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By E Shilov, R Dixon, L Tovey

BHP Western Australian Iron Ore (WAIO) operations use a suite of slope monitoring systems which are deployed to operational areas based on the ground control risk. Slope Radars are one system used within WAIO, having recently deployed and integrated a network of 22 radar systems across the operations. The integration required the development of supporting network architecture, infrastructure, virtualised hosting, security protocols and a technology support model. This has enabled data transfer between the physical radar systems located in open pits, to on-site offices, a vendor supported remote control room in Indonesia and the WAIO Integrated Remote Operations Centre for data analysis and monitoring of system and displacement alarms 24/7. The typical technical skillset of a Geotechnical Engineer does not include the knowledge and capability to understand and develop the supporting IT infrastructure required for establishing an integrated radar monitoring network. This paper will provide a discussion of the technology considerations for integrating radar systems and highlight the importance of the developed partnerships between internal geotechnical and technology teams and the external vendor team to ensure a reliable, robust and scalable slope monitoring solution.

Nov 29, 2022

By Moritz Schleeh, Christian Moormann

Temporary working platforms are generally required in order to ensure that heavy construction machinery such as drilling and trench wall units, pile drivers, vehicle and crawler cranes can be set up safely at the site of operation. Considering all possible operating and loading conditions, especially on ground of low shear strength and stiffness, the design and construction of temporary mobile working platforms needs to be considered more as a serious engineering task than as a second order structure of minor relevance. Working platforms reinforced with one or several geosynthetic layers have proven to be especially effective with regard to stability, serviceability and durability but their design requests even more sophisticated approaches. Existing design models are often based on simplified assumptions and do not consider the complex interaction between construction machinery, working platform and subgrade. Non-monotonic loading as well as elastoplastic and time-variant deformation of cohesive subsoil can adversely affect the base layer system and the serviceability and stability of the construction machinery operating on it. In this context, there is a need for improvement of design approaches and their optimisation considering that there are no generally accepted design approaches or technical codes of practice available for the design of temporary working platforms. The present paper deals with the multifaceted and non-trivial interaction effects of working platforms investigated by model tests, field measurements and numerical simulations to develop a design approach that ensures a safe installation and operation of heavy plants on unstable ground.

May 1, 2022

By Henry H. Tayler, Eric Sturel

1 Triton Square was originally a six-storey building with a one-level basement located within a commercial development near Euston, London. It was designed and constructed in the 1990s and the foundation scheme comprised straight shafted London Clay piles arranged singly beneath columns. The scheme added three storeys and a five-storey infill in the central atrium area to increase the building floorplate by 70% and maintained the usability of the basement space. As the loads to support the additional floorplate area were greater than the capacity of the existing foundations, an optimised strengthening scheme of small diameter piles installed within the existing basement and a slender retro-fitted raft was installed to augment the existing piles. The re-use and strengthening of almost all of the existing foundations enabled re-use of a very high proportion of the superstructure and in approximately 35,000 tonnes of concrete and 1,900 tonnes of reinforcement and structural steelwork being re-used. The structural embodied carbon for the refurbished building scheme is estimated at an average of 136 kgCO2e/m2, achieving a Structural Carbon Rating Scheme (SCORS) “A” rating with components detailed in the paper.

May 1, 2022

By Sunil S. Basarkar, Vinothkumar S

Ground Improvement Techniques serves to improve various engineering properties for supporting various foundations. These may be undertaken either by conventional or advanced methods. The Controlled Modulus Column (CMC), also known as Rigid Inclusion is a soil improvement technique to reduce the total and differential settlement by using semi-rigid soil reinforcement columns. The CMC technique can be executed by displacement or non-displacement methods. It does not aim to bypass the compressive layer or to install a pile that will directly support the entire load from the structure. Principle of the technique is to introduce a load transfer platform between the head of the column and structure and transform a uniform load into soil. Initially, the structural load transmitted into the soil generate the settlement greater than CMC piles. When the settlement between the soil and column became equal at neutral point, maximum structural load shall be balanced by the positive friction and tip resistance to stabilize the foundation without exceeding the allowable settlement limit. This paper describes the behaviour of soil reinforcement with CMC column and their installation process with reference to a project at the Dry Bulk Terminal Port, San Pedro- Abidjan (Western Africa). Methodology of CMC, requirements of Ground Improvement, arrangements and outcome of this method are presented in this paper.

