OCM Solved Paper

NOTES BY – MD ALAM KHAN
SUBJECT – OCM SOLVED PAPER

SESSION – 2017-18
COLLEGE – RENAISSANCE POLYTECHNIC CHANDRAPUR
SOLVED QUESTION PAPER 2014-2017

ANFO, SLARRY EXPLOSIVE, EMULSION EXPLOSIVES, HEAVY ANFO EXPLOSIVES, LOX, NONEL, BULK
EXPLOSIVE SYSTEM.
WRITE SHORT NOTE ON SLURRY EXPLOSIVE AND EMULSION EXPLOSIVE.
EXPLAIN FOLLOWING: HEAVY ANFO, NONEL.
WRITE SHORT NOTE: ANFO, SLURRY EXPLOSIVE.
ANFO (IMP**)
1. When Ammonium Nitrate is mixed with Diesel oil it forms ANFO explosive.
2. It is used on large scale for blasting in O/c & metal mines.
3. About 5-6% of Diesel oil is mixed with ammonium nitrate to Form ANFO & proper care should be taken
while mixing the AN & Diesel oil.
4. ANFO is fired by Booster.
5. A small charge of OCG (open cast gelignite) is used as a booster to fire the ANFO.
6. 100kg in 1L diesel oil is mixed.
PROPERTIES
1. It is in solid forms.
2. Its specific gravity varies from 0.8-1.0 wt. strength of 75-80.
3. It has the VOD of 3500m/sec.
4. In the dry season, 7L of diesel for 100kg of AN suffice but in wet season quantity should be increased to
9L.
5. Diesel oil in excess of 8% tends to lower the sensitivity of ANFO to initiation.
6. Its mixture causes the irritation to the skin hence, worker should wear the rubber gloves doing the
mixture.
7. It is hydroscopic in nature.
REACTION
An explosive ANFO produces the following gases
3NH4NO3 + CH2(x) – CO2 + 7H2O + 3N2 + HEAT
When, ANFO reacts with aluminum following process take places.
3NH4NO3 + 2Al – 6H2O + Al2O3 + 3N2 + HEAT
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SLURRY EXPLOSIVE (IMP***)

1. The first commercial Slurry explosive developed by Dr. Melville Cook in USA in 1957.
2. It consists of TNT, AN & Water in the ratio of 20:65:15.
3. Slurry explosive are very high explosive with jelly like consistency & Water gel.
4. Slurry explosive have Specific Gravity more than 1.
5. It is highly water resistant explosive. Thus, it can be used in Watery hole also.
6. Permitted Slurry Explosive also available to use in U/g coal mine.
COMPOSITION OF SLURRY EXPLOSIVE

1. OXIDIZER – Ammonia or Sodium nitrate.
2. CROSS LINKING AGENT – Potassium or Sodium dichromate, Antimony or Boron.
3. GELLING AGENT – Starch.
4. FULL SENSITIZER – TNT, aluminum, paraffin, hexamine, glycon, wood pulp etc.
INGREDIENTS PERCENTAGE
AMMONIUM NITRATE 30-50
SODIUM NITRATE 5-15
WATER 10-15
FUEL 2-5
FLAKES OF ALUMINUM 2-5
MONOMETHYL AMMONIA NITRATE 20-30
GELLING AGENT 1-3
CROSS LINKING AGENT 0.05-0.15
PROPERTIES
1. It has the jelly like consistency.
2. The slurry explosive has a sp.gr more than 1.
3. It is waterproof in nature.
4. Its VOD is around 5800-4200m/sec.
5. It has excellent flame characteristics.
6. It is the safest in use.
EMULSION EXPLOSIVE (IMP*)

1. An Emulsion Explosive is an independent mixture of two liquids that are immiscible in each other.
2. The emulsion slurry contains AN solution at high temperature, combined with diesel oil & emulsifier
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which pass through eh fast moving blender.

3. The blender mixes the ingredient into pump able emulsion slurries with grease like consistency.
4. The resultant emulsion slurry is now made up of microscopic droplets of AN.
5. There is not sensitization by aluminum or explosive sensitizer but mere air bubble.
6. Thus, there is maximum energy generation becos of intimate contact of oxidizer & fuel.
7. In small dia. Product, glass microblogs & perlites are used to maintain sensitization by aeration.
PROPERTIES
1. It is gel in form.
2. In this both oxidizer & fuel is in liquid form.
3. These explosive are highly water resistant.
4. It has high VODs of 5000-6000m/s.
5. Emulsion slurries are claimed to have lower ingredient cost, higher density & higher energy conversion.
HEAVY ANFO (IMP*)

1. The Slurry Explosive mixed with water in proportion of ANFO to give Heavy ANFO.
2. Thus, the emulsion to ANFO ratio can be from 20:80 to 50:50. Depending upon the watery condition.
3. It is very powerful explosive & highly Water resistance explosive.
4. Heavy ANFO gives the advantages of lower cost, higher density etc.
5. The mixture can have bulk density from 1.10-1.25gm/cc i.e. 45% more than ANFO.
6. The high energy heavy ANFO system allow expansion of drilling patter thereby, reducing the drilling
cost.
LOX (LIQUID OXYGEN EXPLOSIVE) (IMP*)

1. The liquid oxygen explosive or in brief called LOX.
2. It is prepared by impregnating a non-explosive cartilage with liquid
oxygen.
3. The cartridge consists of some combustible material enclosed in a paper
cover.
4. The basic ingredient is a cellulosic substance.
5. Some other substance such as hydrocarbon or metallic powder are also
incorporated in it to impart to the soaked cartilage the properties of an
industrial explosive.
6. A given volume of liquid oxygen contains as much as oxygen as would be
available from 4000times its volume.
7. When the cartilage, soaked in liquid oxygen, is subjected to the reaction
of combustion it takes place at a terrific speed (5000m/sec).
8. A large volume of gases is instantaneously release at a high temperature
so as to cause an explosion.
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PROPERTIES
1. It is prepared by impregnating a non-explosive cartilage with liquid oxygen.
2. It has the VOD of 5000m/s.
3. LOX cartilage are not store in magazine, but supplied 2-3 hours before.
4. LOX are highly inflammable.
5. Flow of gaseous oxygen emanating from cartridge will cause shouldering material, glowing coals &
cigarette stubs to burst into flame.
6. The cartridge loses it oxygen gradually by evaporation when it comes in contact with water.
7. LOX can be fired with or without the help of detonator.
COMPOSITION
LOX is marked by Indian oxygen ltd. In cartridge of two type.
1. Small cartridge of dia 25mm – 90mm.

2. Large cartridge of dia over 100-210mm.
For small as well as large cartridge there is a standard cartridge. For small group the standard cartridge is 38mm
dia x 300mm long. The standard cartridge of large group is called full cartridge & it is 190mm dia x 600mm long.
The other cartridge specified in terms of volume of the standard cartridge. In blasting performance, a full
cartridge of LOX according to LOX dealers & results in the field, is considered equivalent to 18Kg of conventional
explosive.
NONEL (IMP***)
1. The Nonel system of detonation is developed by Nobel AB of Sweden.
2. Primers of explosive with Nonel detonators inserted in them are charged in the blast-holes and the
connection to the mains blasting system.
3. Upon explosives with Nonel detonators inserted in the Nonel tubes are bunched for convenience of
initiation, the shock wave passes down the plastic tubes, the insides of which are coated with reactive
substance that maintains the shock wave at a rate of approx. 2000 m. per second which has sufficient
energy to initiate the primary explosive or delay element in a detonator.
4. Since the reaction is contained in the tube, this has no blasting effect and acts as a signal conductor.
CONSTRUCTION
1. Nonel means non-electric detonator.
2. The flexible plastic tube has 3 mm external and 1.5 mm internal diam.
3. The tubes are available in pre-cut lengths.
4. One end of the tube is fitted with a non-electric delay detonator which is crimped to it in the factory
while the other end is sealed.
5. The end having detonator is lowered down into the blast hole while the sealed end projects outside the
hole.
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6. The sealed end is initiated by a detonator or detonating cord.

ADVANTAGES
1. The advantage of the Nonel system lies in its extreme resistance to accidental initiation by static
electricity, stray current, radio transmission, flame, friction and impact.
2. It is also immune to misfires caused by current leakage in conductive orebodies and eliminates the need
for complicated electrical circuit testing and shot-firing equipment.
3. Raydet manufactured by IDL Chemicals, is just like Nonel.
STATE THE FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR BLAST DESIGNING.

EXPLAIN VARIOUS FACTORS CONSIDERED WHILE BLAST DESIGN.
STATE THE FACTOR AFFECTING THE BLAST DESIGN.
1. Geo-mechanical property of the rock such as hardness, strength, fracture, cleavage etc.
2. Geological structure & orientation of the rocks.
3. Explosive charge & its performance.
4. Location of Crest & toe.
5. Blast hole diameter.
6. Height of stemming.
7. Sub grade drilling.
8. Charge distribution.
STATE THE PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN WHILE CHARGING & FIRING OF HOLES ON DEEP HOLE
BLASTING. (IMP**)
1. Do not use bright light, match box, lighter & any other apparatus which produces the sparks.
2. Do not break the explosive cartridge while charging the hole.
3. Check the condition of holes with stemming rod & clean the hole by scraper before charging.
4. Do not force the detonators in explosive cartage.
5. Do not permit any person to enter the mine place at blasting to smoke or dress the bench face.
6. Post the guard & fence the entries to prevent the unauthorized entry at the place of blasting.
7. Primary cartridge is prepared at the place where it is used & prepared at dry pace.
8. During store transport & handling explosive should be handle with high care.
9. Explosive should not be handled by unauthorized person.
10. Do not fire the holes unless you are sure that all the remaining explosive are removed.
11. All person should take shelter in proper positon.
12. All the equipment and machine are kept in safe places.
13. All the working should be stopped during the blasting.
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DESCRIBE IN BRIEF THE TRANSPORT OF EXPLOSIVES IN BULK & PRECAUTION. (IMP*****).

BULK TRANSPORT OF EXPLOSIVES
In mechanized o/c mines, large quantities of cartridge explosives and detonators have to be transported from
the magazine to the mine or from one magazine to the other. Such bulk transport is carried out by, explosives
van. Up to 200 detonators can be transported by Jeep or Landrover, but, the detonators shall be kept in a
wooden box bolted to wooden frame of vehicle, which shall be placed inside an iron box, and no person shall sit
where the explosive is kept.
PRECAUTIONS IN BULK TRANSPORT

1. Explosive van to be got approved by the Controller of explosives.
2. Permission to be taken from Regional Inspector.
3. Explosives and detonators not to be loaded together in the vehicle. Quantity transported not to exceed
the approved quantity. Explosive cases not to be piled higher than sides of the body.
4. Explosive van to be marked on both sides and ends with the word ‘EXPLOSIVE' in red letters not less
than 25cm size on a white background.
5. Van to be provided with 2 fire extinguishers (one of Carbon Tetrachloride type for petroleum fire and
the other of CO2 type for electrical fire) suitably placed for immediate use.
6. No person other than the driver and his helper to ride the vehicle.
a. Vehicle not to be left un-attended.
b. Engine to be stopped and brakes applied during loading/un-loading, and while left standing.
c. Speed not to exceed 25kmph.
d. Vehicle not to be taken into garage or repair shop and not to be parked in a congested place.
e. Loaded van not to be re-fueled except in emergency. During re-fueling, engine to be kept
stopped.
7. Transport operations to be under personal supervision of blasting foreman.
8. Blasting foreman to search every person engaged in loading/transport of explosives, for contrabands.
9. Van to be carefully inspected by competent person once in 24 hours, checking carefully fire
extinguishers, insulation of wires, cleanliness, leakage of fuel, lights, brakes and steering. Record to be
maintained.
DISCUSS IN BRIEF THE AIR BLAST, THEIR CAUSES AND PREVENTION.

WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS CAUSES OF AIR BLAST IN OPEN CAST MINING?
Air-blast is a sudden violent expansion of air from the goaf through a few or narrow. Outlet due to a rapid main
fall of the overhanging roof strata.
CAUSES
1. It is mainly caused by hanging roof, presence of fault, over splitting and unsystematic work.
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2. If the overlying strata consists of massive sandstone, or if it has number of sills, it often remains intact
even after the extraction of pillars by caving and due course however, it gives way over a large area with
the result that the air in the goaf is violently displaced.
3. In case of thick seams, the volume of air is larger which creates greater chances of air blast.
4. In case of deep seams, the area of extraction before the main fall tends to be larger than in case of
shallow mines.
5. If the exist or exit are few or narrow, extremely high air velocities may be set up destroying ventilating
devices and roof supports dashing men and materials and creating dense cloud of dust and gas.
6. The dislodged roof supports may initiate additional collapse.
PREVENTION
1. An extensive area of un-collapsed goaf should not exist at a time. Where possible roof should be
brought down at regular intervals by purposely blasting.
2. In case the main roof does not come down regular by the stooks, left in the goaf should be reduced.
Goaf-edge chowkidars and ribs should be blasted down.
3. Line of extraction should be maintained in a straight line.
4. In case the main roof does not come down even after blasting down the ribs or by shout holes in the
roof, the area of extraction should be sealed off by explosion-proof stoppings.
5. All the workers should be withdrawn from the depillaring district to a safe place or rest station when the
usual indications of roof fall are observed.
6. Apart from the entries for ventilation and haulage additional roadways should be kept open in a thick
seam.
7. The electric switches should be put off before any anticipated air-blast.
STATE THE CAUSES AND THE PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR SLOPE INSTABILITY.
LIST THE FACTORS ON WHICH SLOPE STABILITY DEPENDS.
CAUSES
1. Due to submergence of slope in water as water reduces the shear strength of rock mass.
2. Floor sliding due to the presence of aquifer.
3. Due to decrease in cohesion and angle of internal friction of dump materials.
4. Due to lack of supervision in the high-wall bench
5. If the deep hole blasting is not done properly, there shall be the chances of formation of ledges in& the
high-wall and the chances of slope failure becomes high.
6. In deep-hole blasting maintenance of slope angle is also very difficult and probability of slope failure
becomes very high.
PREVENTION
1. The angle of slope of the O/b dumps shall be less than the angle of repose of the material being dumped
but incase no case exceeds 37.50 from horizontal.
2. The dump height exceeding 30m shall be benched in such manner that no bench exceeds 30m in height
& the general slop shall not exceed 1 vertical & 1.5 horizontal.
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3. Toe of any dump shall not be permitted to approach any railway line/public road.
4. Dump shall be properly compacted as when necessary.
5. The dumping operation should be carried out in such a way that it does not cause the accumulation of
water.
6. Piezometer are to be installed wherever required to determine the water pressure building within the
dump.
7. High percentage of soil & weak rock should be kept separated to prevent the mixing.
8. The dumping & surrounding ground should be firm & solid to provide a stable foundation.
RIPPER, SCRAPPERS, BULLDOZERS, SURFACE MINERS, HEMM, BREAK EVEN STRIPPING RATIO.
DESCRIBE THE FOLLOWING OPEN CAST MACHINERIES. SCRAPPER, BULLDOZER
EXPLAIN RIPPERS AND SCRAPPERS.
RIPPER (IMP**)
PRINCIPLE
The Refraction Seismograph operates on the principle that "Sound waves travel subsurface material at different
velocities, depending upon the degree of consolidation of the material". It is believed that the same factors that
affect consolidation also affect rip ability Thus poorly consolidated material with low seismic wave velocities
could be ripped easily, while highly consolidated material with high velocities would be difficult to rip.
CONSTRUCTION & WORKING
1. A ripper is a machine which cuts, as it travels, 0.6 to 1 m deep furrows in the ground, and it can be well
compared with the farmer's plough.
2. The ripper is essentially a crawler mounted heavy duty diesel tractor with a ripper attachment as shown
in Fig.
3. Like a farmer's plough, the ripper with the
ripping tool thrust into the ground by
hydraulic pressure, travels along close paths,
1.2 to 1.5 m apart and during the travel rips
open the ground.
4. The broken ground or rock can be dozed to
form a stockpile for convenience of loading or
can be loaded by a scraper.
5. If the overburden or mineral is suitable for ripping its breaking is possible with the help of a ripper and
the process of drilling and blasting can be dispensed with.
6. Soft rocks and medium hard rocks, below hardness 5 on Mohs’s scale, which are laminated and
stratified, provide suitable material for ripping.
7. The alluvial surface deposits, weathered sandstones and shales underlying them in the coalfields can be
easily ripped and the relative rip ability of the rocks can be known with the help of an instrument known
as Refraction Seismograph.
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SCRAPPER
CONSTRUCTION
1. It is a diesel operated four-wheel drive rubber tyred tractor or a crawler tractor having a bowl attached
with cutting blade at the bottom.
2. The scraper can cut a thin slice of unconsolidated material soft rock or soil thickness of the slice is
approximately varying from 70mm to 250
mm) and can nicely be used within a radius
varying150m to 1500 m.
3. Size of the material which it can handle varies
from very fine to more than 550mm in good
and condition.
4. However wet ground condition hampers the
scraper efficiency.
5. It is very much flexible under wide varied
conditions and can handle wide rate of
production ranging from very small to very
high total tonnage.
6. Maximum efficiency is achieved at a very flat gradient (say 40) but it can negotiate a gradient even more
than50 Scraper cut and load or simply load, haul, dump and return back for recycling of operation.
OPERATION
1. Scraper can also be used for hauling blast fragmented hard rocks or minerals.
2. Scraper should be used for removal of top soil or unconsolidated rocks or minerals of thickness 2m to 3
m.
3. The speed of a tractor wheel mounted scraper is around 60km/h to 65 km/h.
4. Because of higher mobility the wheel mounted scraper is preferred over the crawler track mounted
scraper.
5. However, where steep gradient, seasonal variations, etc., are to be encountered and where mobility is
not a factor of selection, the crawler track mounted tractor will yield a very good result.
6. The tractive effort of the scraper depends on power, weight of the machine, gear efficiency, type and
size of the tyres, condition of the surface topography over which it moves, etc.
7. During cutting most of the times a bulldozer is necessary to push the scraper from the backside.
8. The scraper may be used over a ripped or hard mineral or rock surface for loading and transporting
purpose.
9. It is also used for leveling purpose.
10. Two type of scraper are as follow
a. Rubber tyred.
b. Towed tyred.
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BULL DOZER (IMP*)

CONSTRUCTION & OPERATION
A bulldozer is often referred to simply as a dozer. It is a tractor with a pusher blades attached to the front
portion. The tractor is the diesel-operated power unit equipped with either crawler chains or rubber tired
wheels for
lifting. The pusher blade can be raised or lowered or tilted through small angles horizontally by rams operated
through hydraulic pressure or by ropes
The dozer blade is used for pushing loose material or for digging in earth, sand and soft weathered rock. The
machine is also engaged for levelling or spreading earth, for levelling of rock spoil in the dumping yard, grading
and compacting temporary roads, pushing mineral into sub-ground level bunkers through grizzly, for towing
dumpers, etc. It also serves the purpose of pushing
boulders, pulling down trees, and is an essential equipment
to push scrapers. A dozer equipped with a fork like
attachment is known as ripper and operates like a plough to
loosen moderately hard rock. The loosened rock may be
loaded by a scraper. A dozer can dig 1.2 m to 1.5 m below
ground in earth or weathered rock.
CONDITION FOR BULLDOZER

1. To doze fine to large blocky rocks or minerals.
2. To work within the operating radius of 150m.
3. In all ground conditions (rough terrain, soft or wet
ground)
4. It can also work at gradient of 130 – 140.
5. If the machine is used for hauling purpose, it’s production rate is very low.
6. Dozer are also used for relocating of stockpile waste material on dumps, dozing of supplementary
material etc.
SELECTION OF DOZER
1. Hourly production requirement.
2. Number and size of equipment required.
3. Attachment required (e.g. ripper) for special purposes.
4. Crawler track or rubber tyre mounted machines.
5. Suitability of machine in various topographic conditions.
6. Site specific conditions and environment.
7. Operating method.
8. Requirement standard of maintenance.
9. Requirement of skill of the operator.
10. Performance statistics of the equipment in the other mines.
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11. After sales service.

12. Availability of indigenous equipment and spare parts.
EXPLAIN APPLICABILITY CONDITIONS, CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF SURFACE MINER.

WRITE SHORT NOTE ON SURFACE MINER.
EXPLAIN APPLICATION AND WORKING OF SURFACE MINER.
SURFACE MINER (IMP*****)

CONDITION
1. Mining of harder mineral.
2. Mining of thine seam deposit.
3. Selective mining of material with varying mineral content.
4. Creating channels.
5. Digging exploratory lunches.
6. Removal of partings.
7. Removal of consolidated O/b layer.
8. Road construction & maintenance.
CONSTRUCTION & OPERATION
This crawler mounted machine has a rotating

cutting drum at the center which is fitted with
cutting picks for cutting a thin layer of 100-
200mm from the ground. By cutting the layers
one after another, the entire coal seam thickness
can be excavated, but for this it needs a long and
wide exposed area of coal. Cut coal falls into
boom conveyor of the machine which loads the
truck or small dumper at rear end of the machine
or alternatively drops it on the floor to form heaps
of coal. These heaps are then loaded and
transported by pay loader-truck combination to coal handling plant or siding.
Since the machine excavates thin layers, it can be utilized to mine stone bands of the seam separately for
improving the quality of coal. In India, surface miners were introduced in opencast mines of coal with this
purpose, but, they are now used also to extract coal from the vicinity of populated areas because it does not
need any drilling blasting.
OUTPUT
Theoretically, the quantity of the mineral cut can be estimated by the following formula:
𝑄 = 𝑉 ∗ ℎ ∗ 𝑏 ∗ 60
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Where,
Q = Quantity cut, m3/h
V= Machine speed, m/min.
h = Milling depth in m.
b = Milling drum width in m.
ADVANTAGES
The following are the advantages of surface miners:
1. Lower mining losses, therefore, better exploitation of the available deposit.
2. Transport cost savings with partings because they are tipped away directly without going through the
beneficiation process.
3. Lower processing costs because the uncontaminated coal need not pass through the beneficiation plant.
4. Lower processing costs because the total throughput volume is lower and, therefore, a small plant can
be selected.
5. Alternative to blasting.
6. Reduced quantity of auxiliary machinery.
7. Lower mining cost.
BOX CUT ENTRY SYSTEM IN OPEN CAST MINES.

WHAT DO YOU UNDERSTAND BY BOX CUT? DRAW A DIAGRAM TO EXPLAIN EXCAVATION OF BOX
CUT. LIST MACHINES USED FOR EXCAVATION.
EXPLAIN BOX-CUT.
WHAT IS BOX CUT? WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF BOX CUTS?
BOX CUT
Opening up of open pits is done by an opening cut for the development of first working bench. The opening cut
is called the box cut and slope of suitable gradient (steepest is advisable both technical and economical point of
view for transports, holding space and minimizing the cost of excavation for deep pits) is necessary.
The box cut may be internal (located on the bench
floor on one side of the pit). It saves cost of excavation
and suitable for deep pits since number of benches in
this case is more. Remember that excavation by
external means is extremely large and expensive) and
external box cut is suitable for shallow pits. Box cut (Fig
3.1) is excavated initially down to the floor level of the
first bench from the surface. Thereafter an opening
level trench is extended from this opening cut to form
the first bench.
The opening trench is narrow keeping due regards of the turning of the machineries used for excavation and
extends along or across the Quarraible limit depending on the type of the deposit. When the first bench is
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sufficiently advanced, the box cut is oriented and extended to the next lower bench keeping due regard of the
sufficient amount of rooms for the approach road to the top (1st) bench and for opening trench for the 2nd
bench.
This way a number of working benches are developed and the width of the box cut should be sufficient enough
to diversify the approach road to all the benches. If number of benches are developed from one opening cut,
the cut should be started enough away from the pit limit so that bottom bench can be reached at the desired
slope of the pit. This type of opening cut may be very long and may be curved depending upon the shape and
extent of the deposit. For opening up in hilly deposit, a central trench cut is given across the top level for the
first bench or from one side in the same contour level forming a length of face which will give the required
production rate.
LOCATION OF BOX CUT
Location of the box cut depend upon the following factors.
1. Minimum cost of haulage with in the open pit & outside the pit at the desire place.
2. If the shifting of box cut is necessary, then it to be located as the boundary of mineral deposit.
3. In horizontal deposit the box cut can be located in the middle of any boundary depending on the
location of the place of the overburden.
4. The site of the box cut should be stable & free from geological disturbances.
5. The site should be as the rise side against the pudding of mines.
6. The site should be selected where the construction or approach road is very convenient.
7. The site should be selected preferably where the deposit has high grad mineral to compensate the
development cost.
FACTORS DETERMINING THE CHOICE OF LAYOUT.

LIST THE FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED BEFORE DETERMINING THE OPENCAST LAYOUT.
EXPLAIN FACTOR AFFECTING TO THE CHOICE OF OPEN CAST MINING METHOD.
Following are the factors determining the choice of opencast mines as follows.
1. GEOLOGY
a. DIP OF DEPOSIT – The deposit should be extracted with the surface mining system depending
upon the steeping ratio.
b. FORMS OF THE DEPOSIT – The stratification of deposit is the best for the surface mining system &
for the layout system.
c. SIZE OF DEPOSITED – The length and the width of the coal or mineral deposits either in the dip or
strike direction having average thickness varying from few centimeters to more than 100m are
the important factor for the layout of an O/c mine.
2. SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY – It is very important factor in the selection of an open caste mining layout. The
design of surface layout mining layout, haulage system, drainage system, crushing system etc.
depending on the arrangement of surface topography.
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3. GEOTECHNICAL PARAMETER OF THE ROCKS – The nature, type & characteristic of O/c to be removed,
water bearing strata & water table etc. play significant role during the designing the steeping system.
4. ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITION – Heat, rain, snow fall etc. plays substantial roles on the layout of O/c
mine.
5. Degree of mechanization.
6. Production target.
DISPOSAL OF OVERBURDEN. (***)

WHAT DO YOU KNOW BY OVERCASTING? EXPLAIN OVERCASTING BY DRAGLINE.
EXPLAIN DIFFERENT TYPES OF CUT GIVEN BY BUCKET WHEEL EXCAVATOR.
EXPLAIN OVER CASTING.
DISPOSAL OF OVERBURDEN (IMP*****)
OVERCASTING OR SIDE CASTING BY SHOVEL DRAGLINE & BUCKET WHEEL EXCAVATOR
In this case the same excavator bid & load the spoil dumper, wing toward the excavated voids & dump it by
unloaded. The overland overburden thickness should also be thin to medium thick, the excavation & production
requirement is heavy.
OVERSITE CASTING BY THE DRAGLINE (IMP***)
The dragline is the common equipment for overcasting or side casting system because of their greater reach,
greater flexibility, unaffected bank slider water run off
& seepage & also it required boom can be extended
for larger reach. The height & the width of the bench
should be the optimum to the capacity of the dragline
& its dumping radius. A striping ration around 2.5:1 is
very good for reclaiming the excavated area. One
drag line may be used for single bench or
simultaneously operation on tow benches. Sometime
combination of two dragline or one dragline & shovel
is used for handling & excavating for spoiled dump
depending upon the condition.
If the working depth is more (100-300m) then
handling of overburden area is generally done with
the shovel & dumper combination or may be
combination of shovel & mobile crusher. For high
angle belt conveyor & the belt conveyor system. The
side casting system adopted by the dragline can be
grouped as follow.
1. Simple.
2. Horse shoe.
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3. Extended bench.
4. Tandem.
SIMPLE SIDE CASTING BY DRAGLINE
In this fig, illustrated a simple side casting system by dragline. In this fig the dragline is installed over the surface
after the levelling the same. Dragline & dumper is over the spoil heap for exposing the coal seam (portion A) &
dump it over the spoil heap (portion B) for the exposing the coal seam. The exposed will be winning by
separated benches with the shovel dumper combination.
EXTENDED SIDE CASTING BY DRAGLINE
In this casting the dragline is located over the level spoil & excavated overburden rock over the coal seam &
dump the same O/b over the spoil dump exposing a coal seam. The exposed coal will be worked separately with
shovel dumper combination. In this system dragline increase its reach as the coal of its productivity. While
taking the soil from the top. The efficiency of the dragline decreases by 70%.
TANDEM SIDE CASTING

Fig illustrate tandem side casting by using two draglines. Dragline no-1 is located over the surface which
excavate O/b rocks over the coal seam & dump it over the spoil heap. The dragline no-2 is located at the
levelled spoil which excavate the remaining O/b left on the spoil & also it re-handle the spoil of zone 2 & also it
re-handle the spoil zone 1. The exposed coal will be worked out separately by shovel dumper combination.
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OVERCASTING BY SHOVEL
It is not very often used for overcasting the O/b since both its digging & dumping radius is short. However,
sometime in a single O/b bench of thickness (15-20m) & after blasting the blasted fragmented muck piles width
around (35-40m) & after blast muck piles must be loaded & over casted by single or a double pass system. After
moving the shovel to a greater amount as the face.
Special precaution is to be taken in overcasting system by shovel which are as follow.
1. The distance between the bottom edge of the mineral or coal & bottom edge of the mineral or coal &
bottom edge of the spoil dump, depends upon the material transport system.
2. In case there is two-way truck haulage system & the mineral is excavated directly by the shovel without
drilling & blasting operation, the clearance between the above mentioned edge may be zero since no
traffic route is necessary between them.
3. In case mineral is to be blasted, the fragmentation particle will be scattered at least in radius of twice
the width of the blasting face & hence if the clearance between the above mentioned edge is not kept
wider there will be higher chance s of dilution of mineral with the overburden spoil.
CUTS BY SHOVEL
Basically two types of cuts are mainly counted through which the cuts are widened or materials are excavated
by the shovels. They are as follows:
1. Frontal cuts.
2. Parallel cuts.
FRONTAL CUTS
ln this system shovel faces the bench face, a niche cuts in the bank wall, starts digging forward and to the sides.
Shovel loads materials over both the trucks/dumpers (one by one), positioned on both the sides of the shovel
by swinging (average swing angle 60°). The shovel penetrates to a point in such a manner that the center of
swing shall been line with the face. Shovel thereafter moves parallel to itself and takes another frontal cut in the
face. With longer face having larger bench width, two to three shovels may be deployed in the same bench
simultaneously.
PARALLEL CUTS
This type of cuts is very common and are applied where there are the problems of space limitations particularly
in the upper benches. In this case, there is only one access to the ramp from one side of the shovel and trucks
approach to the shovel from the rear. Dumpers may be spotted only in one side or on both the sides depending
upon the availability of space. The minimum width of operating room is equal to the width of the minimum
required safety bench plus the width of the cut being winned. However, the optimum width of working bench
may be expressed in this way:
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𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑚 + 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑚 + 2𝑚 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 + 0.5 𝑥 𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟
+ 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑙 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒
+ 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑙 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒.
In case of wider bench, the slope angle will be flatter with the extra costs for stripping but the equipment
operating efficiency will be higher. A narrow Working bench will offer a steeper overall slope at the cost of
operating efficiency.
BURDEN AND SPACING.

