MECHANIZED ROCK EXCAVATION WITH ATLAS COPCO

No 1 2006

Cold Spring Granites winning strategy Serving the giants of Alabama

ROC D7 SETS THE GOLD STANDARD

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

WHERE TO FIND US
Atlas Copco CMT USA Inc. has combined company stores and a distributor network to provide support for Atlas Copco customers across the USA. Below, Atlas Copco company stores.
State CO NV MA NH TN WI TN OR PA CA GA CA AZ IL VA TX City Denver Elko Ludlow Henniker Knoxville Milwaukee Nashville Portland Clark's Summit San Diego Atlanta Sacramento Tucson Chicago Roanoke Grand Prairie Phone 303 287 8822 775 777 2204 413 589 7439 603 428 6500 865 673 0344 414 760 1193 615 641 3000 503 459 4145 570 587 7040 866 374 5757 770 819 1203 916 655 3005 520 834 0400 815 467 8166 540 362 3321 972 337 9805

Our focus is service

TO FIND A DISTRIBUTOR NEAR YOU SIMPLY CONTACT YOUR NEAREST ATLAS COPCO STORE.
In addition to the locations listed above, Atlas Copco has Customer Centers providing a range of other products. These are: Atlas Copco Compressors Inc. Air Compressors Gen Sets Phone: 413 536 0600

Atlas Copco CTO Inc. Heavy Hydraulic Breakers Demolition Equipment Hand Held Pneumatic Rock Drills Phone: 800 760 4049

Atlas Copco Exploration Products Diamond Drills Core Bits, Barrels and Rods Phone: 800 244 1260

ts an exciting time in our business. We are experiencing strong growth in almost every area, from quarries and mining to construction and infrastructure development. To meet the unprecedented boom in the drilling business, we are working hard to streamline processes and systems to serve you better. Our focus is to develop our capabilities to keep you working productively. To meet your service needs, we are recruiting and training new mechanics and parts personnel so we can respond more rapidly to your requests. These people are located across the country at our customer centers, with independent distributors, and at our new parts distribution center. This new center in Allen, Texas will be the most signicant physical change that will affect our focus on service, enabling us to meet your needs for parts faster and more efficiently. Why are we investing so heavily in the parts business? Because we know that if your drill rig isnt working, youre not making money. As we move to complete the investments in infrastructure and systems that will provide you with efficient access to the parts you need, I would like to stress the importance of using genuine replacement parts and service and its role in providing you with performance solutions. Atlas Copco replacement parts and service are designed to help you get the most out of your equipment in both availabilty and drilling costs. By carefully monitoring the performance of our parts and services programs, we have a feed-back loop for continuous improvement that not only allows us to upgrade existing equipment but also to use this information to design better equipment for the future. Our engineers are working continuously to combine the latest technological innovations with the expertise we have developed over more than a century of designing equipment for the mining and construction industry. We already have models in the eld that constantly monitor selected operating parameters and report this information via satellite. Our service experts can also trouble-shoot these systems remotely while in telephone contact with the driller on site. I can foresee a time in the not-to-distant future when we will be able to identify potential problems and replace parts before failure occurs, making breakdowns a thing of the past. In keeping with our policy of involving our customers in the design process, we are convinced that we will continue to provide you with equipment that will give you the edge over your competitors. Nobody knows more about drilling than you do and I want to take this opportunity to thank you for working in our development teams.

TORBJORN REDAELLI
President Atlas Copco CMT USA Inc.

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

US MINING & CONSTRUCTION
is published by Atlas Copco CMT USA Inc. The magazine focuses on the companys products and their uses in drilling, boring, rock reinforcement and loading and transport of broken rock.
Published by Atlas Copco CMT USA Inc 3700 E. 68th Avenue Commerce City, CO 80022 www.atlascopco.com Telephone 303 287 8822 Fax 303 288 8828 Publisher Lorne Herron e-mail lorne.herron@atlascopco.com Managing Editor Terry Greenwood e-mail terry@greenwood.se Contributing Editor Scott Ellenbecker e-mail scott@drillstories.com Editorial Advisory Board Lorne Herron, Scott Ellenbecker, Darwin Holler, Brent Bissell, Jennifer Tremblay Editorial Production, Design & Layout Greenwood Communications AB Box 49021, SE-100 28 Stockholm, Sweden Telephone +46 8 411 85 11 Fax +46 8 411 07 14 Internet www.greenwood.se Printed By Modintryckoffset Stockholm Sweden ISSN 0284-8201 Free reproduction of articles
All product names such as Boomer, Boltec, ROC, Coprod, Scooptram, SmartRig and Swellex are registered atlas Copco trademarks. However all material in this publication including the product names may be reproduced or referred to free of charge. For artwork or additional information please contact Atlas Copco.