Sep 1, 2022

By T Vijayakumar, Vipul Dobhada, Rajesh Patel, Swarnadip Dey, Naveen Babu D

The most challenging scope of any bridge project in marine or inter tidal zone is to construct sub structure like well Foundation, group pile, pile cap etc. Similarly, it also affects the marine environment/ecology to a great extent. Understanding the level of difficulties and aiding to provide an environment friendly solution, various options are analysed to overcome these and found mono pile to be the best alternative in this context. Generally, the foundation type of any bridge constructed in river, marine or intertidal zone in India is preferred for group piles. For the first time, monopile is being accepted as the foundation of bridge in India at Mumbai Coastal Road Project. The diameters of the monopiles used in this project are 2.5 m and 3.2 m. Hence, the challenges involved in monopile construction and experiences to overcome it are worth to share. Here, a brief discussion on environmental, geological issues and the needs of monopile as the foundation of bridge has been discussed. Furthermore, the monopile construction stages and confirmation of monopile capacity through different load tests have been elaborated.

Sep 1, 2022

By Prof. Dr. -Ing. habil. Sascha Henke, Johannes Beck

The growth of Building Information Modeling (BIM) during recent years opens possibilities for integrating new digitally driven design approaches. While parametric design and algorithmic design slowly gains popularity in numerous ACE-applications, e.g. bridge design, it is rarely used by geotechnical professionals. This article presents an approach for implementation of parametric design in the BIM-based geotechnical design process. The methodology is applied to pile design and enables a real time design analysis according to DIN EN 1997-1 and EA-Pfähle 2012 considering boundary conditions such as pile position and layout, pile geometry, soil stratification and soil properties. By using intelligent attributes and scripts to control, calculate and assign them, the design analysis is directly executed in the BIM-software environment, in this case Autodesk Revit with Dynamo. This BIM integrated design approach allows multi-criteria evaluations of pile designs using aspects such as costs, environmental impact or constructability in addition to the commonly examined structural analysis criteria. As the proposed models are fully parametric, generative optimization algorithms can be applied to identify the ideal design for the entirety and each of the piles. Finally, the potential and limits of this methodology with respect to modeling, analysis, simulation and optimization are discussed.

May 1, 2022

By T. McNulty

The author was privileged to find employment as a uranium mill chemist for The Anaconda Company while working his way through school in the mid-1950s. He then served Anaconda in various technical and management positions until 1980. This paper describes the prevalent technologies employed by uranium producers, briefly describes various mines and mills in the U. S., and memorializes a few of the thousands of men and women who contributed to the U. S. Uranium Boom. Following isolation of uranium as an element by M. H. Klaproth in 1789, uses of uranium were confined primarily to pigments, glass coloring agents, and ceramic glazes. In 1896, Antoine Becquerel found that uranium is radioactive, releasing particles and energy as it decays. In 1898, Pierre and Marie Curie isolated radium from uranium and learned that it can be an effective treatment for some types of cancer. In 1939, it was discovered that the isotope U235 is fissionable1 . Up to this point, nearly all uranium production was from pitchblende concentrates made in Bohemia, Canada, and the Belgian Congo. In 1938, only about 5 percent (23.85 short tons) of global output was produced from ores of the carnotite mineral that were being mined in the U.S. By the early-1950s, physicists in many countries had begun to recognize the potential for nuclear chain reactions. Ernest Rutherford (UK), Frederick Soddy (UK), and Leo Szilard (US) explained transmutation of elements and formulated the principle of “atom splitting”. In 1934, Marie Curie’s daughter, Irène, and her husband, Frédéric Joliot, identified uranium as the most viable source for this new form of energy. The basic fission process was unraveled by German scientists in December 1938. After Hitler’s army seized the uranium deposits in Czechoslovakia, many feared that Germany would build the first nuclear weapon.

Mar 2, 2022

By Emanuele Osto

In late 2013, the installation of the world's first application of a break-through technology for rail hardening was started at Baogang Iron & Steel (Group) Co. Ltd. in Inner Mongolia, China, one of world's leading rail producers. The "Injector Dualphase Rail Hardening" (idRHa+) system was developed by Primetals Technologies and Centro Sviluppo Materiali S.p.A. (RINA-CSM) a Technical Center headquartered in Rome, Italy. Baogang was a key partner, providing its large expertise of premiumrail producer, including its experience with existing offline technologies. With a design based on thermal, mechanical and metallurgical models, idRHa+ can apply customized cooling protocols, so to obtain the desired microstructure and hardness distribution across the rail head, with a high degree of accurateness and operation flexibility. idRHa+ can be installed in inline or offline configurations. During 2014, the system was successfully commissioned at rail mill #2 in the city of Baotou, Inner Mongolia, and entered the regular commercial production. This paper gives an overview of the key concepts behind idRHa+'s design, the progression of its commissioning and testing till the ramp-up to consistent industrial operation. Derived from idRHa+ research and experience, other water-cooling technologies are available for different applications such as: quenching & tempering of medium-large sections, control of distorsion of merchant bars, quenching of stainless grades for improving the resistance to corrosion.