EXPLAIN SPACING AND BURDEN.
BLAST PARAMETER
BURDEN
It is the distance of blast hole form crest of the bench which is known as burden. It is an important parameter
for blasting design. It depends upon the hole dia, rock properties. An explosive to be used this parameter to be
also depends on rock fragmentation & displacement when burden is more the consumption of explosive is
more. The fragmentation may be satisfied in other band the burden is less consumption of explosive &
fragmentation is improving.
SPACING
It is the distance between two adjacent blast hole in a row. Spacing is also the one of the parameters in the
blast design depends on burden hole depth charging of explosive & delay interval.
HEIGHT OF HOLE OR DEPTH OF HOLE
Below the bench for removal of the toe formation, if toe is formed they create problems for movement of the
equipment at the bench floor. The actual amount of sub drilling necessary for blast hole depend some burden &
direction of the hole at free face & condition of toe.
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SUB-GRADE DRILL
It is the extra length at drilling then depth of the hole. The sub grade drilling is required for better
fragmentation of the rock & to reduce the toe formation & increase the volume of drilling. The long at hole
calculation on the basis of height of bench inclination of the hole with height & amount at sub grade drilling.
STEMMING HOLES
The height of stemming should be 2/3rd of the burden the stemming height is always less than misfire & blown
out short & for good blasting. Stemming material may be used as sand clay, water mixture.
STATE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES WHILE USING HEAVY EARTH MOVING MACHINERY (HEMM).
(IMP**)
1. Good quality of hydraulic hoses & oil seals.
2. Tight joint & timely changing of leaky pipes/seals.
3. Keeping caps of diesel & hydraulic tanks properly.
4. Providing guard on propeller shafts, so that it does not damage hydraulic oil hose.
5. Covering the engine exhaust pipe with glass wool or asbestos.
6. Not welding the pipe/tank containing oil.
7. Keeping the battery connection tight & covered by an insulated tape.
8. Releasing the parking brake before moving the machine.
9. Training concerned person in safety precautions.
10. Cooling hot material by jets of water before loading.
ENLIST THE PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN FOR DRILLING AND BLASTING IN DEEP HOLES.
STATE THEIR VARIOUS PRECAUTIONARY MEASUREMENTS TO BE TAKEN WHILE DRILLING AND
BLASTING OF DEEP HOLES IN OPEN CAST MINES.
1. Minimum radius at danger zone is about 500m & it is marked by special pointer & guard is provided.
2. Safe guard flag must be posted at least 50m from blasting rocks.
3. The total blasting operation & supervision should be carried out by a team of qualified and experience
person.
4. All the power transmission line should be cut out and all the switches should be in off position.
5. The blasting operation should be carried out during the ideal hours generally afternoon when the
density of person is less.
6. Before blasting warn the people within the zone of blasting.
7. Careful charging & stemming of holes.
8. Careful planning at drilling patterns.
9. Accurate record of each blast should be maintained as possible.
10. After blasting the overman should examine for any misfire. If any misfire is located, then he should
indicate some signals for misfire.
11. In heavy blasting at greater depth artificial ventilation should be provided to dilute noxious gases.
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COMPARE ROPE SHOVEL WITH HYDRAULIC SHOVEL.

ROPE SHOVEL HYDRAULIC SHOVEL
Higher initial cost, longer life, lower depreciation Lower initial cost, shorter life.
cost
Usually good resale value. Resale value is very poor.
Very high capacity shovels are available. Very high capacity shovel as per the rope shovel
is yet to manufacture.
It is bulky, require more space. It is compact & require less space.
Reliability under heavy duty is condition is very Poor performance in tough & abrasive rocks.
good.
It can’t be used as backhoe. It can be used as back hoe.
All diesel & all electric shovels come under this In this case power is generated either by diesel
category. engine or by electric motor.
Utilization of power is poor to moderate. Utilization of power is high efficient.
Operation is jerky & cycle time is more. Operation is smooth & cycle time is less.
Bucket maximum height is has low digging power Bucket maximum height still has high digging
at tooth point. power at tooth point.
Level floor cleanup is limited. Level crowd permits better floor clean up.
Efficiency of power utilization is lower under the Efficiency of power utilization is high.
identical condition.
STRIPPING RATIO
EXPLAIN STRIPPING RATIO AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN OPEN CAST MINE.
EXPLAIN BREAK EVEN STRIPPING RATIO.
It is generally expressed in the proportion of overburden to coal/mineral removed. As the depth of Overburden
increases more amount of money is spent for removal of the overburden for exposing the mineral body/coal
and a time will come when mineral/coal cannot be economically extracted out. The point beyond which the
mineral/coal cannot be economically extracted out is called the break-even stripping ratio. Factors which play a
major role in the stripping ratio calculation is the cost of stripping, extracting cost of mineral/coal, percentage
of rejects, cleaning cost of coal or ore dressing cost, sale value of clean coal/dressed ore, reclamation cost, cost
of transportation, overhead and sale of ore/coal etc. The variation in stripping ratio affects the choice.
𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑜𝑛
𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑅𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜 =
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑚3.
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MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE STRIPPING (IMP*)

It is the ratio of valuable overburden to the weight of economic pit limit.
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛
𝑀𝑆𝑅
𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑐 𝑝𝑖𝑡 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡
It is the ratio of volume of overburden to the weight of ore for entire ore body for cross section
BEAK EVEN STRIPPING RATIO (IMP**)
The breakeven stripping ratio is generally much higher than the ordinary stripping ratio and can be increased if
the price of ore/coal is increased or if the technology of mining is improved, the factors like degree and types of
operation, economy, reclamation, etc., affects the breakeven stripping ratio.
Generally, the individual bench slope angle is steeper than overall slope angle.
𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑢𝑏𝑖𝑐𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑝𝑖𝑡 𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑑
BESR = 𝑜𝑟𝑒
𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑦 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 − 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑙𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑟𝑒/𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑙
SIGNIFICANCE OF BESR
1. This helps in the ultimate choice of O/c or U/g mines economically.
2. Coal or minerals can be extracted economically.
3. It helps the production requirement, sub system geometry & geological aspect of deposit.
4. It helps in calculation of capital investment.
5. It helps also for degree of mechanization. If the stripping ratio is more it will be more mechanized mine.
6. It also helps in finding how much labor, equipment is required.
7. Wages of labor, selling price of mineral & margin of profit is given BESR.
STATE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF OPEN CAST MINING.

ADVANTAGES OF OPEN PIT MINING
1. Like underground mining no mineral is blocked as shaft pillars, supports of main roadways, etc.
2. Roof control and ventilation (for shallow open pit mines) problems do not arise at all.
3. Early extraction, higher recovery and quick return of capital is possible.
4. Low cost as compared to underground methods.
5. Low laborers requirements.
6. Hazards and dangers are less in opencast mining as compared to the underground mining.
7. Large concentrated output and higher production are possible.
8. High efficiency of workers and high OMS is possible.
9. Artificial lights are needed only after dusk.
10. Quality control is easy.
11. Female laborers can work in an opencast mine in India.
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12. High degree of mechanization is possible.

13. Relatively flexible on demand and output fluctuations
14. Lower drilling and blasting cost as compared to the underground mining.
LIMITATIONS
1. The method may be uneconomic for extracting minerals at depth. Generally opencast mining is limited
to a depth below 320m.
2. There may be huge environmental problems.
3. Degradation of surface land. After reclamation also there may be less possibilities of revival of original
agricultural land. Department of environment always shows concern on opencast mining activities.
4. Weather affects the works. During rainy season unless proper steps are taken for dewatering the mine,
lower level cannot be worked out. Whereas in the winter during the night shift and in the mid-days of
the summer efficiency of the workers goes down.
5. Higher investment on equipment in the mechanized opencast mines.
6. Limited by the stripping ratio.
7. Require large and extensive deposits for high capacity mechanized opencast mines
8. Stability of bench slope should always be maintained.
9. Require a remote area for mine waste disposal
10. Require careful sequencing of operations during stripping process.
11. Work is affected by weather.
12. Surface land is destroyed & rendered unfit for agriculture & residential purpose.
13. Mining lease gives U/g rights, surface right have to be acquired for quarrying.
14. The method is uneconomic for working mineral beds at depth.
15. Where quarrying aims at quick return on capital, out corps mineral is also mined.
16. The quarrying area & the Over burden heaps present and unpleasant sight.
17. A property with extensive area on the strike & containing a thick mineral bed
18. Exposure to adverse climatic conditions.
19. Danger of inrush of water from acquifer zone.
EXPLAIN VARIOUS BENCH PARAMETERS WITH NEAT SKETCH.

BENCH PARAMETER
HEIGHT OF THE BENCHES
The following factors generally governs during the selection of the height of the benches
1. THICKNESS OF THE DEPOSIT – Height of the benches is also decided based on the thickness of the
deposit.
Let,
T1 – Thickness
H – Height of benches.
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T = 1.2 * H
If the thickness of deposit is more than more is the height of the bench & vice versa.
2. DEPTH OF THE DEPOSIT – If the depth of the deposit is more than the height of benches will be more.
3. EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE – There are types as follow
a. EXCAVATING EQUIPMENT – Power shovels & multi bucket excavator digging in the soft material
restrict the bench height in the maximum digging height of bucket.
b. TRANSPORTING EQUIPMENT - The transport system may also restrict on the high benches while
number of low benches it should be allowed & proper gradient should be maintained for easy
transportation.
c. DRILLING MACHINE – Drilling machine may restrict the bench height by their depth capacity.
4. NATURE OF ROCK FORMING THE BENCHES – If the rock is soft then height of benches is restricted to the
lower level due to chances of slope failure while strong & solid rocks stand high benches.
5. WETNESS OF THE PIT – If rock is saturated with water due to this reason strata of benches is decrease.
Hence, the height of benches will be reduced.
6. STABILITY OF ROCK – If the rock is strong then more height of benches while the rock is weak then less
height of benches is required.
7. PRESENCE OF PLANES – if any bedding plane affects the state of benches their height is reduced.
WIDTH OF BENCHES
It depends upon the gathering space or blasting material, height of benches, manner of basting &
transportation system. Benches width is three times more than the dumper moving on the benches. Benches
width for rail transport system is greater than that of truck haulage system.
During determine the benches width the width of muck pile. Clearance between muck pile & with of dumper
moment, width of either single lane or double lane traffic. After reaching to the limits pit the width of benches
is greatly reduced for giving a small overall required pit slope.
SLOPE ANGLE
Stope should be steep as possible to reduce the cost of steeping. The steepness should be less than the angle of
repose. Slope of bench is decided by type of machinery available.
In lose rock angle of benches after excavation automatically equal, then the angle of repose of the loose rock. In
semi loose friable rock. It is desirable to bank slope to the angle of repose in order to prevent subsequent rock
falls when the material getting loosen by weather action or vibration due to mining. Presence of water reduce
the angle of repose.
1. Soft clay – Angle of stable pit 250 – 300 slope.
2. Hard shale – Angle of stable pit 400 – 500 slope.
3. Igneous rock - Angle of stable pit 500 – 600 slope.
4. Very hard metamorphic & igneous rock - Angle of stable pit 600 – 700 slope.
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BENCH – An exposed rock/mineral block separated by upper and lower surfaces is called the bench.
BENCH HEIGHT - The vertical distance between the upper and lower surfaces of each bench is called the bench
height.
BENCH FACE – The exposed sub-vertical surface of a bench is the bench face.
FACE ANGLE – The average angle that the bench face makes with the horizontal is called the face angle
BENCH FLOOR – The exposed bench lower surface is the bench floor.
BENCH WIDTH – The distance between the crest and the toe measured along the upper surface is called the
bench width.
BANK WIDTH – The horizontal projection of the bench face is the bank width.
CUT – The width being extracted from the working bench is called the cut.
WIDTH OF WORKING BENCH – The distance from the crest of the bench floor to the new toe position after the
cut has been extracted is called the width of the working bench.
SAFETY/CATCH BENCH – After the removal of cut the remainder of the bench is called the safety bench or cut
bench. Purpose of safety/catch bench is to collect the sliding rock boulders from top benches and to arrest
them. This type of benches is left on every level. The width of such benches vary from 65% to 70% of the height
of the bench. However, al the end of the life of the pit, it reduces to 30% to 35% of the height of the bench.
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BERM – Piles of broken rock. materials constructed along the crest to improve mine safety is called the berm. It
acts as a guard rail to prevent trucks and other machines from backing over, arrest rolling/broken rock
boulders, control of noise, etc. Height of the berm generally kept higher than the radius of the tyre of the
truck/dumper. Corresponding to
TOE – The upper portion of the benches is known as toe of the benches.
CREST – The lower portion of the benched is known as crest of the benches.
WITH NEAT SKETCH EXPLAIN CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF HYDRAULIC SHOVEL
STATE APPLICABILITY CONDITION FOR DRAGLINE. WRITE SHORT NOTE ON BACKHOE.
WRITE ADVANTAGES OF CRAWLER MOUNTED MACHINE OVER TYRE MOUNTED MACHINE.
WITH NEAT SKETCH EXPLAIN BACK HOE.
WHAT ARE THE FACTORS CONSIDERED WHILE SELECTING HYDRAULIC SHOVEL? WRITE
APPLICABILITY CONDITIONS FOR DRAGLINE.
EXPLAIN OPERATING PARAMETERS OF HYDRAULIC SHOVEL.
STATE VARIOUS ATTACHMENT WITH SHOVEL.
EXPLAIN ROPE SHOVEL.
GIVE OPERATING PARAMETER AND OUTPUT OF SHOVEL.
GIVE THE APPLICATION, ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES WITH OPERATING PARAMETER OF
BUCKET CHAIN EXCAVATOR.
EXPLAIN THE WORKING OF BACK HOE WITH NEAT SKETCH. ALSO WRITE APPLICATION.
SELECTION OF EXCAVATOR DEPENDS MAINLY UPON THE FOLLOWING FACTOR
Generally, the selection of excavators depends mainly upon the following factors-
1. Method of stripping and disposal of overburden (over casting or transportation of excavated waste).
2. Dig-ability – This factor depends on the bulking factor, competency, abrasively, strength, flow property
of rock fragmentation of rock, etc.
3. Horizontal and vertical reach and reach below the grade.
4. Operating condition and pit geometry.
5. Maneuverability.
6. Tonnage required (capacity) to be handled per unit time.
7. Load bearing capacity of the floor rock.
8. Power supplying system and arrangements,
9. Blending requirement (use of number of small capacity machines are better in this case).
10. Continuous operation (e. g. bucket wheel excavator, continuous surface miner, etc.) or discrete
operation (e. g. shovel, dragline, front end loader, rippers, scrapers etc.).
11. Surface topography.
12. Use of the equipment for development purpose or excavation of ore or mineral.
13. Nature. type and size of the materials to be handled (e. g. dusty, medium size, large blocky materials).
14. Flexibility of operation.
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15. Requirement of assistance for loading by dumper, loader and transporting by other auxiliary
machineries like dumper or conveyor etc.
16. Indigenous availability of the machines and spare parts.
17. Cost of the machine and availability of the capital.
18. Ease of maintenance.
19. Statistics and machine reliability.
20. Operating and maintenance cost.
21. Secondary use of the excavator.
SHOVEL
A shovel is an equipment which excavates the rock or ore by digging from its operating base to upwards
stripping shovel in this case) and dump it either on a dumper (Fig 6.1) or railway wagon or over the spoil dump
for backfilling alters swing itself within its limit. It is a highly productive machine and capable to handle all types
of ores. rucks ranging from fine to very hard blocky lumps, has lower operating cost, higher production and
productivity etc. it requires lower power and has less wire rope cost. It also requires less manpower to operate
and requires less surface preparation.
SELECTION OF SHOVEL
Selection of a shovel is basically done by considering the factors like –
1. Requirement of daily production.
2. Type and quality of the material to be excavated.
3. BUCKET FILL FACTOR – larger shovel digs better than the smaller one.
4. Swell factor.
5. Working cycle time.
6. Weight and maximum lump size of the materials to be excavated.
7. Height of the bench and height of the cut (a shovel can dig material in a bench of height more than
55m).
8. Whether the shovel is to be worked out in the overburden or mineral benches which are to be
excavated directly.
9. Whether it is to be used for production or casting overburden or for reclamation purposes.
10. Requirement of working clearance by a particular type and size of shovel.
11. Number of faces are to be worked.
12. Nature of terrain, depth of the mine to be worked, size of the box cut, size of the area where shovel will
operate.
13. Capacity of the haulage equipment.
14. Availability of electric power supply.
15. WORKING GRADIENT – Maximum gradient may be up to 129 depending upon the type of shovels.
Heavier shovel necessitates milder gradient (6 to 7°). Speed of the shovel increases with the decrease
ingredient.
16. Drainage condition.
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OPERATING PARAMETER OF SHOVEL