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I N S I D E
No 1 2006
PAG E 4 - 6 PAGE 8-9 PA G E 1 0 - 1 5 PAGE 16-17 PA G E 1 8 - 1 9 PA G E 2 0 - 2 1 PA G E 2 2

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C O L D S P R I N G G R A N I T E of Minnesota has got dimensional stone drilling down to a ne art with Atlas Copco equipment. ALABAMAS WORKHORSE How drilling contractor American Drilling serves two of the bigger quarrying companies in the US using T4 drill rigs. H O N O U R I N G T H E 1 , 0 0 0 T H M&C takes a look at the popular and versatile ROC D series as the 1,000th unit goes stateside. CLOSE AT HAND Australias CSA Copper Mine chooses a full-maintenance service package to keep its drilling eet in peak condition. G O I N G D E P S I N T H E M I D AT L A N T I C The difficult ground conditions at a Madeira bridge construction site are turned around by the use of DEPS. SWELLEX SECURES MANHATTEN Hundreds of feet below New York, Swellex bolts are holding the ground in the Big Apples new water system. T E N T I M E S T H R O U G H T H E E A R T H Swedish drilling veteran Carl Gustav Fors looks back on forty years of drilling.

PA G E 2 3 - 2 5 WAT E R F O R A L G I E R S Self Drilling Anchors solve a difficult task of slope stabilization at the Koudiat Acerdoune dam in Algeria. PA G E 2 6 - 2 7 T WO FUNCTIONS, ONE RIG The rst cable bolting rig in South America brings improved efficiency to the Michilla mine in Chile. PA G E 2 8 - 2 9 GRIND MATIC JAZZ Tuning up bit grinding performance for Brittanys quarrymen.

D E PA R T M E N T S
PAGE 7 PAGE 30-31 PAGE 31 PRODUCTS & PROGRESS MARKETPLACE IN BRIEF

ON THE COVER Radio remote control with a ROC D7 RRC allows the operator to work at a safe distance for Maine Drilling & Blasting. PAG E S 1 2 - 1 3
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MINING & CONSTRUCTION

MODERN METHODS F

Dimensional stone quarrying uses three main drills. A slot drill performs vertical drilling from above to separate the slab from the sides and back of the bench. Two custom-built drills by Cold Spring Granite make the lateral cuts at the base of the slab. A cross bit is expected to drill 400 600 feet in its lifetime.

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

OR AN ANCIENT ART
Modern drilling equipment and dedicated technical support compliment the ancient art of stone quarrying at Cold Spring Granite. Its a combination that provides a solid foundation for a winning strategy.
old Spring Granite is one of the largest dimensional stone companies in the US, quarrying 31 colors of granite in their 28 quarries. Add to that the stone they market from other quarries worldwide, and Cold Springs product offering totals 450 colors and varieties of dimensional stone. With quarries operating across the country from New York to Texas to California and in its home state of Minnesota Cold Spring Granite has a winning strategy that has been proven by its industry leading position. As an industry, dimensional stone cutting is older than the pyramids. Mark Roettger, General Manager of Quarry Operations for Cold Spring Granite says: The principles have stayed the same, but rening the processes has increased production. The one constant is how stone is quarried. Drilling is still the method of choice for getting straight cuts, and rope sawing adds benets in some applications, but for the most part, the process hasnt changed. Because the process has remained much the same over time, success must come from other parts of the business. What sets Cold Springs quarry business apart is how it implements efficiencies in processes and works with suppliers to manage their business.

General Manager Mark Roettger: Its all about what we can do together to work smarter.

