one above the other on two levels. 3.34 km (2.1 miles) of the tunnel with a total length of 5.4 km (3.3 miles) are being created by a 13.6-m- (44.6-ft-) diameter Herrenknecht TBM that will begin its underground mission from a launch shaft on the Asian side.

Sep 1, 2013

By David Ziegler, John Babcock, Gregory Poole

On December 9, 2003 at 3:59 PM EST an earthquake with a 4.5 magnitude occurred in central Virginia. According to a survey on the US Geological Survey website, this quake was felt as far away as Bridgeton Missouri, approximately 683 mile from the epicenter1. We recorded the vibrations from this earthquake on 14 seismographs that were set up for monitoring vibrations from blasting activities in the area. Having this data gave us an opportunity to compare earthquake and blasting vibrations. The amplitudes, frequencies and duration were much different than vibrations from mining and construction blasting. A common question we get from homeowners when discussing vibrations from blasting activities is “How does that compare to the Richter scale?” The goal of this report is to provide some simple answers for that question. The Richter and Mercalli scale are compared to the particle velocities in order to show their relationship.

Jan 1, 2005

By Jess Harding

Oyu Tolgoi investment agreement now in full, legal effect Successful completion of a series of conditions to 2009 Investment Agreement was announced March 31, 2010. Full-scale construction now set to begin. First copper-gold commercial production from Oyu Tolgoi expected in 2013. 34% of holding company Oyu Tolgoi LL Cacquired by Erdenes MGL, a Mongolian state-owned resources company. Remaining 66% will continue to be owned by Ivanhoe Mines. ?After 9 years of discoveries at Oyu Tolgoi, a big piece of the future of copper and gold in Asia is poised to become a reality.?

May 1, 2010

By Jacob Chacko

The Izmit Bay bridge, a 3-km-long suspension bridge crossing of Izmit Bay, Turkey is planned to be constructed in one of the most seismically active places in the world. The site, which has the potential to experience significant earthquakes associated with the relative motion accommodated on the North Anatolian Fault, is underlain by deep deposits of soft soils, and areas of unstable and liquefiable soils. Characterizing the seismotectonic setting, foundation soil conditions, potential fault locations, as well as other geohazards was a critical component for the project concessionaire to finance the project and obtain meaningful bids for bridge design and construction. Given the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) funding mechanism, executing this work in the least possible time was critical to the concessionaire?s financing scheme. Fugro was retained to provide geotechnical, geological, and seismological evaluations for the project region, and to generate data for contractors to develop reliable designs and bids. The uncertainties in these data made it difficult for the BOT concessionaire to finance the project and tender Bridge design and construction. The investment in an early and comprehensive site characterization program to evaluate and quantify those uncertainties allowed the concessionaire to save schedule, provide a robust bid basis to bridge contractors, and persuade banks to finance what was perceived to be a relatively high risk project.

Jan 1, 2011

By Siyabonga Malevu

Chemical Initiatives? Umbogintwini plant is the production facility of Chemical Initiatives? business. Umbogintwini?s J Plant manufactures sulphuric acid. The plant was designed and built by Simon Carves, and was commissioned in 1974. The plant was designed to produce 500 tons/day of Sulphuric acid (H2SO4) at maximum rates. The Sulphuric acid manufacturing is through the famous contact process whereby liquid Sulphur is injected through dried air in a burner operating at 1000 °C to form sulphur dioxide (10.5% SO2). The SO2 gas is then cooled in waste heat boiler no.1 before being fed to a four pass converter which provides 99.5% SO2 conversion to sulphur trioxide (SO3). The SO3 gas is the absorbed by 98.5% H2SO4 through the inter-pass & final tower to make more concentrated acid and dilute it with water back to 98.5% H2SO4 in acid pump tanks and dispatched to storage tanks. The manufactured Sulphuric acid is supplied to a variety of industrial manufacturing customers includes Pulp & Paper industry, Mining industry, Chemical manufacturing industry etc. During the 1st quarter of the year 2007, Chemical Initiatives undertook a study to up rate the sulphuric acid plant output by 10% (i.e. from 500 tpd to 550 tpd).