Aug 16, 2017

By Hector O. Romero, Paulo C. Fernández A, Claudio C. Gajardo

Phase 06 of the Los Bronces mine, currently under extraction for development, has the particularity of being close to the installations and buildings of a neighboring copper mine. Therefore, the blasts must ensure the continuity of the operation without affecting the nearby structures of the neighboring district, which include Maintenance sheds and Warehouse. Specifically, the safeguards consider a scenario that includes: - Flyrock projections (<150m) - Edge profile studies - Vibrations according to the NCh3577 standard - Nitrous gases Additionally, Phase 06 is also within Los Bronces, so strict control over spillage into the pit is necessary to avoid blocking ramp access to this level. The challenge lies in protecting not only the operation and facilities of the neighboring mining district but also the operability of Los Bronces. Thus, addressing these considerations, blasting configurations are developed with prior simulation of vibration models, flyrock, and spillage in all blasts, with strict control of technical design and implementation to ensure the results. Currently, blasts are successfully executed with control of projections based on the proximity of the projects, vibration (<40mm/s) with decoupling of holes of 17 mm/s between holes, reactive rock tests for explosive selection (loading advancement), and spillage simulation inside the pit according to the loading design; thus, ensuring operational continuity and mine development.

Jan 21, 2025

By Joseph A. Meyers

NYC has always been a high-profile target for both foreign and domestic terrorists. Explosives have always been the go-to tool for terrorists to bring about serious physical injury, death, and property damage in our society. Today with the anti-police movement gaining traction in the United States and anarchists groups using homemade explosives against law enforcement and municipalities, it is the responsibility of the explosives industry to ensure that every explosive product on a blasting site is secure. We must prevent the theft of these energetic materials used on projects and sold by vendors so they are not used by these terrorists. We have learned many lessons here in NYC which began with the theft of explosives used for blasting projects in NYC to supply the IRA (Irish Republican Army) 50 years ago. The liability is too significant to take short cuts in securing energetic materials. Over the years through cooperation with all agencies and the industry we in NYC have developed certain proven protocol and procedures we would like to share with the industry. An efficient and effective security plan for the logistic movement of explosives, as well as for the blast site is imperative to keeping the good name of the industry from negative repercussions and possible additional bureaucratic oversight of an industry that is highly regulated and still recovering from the pandemic. Communication, security assessments and transparency with all stakeholders and the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) will greatly improve the overall security for the blasting project. This SOP (standard operating procedure) will allow the AHJ to become a proactive partner in the security of the blasting project. If the AHJ is not a law enforcement agency, the law enforcement agency specialty unit must be notified and included in all phases of the project. The security for a blasting project with AHJ and law enforcement input starts at the inception of the project when the memorandum of understanding (MOU) is obtained, and involves the AHJ through all steps of the approval process. This includes threat assessments on new and existing structures. SME’s (Subject Matter Experts) must be present at all stages. The blasting industry and regulators must work collaboratively to improve safety, security, and create a dialogue with law enforcement and the AHJ. Relationships are built through trust, teamwork, transparency, and communication and greatly improve the safety of our great country.

Jan 21, 2025

By Ronaldo Câmara Cozza

Iron aluminide alloy; Ball-cratering wear testing; Rolling abrasion; Wear volume; Coefficient of friction

Jul 31, 2018

By Gajraj Rathore

With the advent of modern HRM ( Hot rolling mills) with capacities beyond 5 Million tons with corresponding enriched CRM (Cold Rolling Mill) capacities, the throughput per hour exceeds invariably beyond 50 coils per hour making it possible to manage, track, handle, transport, store and dispatch inevitably with an automation system supplemented by corresponding software and hardware. This is true with respect to the production of Cold rolled Annealed, Galvanized, Continuously Annealed, Galvalume, CRGO, CRNGO and Colour coated coils which need total care in handling, tracking and dispatch. Understanding the above needs precisely JSW, Vijayanagar, India, has rightly gone in for a total automatic Yard management system and ASRS wherein the coils are handled as much as possible automatically in cradles without any damage insuring the receipt of coils to the customer as was produced. This CRM 2 has been commissioned and is operating with maximum automation with least manpower and max productivity with assured quality and safety. Pesmel OY Finland had the opportunity to Design, Supply and Commission this system which is first in the country and this technical paper analyses the above project as a case study enlisting the sound technical aspects as well as emphasis on the techno economics with assured ROI (Return on investment) and enhanced efficiency.

Aug 16, 2017

By Kurt Herzog

State-of-the-art automation information technology and connectivity enables the digitalization of steel production that goes far beyond conventional automation of industrial production. Initiatives have been started around the globe to foster digitalization like IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) in the US, Industrie 4.0 in Germany or China 2025. Primetals Technologies is actively driving the digitalization shaping the future of steel production. Intelligent combination of sensor technology combined with digital models as well as quality and production planning and control systems leads to new dimensions in product quality and production cost reduction. New diagnostic ways allow intuitive fault tracing or processing to support faster maintenance. Digital assistants support both operation and maintenance using context-oriented or self-learned information.

Oct 30, 2017

By E Mutaz, M Bahaaddini, D J. Williams, M Serati

The contribution of the mining industry to the global economy has reached (and gone beyond) $1,800 billion in recent years that necessitates (more than before) the need to ensure workability, viability, health, and safety of mine sites and workers to meet the ever-increasing global demand for mineral resources. Amongst the many challenges facing the excavation industries, rockburst and spalling failures in deep mines in hard and brittle rock formations are yet happening that are still deemed as unsolved problems. During unconfined compressive testing of brittle rocks, microcracks initiate at approximately 0.3–0.5 of the peak strength (which is commonly known as the Crack Initiation stress level) mainly in the direction of the major principal stress, then grow unstably and coalesce to form macro fractures at approximately 0.7–0.8 of the peak load at a so-called Crack Damage stress threshold. From a stress-strain perspective, the crack damage stress threshold () is associated with the reversal point of the volumetric strain, which is also proved to be strongly affected by the intermediate principal stress. This paper extends the previous studies on the impact of true triaxial loading conditions on the CD stress level in high porosity rocks, and introduce a new Crack Mode-Changing Stress (CMCS) defined as the minimum principal stress required to change rock fracturing from splitting to a sliding failure mode. A large number of experiments on sandstone specimens were carried out at different true triaxial loading conditions and the effect of principal stresses on the CI and CD as well as CMCS were studied. The results show that not only the intermediate principal stress, but also the minor principal stress can significantly affect the CD and CMCS thresholds.

Apr 26, 2022

By D. R. Willmer, E. J. Haas

As national and international health and safety management system (HSMS) standards are voluntarily accepted or regulated into practice, organizations are making an effort to modify and integrate strategic elements of a connected management system into their daily risk management practices. In high-risk industries such as mining, that effort takes on added importance. The mining industry has long recognized the importance of a more integrated approach to recognizing and responding to sitespecific risks, encouraging the adoption of a risk-based management framework. Recently, the U.S. National Mining Association led the development of an industry-specific HSMS built on the strategic frameworks of ANSI: Z10, OHSAS 18001, The American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care, and ILO-OSH 2001. All of these standards provide strategic guidance and focus on how to incorporate a plan-do-check-act cycle into the identification, management and evaluation of worksite risks. This paper details an exploratory study into whether practices associated with executing a risk-based management framework are visible through the actions of an organization’s site-level management of health and safety risks. The results of this study show ways that site-level leaders manage day-to-day risk at their operations that can be characterized according to practices associated with a risk-based management framework. Having tangible operational examples of day-to-day risk management can serve as a starting point for evaluating field-level risk assessment efforts and their alignment to overall company efforts at effective risk mitigation through a HSMS or other processes.

Jan 1, 2016

By P. T. Bissert, D. S. Yantek, L. Yan, M. D. Klein

Federal regulations require that refuge alternatives (RAs) be located within 305 m (1,000 ft) of the working face and spaced at one-hour travel distances in the outby area in underground coal mines, in the event that miners cannot escape during a disaster. The Mine Safety and Health Administration mandates that RAs provide safe shelter and livable conditions for a minimum of 96 hours while maintaining the apparent temperature below 35 °C (95 °F). The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health used a validated thermal simulation model to examine the mechanisms of heat loss from an RA to the ambient mine and the effect of mine strata composition on the final internal dry bulb temperature (DBT) for a mobile tent-type RA. The results of these studies show that 51 percent of the heat loss from the RA to the ambient mine is due to radiation and 31 percent to conduction. Three mine width and height configurations and four mine strata compositions were examined. The final DBT inside the RA after 96 hours varied by less than 1 °C (1.8 °F) for the three mine width/height configurations and by less than 2 °C (3.6 °F) for the four mine strata compositions.