Process and product Large granite blocks, or slabs, are cut and trimmed for uniformity and moved to a staging area, or to the processing plant. Cold Spring ships these huge slabs from all over the world to its facility in Cold Spring, Minnesota, for processing. Using a slot drill, vertical holes are

drilled from the top of what will be a large block or slab. Horizontal holes are then drilled at the base of this block. A rope saw can also be used to slice off large sections. Holes at the base of the slab are drilled at a distance necessary for that formation to cause a man-made aw in the rock. A small explosive charge is placed in the base holes to dislodge the section. From there, it is moved away from the face to be trimmed. Explosive is a bad word in our business, says Roettger. We only use a small charge to dislodge the slab. Too much explosive causes fracturing in the stone, which would cut down on usable product. As it is, a large amount of quarried rock is not usable. In some quarries, there can be as much as 85% of the product taken out of the ground that is unusable. Cold Springs quarry has the high-

est percentage of usable granite in the Rockville, MN quarry; as much as 37% of the product is usable. The slab is cut off of the face using a rope saw or drill. Both are used in the process, but the saw works much faster, cutting up to 150 feet an hour in comparison to 50 feet an hour with a drill. Cold Spring uses bits in the range of 1 1/4 to 3 inches as well as mostly T38 threads and 7/8 inch HEX taper rods. Rods are ordered mostly in 18 and 20 foot lengths. Cross bits are generally used and these are expected to drill 400 600 feet with sharpening every 20 to 30 feet, depending on the makeup of the rock. Focus on partnership Cold Spring has been in operation for more than 100 years, but Roettger says that business has changed light years in just the last ten [years].
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This relationship with [Atlas Copco] Secoroc, says Roettger, comes down to cost per linear foot. No one else gives us the technical support and education we need on the product and process. Quality and process Even though 25 percent of the guys working in the quarry at Cold Spring have 25 years or more experience, in order to stay sharp they are always focusing on education, improved practices, and teamwork to maintain a higher level of efficiency and productivity. Jerry Enyeart, District Manager for Atlas Copco says: Training is not as much about learning new techniques, but revisiting the basics and sharing experiences. Over time, bad habits and shortcuts can cause the basics to be forgotten. Training usually starts off with a Drilling 101 which emphasizes the principles of rotation and proper ushing, and this opens up discussion between drillers. Enyeart says: These guys are real professionals, yet they often work alone. Opening up a dialog lets them share situations so everyone can benet from the knowledge of the group. Training on bit performance and sharpening is another focus area. To get better bit life, a driller needs to know when to change bits. Too much time on a bit makes it more difficult to get a good edge. Sharpening a bit that has gone past the right time requires ex-

In operation since the 1970s: Cold Springs Rockville, MN quarry produces stone predominately for memorials and architectural purposes.

Changes have come both through technology and management styles. Todays product is not stored as inventory. Cold Spring keeps no more than 25,000 cubic feet in inventory at their Rockville location at any one time. Its about being efficient, says Roettger. Inventory is also a bad word around here. In the past, the company would keep all quarries working. Today the equipment and manpower is portable. If you are not portable, youre not in business, says Roettger. One location will temporarily cease operation and the crew will travel to quarry raw product where needed. This practice has allowed Cold Spring to cycle 100 pieces of equipment out of op6

eration, which in turn means maintaining fewer machines with less people. Cold Springs engineering department, headed up by Jim Fuchs, has designed most of its own drill rigs. The trim drill, named Fuchs Drill by Cold Spring, is the most used piece of equipment in the quarry. There are 15 in operation. This crane-mounted drill allows the unit to be mobile, giving the boom sufficient swing coverage to trim an entire slab without repositioning again the focus is on efficiency. Efficiency also has a lot to do with the relationship with Atlas Copco. Twentyve years ago, Cold Spring Granite started working with Secoroc bits. Eight years ago, they went exclusively to Secoroc.

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

PR DUCTS PROGRESS

cessive grinding taking life out of the bit. To maintain a higher level of productivity, Atlas Copco also works with Cold Spring to perform rig audits. Drill inspections focus on things like the drilling processes of the hammer, feed alignment, proper drill settings and air pressure. Training and audits help to reduce costs. Cold Spring does this better than anyone else, says Enyeart. They do it right, focusing on disciplines and basics. Paying attention to the details helps Cold Spring lower their costs. One thing Cold Spring does to monitor and manage its business is to initiate Continuous Improvement Teams (CIT). If there is an issue with a drill, they assign other drillers, as well as other employees, to offer a different perspective, and attack the problem. This team will work on a problem, test solutions, and work on the follow through. Enyeart says: We work on issues for Cold Spring, but often their CIT has tackled the problem before we can get back to them. The relationship between Cold Spring and Atlas Copco is, as Enyeart and Roettger agree, a partnership. Forty-ve percent of our operating cost is labor, says Roettger, and that is not going to change, because good people cost money. Its all about how to get the most cost out of everything we do. Our partnership with Atlas Copco isnt about what a bit or rod costs, its about what we can do toM &C 1 06 gether to work smarter.