Jan 1, 2009

By Siyabonga Malevu

Chemical Initiatives? Umbogintwini plant is the production facility of Chemical Initiatives? business. Umbogintwini?s J Plant manufactures sulphuric acid. The plant was designed and built by Simon Carves, and was commissioned in 1974. The plant was designed to produce 500 tons/day of Sulphuric acid (H2SO4) at maximum rates. The Sulphuric acid manufacturing is through the famous contact process whereby liquid Sulphur is injected through dried air in a burner operating at 1000 °C to form sulphur dioxide (10.5% SO2). The SO2 gas is then cooled in waste heat boiler no. 1 before being fed to a four pass converter which provides 99.5% SO2 conversion to sulphur trioxide (SO3). The SO3 gas is the absorbed by 98.5% H2SO4 through the inter-pass & final tower to make more concentrated acid and dilute it with water back to 98.5% H2SO4 in acid pump tanks and dispatched to storage tanks. The manufactured Sulphuric acid is supplied to a variety of industrial manufacturing customers includes Pulp & Paper industry, Mining industry, Chemical manufacturing industry etc.

Jan 1, 2009

By Alan A. Campoli

The mining industry has long been searching for an effective structural application that prevents weathering and falls of loose rock, debris, and sediment. J-Crete is a fiber-reinforced, engineered, cementitious composite rock application that is designed, tested, and successfully utilized as such a material. Laboratory evaluation of J-Crete material properties has shown the final compressive strength to be in excess of 7,300 psi (50.34 MPa), with 24 hour strength in excess of 1,500 psi (10.34 MPa). The flexural tensile strength is in excess of 600 psi (4.1 MPa) and is provided through a unique combination of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers activated by a proprietary liquid additive that prevents them from clumping and enables even distribution throughout the grout. Tensile bond strength in excess of 350 psi (2.4 MPa) at 28 day cure tightens the strata and holds loose material in place. Practically impervious to gas and liquids, J-Crete protects strata against long-term weathering, does not require screening to be effective, and has proven to be a successful waterproofing material. J-Crete has demonstrated the potential to alleviate coal mine roof cutters in soft, wet clay formations. J-Crete reinforces coal mine ribs by bonding directly to the rib, conforms to the strata, strengthens the rib, and eliminates sloughing due to long-term weathering; stabilizes coal mine entries by bonding directly to the brow and roof, and creates a monolithic shell with double reinforced corners.

Jan 1, 2012

By K. M. Stone, N. J. G. Masson, A. C. Woollett

The Jabali zinc deposit, in Yemen, contains at least 9.4 Mt at a grade of 10.7% zinc, 2.2% lead and 77g/t silver. The zinc occurs as smithsonite with minor hydrozincite. The Jabali ore does not produce a zinc concentrate of sufficient grade to be acceptable to conventional smelter/refineries, and it has been necessary to formulate a less conventional development plan. This involves the construction of a mine and concentrator at Jabali and a metal production facility using a new flowsheet designed specifically for the treatment of oxide material, at Yanbu, in Saudi Arabia. In order to give the facility the necessary economies of scale, the Jabali concentrate will be supplemented by feed from other deposits, this may be either oxide or sulphide material. The paper outlines the geology and proposed mining and treatment operations at Jabali, the flowsheet for Yanbu and presents preliminary costs for both operations

Jan 1, 2002

By Jesus M. Rohena

Concrete pipes and small boxes have been installed by the jacking method. This paper will describe a recent project were large concrete boxes were installed by the jacking method. This project is in the city of Boston, MA. By now everyone in the USA knows something about this project. The project official name is The Central Artery/Tunnel Project (CA/T). This is the biggest public work project in the USA right now, with an estimated construction cost of 14 billions. The main objective of the CA/T project is to replace an existing artery built in the 1950s to increase capacity and safety. One section of the new artery will cross under several railroad tracks near the South Station. To construct the section of the new artery under these tracks, big concrete boxes were installed by the jacking method. The jacking method can be used to install pipes, small concrete boxes, and the CA/T project has demonstrated that big concrete road tunnel boxes can be installed by jacking.