DUMPING (DISCHARGE) HEIGHT (MAXIMUM) – At a particular boom angle it is the vertical distance between the
level (where a shovel rests) and the bottom most point of the bucket under tipping condition while the boom
and all other accessories attached on boom are at their full extended position under that condition (Fig 6.2(A)).
Higher the boom angle higher would be the dumping height for a particular shovel. A dumping height of around
46 is common nowadays.
CUTTING (DIGGING) HEIGHT (MAXIMUM) – At a particular boom angle it is the vertical distance between the
level (where a shovel rests) and the top most point of the bucket (tip of the teeth) when the boom and all Other
accessories attached on boom are at their full extended position under that condition (Fig 6.2(A)). Higher the
boom angle higher would be the cutting height for a particular shovel. A cutting height of 51m or more is not
uncommon today.
DUMPING (DISCHARGE) RADIUS (MAXIMUM) – At a particular boom angle it is the horizontal distance between
the vertical swing axis of the main body of the shovel and the vertical center line of the bucket when the boom
and all other accessories attached on boom are at their full extended position under that condition (Fig 6.2(A)).
Higher the boom angle lower would be the dumping radius of a particular shovel. A dumping radius of 65m or
more is possible at present.
MAXIMUM DIGGING RADIUS– At a particular boom angle it is the maximum horizontal distance between the tip
of the bucket (tip of the teeth) and the vertical swing axis of the shovel (Fig 6.1(A)). Higher the boom angle
lower would be the digging radius. A digging radius of 10m or more is quite common at present.
𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑡

𝐵𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑡 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 = 𝑥 100
𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑡
it depends upon the degree of fragmentation of mineral body, rocks or physical characteristics of the rock or
ore i.e. the size and shape of ore or overburden rock, stickiness, watery condition, dig ability, sot loose and
fragile characteristics, and also on the size of the bucket.
𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑 𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑘 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑐ℎ
𝑆𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 =
𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑑 𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑘 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑟 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔
It indicates the amount of increase in volume of a rock mass in percentage after expanding due to
loosening by digging action or by blasting. Poor fragmentation due to blasting will increase the amount of swell
since heavy amount of voids will be present in between the boulders.
1
𝐵𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑡 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 = 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑥
𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟
FALLIBILITY – Because of the slope line in front of the bucket the struck capacity of the bucket is
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reduced to some extent depending upon the size of bucket and the design. It is determined by the field
observation and experience. The fill ability of the bucket is expressed in percentage. It is always less than 1.
Reciprocal of the swell factor is taken into account for calculating the bucket factor.
CYCLE TIME – It is the total time taken by a shovel to complete one full cycle of operation starting from the
crowding operation into the face to swinging, dumping and again coming back to the face for crowding
operation.
Total cycle time = Crowding (digging, loading, hoisting) time + swinging time towards the truck + dumping time
on the truck + swinging back for crowding operation.
𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
𝐸𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑙 = 𝑥 100
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 − 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 − 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟

𝐴𝑣𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 =
𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 − 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 − 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 − 𝑖𝑑𝑙𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠

𝑈𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑧𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟 =
𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠
TYPE OF SHOVEL
1. Rope shovel
2. Hydraulic shovel
ROPE SHOVEL
It contains the following main units-
(a) All diesel operated rope shovel contains the following main units-diesel engine as prime mover.
a. Crowd mechanism.
b. hoist mechanism.
c. travel mechanism.
d. swing mechanism.
e. front attachments.
f. undercarriage unit.
g. Control units, etc.
(b) All electric motor operated rope shovel contains the following main units –
a. motor generator set (containing a motor, swing generator, crowd generator, hoist generator,
etc.).
b. crowd mechanism.
c. Hoist mechanism.
d. travel mechanism.
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e. swing mechanism.
f. undercarriage unit.
g. pneumatic control system for braking operations etc.
MAIN UNIT OF ROPE SHOVEL

FRONT ATTACHMENT DIPPER SHOVEL
The front attachments of a dipper shovel consist of a bucket (mostly bottom discharge type), a dipper shaft (in
2-piece member), a boom (in 2-piece member), various sheaves, pulleys, hoist line, boom line, retract line,
crowd line, trip line. etc. The massive steel boom bottom end is connected with the front deck of the shovel and
the lop end is provided for hoist line and pulleys for the 4-part boom line. In the center slot of the 2-piece boom
member a saddle block mechanism) and the shipper and shipper drum are pivoted as the shipper shaft.
Hoisting of the boom is boom line. One end of the rope is anchored with the hoist drum and passes around the
vertical pulley is attached with the A' frame which is mounted at the other end of the shovel body.
HOISTING UNIT
The hoist motor is connected to a drum (split lagging type with machine-turned groove) via the gearbox unit
The motor is connected to the primary pinion shaft by a smoothly engaging electrically controlled, air-actuated
clutch. In small capacity shovel the clutch also acts as a
flexible coupling. While hoisting, the hoist motor acts
as a motor but while lowering it acts as a regenerative
brake.
CROWDING UNIT
In a smaller capacity shovel, it consists of a cable drum
connected to a motor via, the gearbox- unit. It, is
located. forward end of the revolving frame casting.
Rotation of the cable drum in one direction causes the
handle and dipper out and rotation in the opposite
direction causes handle to retract. Crowd ropes are
wedged-anchored at the rear of the handle on the stop
casting via. a half-sheave segment positioned by a
large diameter screw for the purpose of adjustment of crowd and retract ropes.
BALLAST HOUSING
The ballast housing is provided at the rear end of the machine body and the capacity of such housing depends
upon the capacity of the shovel. Generally, pig iron or steel scraps are used as the ballasting materials.
BUCKET AND TEETH
For high capacity shovel the buckets are casted into one piece by manganese steel, open at the top and close at
the bottom by a hinged type door. The smaller capacity shovel buckets are generally welded steel box structure,
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which are lighter in weight. The lip of the bucket is provided with replaceable four to six number manganese
steel teeth to negotiate maximum abrasion during digging. The life of a bucket teeth is only 60 to 80 hours’ in
hard sand stone but after doing some preventive measures their life may be improved.
SHOVEL ROPE
During shovel operation ropes of the rope shovel are subjected to severe shock loads on it due to heavy load
various to and fro motion, etc. They are also subjected to bending stresses by sharp bending on pulleys, wear
due to friction with rock and also corrosion fatigue due to exposure to the atmosphere. Beside these hitting by
external objects manufacturing defects, bad quality, etc. impair the life of a rope. A time comes when a rope
breaks, which may cause severe accidents to both man and machine and a huge amount of time will be lost to
replace the cable. A wire rope which an inspection shows the sign of thinning of the top surface wires or their
breakage and show a sign of expiry of should be changed immediately during maintenance. Generally, the life
of a good rope is many hundreds of hours. Use of torque converter will increase the life of a rope to some
extent.
PRIME MOVERS
The power is supplied to the shovel either by diesel engine or by a. c. electric motor. For smaller Capacity hovel
generally one diesel engine or one electric motor is provided. The power is transmitted from them to all the
crowding, hoisting, swinging and propelling mechanism via fluid coupling gearboxes, clutch system etc.
UNDER CARRIAGE UNIT
It consists main body, turntable & crawler track assembly. It supports the whole machine weight & assist
travelling of the machine, controlling, steering, stabilizing the machine without-rigger unit as well as by ballast
chamber, assist erection & repair work with the help of crane gantry attached on the revolving deck etc.
OPERATION & EFFICIENCY OF SHOVEL
The shovel should be kept in the safe distance from the face taking due care against the caving of the ledge
from the high wall. The shovel should not be kept far away from the face. Otherwise it will require longer dipper
reach the front end rake of which get damages in the faster manner and also cycle time increases. This may also
cause less loading in the bucket to prevent destabilization of the shovel body. Teeth of the bucket should be
optimum in size & sharp enough to dig well into the bank. With the help of hoist and crowd mechanism the
shovel is to be swung to the face. The bucket thereafter is lowered down until the teeth orient in horizontal
position when the latch bar of the heavy bucket door will be held securely in the latch holder. The crowd
mechanism moves the dipper stick downward through the saddle block till the bucket teeth touch the foot of
the bank. The hoist mechanism moves the bucket forwards and downward and the crowd mechanism control
the depth and angle of digging.
Direct excavation of soft rocks increases the efficiency of shovel because of less amount of lumpy boulders,
selecting a definite for achieving a particular digging and dump height, digging and dumping radius, shifting of
the shovel after cutting unit or double slice (thickness of slice is around 0.3m to 0.8 m of more) in the faces, etc.
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In this case the normal longitudinal cuts of width are around 1.6 times the maximum digging radius of the
shovel and is very good for truck rail transport system.
ADVANTAGE
1. Greater capacity is obtained with a shovel than with a dragline, all the more so with larger units. Also,
greater production is obtained.
2. Since the dipper on the shovel is fastened by means of a solid connection to the driving mechanism,
positive control is always possible.
3. Shovel dipper has a higher
loading factor than a dragline
bucket of the same size.
4. Shovels offer greater advantages
as the material becomes harder
and rockier.
5. For the operation of shovels less
expense has to be incurred in
drilling and blasting.
6. Bulkier material will have less
overall effect on shovel loading
efficiency.
7. Shovels load materials from the
dump in front of it and dump in a
short radius. Hence loading cycle
time is less.
8. The position of a shovel on the
top of a mineral deposit is not
controlled by original
topography. As a result, possible inefficient expensive preparation of working bench is
eliminated.
9. The cost per m3 of overburden is less with shovel than with dragline.
HYDRAULIC SHOVEL
CONSTRUCTION
The arm and boom of a hydraulic shovel are of welded box design with high tensile steel having cast part of all
Pivot points. In Tripower version, the bearing points of boom/superstructure, boom/arm and arm/bucket are
made of heavy cast steel parts to increase more stability. The lip of the bottom dump shovel is made of high-
tensile fine grain steel in a robust welded box design. The rear wall of the bottom dump bucket is also made of
high tensile structure through welded box design. The front dump buckets us made of high tensile fine grain
steel in all areas of potential wear & is of welded box design in the pivot areas. Both the bottom dump & front
dump bucket has V-edge & high tensile drop forged replaceable tooth tip supported by the socket – type
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mounting. In some version tooth are made of cast steel which are of self-sharpening type. The hydraulic
cylinders are made of seamless pipe materials having super fine and rolled inner surface. The piston rod is
hardened, ground, surface treated and eventually chromium plat enhances the life of guide bushings and head
seals. Both side of hydraulic cylinders are attached with joint bearings Swinging gear is operated by planetary
gear mechanism with the help of hydraulic motor. The swinging is done at around 0 to 4.7 rpm.
WORKING
The hydraulic pressure is generated by a prime mover i.e. by a diesel engine (most commonly used) or by an
electric motor which drives number of, hydraulic motors via a gearbox, used to perform most of the working
functions. The hydraulic pump generates fluid pressure to the valve bank which directs and controls the
maintenance of fluid pressure in numerous hydraulic circuits for the operation of various hydraulic units with
higher efficiency. The hydraulic power operates all the crowd mechanism, hoist mechanism, swinging
mechanism; traction mechanism etc. Presently a hydraulic excavator having bucket capacity varying from 0.4m
to more than 34 m' are available in the market.
ADVANTAGE
1. They weigh around half that of rope-operated shovels with the same size bucket.
2. They have greater mobility. They can move roughly at a speed twice that of a rope-operated shovel.
3. They possess "Wrist action" which neither the rope operated shovels nor the loaders have.
4. They are able to operate on rough ground surface and can dig at any height into the rock pile or face
while selecting weaker sediment.
5. They have greater break-out force.
DRAGLINE
CONDITIONS SUITABLE FOR THE USE OF DRAGLINES
1. The ground should be dig gable in its natural stage or be capable of being prepared adequately by
drilling and blasting. Fissured or jointed strata are not suitable for draglines.
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2. The overburden should have constant thickness, say between 10-15 m over a large area. A dragline is
usually most economical for overburden depths of up to 30 m provided the geometry of the deposit and
other mine planning requirements permit its use. For overburden depths from 30 m to 45 m a dragline
with a long boom or a tandem dragline should be considered. At depth of 45 to 60 m a single dragline is
not completive and restriping system should be considered to support it.
3. If the seam is irregular or if the strata are dipping the dragline should be selected for the area of average
thickness of the overburden, and the balance should be worked by shovel/dumpers or by a smaller
dragline. Figure 15.28 shows the possible mine layouts in the dipping strata. The best result is obtained
by down-dip or strike advance direction.
SELECTION OF DRAGLINE
1. It is generally used for handling softer unconsolidated material.
2. It has a greater ability to dig well above & below grade.
3. It can excavate deep box cut.
4. It has a greater digging reach & dumping radius.
5. Since dragline boom length can be increased or decreased, its working range also can be varied.
6. It may or may not require other for disposal.
7. Although it is less efficient compare to the shovel, it can function well under rigid operating condition.
8. In the soft mineral deposit, the dragline can operate efficiently as compare to shovel.
9. Heavy duty dragline is walking type & light duty are of crawler mounted.
10. They can have negotiated against gradient up to 1-200.
11. Superior in wet pits & maintenance is cheap.
SYSTEM OF WORKING
The dragline may either be crawler mounted (most common), wagon mounted, track mounted or walking type
the boom can move both vertically (from horizontal), 25° to 60° (more common is 300 to 350) and horizontally
180° with the help of swing mechanism) to perform the job. Rear end of the box shaped bucket whose one end
is open is attached by means of two hoist chains with the help of pins. The other end of the hoist chains is fitted
with a dump heave. To prevent the chains from rubbing on the side of the bucket a spreader bar is attached
with the chains before connecting with the sheave. The drag chains are attached in the front side of the bucket
at one while the other end is connected with a drag yoke. The drag chains are connected to the drag cable by
dragline socket. Direct digging is possible in case loose sandstone, soil, etc. are to be encountered whereas
blasting is necessary to the full extent prior to excavation. Bucket weight, design and balance together with the
angularity of the drag cable (angle around 160 180) forces, etc. are the main parameters of penetration of the
bucket into the material being excavated by a dragline. Concentration of the forces are done by the replaceable
type teeth attached with the bucket, which dig into the material at a steeper angle (around 18° to 22°). The
material of the heavy bucket. lip and the teeth are made of manganese steel (Fig 6.7). Buckets are sometimes
perforated to drain out water accompanied with the collected muck.
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COMPONENT OF THE DRAGLINE

THE MACHINE
A dragline consists of bucket, boom, power transmission unit for bucket operation, boom hoist mechanism.
swing mechanism, propelling mechanism (crawler track mechanism, walking mechanism mechanical eccentric
type. hydraulic ram type), lubrication system, under carriage unit, etc. The booms are of lattice construction
and made of low alloy steel tubes or steel angles. Longer length booms are supported by an 'A'-frame mast with
the help of stay ropes. Draglines are powered by high capacity A. C. synchronous motor which in turn supply
power to a hoist generator, a drag generator, a swing generator, etc. to supply D. C. power to the two hoist
motor, two drag motor, two swing motor, etc. lively. Supplied power voltage range is generally 3.3 KV to 6.6 KV
BUCKET HOIST MECHANISM
The bucket hoist mechanism is meant for lowering or raising the bucket. It may be either 2 or 3-part hoist. In
one of the design for smaller capacity dragline the motor provides power to the hoist drum via gearbox unit.
The forged steel shaft of the gearbox unit connected to the hoist drum, mounts over the journal bearings. The
hoist rope directed from the drum passes round a sheave at the A-frame apex, then over the sheave mounted
at the top of the mast (when fitted) over the sheave(s) at the boom point to the dump sheave case to form a 2
or 3-part hoist.
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FAIRLEAD
The purpose of the fairlead is to lead the drag rope nicely into the cable drum and also to not allow rubbing or
snapping of rope on the boom or other parts of the dragline. It is mounted at the front of the boom. In one
model the fairlead consists of 2 horizontal cast steel sheaves (which are adjustable for different size of drum)
which allows leading of rope from the fairlead to the drum.
DRAG MECHANISM
One end of the drag rope is connected to a drag drum unit and the other end is to the drag chain of the bucket
by a dragline yoke. Its purpose is to handle (dragging) the bucket under the control of the drag controlled lever.
In one of the small capacity dragline models, the drag motor unit is connected with the drag drum unit through
an electrically controlled air actuated clutch.
BOOM UNIT
The boom unit is of lattice and cross-braced construction. All is chord members and lacings are Made from
structural steel and of welded construction. The lower portion of the boom unit is connected to the revolving
unit; the sheaves are mounted at the boom point with the help of journal bearings. The sheaves are made from
cast steel.
BOOM HOIST MECHANISM
The boom is lowered down or raised up by four-part rope suspension. system. It is similar to the shovel. The
rope is coiled or uncoiled to a boom hoist rope drum which is operated by a separate motor via. A gearbox unit.
In case of compact unit, this boom-hoist system is mounted on a structural support on the roof in the truss
which is formed by the upper part of the A' -frame. In case of smaller dragline models, the rope is revved
between the sheaves at the apex of the 'A frame and at the boom point.
ADVANTAGE
1. Deeper overburden can be removed for the same capital outlay and hence more overburden/coal ratio
is possible
2. It is more versatile and easily maneuvered.
3. Slides in either the bank or benches or spoil cannot block or impair its operation.
4. Water presents little difficulty and hence seepage is no problem.
5. Variation in the top of the mineral deposit can be easily adjusted.
6. The dragline can "crop down" a certain percentage of overburden.
7. To open up a new property it may be necessary to begin with a box cut in which case the draglines reach
and location can be utilized very efficiently and easily.
8. Dragline can dump both on the surface and in the spoil area. Thus it is possible to expose the mineral
deposit to a greater depth.
9. Rehandling of the material is more convenient with draglines.
10. Boom length of the dragline can be varied and its working ranges can be varied by altering the boom
angle.
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11. The normal dragline process produces an excellent drill bench, if vertical drilling is utilized.
12. Greater range makes the dragline a better tool for multi-seam mining than a shovel.
13. The dragline has the ability to handle and stack overburden with poor stability Most draglines are,
however, 75 to 85 % as productive as a shovel of equal capacity.
DISADVANTAGE
1. Its loading efficiency is less.
2. Less output than the powered shovel.
3. Bucket fill factor is less as compare to the shovel.
4. It uses to handle soft & unconsolidated rock.
DRAGLINE SHOVEL
It is used to handle wet, soft, unconsolidated It can handle very hard, abrasive, big lumps of
& also well fragment blasted rock & drilling & rocks. Drilling & blasting cost is lowest as
blasting cost is higher compared to a shovel compared to dragline.
bench.
It is less efficient equipment compared to a Use for very high rate of production. It has
shovel (80-90%). Its loading efficient & higher handling efficiency & blasting
spotting capability is lower as compare to capability as compared to dragline.
shovel.
It has low dig ability. It has excellent dig ability. It can also perform
better in steep slope.
Pressure exerted over the ground is more. Pressure exerted over the ground is less.
Maintenance cost is less. Maintenance cost is high.
Selective mining is generally not done with it. Selective mining is only possible if the bench
height is preferable designed.
Very high dumping radius & digging reach. Lower dumping radius & digging reach
compared to same capacity design line.
It may or may not require auxiliary supporting It is most of the cases it required auxiliary
material handling system. supporting material handling system.
It can operate under less rigid operating It is limited to somewhat rigid operating
condition. condition.
The dragline are efficient used for Generally shovels are not used for
reclamation. reclamation work.
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BUCKET WHEEL EXCAVATOR

APPLICABLE CONDITION
1. Hard and tough well fragmented blasted rock with no or less boulders, having consistency of uniform
ground and bank condition,
2. Since it has a wide radius of excavation (around 40m to 90m) with high and deep cut, the width of the
bench floor exposes more reserve & create huge amount of space for the mobile equipment. The slop of
the pit is also very stable.
3. It can be used for selective and thin seam mining,
4. For easy disposal of ore or overburden to a considerable distance above or below of its working level.
5. It is a very highly efficient excavator for lignite, soft alluvium, etc.,
6. For reclamation of land.
CONSTRUCTION
The bucket wheel excavators have a relatively large wheel with buckets arranged around its circumference and
an arrangement to transfer the mined material from the buckets to the conveyor system. They are usually
crawler mounted, with mountings arranged to give three-point support, and have low ground bearing pressure
(approximately 1.05kg/cm2). The ladder and stacker swing independently and, therefore, require counter
balance. Each boom is equipped with a conveyor belt, and the transfer of the material from the ladder boom to
the stacker boom is accomplished through a complicated chute arrangement.
The superstructure is slew ably supported on the undercarriage by a 3-row roller bearing with an internal gear
ring. The superstructure slew gear has two slew gearboxes, each consisting of a hydraulic motor, multi-disc
brake, two planetary stages and a pinion which meshes with the internal ring of the roller bearings. The slew
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drive is operated in a closed hydraulic circuit consisting of a variable displacement pump and two fixed
displacement motors. The slewing speed is intimately variable between 0 and 30 min.
The discharge boom, connected to the discharge turntable, is moved by one slew gearbox identical to the two
main slew gearboxes.
The counterweight boom is the rear extension of the main turntable. It contains important mechanical and
electrical components and the two counterweight boxes. Directly behind the turntable is a closed room for the
electro-hydraulic drives and the control lubrication system of the superstructure. The rear part of the boom
contains a room for electrical switch, control cubicles and the transformer.
The frame is mounted on the front end of the turntable. It supports the bucket wheel boom, the central chute
and the suspension of the discharge boom. The operator's cabin is located at the left hand side of the frame
and allows the operator a full view over the digging process, while at the same time keeping all control
instruments within sight.
The bucket wheel boom is connected to the frame supported by a hydraulic plunger cylinder. The bucket wheel
shaft is supported by two spherical roller bearings with oil lubrication. This heel itself with ten buckets is flange
connected to the shaft on the right hand side of the bucket wheel boom. The bucket-wheel gear box is flange
connected to the shaft on the left hand side of the bucket wheel boom. The whole bucket wheel head is
designed in such a way that a free cutting angle of 40° is achieved. The gearbox consists of one bevel stage and
two planetary stages. It is driven by a 200 kW squirrel cage motor and protected against overload by a fluid
coupling. The conveyor path consists of standard components with the drive at the machine center.
The discharge boom is supported on the top of the discharge turntable and suspended in the frame by a
hydraulic cylinder. The components of the conveyor path are identical to those of the bucket wheel conveyor.
The boom has an extension of 20 m.
ADVANTAGE
1. Lower instantaneous power demands.
2. Less weight for greater output.
3. Less shock loadings.
4. Less power consumption: average power consumption for a shovel is about 0.51 to 0.73 kW per m 3 as
against 0.3 to 0.5 kW per m3 for the BWEs.
5. The digging forces on the wheel of BWEs are different than those required to raise a power shovel
dipper through a bank material Slower shovel bail speeds require high cutting and lifting forces to push a
single heavy dipper through the weight of the bank material.
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DISADVANTAGE
1. Less flexibility due to great bulk of machine.
2. High maintenance cost.
3. Lower operating efficiency.
4. Considerable working surface preparation required.
5. Difficulty encountered in handling hard materials or rock sometimes present in unconsolidated
overburden.
6. Low break-out force.
7. Safe operations on high benches can become a problem.
OUTPUT
The theoretical output (Q) of BWE can be calculated m3/hr.
Q = 60. wheel rpm x no of bucket x bucket capacity, m3/hr.
BACKHOE
It is also named as 'Pull Shovel', Drag Shovel' etc. It digs soil, rock or ore below the level of a bench (or bank) on
which it stands and unload excavated materials over a truck or railway wagon. It can be deployed efficiently
where the mine is very much wetted by the prolonged rain or where seepage of water through the ground
strata are very heavy. Generally, the backhoe is very good for trenching, shallow depth cutting and for
basement excavations. The hoe bucket is attached to
a dipper stick at its lower end facing towards the
equipment (Fig. 6.12). The middle of the dipper stick
is hinged to a boom, where as the top of the same is
attached with a rope pulley. The pulley is connected
by a hoist rope to a jack boom attached to the main
equipment body. A drag rope is connected to a drag
drum passing through the sheave attached to the
side of the main boom. The dipper is lowered down
into position by the hoist rope so that bucket bites
into ground and the cutting operation is achieved by
pulling the drag rope till it becomes full. Afterward
both the hoist and drag ropes are wind up to make
the bucket closer to the toe of the bank and
thereafter bucket is raised up to the dumping height
by operating the hoist rope. The equipment is swung
to unload the material over a dumper or a railway wagon or other haulage system by paying out the drag rope
which makes the dipper handle to nearly horizontal position. The bucket (which has lip and 4 to 6 teeth with
wider opening area) tilts making its face down to dump materials over the haulage unit.
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STATE THE SALIENT FEATURES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT. (IMP****)

This Act has been brought into force from November, 1986. Its salient features are:
Conferring powers on the Central Government to:

1. Take all necessary measures for protecting quality of environment.
a. Co-ordinate actions of States, officers and other authorities under this Act.
b. Plan and execute a nationwide programme for prevention, control and abatement of
environmental pollution.
c. Lay down standards for discharge of environmental pollutants.
d. Empower any person to enter, inspect, take samples and test,
e. Establish or recognize environmental laboratories.
f. Appoint or recognize government analysts, (viii) lay down standards for quality of environment.
g. Restrict areas in which any industries, operations or processes may not be carried out subject to
certain safeguards.
h. Lay down safeguards for prevention of accidents and take remedial measures in case of such
accidents.
i. Lay down procedures and safeguards for handling hazardous substances,
j. Constitute an authority for exercising powers.
k. Issue directions to any person, officer or authority including the power to direct closure,
prohibition or regulation of any industry, operation or process.
l. Require any person, officer or authority to furnish any prescribed information.
m. Delegate powers to any officer of a state or authority.
2. It confers powers on persons to complain to courts regarding any violation of the provisions of the Act,
after a notice of 60 days to the prescribed authorities;
3. The Act makes it obligatory for the person in charge of a place to inform the prescribed authorities
regarding any accidental discharge of any pollutant in excess of prescribed standards.
4. The concerned authorities, on receipt of such information, shall take remedial measures to prevent or
mitigate pollution caused by such accidents and expenses incurred by the authorities in respect of
remedial measures are recoverable with interest from the polluter.
5. It prescribes stringent penalties for violation of the provisions of the Act.
6. Jurisdiction of civil courts is barred under the Act.
STATE THE PROVISIONS REGARDING HEIGHT OF BENCH AND WIDTH OF BENCH.

EXPLAIN THE PROVISION FOR THE FORMATION OF BENCHER.
As per CMR 1957 & MMR 106 & DGMS circular published time to time the following provision are recommend
& granted.
1. In alluvial soil Murom, gravel, clay or other similar soft ground height of the bench shall not exceed
1.5m, the width shall not be less than the height & the angle of slope should not exceed 45 0 from
horizontal.
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2. When a pillar is left in situ for the purpose of measurement of volume excavation its height shall not
exceed 2.5m & where the height of such pillar should not exceed 1.25m, the base of the pillar shall not
be less than 1.5m of dia.
3. In metalliferous mine where are flat & any other mineral is to be worked. The height of the benches
shall not exceed 6m. under special permit it should be maximum permitted 7.5m. the width of benches
shall not be less than 6m & angle of slope should not exceed 600 from the horizontal.
4. In coal mines the height of the benches shall not exceed 3m, width not less than the height & the angle
of slope should not exceed more than 450 from horizontal.
5. In case of overburden bench the maximum bench height of 7.5m is allowed & minimum width should be
1.5m & the angle of slope should be not more than 750 from horizontal. However, in case of coal mine
minimum bench width be 1m.
The above 1-5 points are both valid for manual & mechanized operation. However, in highly mechanized O/c
mines the height of the benches are generally kept up to the digging or excavation height of an excavator under
soft to medium hard rock condition. When the well blasted rock is down uniformly & bench may be permitted
3m. above the digging height of the excavator employment in the bench.
GIVE THE SAMPLE LAYOUT FOR IRON ORE DEPOSIT. (IMP***)

First of all, remove any trees or bushes present over the mining site, grub the tree stumps either with the help
of bulldozer or simply by drilling and blasting operation. Scarify and rip the ground with the help of ripper dozer
combination. Doze soil, scrap the top soil with the help of scraper, load them in it, transport and unload the top
soil from the top of the hillock over a stacking place at the foot of the hill for future reuse during land
reclamation. Make a box cut (making trench) over the overburden and iron ore body in the strike direction by
the drilling and blasting method. Load the blasted overburden with the help of rope shovel on the dumpers,
transport the dumper in a corner of the mine boundary & tip the Overburden valley to fill it up. Overburden
dumping place should be pre-fixed and overburden never to be dumped to other places instead of it, otherwise
it will create severe environmental problems like damage of trees, damage of soil on the slope of the hill. severe
land erosion and land sliding, water pollution, air pollution, aesthetic, etc. problems. Slowly overburden bench
(height = 8m) and one mineral bench (height = 10m) will be formed. Overburden bench will be advanced 40m
ahead of the mineral bench. A 10m diameter ore pass (already discussed) sunk 500m away from the production
benches and a primary crusher plant is installed in it to crush the ROM ore into - 150 mm sized. From the ore
pass roadways are connected to two mineral benches, one laterite overburden bench and one top soil bench
via ramps of gradient I in 10 to 1 in 7, when first mineral bench is advanced by 40m, the 2nd mineral bench
(height = 10m) will be formed for the purpose of quality control and as a stand by face. For proper utilization of
the 4.6 m3 bucket capacity rope shovel drilling and blasting operation shall be carried out in such a manner that
a 15m to 16m width excavating face is available. From the mineral bench ore is transported by the 35 Tone rear
discharge dumpers and unload over the ore-pass for primary crushing by the primary crusher (Fig 4.7 (A)). The
crushed ore will be stocked into over the railway wagons manually / automatically with the ore pass (it acts as a
bunker too) and will be loaded over the railway wagon tem (chute and apron conveyor combination).
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DRILLING & BLASTING

PRODUCTION BENCH
Production per day = 8000ton.
Height of the production bench = 10m.
Dia. Of the blast hole = 150mm.
Inclination of the hole = vertical
Burden = 4m.
Spacing = 4.5m.
Number of production benches = 1 + 1.
Number of row of blast hole = 3.
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Width of the blasting hole = 3.

8000 𝑥 6
Frequency of blast per bench = 10 𝑥 12 𝑥 5 = 80𝑚.
8000 𝑥 3
Number of hole to be blasted/week = = 53.33 = 54 𝑛𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟.
4.5
OVERBURDEN BENCH
Height of the production bench = 8m.
Dia. Of the blast hole = 150mm.
Inclination of the hole = vertical.
Burden = 4m.
Spacing = 5m.
2000 𝑥 6
Length of blast hole per bench = = 111.11𝑚
8 𝑥 13.5
111 𝑥 6
Number of hole to be blasted/week = = 66.6 = 67
5
MANPOWER FOR DRILLING & BLASTING JOB

DRILLING MANPOWER (PER DAY) BLASTING MANPOWER
Driller = 2 x 4 = 8 Supervisor = 1
Driller helper = 2 x 4 = 8 Blaster = 1
Supervision = 1 x 3 = 3 Blasting helper = 2
Maintenance crew = 4 Explosive van driver = 1
Pump truck driver = 1
VARIOUS TYPE OF DUMPER USED IN OPEN CAST MINE

COMPARE VARIOUS TYPES OF DUMPERS USED IN OPEN CAST MINES.
Types of dumper used as follow
REAR DISCHARGE DUMPER
In rear discharge dumpers soil, coal, blasted ore, or
overburden rocks are loaded onto the main loading body
attached at the rear side of the operator's cabin and are
discharged through the rear end of the, body by lifting
the later with the help of two hydraulic rams of 10 to 15
t capacity. The outer cylinder end of the rams is attached
with the chassis whereas the inner cylinder ends are
connected with the main body. When the inner cylinder
of the rams is retracted the main loading body again
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come to its original position. Rear discharge dumpers are available in various design like 2 and 3 axles, 2 axle
drive (it is common in 3 axle drive although sometimes they are also used in 2 axle drive), dual tyre (used either
in the single axle or in both axel or in rear 2 axel of the 3 axel dumper) etc.
SIDE DISCHARGE DUMPER
This type of dumpers is not much in use in the surface mining system for handling coal or other softer minerals.
This type of trucks dumps the loaded materials in the side and also during plying by the side of the dump yard.
In another version of side dump truck system e.g. in the side dump tractor trailer unit. there is an option of
hoisting system either by an integral hydraulic arrangement or by an external sky hook' arrangement. Tandem
trailer unit is attached with the tractor to balance it as well as to increase the capacity of payload.
BOTTOM DISCHARGE DUMPER

This type of trucks (tare weight is low) are very much useful when the mineral or coal or rocks are to be handled
are softer in nature and has free flowing characteristics. They are used when there is the existence of haulage
road with milder gradient (below 5°) and there is the of windows over the dumping place in the dump yard. This
type of trucks when handle coal is termed as 'coal hauler’. It is a very high speed vehicle. It is a diesel operated
tractor unit coupled with a large trailer unit at the rear. The tractor unit has wo smaller wheel in the front and
two larger wheel (drive unit) at the rear, whereas the trailer unit contains two larger rear wheel Out of many
version of the bottom of the trailer unit. drop bottom type door is most common. It is actuated by the rope
pulley system operated bay hydraulic cylinder.
WHAT IS RECLAMATION AND EXPLAIN THE METHOD OF RECLAMATION.

Reclamation is the act of restoring the quarried area to the pre-quarry state and render it useful for different
purposes. In USA and other foreign countries, the mining laws require than the quarry area is restored to the
pre-quarry state. Complex the quarried area has been reclaimed and turned into pleasant parks, mini-forests,
zoos and recreational centers. In fact, with a little foresight and planning, the quarried area can be rendered
more useful and valuable than in the original pre-quarry state. Thus vast marshland, after the underlying
mineral is excavated, can be turned into a profitable agricultural land.
When starting the quarrying activity in an area, if reclamation is one of the final objects, oil is removed by
rippers and scrapers and collected at a suitable place where it will the top s not be carried away by wind and
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will not prove a nuisance to nearby localities and dwellings. In suitable cases such soil can be sold away, thus
doing away the need to stack it over a long period of the life of the quarry. away by the wind. Small grass is
allowed to grow over it so not raised and carried wind.
METHOD OF RECLAMATION
1. Primary process
a) Physical reclamation
b) Biological reclamation
2. Secondary process
a) Ecological restoration
b) Hydrological restoration
c) Societal rehabilitation and up-gradation.
PRIMARY RECLAMATION PROCESS
PHYSICAL RECLAMATION
It includes transportation, back-filling, grading of all spoil materials to eliminate all spoil dumps, excavations etc.
Above the dumped large size boulders, a filler layer of 0.5m thick ballast shall be laid down to divert rainwater.
Over the filler layer of previously stacked sub-soil of height 1.5m (approx.) and at the top of the latter,
previously tacked top soil around 0.5m thick are to be layered. The faulted land then be graded and contoured
with the help of Dozer. Rippers, etc. to conform the pre-mining state or in better form for the post-mining land
use. In case of reclamation on the overburden itself, the surface leveling and grading may be practiced. The
surface leveling may be of:
1. Complete leveling.
2. Terrace forming.
3. Incomplete leveling.
BIOLOGICAL RECLAMATION
Biological reclamation of top soil is done for developing a good agricultural or pasture land, or for a forestation.
Top-soil enrichment is done by amelioration and bio-fertilization process. The graded top-soil is scarified.
ameliorated. bio-fertilized by the agents for generation of micro biota. Suitable fertilizers and manure is to be
applied into the soil to cover up the nutrient deficiencies of the latter.
SECONDARY RECLAMATION PROCESS
ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION
After biological reclamation, the reclaimed land should be scarified and seeds of grasses and legumes are to be
sprayed for increasing the N2 content in the soil and to reduce weathering, soil erosion, airborne and
waterborne soil movements etc. Thereafter the seeds of fast growing plants like Eleusine coracana, Crotolaria
juncea, Pasplaum, Crobicklatum, etc. shall be sown over the reclaimed surface in the beginning of the monsoon.
When the total reclaimed land is stabilized and well fertilized (with both the organic and inorganic manure) the
final vegetation program shall be decided for a good economic return. These program may be making of the
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land for agricultural use, forestry, horticultural use, fruits and orchards gardens, etc. Success of growing
vegetation depends upon the choice of species of grass legumes and trees based on the ambient air, water and
soil quality, choice of succession of plantation of legumes.
HYDROLOGICAL RESTORATION
The hydrology of the reclaimed area shall be as close as to the original state as possible. The soil must have
enough water holding capacity. With the adequate plantation of trees, grasses and legumes, the water run-off
shall be reduced and the quality of the effluents from the rehabilitation area shall be improved considerably.
Beside these adequate engineering measures like bench terracing, construction of check dams, boulder
pitching, plugging of gullies, erection of safety wall, etc. may help to prevent soil erosion and moisture
conservation.
SOCIETAL PROBLEMS, REHABILITATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Pollution of drinking water and air, degradation of agricultural land, sharp increase in occupational Health
problems like miner’s pneumoconiosis, silicosis, manganese poisoning, asbestosis, siderosis, respiratory disease
dermatitis, gastrointestinal diseases due to adverse environmental condition, emotional sentiments during
uprooting the settlers from the mining area to new places for rehabilitations, etc. should not be ignored,
although payment of compensation on account of seizure of land to the local owner is a suggestive method to
solve the problem. The gravity of sociological changes related to environmental and economic effects due to
opencast coal mining in future should be assessed properly paying greater attention.
DESCRIBE IN BRIEF NON ELECTRIC IGNITION SYSTEM.

INITIATING AGENTS
DETONATING FUSE OR CORDTEX
Cordtex is a detonating fuse consisting of a core of high explosive enclosed in layers of jute and cotton yarn with
a strong plastic outer covering. It must be initiated by No. 6 Detonator. Once initiated, a line of cordtex will
detonate any explosive with which it is in contact. It has high resistance to abrasion and has high tensile
strength.
NON-ELECTRIC INITIATING SYSTEMS (IMP*)
During the last decade some new initiation systems have come on to the market with various novel features.
The first system called 'Nonel' is a non-electric detonator employing a hollow plastic tube, the inside of which is
coated with explosive powder, which when initiated, a shock wave is created that travels along the tube at 1.8
km/sec.
NONEL (IMP***)
1. The Nonel system of detonation is developed by Nobel AB of Sweden.
2. Primers of explosive with Nonel detonators inserted in them are charged in the blast-holes and the
connection to the mains blasting system.
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3. Upon explosives with Nonel detonators inserted in the Nonel tubes are bunched for convenience of
initiation, the shock wave passes down the plastic tubes, the insides of which are coated with reactive
substance that maintains the shock wave at a rate of approx. 2000 m. per second which has sufficient
energy to initiate the primary explosive or delay element in a detonator.
4. Since the reaction is contained in the tube, this has no blasting effect and acts as a signal conductor.
CONSTRUCTION
1. Nonel means non-electric detonator.
2. The flexible plastic tube has 3 mm external and 1.5 mm internal diam.
3. The tubes are available in pre-cut lengths.
4. One end of the tube is fitted with a non-electric delay detonator which is crimped to it in the factory
while the other end is sealed.
5. The end having detonator is lowered down into the blast hole while the sealed end projects outside the
hole.
6. The sealed end is initiated by a detonator or detonating cord.
ADVANTAGES
1. The advantage of the Nonel system lies in its extreme resistance to accidental initiation by static
electricity, stray current, radio transmission, flame, friction and impact.
2. It is also immune to misfires caused by current leakage in conductive orebodies and eliminates the need
for complicated electrical circuit testing and shot-firing equipment.
3. Raydet manufactured by IDL Chemicals, is just like Nonel.
RAYDET (IMP*)
1. Raydet is a non-electric initiating device combing the versatility and advantages of electric detonator
and detonating cord.
2. It consists of a plastic tube carrying a very small quantity of explosive material on its inner surface.
3. A high strength no. 8 instantaneous or delay detonator is crimped to one end of the raytube.
4. When initiated, a low order shock wave travels through the tube and initiates the detonators.
5. Raydet can be initiated by a detonator or a detonating cord.
6. A tag indicates the delay number of reydet and a tape fastening the tube in a coil indicates the tube
length.
7. Length of tube varies from 3 m to 45 m.
8. The delays are from no. 0 delay to no.15 delay; No. 0 delay is instantaneous No. 1 delay is 50 m/s and
No. 15 delay is 625 m/s.
9. When using the raydet, do not cut factory sealed end of raytube and do not connect two raytube.
10. One raytube will not initiate another.
ADVANTAGES
1. As being non electric system hence, no electric is required to ignite it.
2. It also eliminates the risk of misfire as it is non electric system.
3. Raydet tube us insensitive to accidental initiation due to fire impact & friction.
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4. Raydet provides accurate down the hole delay & in surface blasting provides true bottom priming.
STATE THE CONDITIONS OF SUITABILITY OF SURFACE MINER. WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS
ADVANTAGEOUS AND DISADVANTAGEOUS OF SURFACE MINERS WITH PIT CRUSHING SYSTEM?
CONDITION SUITABILITY
1. Mining of harder minerals (e.g. limestone, dolomite, gypsum, etc.)
2. Mining of thin seam deposits.
3. Selective mining of materials with varying mineral content.
4. Creating channels.
5. Digging exploratory trenches.
6. Removal of partings.
7. Mining of residual minerals.
8. Removal of consolidated overburden layers.
9. Road construction and maintenance.
10. Digging drainage ditches.
11. Moving conveyor units with an attached side boom.
ADVANTAGES
1. It eliminates drilling blasting etc. which is very good on environment point of view.
2. Primary crushing of the material is not needed & can be controlled by the optimum selection of the
cutting drum.
3. Till date material with a uniaxial compressive strength of 150Mpa can be economically extracted by the
latest developed surface continuous miner.
4. Since the installation cost is very low & it is a mobile machine, the capital investment is lower.
5. More efficient energy utilization is possible by the machine.
6. Manpower requirement is very less.
7. It has a moderately fast travelling speed.
8. It can integrate operation with other mining equipment’s.
9. Selective mining is possible with the system.
DESCRIBE QUARRAIBLE LIMIT AND ADVANTAGE OF QUARRY (OPEN CAST).

QUARRAIBLE LIMIT
The cost of removing overburden to extract mineral lying below it goes up as the quarrying operations extend
to the dip side of the property and the thickness of overburden increases. The stripping ratio, thickness of
overburden; thickness of mineral deposit therefore decides the economic working limit of quarrying, i.e. the
Quarraible limit. The softer the rocks, the less is the expense of overburden removal and higher is the stripping
ratio. The wages of labor, the selling price of mineral and the margin of profit and the major consideration in
deciding the limiting ratio which is as follow in coal mines:
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Manual quarrying 1.5:1

Semi-mechanized quarrying 2:1
Mechanical quarrying:
With dipper-shovel, dumper combination 4 – 5:1
With draglines 8 – 10:1
With bucket wheel excavators: 3 – 4:1
The maximum depth from the surface in existing mines in our country is 120 m but future mines are planned to
reach a depth of nearly 480 m.
DRAW A LAYOUT FOR A SURFACE COAL MINE WITH AN OUT-PUT OF 1000 T/DAY IN A DEPOSIT
HAVING GRADIENT OF 4° ASSUME YOUR OWN CONDITION.
Let following points are considered:
1. The thickness of coal deposit: 10m.
2. Dip of the deposit is 4° and the deposit is outcropped.
3. Overburden- Average thickness of top soil is around 3 to 4m.
4. Deposit is quite sufficient and the life of the mine is expected around 12 years.
5. Railway network is 1.5 km away from the mining site.
DRILLING & BLASTING
Height of the bench: 3 to 3.5m.
Diameter of holes: 100mm.
Burden: 2.5m to 3m.
Spacing: 3m to 3.5m.
Drill machine used - Wagon drill.
Drilling and blasting can be done for one weak production. Let consider the fig. no. 4.3. It has
three coal faces and one overburden face. So it is necessary that every production bench must produce a
minimum of 1000/3 = 333.33 Ton of coal per day.
6 𝑥 333.3
So, length of blast /bench = 3 𝑥 3 𝑥 1.3 = 170.93𝑚
Where density of coal = 13t/m3

Height of the face = 3m.
Burden =3m.
if the height of the coal bench is 3.5m then
So total blasting length/week in a coal bench varies in between 146.5m to 170.93m.
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Number of holes to be drilled/benched = 146.5/3 = 48.8 approx. 49 holes to 170.93/3=59.9760 holes per bench.
(Here spacing is considered 3 m).
Total met rage of holes in each bench varies from 49x3.5 = 171.5 m to 60x3 = 180m.
Therefore, if a wagon drill machine is used for two benches, one drill machine has to drill only 17
1.5x2 = 343m to 180 x 2 = 360m of total hole length. This amount of meter age of hole length can easily be
drilled by one wagon drill machines in a week. Hence two wagon drill machines are more than sufficient for this
mine. If required a little bit blasting may be necessary for loosening the hard top soil.
PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY

Production (given) = 1000 Ton/day
Expected overall productivity (OMS) = 3 Ton/man/shift.
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𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒 + 𝑑𝑥(𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑚3

𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑂𝑀𝑆 𝑜𝑓 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒 =
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡 (1 + 𝑑𝑥 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜 𝑖𝑛 𝑚3 )
Let ultimate stripping ratio (as per Table 3.9) will be (m3 of overburden: Ton of coal) = 1.2: 1
Let density of coal = 1 .3t/m3
1000 + 1.3 𝑥 1200 1000 + 1.3 𝑥 1200 2560

3= 𝑜𝑟 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡 = = = 333.33𝑑𝑎𝑦
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡 (1 + 1.3 𝑥 1.2) 3 𝑥 (1 + 1.3 𝑥 1.2) 7.68
Hence estimated total manpower of the mine =335.

However, if small front end loader of bucket capacity 0.5m3 of approximate cost around Rs. 0.078 1.2m bucket
capacity front end loaders of costing around Rs. 0.109 crore are used for loading coal and overburden the mine
tub, total manpower requirement will be drastically reduced.
EXPLAIN HOW WILL YOU DEAL WITH FOLLOWING ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF OPENCAST
MINE.
NOISE POLLUTION
The measures adopted for noise control are
1. Use of HEMM with Sound Proof Cabin.
2. Use of equipment with silencers and use of air muffs.
3. Improved maintenance of plant and machinery
4. Control orientation of noise generating sources.
5. Green belt around noise generating sources.
FLY ROCK (IMP***)
Fly rock may be defining as the undesirable & uncontrollable through of blast rock piece from the blast area. Fly
rock is very dangerous in case of heavy blasting in open cast mining. The fly rock forms when blasting is carried
out due to detonation of explosive shocked waves are produced. Due to these shock waves cracks are produced
in rock & around the blast hole & at last due to these shock wave the movement of the blast rock flying into the
atmosphere. It is dangerous to human being & mine machinery near the blasting area.
PREVENTIVE MEASURE
1. Burden should be proper.
2. 6mm size material should be used for stemming instead of large boulders.
3. Length of the main charge may be reduced to length of stemming zone.
4. Top initiation at the floor level should be adopted.
5. Enough collar distance should be used.
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WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN. WRITE OBJECTS AND MAJOR COMPONENTS OF

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN.
1. Regulating the exploration of natural resources.
2. Balancing the eco-system.
3. Formulation of suitable environment laws & its proper implementation.
4. Control of atmospheric pollution.
5. Adopting technologies for improvement of environmental development.
6. Environmental education & training school college & university are made.
7. Controlling over population.
8. Controlling the over consumption of material & make its proper balance.
DIFFERENT EXPLOSIVES USED IN OPEN CAST MINING METHODS.

1. Nitroglycerine gelatin. Ex – blasting gelatin, plaster gelatin etc.
2. Nitroglycerine semi – gelatin. Ex – Belex.
3. Nitroglycerine powder. Ex – Hectorite.
4. ANFO explosive.
5. Slurry explosive.
6. LOX.
7. Primer explosive.
EXPLAIN OVERBURDEN EXCAVATION AND DISPOSAL OF OVERBURDEN IN OPENING UP OF THE

DEPOSIT.
OVERBURDEN EXCAVATION
The removal of overburden is an operation in opencast mine. The method of excavation at removal of
overburden mainly depends upon the following factors
1. Thickness of overburden.
2. Depth of overburden.
3. Dip of overburden.
4. Geotechnical parameter such as fold, fault.
5. Watery condition.
The machine required for excavating the overburden such as shovel, dragline, bucket wheel excavator front end
loader also depend upon geotechnical & geophysical characteristic such as hardness, porosity, strength etc. all
this factor is very important for excavating the overburden & dispose of outside of the pit or work out areas.
DISPOSAL OF O/B
1. This type of practice is generally adopted in following condition
2. When the deposit is thick & steeply inclined.
3. Deposit occur in hilly area.
51 | P a g e
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4. When river, lake lying in the area to be connected with agriculture purpose.
5. For making the extensive removal of overburden to obtain large amount of production.
6. Removal & disposal of overburden from pit may be practice.
Disposal of O/b are of two type
1. Overcasting
2. And side casting
LIST THE VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS CAUSED BY LARGE OPENCAST MINES.

IMPACTS OF O/c MINING
1. Strip mining destroys landscapes, forests and wildlife habitats at the site of the mine when trees, plants,
and topsoil are cleared from the mining area. This in turn leads to soil erosion and destruction of
agricultural land.
2. When rain washes the loosened top soil into streams, sediments pollute waterways. This can hurt fish
and smother plant life downstream, and cause disfiguration of river channels and streams, which leads
to flooding.
3. There is an increased risk of chemical contamination of ground water when minerals in upturned earth
seep into the water table, and watersheds are destroyed when disfigured land loses the water it once
held.
4. Strip mining causes dust and noise pollution when top soil is disrupted with heavy machinery and coal
dust is created in mines.
COMMON HEALTH THREATS POSED BY COAL MINING:
1. Pneumoconiosis, aka black lung disease or CWP, is caused when miners breathe in coal dust and carbon,
which harden the lungs. Estimates show that 1,200 people in the US still die from black lung disease
annually. The situation in developing countries is even worse.
2. Cardiopulmonary disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypertension, lung disease, and
kidney disease have been found in higher-than-normal rates among residents who live near coal mines,
according to a 2001 US study.
3. Toxic levels of arsenic, fluorine, mercury, and selenium are emitted by coal fires, entering the air and the
food chain of those living nearby.
4. Mine collapses and accidents kill thousands of workers around the world every year. Chinese coal mine
accidents killed 4,700 people in 2006.
STATE VARIOUS UNIT OPERATIONS INVOLVED IN OPEN CAST MINING AND OPEN CUT MINING.
UNIT OPERATIONS INVOLVED (IMP*)
1. Site preparation.
2. Drilling & blasting
3. Removal of overburden.
4. Excavation & loading & its transportation.
5. Reclamation of mined out land.
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SESSION – 2017-18
SITE PREPARATION
1. The process consists of felling of tree, if any & their removal & removal of top soil & subsoil & their
storage for reuse after the mining operation are over.
2. The equipment that are commonly required for site preparation are following: scraper, bull dozers &
front end loaders etc.
3. Bulldozer are used for uprooting & removal of stumps of trees. The top soil is scraped for uprooting &
removal of stumps of trees.
4. The top soil is scraped by scraper & the subsoil by the front end loader/wheel loader.
5. The top soil or sub soil thus removed are kept stacked separately for use in the reclamation phase.
6. If the site has water in low lying areas, the dewatering should be done & drainage system should be so
organized that the inflow of water to the sire is prevented.
DRILLING & BLASTING
1. Blasting is often needed in coal also & in this case also sufficient quantities of coal are blasted at a time
so that stoppage of loading will not stop for want of blasted coal.
2. Also coal benches should be exposed sufficiently in advance to permit drilling & blasting to be done in
coal well before the blasting coal has been loaded out from the earlier strip.
3. In order words drilling & blasting in coal & loading out of coal must proceed ahead in step or must be
matched to get maximum utilization & operation efficiency of the various equipment used in the mine.
4. Detailed planning based on realistic input data will be necessary to arrive at the system preferably by
computer simulation.
REMOVAL OF OVERBURDEN
Overburden material may be removed by:
1. Dragline casting the material into mined out area.
2. Shovels loading out the material into the trucks which in turn dump the material at inside or outside
dumps.
3. Dragline, shovel & dumper combination
4. Shovel loading into rail wagon which are hauled out by locomotive.
5. Loading into conveyor by shovel/draglines/bucket wheel excavators.
LOADING & TRANSPORTATION
1. In the manual mining coal used to be loaded manually into tubs which were hauled out of the mine by
rope haulage.
2. Nowadays in mechanized mines coal is loaded by loading shovels, hydraulic excavator or wheel loaders
into truck which carry the coal to a central screening plant or alternatively coal may be loaded into
conveyor for out by transport.
3. In lignite mine usually the bucket wheel excavators & conveyor are used for lignite loading & transport.
53 | P a g e
SESSION – 2017-18
RECLAMATION
1. Reclamation is an integral part of coal production process. In fact, any system design should take into
consideration all the sub system of the production process.
2. i.e. site preparation drilling & blasting overburden removal, coal loading & reclamation to arrive at well-
designed mining system.
3. Reclamation process comprises the following: back filling regarding: surface stabilization & revegetation
& restoration.
4. Backfilling may be done by the equipment used for removal of overburden.
DESCRIBE IN BRIEF ENTRY SYSTEMS IN OPEN CAST MINES.

SINGLE ENTRY
When there is single route in vehicle working in mineral & vehicles working in overburden such a route is known
as single entry. The single entry system may be at one side of the boundary of the mine. All the vehicles move
on one route. The dumper carrying mineral & carrying the overburden moves on the same route. The other
machines are also carried by the same routes.
ADVANTAGES
1. Maintenance of single road is required easy.
2. All the vehicles can be checked from one place.
3. Supply of vehicle for removal of overburden or mineral can be regularized as per need.
DISADVANTAGE
1. The wear & tear of the road is more.
2. Regular maintenance of road is required.
3. If any accident happens the road system is shutdown.
4. The bench on vehicle carrying mineral is not proper.
DOUBLE ENTRY
When there are two separate route one for carrying mineral & another for O/b transportation such separate
route in open caste working is called as double entry. The vehicles transportation mineral from the opencast
working move on one independent route. Similarly, the vehicle transporting the broken O/b is carried on the
second independent route such arrangement is called double entry.
ADVANTAGE
1. Limited number of vehicles & machines move on any one route.
2. There is less interference of vehicle as it moves to specific route.
3. The failure of vehicle won’t affect the other vehicle as they can be shifted to other route.
4. The perfect record & check can be kept on vehicles movement.
5. Accurate record of mineral vehicle can be kept.
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SESSION – 2017-18
SPIRAL ENTRY
The route loading from surface O/c working will have more rise & more dip, the movement of vehicles is not
possible. The vehicle control is not possible in down direction.
A circular route is used in place of straight route in the up direction or down direction. Thus the routes with
circular bend are used to reduce the raise dip of the road. When route with circular bend & moderate dip raise
driven to attend the required depth height respectively such route is known as spiral entry.
ADVANTAGE
1. The movement of the vehicle is made easy.
2. The vehicle can be carry more loads.
3. The movement of vehicle is well controlled by brakes.
DISADVANTAGE
1. There is more ware & tear of the route.
2. Bench width is to be kept more.
3. Failure of vehicle will be cause the traffic on other vehicle.
EXPLAIN CONTROLLED BLASTING TECHNIQUE.

EXPLAIN MUFFLED BLASTING.
EXPLAIN FOLLOWING: BULK EXPLOSIVE SYSTEM, COLUMN CHARGING AND DECK CHARGING.
WRITE ABOUT CONTROLLED BLASTING TECHNIQUES AND SECONDARY BLASTING IN OPENCAST
MINES.
EXPLAIN COLUMN CHARGE.
DECK CHARGING
CONTROLLED BLASTING
It is method to reduce the fracturing of rocks at the boundary at excavation. There are four techniques for
controlled blasting
LINE DRILLING
Line drilling is the earliest method which involves drilling a row of closely spaced holes along the final
excavation line, providing a plane of weakness along which to break. Line drill holes, about 9 m depth, 50-75
mm dia, spaced 2-4 diameters apart and contains no explosive. The adjacent holes are loaded lighter and are
closer spacing. The cost of drilling is high but it minimizes damage to final wall.
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SESSION – 2017-18
PRE-SPLITTING
Pre-splitting involves a single row of holes, usually 50-100mm dia, drilled along the final excavation at a spacing
of 6-12 borehole diameter. The pre-split holes are fired before the adjacent primary holes to provide a fracture
plane to which the primary blast can break. It is seldom done belowground.
CUSHION BLASTING
Cushion blasting is technique in certain circumstances by an experienced shotfirer in which, instead of inserting
the stemming right up to the last cartridge, an air gap is left between the outer end of the charge and the strata
of the stemming during blasting operation. The length of the stemming should be approximately equal to that
of the charge and stemmed right up to the end of the hole as right as possible. Good quality of stemming
essential to prevent blown-out shots. The effect of the air-gap is to spread the energy greater area and so lower
the intensity of the blow.
It involves drilling a row of holes of 52-150mm di. Bore hole along final excavation. The explosive loading is
similar to the presplitting. Cushion blasting has been done up to a depth of 30m in single blast. Generally, the
dia of explosive are 1/2th the di. Of the blast hole. The explosive is generally lowered in to the hole by attaching
with detonating cord. The remaining air space in the hole I the packed with steaming material.
This technique has the following a
1. It can be used for blasting thin layers of roof ripping or floor dinting, roadway.
2. Less explosives are used as charges are lighter.
3. This is useful in seams containing friable dirt bands as the dirt is broken into large pieces making
separation easier.
SMOOTH BLASTING
It is the underground counterpart of cushion blasting. It differs from cushion blasting in that (a) except the
collar, the charges are not stemmed, and (b) the perimeter holes are fired on the last delay in the same round
as the perimeter blast. Total column loading is most common, although spacers may be used. Smooth blasting
reduces over break in a drift, and provides a more competent roof, requiring less support.
SECONDARY BLASTING TECHNIQUE
In opencast blasting the higher benches are broken & does not required fragmentation. This large bench create
problem for loading. The explosive by machine. So the remaining block are blasted by another blast known as
secondary blasting. These are as follow.
POP SHOOTING
The boulders are to be selected first and shall be marked for drilling holes. The number of holes to be drilled
depends upon the size, shape, type and placement of rock boulders. The depth of hole shall be around 2/3rdto
3/4th size of the rock. Insert cap sensitive cartridge explosive into it (generally 200 gm of explosive for every
cubic metre of the boulder) and fire after taking due precautionary measure
56 | P a g e
SESSION – 2017-18
For pop shooting, a hole is normally drilled just beyond the center of the boulder to be broken. With some kinds
of rocks, however, shotholes 30 cm deep are sufficient to break every large boulder.
The charge varies with the size of the boulder but, for average conditions, a boulder 90 cm x 60 cm x 60 cm
requires a charge of about 130 g of Special Gelatine-80% strength. The shots can be fired using either safety
fuse and plain detonators or electric detonators.
If electric shotfiring is practiced the electric detonators are connected in series and the shots are fired
simultaneously. It is necessary to withdraw mechanical loading equipment to a safe distance, since there is
considerable scattering of rocks when firing pop shots.
PLASTER SHOOTING
Plaster shooting provides a ready means of breaking even large boulders in circumstances where drilling is
difficult or expensive A velocity, high-strength gelatin type explosive is most suitable for his work. A charge of
one or more cartridges/slabs is primed with a detonator and safety fuse, or an electric detonator, and laid on
the surface of the boulder. It is then covered with a shovelful of plastic clay, which pressed into position by
hand. It is advantageous to wet the surface of stone before plastering, and the clay should be well pressed
down so the it is in good contact with the surface of stone around the explosive. In plaster shooting, the
charges used are about four times those required for pop shooting.
DECK CHARGING
Deck charging will yield less oversized lump and also it will have smaller uncontrolled zone of rock breaking,
generally in the lower part of the hole 2/3rd of the charge of
high strength and density explosive is placed and the
remaining 1/3rd charge may be divided into one, two or
three supplementary charges in the middle and in the upper
parts of the holes. The explosive for the supplementary
charges may be low strength and low density type. The
number of decks and the length of the air gaps which are
left all along the length of the holes depends up the
minimum permissible length of stemming (which may be
reduced by 15 to 25% in this case). The length of the air gap
between the deck may be equal to the 20% to 35 percent of
the length of the charge or distance between the deck
charge is filled with steaming material of stemming length 60to 80% of the length of the charge.
ADVANTAGES
1. Each cartage is in contact with Cordtex or Nonel.
2. The method should be utilized to control the ground vibration.
3. The explosive charge is separate into each section to obtain better rock fragmentation.
4. On blasting the charge with air interval result is more intense fragmentation of rock due to interaction
of blasting waves.
57 | P a g e
SESSION – 2017-18
MUFFLED BLASTING
In case of blasting in congested area, muffled or covering of blast holes properly before blasting, is the common
solution to prevent fly rock from damaging human habitants & structures, generally mat or mesh (40mm x
40mm size) made of preferably of locally available steel ropes (5 – 6 mm) are used for muffling purpose. Sand
bags weighting 40-50kg are kept over the mesh at an interval of 3m. rolls of mesh should be kept over rows of
holes in such a way that strip of mesh overlaps each other. It is a good practice to keep a portion of mat or
mesh hanging over the free face to content fly rock from escaping from the free face as well. It is to be seen, no
blast area is kept uncovered with the mat or mesh & sand bag replaced properly. Efficiency of arresting of fly
rock depends mainly on the quality of muffled system implemented.
EXPLAIN SINGLE ROW AND MULTI ROW BLASTING. (IMP*****)

EXPLAIN SEQUENCE OF BLASTING IN SINGLE ROW AND MULTIROW BLASTING.
SINGLE ROW BLASTING
In open caste coal mine both the vertical or inclined

holes’ parallel with the bench face is practiced.
Decision to choice among the single row or multiple
row drilling & blasting mainly depends on firing
sequence, quality of fragmentation desired, shape
of the muck pile wanted & factors of working on the
bench toe. Single short with delay firing generally
implement in small mines with narrow working
berms of bench & also to reduce the over crushing
of the products. This type of firing generally yields
more oversized boulder & less amount of yield compare to multi row short delay firing. In single firing the
following pattern may be used.
1. The alternate delay pattern. It is used for soft rock formation.
2. Consecutive short delay pattern. It is used for rock with medium hardness.
3. Short delay firing with a cut is applied for hard rock formation.
MULTIPLE ROW
In multi row blasts, while in-line firing systems are also used, a large number of other patterns are available
which provide better fragmentation and blasting efficiency by varying the effective burden BE and spacing
Sesame examples are shown in the fig. 32. Fig. 32(b) shows the ‘V' shape delay initiation pattern using cord
delays of 17/25 ms delays.be achieved, the condition of new free faces, elimination of toe problems etc.
58 | P a g e
SESSION – 2017-18
FLAT FACE DELAY PATTERN – It is clearly explained in the fig. 29 and number
against each hole shows the order of 32. In this fig. 29 the detonation by the
ms delay detonator and the arrows show the direction movement of muck
piles. This type of delay pattern is not very much effective for achieving the
good fragmentation. This type of pattern can be used with the square,
rectangular or staggered drill pattern.
THE 'V' PATTERN – The various types of 'V" pattern are shown in the fig. 30
and 32. This type of patterns are useful for any type of rocks and may be
used with the square, rectangular or staggered hole pattern However
rectangular or square grids are more common. In case of rectangular grid
spacing is more compared to the burden.
THE ECHELON PATTERN – Whenever a 2nd free face is available the outside
corner and when better fragmentation and displacement are required then
this pattern is introduced (Fig. 31).
DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN OPEN CAST MINING AND OPEN PIT

MINING. (IMP**)
OPEN CAST OPEN PIT
The production rate is of large scale. The production rate is smaller scale as
compare to opencast.
The productivity is very high. The productivity is fairly high.
The capital investment is high. The capital investment is fairly high.
The development rate is rapid. The development rate is fairly rapid.
The selectivity of the opencast is low The selectivity of the open pit is fairly low.
The recovery of capital is high. The recovery of capital is fairly low.
The flexibility of this method is high The flexibility of this method is moderate.
The stability of opening is very high. The stability of opening is fairly high.
Environmental risk is very high. Environmental risk is high.
Disposal of waste is minor . Disposal of waste is extensive.
Mining cost is 10%. Mining cost is 5%.
59 | P a g e
SESSION – 2017-18
SUMMER 2014-2017
1. Explain different types of cut given by bucket wheel excavator. As 66

2. Write conditions for bulk explosive system. (IMP**)
3. State various blasting practices in open cast mining. Explain any one.
4. Explain bulk explosive system and bulk delivery system.
5. State various causes of ground vibrations.
6. Design a blast in mechanized opencast mine.
7. What are the various causes of Air blast in open cast mining? Ghatak 211
8. Explain in brief different initiation system used in opencast mines.
9. State the measures to be adopted for prevention and control of water pollution. Das 320
10. Explain column charge.
WINTER 2014-2016
1. Various consequences of ground vibrations due to blasting.

2. Describe in brief the bulk explosives and its advantages.
3. State the causes of degradation of land and its effects.
4. Suggest a suitable layout for limestone opencast mining. Assume your own conditions. Das 107
60 | P a g e

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NOTES BY – MD ALAM KHAN

SUBJECT – OCM SOLVED PAPER

SOLVED QUESTION PAPER 2014-2017

3NH4NO3 + CH2(x) – CO2 + 7H2O + 3N2 + HEAT

When, ANFO reacts with aluminum following process take places.

3NH4NO3 + 2Al – 6H2O + Al2O3 + 3N2 + HEAT

SLURRY EXPLOSIVE (IMP***)

COMPOSITION OF SLURRY EXPLOSIVE

SODIUM NITRATE 5-15

FLAKES OF ALUMINUM 2-5

MONOMETHYL AMMONIA NITRATE 20-30

GELLING AGENT 1-3

CROSS LINKING AGENT 0.05-0.15

EMULSION EXPLOSIVE (IMP*)

which pass through eh fast moving blender.

HEAVY ANFO (IMP*)

LOX (LIQUID OXYGEN EXPLOSIVE) (IMP*)

1. Small cartridge of dia 25mm – 90mm.

6. The sealed end is initiated by a detonator or detonating cord.

STATE THE FACTORS TO BE CONSIDERED FOR BLAST DESIGNING.

DESCRIBE IN BRIEF THE TRANSPORT OF EXPLOSIVES IN BULK & PRECAUTION. (IMP*****).

PRECAUTIONS IN BULK TRANSPORT

DISCUSS IN BRIEF THE AIR BLAST, THEIR CAUSES AND PREVENTION.

BULL DOZER (IMP*)

CONDITION FOR BULLDOZER

11. After sales service.

EXPLAIN APPLICABILITY CONDITIONS, CONSTRUCTION AND WORKING OF SURFACE MINER.

SURFACE MINER (IMP*****)

This crawler mounted machine has a rotating

BOX CUT ENTRY SYSTEM IN OPEN CAST MINES.

FACTORS DETERMINING THE CHOICE OF LAYOUT.

DISPOSAL OF OVERBURDEN. (***)

TANDEM SIDE CASTING

BURDEN AND SPACING.

COMPARE ROPE SHOVEL WITH HYDRAULIC SHOVEL.

MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE STRIPPING (IMP*)

STATE THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF OPEN CAST MINING.

12. High degree of mechanization is possible.

EXPLAIN VARIOUS BENCH PARAMETERS WITH NEAT SKETCH.

OPERATING PARAMETER OF SHOVEL

𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑡

𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 − 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 − 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟

𝑠𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 − 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 − 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟 − 𝑖𝑑𝑙𝑒 ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠

MAIN UNIT OF ROPE SHOVEL

COMPONENT OF THE DRAGLINE

BUCKET WHEEL EXCAVATOR

STATE THE SALIENT FEATURES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT. (IMP****)

Conferring powers on the Central Government to:

STATE THE PROVISIONS REGARDING HEIGHT OF BENCH AND WIDTH OF BENCH.

GIVE THE SAMPLE LAYOUT FOR IRON ORE DEPOSIT. (IMP***)

DRILLING & BLASTING

Width of the blasting hole = 3.

MANPOWER FOR DRILLING & BLASTING JOB

VARIOUS TYPE OF DUMPER USED IN OPEN CAST MINE

BOTTOM DISCHARGE DUMPER

WHAT IS RECLAMATION AND EXPLAIN THE METHOD OF RECLAMATION.

DESCRIBE IN BRIEF NON ELECTRIC IGNITION SYSTEM.

DESCRIBE QUARRAIBLE LIMIT AND ADVANTAGE OF QUARRY (OPEN CAST).

Manual quarrying 1.5:1

Where density of coal = 13t/m3

PRODUCTION AND PRODUCTIVITY

𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒 + 𝑑𝑥(𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑚3

1000 + 1.3 𝑥 1200 1000 + 1.3 𝑥 1200 2560

Hence estimated total manpower of the mine =335.