Study of Coupled Water-Gas-Sediment (three-phase) Flows through Jointed and Stratified Rock. Coupled Water-Gas-Sediment Flows through Rock Joints project outcomes are expected to surpass the current knowledge on ground/slope stability and water inundation, enhance engineering solutions of the associated problems and provide vital improvements to public safety. The research team will publish the research outcomes through peer-reviewed journals and conferences, nationally and internationally, rais ....Study of Coupled Water-Gas-Sediment (three-phase) Flows through Jointed and Stratified Rock. Coupled Water-Gas-Sediment Flows through Rock Joints project outcomes are expected to surpass the current knowledge on ground/slope stability and water inundation, enhance engineering solutions of the associated problems and provide vital improvements to public safety. The research team will publish the research outcomes through peer-reviewed journals and conferences, nationally and internationally, raising Australia’s scientific profile within the civil engineering and mining community. The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and Institution of Engineers seminars will be organised to promote discussion with the practitioners while the Australian geotechnical community will gain expertise through the PhD program. Read moreRead less
Microbiologically Induced Stress Corrosion Cracking in Underground Mines. Premature brittle failure of rock & cable bolts due to stress corrosion cracking can cause fatalities and serious damage, and has been reported in several mining operations across Australia and world-wide. The evidence suggests that microbial activity is a contributing factor. The project aims to implement experimental methodologies to determine the specific conditions responsible for bolt failure and develop novel prevent ....Microbiologically Induced Stress Corrosion Cracking in Underground Mines. Premature brittle failure of rock & cable bolts due to stress corrosion cracking can cause fatalities and serious damage, and has been reported in several mining operations across Australia and world-wide. The evidence suggests that microbial activity is a contributing factor. The project aims to implement experimental methodologies to determine the specific conditions responsible for bolt failure and develop novel prevention techniques applicable in underground mines. The benefits of this research will be improved understanding of the environment causing catastrophic failure of bolts and avoidance of potential hazards & economic loss in mining projects. This will lead to improved safety & increased productivity in mining operations.Read moreRead less
Integrated processes for fine coal treatment. This project is concerned with new processes for the treatment of fine coal which forms an export market in excess of A$2 billion a year. The aim is to improve the separation of fine coal from silt and clay, and especially the recovery of larger particles in the flotation process. Further aims are to increase the ease of filtration and dewatering of fine coal, and to reduce the dust that is generated when fine coal is handled during transportation on ....Integrated processes for fine coal treatment. This project is concerned with new processes for the treatment of fine coal which forms an export market in excess of A$2 billion a year. The aim is to improve the separation of fine coal from silt and clay, and especially the recovery of larger particles in the flotation process. Further aims are to increase the ease of filtration and dewatering of fine coal, and to reduce the dust that is generated when fine coal is handled during transportation on land and sea. A laboratory-scale process will be developed and tested at a larger scale. The new knowledge that is gained will be essential for the successful introduction of the new technology into the Australian coal industry.Read moreRead less
Avoiding catastrophic failure of rock bolts in underground coal mines. This project will examine the factors responsible for the emerging problem of catastrophic failure of rock bolts in underground mines in order to develop strategies for resisting such failures. The consequences of rock bolt failure are potentially enormous from both a mine safety and economic standpoint. The strategies developed are expected to not only reduce the likelihood of injury and death from rock falls but to also red ....Avoiding catastrophic failure of rock bolts in underground coal mines. This project will examine the factors responsible for the emerging problem of catastrophic failure of rock bolts in underground mines in order to develop strategies for resisting such failures. The consequences of rock bolt failure are potentially enormous from both a mine safety and economic standpoint. The strategies developed are expected to not only reduce the likelihood of injury and death from rock falls but to also reduce very expensive mine downtime and avoid costly replacement of broken rock bolts. Australian Rock Bolting Technology is now used internationally and the work will be of substantial significance both nationally and internationally. It will help maintain Australia's international prominence in this field.Read moreRead less
Preventing extreme granular wear of geotechnical machinery. This project will investigate the mechanisms controlling the mechanical wear that is incurred while handling geomaterials such as sand, ore, coal and fragmented rock. The overarching aim is to help forecast and mitigate extreme wear conditions by analysing the microscopic forces that granular materials produce when in contact with moving metallic surfaces. The intended outcomes include a thorough understanding of these interfacial inter ....Preventing extreme granular wear of geotechnical machinery. This project will investigate the mechanisms controlling the mechanical wear that is incurred while handling geomaterials such as sand, ore, coal and fragmented rock. The overarching aim is to help forecast and mitigate extreme wear conditions by analysing the microscopic forces that granular materials produce when in contact with moving metallic surfaces. The intended outcomes include a thorough understanding of these interfacial interactions and an experimentally validated theory predicting wear rates for a range of materials and handling processes. The expected benefit of this project is to enhance the productivity and reliability of the mining and construction sectors by reducing wear-related machinery failures.Read moreRead less