REACHING FOR THE THIRD DIMENSION

A new dimension in the positioning and set-up of a production drill rig will help to optimize the ore-to-waste ratio at a newly discovered deposit at the Garpenberg mine in Sweden.
olidens Garpenberg operation which mines more than one million tonnes of zinc, lead, copper and gold-bearing ore annually, is introducing a new dimension in drilling precision for a newly discovered deposit. The focus for the new development is on accuracy and efficiency, and to meet the challenge, the mine has installed the new Atlas Copco Simba M7C. This rig already has a solid reputation for fast and accurate drilling but now offers the highly advanced Mine Navigator system for positioning precision. This system enables the rigs control system (RCS) to be integrated into the mines co-ordinate system via a PC card. Using the laser line and the two pre-determined coordinates in the drill plan, the system is now able to identify the exact position of the rig, enabling it to drill the blast holes exactly towards the x, y, z position for the planned hole bottom. This third dimension optimizes the

ore-to-waste ratio by minimizing the risk of overbreak around the orebodys irregular boundaries. The new Simba, along with an Atlas Copco Boomer L2C30, equipped with the super-fast COP 3038 rock drill, arrived at the site earlier this year. Lars Bergqvist, Project Manager for the new orebody, says: Achieving the planned start and hole bottom locations of our blast holes is essential to obtaining optimum protability and the new Simba is helping us to do that. Patrick Ericsson, Atlas Copcos Marketing Manager for the Simba, adds: The new Mine Navigator system is an additional aid to getting optimum precision as it locates the starting and nishing points in the mines coordinate system with supreme accuracy. We believe this is a landmark for accurate drilling at Garpenberg that takes long-hole drilling to a whole new level M &C 1 06 of precision.

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

DRILLING FOR THE GIANTS IN DIXIE

American Drilling of Alabama serves two of the biggest quarrying companies in the US. M&C nds out how mobility is the key to effective drilling, helping the company to deliver on time and on budget.

he principle reason for choosing an Atlas Copco T4BH drill rig is mobility. That mobility may be necessary either between quarries or within a quarry. American Drilling of Alabaster, Alabama, covers the state, contract drilling everything from residential water wells to large quarries. However, the bulk of the business is commercial quarry drilling. The company works in 12 different quarries in a 120-mile radius of its home base, with one quarry alone having 33 working faces. The T4BHs rubber tire mobility is its primary reason for high productivity according to Michael Poskey, owner and manager of drilling operations, American Drilling.

Partnerships Lafarge North America, Inc. and Vulcan Materials Company are two of the largest quarrying companies in the country. Lafarge is the US and Canadas
8

largest diversied supplier of construction materials, cement and cement related products, ready mix concrete, gypsum wallboard, aggregate, asphalt and concrete products. The companys products are used in residential, commercial, institutional and public works construction across the US and Canada. American Drilling has signed on to put 26,000 tons of rock on the ground a day. Right now that means running two T4s and a DM30 per quarry. If there is bad weather or a delay for some other reason, Poskey says he will pull drills off another job to compensate for the loss in production. Butch Poskey, founder of American Drilling, says: The secret is to deal with any issues right away not that there are problems but we wouldnt want anything to fester. Poskey compliments Lafarge for their understanding of the quarry. These guys have this down to a science, he says.

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

One of American Drillings Atlas Copco T4BH drill rigs, drilling blast holes on the bench at Lafarges Calera quarry, just south of Birmingham Al.