Jan 1, 2003

By J. C. Detweiler

THE Jacksonville plant of Humphreys Gold Corp., operating under leases from National Lead Co. and Rutile Mining Co. of Florida, recovers rutile, ilmenite, zircon, and monazite from an ancient beach deposit containing about 2.5 pct of these minerals in combination. The location of the plant is unique, being situated about ten miles from the center of Jacksonville, Fla., surrounded by a thriving suburb. Two four-lane highways pass within 1 ½ miles of the plant. An expressway now under construction will pass over the tailing pile, within 500 ft of the mine office. The elevation at the plant site is approximately 50 ft above sea level. This is one of two mines producing titanium minerals and zircon in Florida. Another mine is also operated by Humphreys at Starke, about 50 miles southeast of Jacksonville. The Jacksonville deposit extends about six miles in a north-south direction, averaging approximately one half mile wide and twenty ft thick. Values begin at the surface over most of its length and ter-

Jan 1, 1952

By Ivan C. Machado

Jaguar Mining Inc. is implementing a 1.1 Mtpy, 7-year LOM gold project in the Iron Quadrangle (?Quadrilátero Ferrífero?), Brazil. Construction is on schedule and startup is programmed for Q2 2010. Mill feed grade averages 4.43 g/t and LOM gold production is estimated at 800,000 oz. The project entails two sulfide underground mines and three oxide/transition open pit mines. A state-of-the-art flotation/gravity concentration/CIP Plant has been designed based on testwork carried out by internationally recognized Canadian, U.S., and Brazilian laboratories. The mass recovery of the flotation section is only ca 10%, while its gold recovery is about 90%. Therefore, the CIP-ADR Plant will treat only 10% of the solids mass contained in the mill feed, while 90% will be fully cyanide-free material that will be partially used to feed a Backfill Plant. The leached tailings will be conveyed to a rather small tailings dam, whose 20- m3/h supernatant solution will be treated by a new electrolytic technology. The plant design contemplates a High Density Thickener for the cyanide-free rejects exceeding the backfill demand and a Regrinding Section before the Leaching Circuit. The estimated overall metallurgical recovery sits around 92%. This paper focus on the use of modern technologies to reduce costs, risks, and liabilities.

May 1, 2010

How did you get into mining; were you from a mining town or mining family? Not at all. I grew up in northwest Kansas. I liked to hunt and fish, so I thought it would be fun to work for a company that made knives or guns. It seemed like metallurgical engineers would be something those companies could use, so I started in physical metallurgy. I got a summer job at the great Climax molybdenum mine near Leadville, CO shoveling muck onto conveyors. I was hooked. I loved everything about mining, so in the fall, I changed majors from physical metallurgy to mineral processing. For many years you actually discouraged young people from studying the mining disciplines. Could that be right? That’s true.

Jan 1, 2007

By Murphy A. S, Budod A

The Philex concentrator represents the first time Jameson Cells have been used in a cleaner scavenger application or in large scale flotation in roughing and scavenging. This necessitated a major change in Jameson cell design as well as a chan

Jan 1, 1997

By K. E. Barnes

"The “Jameson Cell” flotation cell was developed at Mount Isa Mines in the late 1980’s to address deficiencies in our flotation column installations. Early base metal installations had a variable record. The test work and trials showed they made an improvement metallurgically when operated correctly, but performance of the early installations was hindered by a range of operational and maintenance issues. The installations needed to be more robust, and we needed a better understanding of how to successfully integrate the cells into the plant flow sheet.During the 1990’s, Jameson Cells had great success in coal fines flotation and organic removal in SXEW applications, and became the standard in these applications in Australia. These installations improved the cell design and materials of construction and the cell flow sheet design, to make it low wear with self-regulating control, producing good performance with little operator input.These improvements have enabled a fresh look at the use of Jameson Cells in base metals. Recent new installations have shown significant benefits in “hybrid” circuits, that combine the best features of both Jameson Cells and conventional flotation cells, achieving better overall circuit performance in a smaller footprint than either technology could do by itself.Case studies of successful base metal applications are discussed, using size-by-size mineralogical performance to explain the improved circuit performance. The new methods of flow sheet test work design are also described."