An investigation into the relationships between geology, geometry and wind blast magnitude & intensity in underground coal mining. In some underground coal mines where the roof comprises massive rock, the roof strata do not cave regularly as extraction progresses but hang up, leading to extensive areas of unsupported roof. These areas can suddenly collapse, compressing the air beneath and forcing it out of the void through surrounding openings giving rise to a potentially hazardous phenomenon kn ....An investigation into the relationships between geology, geometry and wind blast magnitude & intensity in underground coal mining. In some underground coal mines where the roof comprises massive rock, the roof strata do not cave regularly as extraction progresses but hang up, leading to extensive areas of unsupported roof. These areas can suddenly collapse, compressing the air beneath and forcing it out of the void through surrounding openings giving rise to a potentially hazardous phenomenon known as wind blast. The aim is to develop a fundamental understanding of the phenomenon and thus provide a basis on which to develop strategies to mitigate the hazard. Outcomes are expected to be improved levels of mining safety, technical viability and economics.Read moreRead less
Applicability of the Longwall Top Coal Caving in Australian Underground Coal Mines. The proposed project aims to develop an improved understanding of the geotechnical caving characteristics of the Longwall Top Coal Caving method and it's applicability in Australian underground coal mines. The practical outcomes include significant economical benefits associated with extracting thick seams, maximising production and recovery, while improving safety standards. The advantages and constraints of the ....Applicability of the Longwall Top Coal Caving in Australian Underground Coal Mines. The proposed project aims to develop an improved understanding of the geotechnical caving characteristics of the Longwall Top Coal Caving method and it's applicability in Australian underground coal mines. The practical outcomes include significant economical benefits associated with extracting thick seams, maximising production and recovery, while improving safety standards. The advantages and constraints of the mining method will be examined rigorously relative to the Australian geological and stress environment and safety requirement. The parameters influencing the applicability of the method as well as the support design criteria and performance will be researched using comparative, analytical and numerical modelling methods.Read moreRead less
Novel Cutting Picks for Mining Industry and an Australian Standard. This research will enable the development of highly efficient and robust mining picks and establish the methodology and techniques for setting up an Australian standard for mining picks which does not exist at present but is imperatively needed by the mining industry. The novel technology will provide effective solutions to improving mine environment and safety, and reducing nation's power consumption, green house gas emission, ....Novel Cutting Picks for Mining Industry and an Australian Standard. This research will enable the development of highly efficient and robust mining picks and establish the methodology and techniques for setting up an Australian standard for mining picks which does not exist at present but is imperatively needed by the mining industry. The novel technology will provide effective solutions to improving mine environment and safety, and reducing nation's power consumption, green house gas emission, and environmental pollution. These will in turn reduce the probability of black lung which has been the biggest killer of underground workers in mines.Read moreRead less
A multi-scale theory of unsaturated porous media under extreme loading. Extreme loading induced by impacts, explosives or earthquakes generates stress wave propagation through unsaturated media; this can lead to rock fracturing and soil liquefaction and severely damage civil, mining and military infrastructures and operations. The project aims to develop a novel experimentally-validated theory, with associated models, for describing dynamic responses of unsaturated porous media subject to extrem ....A multi-scale theory of unsaturated porous media under extreme loading. Extreme loading induced by impacts, explosives or earthquakes generates stress wave propagation through unsaturated media; this can lead to rock fracturing and soil liquefaction and severely damage civil, mining and military infrastructures and operations. The project aims to develop a novel experimentally-validated theory, with associated models, for describing dynamic responses of unsaturated porous media subject to extreme loading. Our continuum framework will allow building constitutive models directly from saturation-dependent contact laws at the micro-scale. This will remove the need to use the site-dependent empirical models and thus give the derived constitutive models truly predictive capabilities.Read moreRead less
Propagating fragmentation waves in granular materials. This project will conduct the first systematic study to understand and control fragmentation waves in granular systems subject to impact loading. The outcomes will be essential for geoscience including earthquakes and meteoritic impacts, and for many industries, including mining, mineral processes, petroleum production and pharmaceutics.