They will shave aggregate off the edge of the bench exposing the high chemical content stone. When the rock doesnt have the chemical makeup necessary to meet the specications, they bring in nes prior to the shot to increase the nal quality of the material to be hauled out. The shaving of the bench creates a slope. Sometimes the slopes incline is too great for the T4BH, and the DM30 needs to be brought in, but much of the time the T4BH can handle it, Poskey adds. Maximizing efficiency with T4 The folks at Lafarge had never seen a T4 do what we make them do, and there is no way we could get the production we do without the T4, says Poskey. Looking at fuel alone, the T4BH uses 14 gallons an hour, whereas the crawlers previously used in this quarry used 27 gallons an hour. That decreased the fuel consumption by 5 to 6 cents a ton. Each shot will have an average of sixty-ve, 5 1/2 inch holes, but sometimes its up to eighty. Lafarge preps the site with a dozer, cutting the bench down or cleaning it up. The bench is laid out with holes drilled with a 15-foot burden and 18-foot spacing. The average bench will be about 40-feet deep. American Drilling drills approximately 90% of the pattern with the T4BH. The DM30 will nish up the holes at the edge of the bench when the slope requires it. This also allows the T4BH to advance to the next face. Tramming a crawler rig around a quarry takes time. We focus on production, which could mean on average anywhere from 110 to 160 feet an hour with a T4, says Poskey. I may get a slightly greater penetration with the DM30, but the savings in time, fuel and maintenance more than compensates for the loss in footage. This particular quarry averages 110 to 115 feet, depending on the face and formation, but an hour up the road a T4BH gets 275 feet an hour. With 33 working faces in this Alabama

The Poskeys: Charlie, Butch and Michael (left to right). Butch Poskey says the business works because the family has a team approach to getting the work done.

FAMILY TRADITION T
he family owned business started in 1984, when Butch Poskey was presented the idea of purchasing the company from a friend. Since then he and his wife Sue and their two sons Michael and Charlie have grown the business to be a highly efficient and respected operation. Today they run 13 drills and six cranes. The T4 both blast hole and water well models are the workhorses for American Drilling with seven in the eet. Youngest son Michael runs the daily operations for the drilling side of the business, and Charlie runs the crane

rental business. Butch Poskey, the patriarch of the family, does pretty much whatever he wants, says Michael. What that means is that Butch and Sue built the business and taught their sons to be good businessmen. Butch will ramrod a project, deliver a drill or whatever needs to get done, but it is quite obvious he trusts his sons to make things happen. It works because we work together, says the proud father, who also says his customers respect them because of their commitment to detail. We dot the is and cross the ts and do what we M &C 1 06 say we are going to do.

quarry, moving time must be kept to a minimum. And because the crews are paid bonuses based on footage, the drillers dont want to waste time tramming either. Tramming takes time from drilling, but maintenance is also time away from drilling. We do 99% of all our own service work, says Poskey, who would rather work with the T4BH than a crawler because of the simplicity of maintenance on a rubber tire rig compared to an undercarriage rig. Because the drilling must be close to the edge of the bench on a slope from 27 to 30 degrees the T4BH isnt always the best solution. According to Poskey,

98% of the time the T4BH can do the job. Because mobility is so important to American Drilling, they have structured a drill solution that works for them. One solution wont work for everyone, but because of the scope of the business, the T4BH is the drill that gets the job done. The mobility of the T4BH gives American Drilling the drill rig that makes that possible. Poskey says they will bring drills in from other parts of the state and work overtime if need be. He says, If the customer wants to do a shot on Wednesday, and I tell them we will have a shot ready to go Wednesday, M &C 1 06 it will happen.

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

Top Shelf Drilling/The H&K Group, USA is the proud owner of the 1000th Atlas Copco ROC D series surface drill rig. From left: Jason Blais, Mid Atlantic Sales Manager; Thomas Kelley, Quarry and Contractor Sales Manager; Jack Kibblehouse, H&K Group; Mark Stewart, Business Line Manager, Atlas Copco USA; John Haines, H&K Group; Robert Kountz, President Quarry & Contractor Equipment & Supply Company.