Jan 1, 2006

By Dario Libano, Luis Carlos Tenuta, Juliano Penteado

"Subway Line Number 4 is one of the newest additions to the Rio de Janeiro subway network. Built for the 2016 Olympic Games, the 16 km (10 mi) subway line connects the south of the city, with the famous beaches Copacabana and Ipanema, to Barra da Tijuca, west of the city, where the Olympic Village and Park are located. This new line, which is estimated to cost USD 2.2 billion, is composed of six new stations: Jardim Oceanico, São Conrado, Gavea, Antero de Quintal, Jardim de Alah (JA) and Nossa Senhora da Paz Station.Brasfond participated in the construction of foundations and retaining structures for all the stations, and each presented unique challenges. This is not surprising considering the difficulties present in a highly-dense urban environment including utilities, nearby buildings, traffic limitations and noise.Of all the stations, JA Station was the most challenging to construct. It was located in the middle of an avenue between residential high rises supported on shallow foundations as well as below sea level in sands with high groundwater. The other five stations were located in small parks and squares, with no buildings in the immediate proximity.The interaction between designer, owner, and the general and foundation contractors during execution was key in safely reducing the construction schedule. This was significant given the unforeseen construction delays the client, Linha 4 Sul JV, faced due to permitting, utility and traffic relocation so that the owner could fulfill their final goal: making the line operational by the Olympic Games. The GeologyGeologically, the state of Rio de Janeiro is formed by Pre- Cambrian crystalline basement rock. Its geological formation is very old and comprises two major orogenic cycles, a Mid-Precambrian formation, called “Transamazonian” (Proterozoic Era), and an Upper-Precambrian to Cambrian called “Brasiliano” (Proterozoic-Paleozoic). The soil structure of the city of Rio de Janeiro is represented by a core of crystalline rocks, usually granite-gneiss, covered with a layer of residual soil and/or partially weathered rock.JA Station is located in a Rio de Janeiro neighborhood called Ipanema, between the Atlantic Ocean and Lagoon Rodrigo de Freitas. Local geology is composed of a superficial soil, consisting of medium to coarse grained sands. Top of rock varied significantly from 20 m (66 ft) deep on one side of the station to 33 m (108 ft) on the other. Water is at a depth of 3 m (10 ft)."

Jan 1, 2016

Formation of either sodium jarosite or lead jarosite from concentrated chloride solutions containing small concentrations of sulphate has been demonstrated. Sodium jarosite is precipitated at 95-100°C from FeC13-FeCI2-NaCI-PbCI2 solutions to which was added Na2SO4 or Li2SO4 in amounts greater than 0.05 M. In the absence of alkali metal ions capable of forming jarosites, lead jarosite was precipitated from either FeCI3-PbCI2 or FeCI3-FeCI2-LiCI-PbCI2 solutions to which had been added small amounts of sulphate. Many of the factors affecting jarosite precipitation from chloride solution have been elucidated, and the most critical were sulphate concentration and initial pH. Concentrations of HCI in excess of O. I M essentially suppressed the production of jarosite in chloride media. Alkali jarosite, precipitated in the presence of dissolved lead, incorporates a small amount of this metal into the alkali jarosite lattice. Small but significant amounts of copper can also be incorporated into alkali jarosite and the amount is further increased in the presence of lead. Other divalent base metals such as Zn, Cd or Ni are not significantly precipitated. Sulphate control in either FeCI3 or FeCl3-NaCI leaching systems could likely be maintained by jarosite precipitation provided that the acid concentration of the solution was low.

Jan 1, 1981

By A. G. Mayton

Vehicle vibration exposure has been linked to chronic back pain and low back symptoms among agricultural tractor drivers. The objectives of this study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) were to assess driver whole body vibration (WBV) exposures and recommend interventions to reduce the risk of back related injuries, particularly relative to vehicle jarring/jolting (the transient mechanical shock components of WBV). The methodology included collecting, from two independent samples, ?eld data and health and work history data of farm equipment operators. Data were collected during mowing, raking, baling, chiseling, tilling, and road travel for different model tractors. Spraying using a sprayer and shrub removal with a skid steer loader were also included. Based on ISO 2631 (1985), the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, threshold limit values, presents 0.5 m/s2 as the action level recommended by the Commission of European Communities for overall weighted total RMS acceleration (vector sum for axes x, y, and z) [ACGIH, 2006. Threshold limit values and biological exposure indices. Cincinnati, OH]. WBV measured at the operator/seat interface exceeded this action level. The roughest rides and highest vector sum accelerations occurred with small utility tractor mowers (3.3 and 2.8 m/s2) and a skid steer loader (1.7 m/s2). Major ?ndings from health and work history data showed 96% of participants reported having to bend or twist their necks, although 24% reported neck symptoms. Sixty four percent of participating operators reported experiencing back symptoms (e.g., pain, aching, stiffness, etc.). Recommendations included: specifying a seat that ??better?? isolates operators from jars/jolts with new tractor purchases; maintaining the seat/seat suspension and replacing worn or damaged cushions with NIOSH tested viscoelastic foam padding; using larger diameter tires with radial ply instead of bias ply construction, particularly on small utility tractor mowers, to aid in attenuating ride ??roughness??; using a swivel seat to reduce the stress on the neck from bending or twisting; and improving efforts to educate owner/operators of the adverse effects of WBV exposures. Since the data presented in this paper were collected from two independent samples, the authors were unable to draw any correlations or etiological inferences from the study. However, results were compared and contrasted with other studies which included similar vibration measurements in agriculture.

Jan 1, 2008

In a previous paper the writer dealt -with the jasper bar formations and their relationship to the structural geology of older pre-Cambrian rocks in the goldfields districts of Western Australia (24). He has pointed out in this ahd other papers that jasper bars, or banded iron formations, banded hematite or ,magnetite quartzites, jaspilites and related banded ferruginous or non-ferruginous cherts, occur in abundan'ce in the Older Greenstone Series of Western Australia (22), (24), (26). They are considered to represent special forms of banded ferruginous sediments, and are usually fpund in the field interbedded with more or less metamorphosed pasaltic 01' andesitic lavas and tuffs, now amphibolites, together with occasional thin bands of normal pelitic sediments, which go to make up a large proportion of the Older Greenstones in thfs State (26).Great thicknesses of fiat-bedded ]:landed ferruginous cherts are also found associated with cherty' carbonate rocks; quartzites, shales and thin-bedded dolomite whicIi constit'ute the Nullagine (Pl'oterozoic) system in the northwest of Western Australia. In the Hamersley Range district these banded ferruginous chert beds are the hosts of important deposits of blue amphibole asbestos.In the paper mentioned above brief reference was> made to the importance, of geological structure in relation to economic geology, particularly in the goldfields regions of Western Australia, and it was shown that jasper bars may have an important role in the study of 'the structural geology of many of these regions. Of possibly more immediate economic importance is the part that these rocks play, both directly and indirectly, as host rocks for mineral deposits-the chief of Which are gold, iron ores, blue asbestos, and manganese ores. The blue asbestos bearing banded iron formations mentioned above are confined to the younger pre-Cambrian Nullagine formations. They have been described in detail elsewhere (23). In this paper it is proposed to discuss the economic geology of the jasper bars found in the older pre-Cambrian series.The jasper 'bars have in themselves little or no intrinsic value except perhaps some of the more highly coloured and banded varieties which may be utilised for ornamental and decorative purposes. Probably the best known of such varieties is the so-called "marble bar;" a belt of, strikingly coloured banded chert occurring just south and west of the famous town of that name (see Fig. 1t). This consists of a hard, very fine, even-grained rock with alternate individual stripes varying from the thickness of a sheet of paper up to an inch or more in width, and ranging in colour from clear white to yellow, from various shades of pink to brilliant...

Jan 1, 1943

By S. C. Westerfeld

The original patent for the gyratory crusher was granted to Philetus W. Gates in 1881. This first crusher was used by the Buffalo Cement Co. At the time these early gyratory crushers were developed all mining and quarrying, either underground or open pit, was done by hand; tonnages generally were small and product specifications simple and liberal. Likewise plants were small and demands for small product sizes practically nonexistent. In addition to substantial amounts of hand labor, the available material handling equipment was small, simple, and not suited to handling large run of mine ore. Mine can, cable ways, or belt conveyon transporting crushed material to the mill had limited capacity per hour. At the turn of the century the largest Gates crusher, the No. 9, had a receiving opening of 21 x 48 in. with a three-arm spider and a 21 x 80-in. opening with a two-arm spider. The steam shovel began to change the entire picture of open pit quarrying. As a result of the use of steam shovels around 1910 crushers with 48-in. receiving openings were built; thus it can be seen that the basic gyratory crusher was developed prior to World War I. The improvement of the internal combustion engine and the use of pneumatic tires created a new set of operating conditions. Early mines were small, using shrinkage stoping and small mine can. The capacity of material handling was small, limiting the size of the largest piece and the feed rate. Improved material handling resulted in more and more large open pit mines with large shovels and a tremendous increase in the size of off road or mine haul trucks or rail can. Primary gyratory crushers also increased with receiving openings as large as 60 in. and connected hp of 1,000.

Jan 1, 1985