Jan 1, 2016

By C. Zhou, R. Jacksha

This paper reports measurement results for radio frequency (RF) propagation around 90° corners in tunnels and underground mines, for vertically, horizontally and longitudinally polarized signals. Measurements of signal power attenuation from a main entry into a crosscut were performed at four frequencies — 455, 915, 2450 and 5800 MHz — that are common to underground radio communication systems. From the measurement data, signal power loss was determined as a function of signal coupling from the main entry into the crosscut. The resultant power loss data show there are many factors that contribute to power attenuation from a main entry into a crosscut, including frequency, antenna polarization and crosssectional entry dimensions.

Jan 1, 2016

By C. D. Taylor, A. L. Mazzella, A. L. Martikainen

In fluctuating airflow, continuous air velocity recording is the most reliable method of air velocity measurement. It allows for fast recognition of changes and the calculation of long-term averages. Also, it enables the mine operator to identify when the airflow has decreased to a point requiring action. Using ultrasonic anemometers provides an accurate option for continuous air velocity monitoring. This paper provides information about the effect of common obstructions in underground mining on air velocity readings. Stationary and moving obstructions are used to represent workers and equipment that would cause discrepancies in measured airflow. Also, it is important to know how large of a sample size is required to ensure reasonable accuracy of results. Statistical analysis is used to evaluate the required sample size. The sampling procedure is further studied by comparing two different sample rates. The results show that obstructions provide noticeable differences in air velocity measurements. Also, movement of obstructions can be recognized from changes in results. Surprisingly small sample sizes provide reliable air velocity information. Standard sample rates are found to be suitable for the underground environment.

Jan 1, 2011

By P. T. Bissert, J. P. Ducarme, J. L. Carr, A. K. Smith

The continuous mining machine is a key piece of equipment used in underground coal mining operations. Over the past several decades these machines have been involved in a number of mine worker fatalities. Proximity detection systems have been developed to avert hazards associated with operating continuous mining machines. Incorporating intelligent design into proximity detection systems allows workers greater freedom to position themselves to see visual cues or avoid other hazards such as haulage equipment or unsupported roof or ribs. However, intelligent systems must be as safe as conventional proximity detection systems. An evaluation of the 39 fatal accidents for which the Mine Safety and Health Administration has published fatality investigation reports was conducted to determine whether the accident may have been prevented by conventional or intelligent proximity. Multiple zone configurations for the intelligent systems were studied to determine how system performance might be affected by the zone configuration. Researchers found that 32 of the 39 fatalities, or 82 percent, may have been prevented by both conventional and intelligent proximity systems. These results indicate that, by properly configuring the zones of an intelligent proximity detection system, equivalent protection to a conventional system is possible.

Jan 1, 2016

By G. Frey, D. Scott, C. Pritchard

Controlled recirculation has been used in the metal/nonmetal mining industry for energy savings when heating and cooling air, in undersea mining and for increasing airflow to mining areas. For safe and effective use of controlled district recirculation, adequate airflow to dilute contaminants must exist prior to implementation, ventilation circuit parameters must be accurately quantified, ventilation network modeling must be up to date, emergency planning scenarios must be performed and effective monitoring and control systems must be installed and used. Safety and health issues that must be considered and may be improved through the use of controlled district recirculation include blasting fumes, dust, diesel emissions, radon and contaminants from mine fires. Controlled recirculation methods are expected to become more widely used as mines reach greater working depths, requiring that these health and safety issues be well understood. The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducted two controlled recirculation tests over three days at a Wyoming trona mine, utilizing an inline booster fan to improve airflow to a remote and difficult-to-ventilate development section. Test results were used to determine the effect that recirculation had on air qualities and quantities measured in that section and in other adjacent areas. Pre-test conditions, including ventilation quantities and pressures, were modeled using VnetPC. During each test, ventilation quantities and pressures were measured, as well as levels of total dust. Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer gas was used to simulate a mine contaminant to monitor recirculation wave cycles. Results showed good correlation between the model results and measured values for airflows, pressure differentials, tracer gas arrival times, mine gasses and dust levels.

Jan 1, 2013