ROC D series

The drillers choice

Since its introduction in 1999 the ROC D series crawler drill rigs have become the gold standard among drillers for hole diameters 2 1/2 to 4 as celebrated by the sale of the 1,000th unit in January 2006. Versatility and reliability have been the two main reasons for this remarkable success.
s Atlas Copco recognizes the milestone of the 1,000th D series drill rig sold, the company wishes to thank all customers around the world who have found the ROC D series to be the right drill for them. Atlas Copco also recognizes Top Shelf Drilling of the H&K Group from Skippack, Pennsylvania, for its purchase

of the 1,000th unit. In total, Top Shelf has 12 Atlas Copco blast hole and crawler drill rigs working in quarries and on construction jobs. The 1000th rig a ROC D7-11 is the sixth Atlas Copco top hammer drill rig to be purchased by Top Shelf. The ROC D7, in its standard conguration has proven to be a agship for

Atlas Copco, but formations and projects vary and the the ROC D7 offers many adaptations to t a wide range of applications and conditions. To give readers an idea of how customers have requested variations in the ROC D7 rig, M&C highlights three companies and three projects illustrating how these rigs can differ from M &C 1 06 the standard D7-11.

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MINING & CONSTRUCTION

SINGLE PASS MASTER

CHOICE 1: Site preparation requiring less than 20 feet of rock to be removed, as in much of the Mid-Atlantic region the ROC D7 LM, long mast version, meets this need with single pass drilling.
wo occurrences, one natural and one man-made, have given rise to this version of the ROC D7. The Mid-Atlantic region of the United States is predominantly covered by surface rock. In addition, the booming construction market over the last 20 years isnt showing signs of letting up and a machine was needed that could work fast John Lazowicki, and offer cost effiTopShelf Drilling. ciencies based on the common shallow hole depth. The ROC D7-LM is designed for this region because most construction projects require some type of drilling and blasting, especially housing developments where most homes have basements. According to Atlas Copcos Mid-Atlantic Sales Manager Jason Blais 85% of the construction work in this area requires a hole depth of nineteen feet or less. With its single-pass operation, and four foot longer than standard 20-foot drill steel, the long mast model was designed specically for working in this regions booming residential market. The standard D7-11 uses a 16 steel and seven 12 additions in the RHS (rod handling system). The LM allows a 20 steel and accommodates a single 12 or 14 addition in the RHS. Top Shelf orders their rigs with the COP 1840 top hammer. The benet of the D7-LM is two-fold: speed and longevity. In a 5-day workweek of eight-hour days, an operator can drill an average 8,000 feet of four-inch holes with the D7-LM. Time saving comes from the single pass operation. Saving time is a benet, but adding

The timesaver: The D7-LM with its single pass 20 foot steel on the Long Mast, increases overall productivity when most holes in the region are 19 feet or less.

life to the steel adds to the bottom line. Every time the drill string is broken or a rod is changed, stress is applied to the steel. Stress over time leads to breaks and cracks and ultimately, replacement of the steel. The advantage of a single pass hole reduces cost for consumable items such as drill rods. Top Shelf Drilling, of the H&K Group owns two D7-LM drill rigs. Although these are mainly construction drills, they are versatile enough to use any time deep cuts are required.

Drill Superintendent for Top Shelf, John Lazowicki says the D7-LM drills are used for everything from site preparation to utility anchors to wall stabilization to mining. He says H&K operates 30 quarries and he moves drills where needed based on the task. He is impressed with the footage he gets from the D7-LM. The H&K Group has 62 operations in 52 locations throughout the eastern half of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and MaryM &C 1 06 land.

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MINING & CONSTRUCTION

SAFETY FIRST WITH RA

CHOICE 2: Difficult and dangerous ground conditions where manned drilling operations are hazardous the ROC D7-11 with radio remote control offers a safe and effective alternative.
he ROC D7 RRC has been designed to tackle extreme ground conditions, such as those often encountered when drilling in New England. While the conguration of the machine lets it move easily in these conditions, it is the radio remote control system that lets the operator put himself at a safe distance, where he has an optimum view of the operation. Maine Drilling & Blasting (Maine Drilling) has 10 ROC D7 RRC rigs, with three more on order. These drills work in both quarry and construction applications, but the commonality is that they get the most rugged jobs. As stated by Terry Bower, Equipment Manager for Maine Drilling: Fifty percent of the time these drills work in winched situations. That is to say, the drill is hanging off its winch cable that has been anchored to a steel rod placed in another drill hole. Quite frankly, says Bower, the D7 gets the least desirable work, but because of the level of difficulty, these jobs are

most often recognized for our Job of the Month award. Bower pointed out that positioning is a major element in drilling undeveloped quarries. The remote control feature gives the operator the freedom to position the drill as needed to get the required hole pattern for the blast. Speaking of the ROC D7 RRC rig, Bower added: That rig is the closest thing you can come to a ground magnet. Maine Drillings operational slogan is safety starts with me and the steps they take to ensure safety exemplify it. Every day the job supervisor conducts a safety meeting, and once a year they have a company-wide meeting with one agenda item safety. The ROC D7 RRC ts this philosophy well. The remote function gives the operator the option to work away from the edge of a bench or other hazard. Bower also commented that the operator can stand away from the drill when in a conned area, reducing decibel levels as a safety concern.

The company with the slogan Safety Starts With Me: From left, Terry Bower and David Bijolle of Maine Drilling & Blasting with Atlas Copcos Martin Petranek. 12

Operators running the RRC rigs have all made the transition from the standard D7 cable controlled units, and caught on quickly to the remote control feature. The hardest thing to overcome was the feeling that you are no longer part of the drill, commented one operator.

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

DIO REMOTE CONTROL

The ROC D7 RRC, secured by its winch, tackles some difficult drilling at Henniker Stone in Henniker, New Hampshire.

The company offers turnkey services that include engineering, drilling and blasting, but also pre-blast surveys, public relations and claims management. Maine Drilling does everything from small construction to developing quarries and breaking ground on new infrastructure projects.

In total, Maine Drilling will have 95 drills working this summer. In addition to the radio remote control units, they also have non-cab, cable controlled D7 units, F series and ECM rigs. The companys coverage area includes New England and New York State, with ve local M &C 1 06 offices.

Operator David Bijolle controls all tramming and drilling functions of the Atlas Copco ROC D7 drill rig via the radio remote control unit. 13

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

The Atlas Copco ROC D7 Drilling tieback anchor holes at Dulles International Airport.

Business as usual: The anchoring project is carried out without disturbing air travelers using an overhead walkway that connects the terminals. Foreground, one of the walkways support columns.

WHEN SIZE REALLY MAT

CHOICE 3: Drilling anchor holes in the conned space of a cut-and-cover tunnel where a standard drill mast cannot be used the ROC D7-11 short feed version is the answer.
lark Construction, one of the most respected general contractors in the US, had a special request and needed a manufacturer that could help provide a solution. Clark has built everything from hotels to parking ramps to multi-family housing. When they bid on the Support of Excavation (SOE), tunnel and station construction project at the Washington Dulles International Airport, they knew drilling would be a major phase of the job requiring special equipment. Specically, the job offered space constraints for a standard drill feed system, allowing a maximum trench width of 20-feet. Vic Garza, Senior Superintendent for Clark, says that some thought the drilling

If we are drilling holes that means were making money: Vic Garza talking to Craig Mooney, Sales Representative for Atlas Copcos dealer Quarry & Contractor Equipment & Supply Company of Baltimore MD and Jason Blais. Atlas Copco Regional Sales Manager. 14

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

Glimpse of the future: Construction of the new train station viewed from a walkway.

TERS
would slow the project, but it soon became obvious that drilling was the fastest process on the project. We never wait for the drill to catch up, he says. Its just the opposite; the drill waits for everything else. Garza goes so far as to measure success by the drill. If we are drilling holes that means were making money, he adds. Equipment Superintendent, Dallas Beach came to Clark with underground drilling experience and knew what a drill would do. He just needed a drill that would physically t the project. He explains: We spoke to many manufacturers but Atlas Copco jumped up to the plate and was willing to talk

Atlas Copco jumped up to the plate.

Dallas Beach, Equipment Superintendent, Clark Construction.

about our special feed length need. He points out that it only took one week from the time it was rst discussed with the Atlas Copco sales representative to get the answer that it could be done. We placed our rst order about a month later, says Beach. In total, Clark has ordered three specially designed ROC D7s for this project. The difference is in the feed system. It had to be shortened to work in the 20foot wide trench. In total, Clark has had six ROC D7s working on this project and an ECM 370, including three standard ROC-D7-11 rentals. Atlas Copco drill rigs will be used to install bolts in the 5,000 feet of cut-and cover tunnels and 800 feet of NATM tunnels. Tunnels will encompass more than 6,775 linear feet of rock excavation averaging a depth of 50 feet. This construction will allow for the concrete work involved in casting the twin box tunnels and two stations. