Surface Mining

This SME classic is both a reference book for the working engineer and a textbook for the mining student. This hardcover edition gives a brief history of surface mining and a general overview of the state of surface mining today--topics range from production and productivity to technological developments and trends in equipment. This extremely useful text takes the approach that exploration and mining geologists must be expert in a number of fields, including basic finance and economics, logistics, and pragmatic prospecting. Readers will find material on all these topics and more. The book's nine chapters include: Introduction, Exploration and Geology Techniques, Ore Reserve Estimation, Feasibility Studies and Project Financing, Planning and Design of Surface Mines, Mine Operations, Mine Capital and Operating Costs, Management and Organization, and Case Studies. The book is fully indexed.

This book gives a brief history and a general overview of the state of surface mining technology with topics ranging from the principles to surface mining methods, systems, and pit planning design. It starts with the definition of surface mine and ends with land reclamation and mine closure. The following chapters address the basics of mineral economics, calculation of stripping ratio; exploitation of difficult parts of ore deposits, slope stability, controlling falls and slides in the surface mines, sorts of freight traffic, scrapers, bulldozers, and loaders. The book serves as a reference text for mining students, engineers, and geologists.

In large surface mining operations, drilling and blasting activities constitute more than 15% of the total costs. In order to optimize performance and minimize costs, a thorough knowledge of drill and blast operations is, therefore, extremely important.In this unique reference volume, rotary blasthole drilling and surface blasting, as applied in la