Marc Bascompta

A GIS-based approach: Influence of the ventilation layout to the environmental conditions in an underground mine

Gases such as CO, CO2 or NOx are constantly generated by the equipment in any underground mine and the ventilation layout can play an important role in keeping low concentrations in the working faces. Hence, a method able to control the workplace environment is crucial. This paper proposes a geographical information system (GIS) for such goal. The system created provides the necessary tools to manage and analyse an underground environment, connecting pollutants and temperatures with the ventilation characteristics over time. Data concerning the ventilation system, in a case study, has been taken every month since 2009 and integrated into the management system, which has quantified the gasses concentration throughout the mine due to the characteristics and evolution of the ventilation layout. Three different zones concerning CO, CO2, NOx and effective temperature have been found as well as some variations among workplaces within the same zone that suggest local airflow recirculations. The system proposed could be a useful tool to improve the workplace conditions and efficiency levels.

Analysis of occupational accidents in underground and surface mining in Spain using data-mining techniques

An analysis of occupational accidents in the mining sector was conducted using the data from the Spanish Ministry of Employment and Social Safety between 2005 and 2015, and data-mining techniques were applied. Data was processed with the software Weka. Two scenarios were chosen from the accidents database: surface and underground mining. The most important variables involved in occupational accidents and their association rules were determined. These rules are composed of several predictor variables that cause accidents, defining its characteristics and context. This study exposes the 20 most important association rules in the sector—either surface or underground mining—based on the statistical confidence levels of each rule as obtained by Weka. The outcomes display the most typical immediate causes, along with the percentage of accidents with a basis in each association rule. The most important immediate cause is body movement with physical effort or overexertion, and the type of accident is physical effort or overexertion. On the other hand, the second most important immediate cause and type of accident are different between the two scenarios. Data-mining techniques were chosen as a useful tool to find out the root cause of the accidents.

CFD Friction Factors Verification in an Underground Mine

Marc Bascompta, Jordi Vives, Lluís Sanmiquel, José Juan de Felipe ICL Chair in Sustainable Mining, Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) Avenue Bases de Manresa, 61-73, 08242-Manresa, Barcelona, Spain marc.bascompta@upc.edu; lluis.sanmiquel@upc.edu Department of Mining Engineering, Industrial and ICT, Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) Avenue Bases de Manresa, 61-73, 08242-Manresa, Barcelona, Spain jordi.vives@upc.edu; jose.juan.de.felipe@upc.edu

Management of Subsidence in a Potash Mining Area

Lluís Sanmiquel, Marc Bascompta, Jordi Vives, José Juan de Felipe ICL Chair in Sustainable Mining. Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) Avenue Bases de Manresa, 61-73, 08242-Manresa, Barcelona, Spain lluis.sanmiquel@upc.edu; marc.bascompta@upc.edu Department of Mining Engineering, Industrial and ICT, Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) Avenue Bases de Manresa, 61-73, 08242-Manresa, Barcelona, Spain jordi.vives@upc.edu; jose.juan.de.felipe@upc.edu

Assessment of the Errors in the Transmission of the Orientation and Cartographic System from the Surface to an Underground Mine

An accurate transmission of the orientation between surface and underground workings, by means of vertical shafts, is a major challenge in the mining industry, especially for deep mines. We assessed the accuracy of this operation in a case study using the two-shaft plumbing and gyroscopic methods in order to compare and analyse the planimetric displacement of the baseline due to different sources of error in each method. The advantages and disadvantages of both methods are discussed. Some disadvantages in each method have been reduced thanks to technological progress, especially in the two-shaft plumbing method. The different sources of error that affect the measurements are analysed in detail with the aim of compensating them and achieving the required precision for an underground infrastructure. Mine ventilation has been identified as one of the most important sources of error in the plumbing method due to intake and return air flow producing a significant displacement of the verticality of the plumbs in the shafts. In this regard, we describe some measures to reduce the influence of ventilation and give details of a compensation method.

Comparison of Accidents at Work between Open Pit and Underground Mining in Spain Using Data Mining Techniques

Lluís Sanmiquel, Marc Bascompta, Josep Ma Rossell, Josep Oliva, Hernán F. Anticoi, Eduard Guasch Iberpotash Chair in Sustainable Mining. Department of Mathematics. Department of Mining Engineering, Industrial and ICT. All the authors are from the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), Avenue Bases de Manresa, 6173, 08242-Manresa (Barcelona). lluis.sanmiquel@upc.edu; marc.bascompta@upc.edu; josep.maria.rossell@upc.edu; josep.oliva@upc.edu; hernan.anticoi@upc.edu; eduard.guasch@upc.edu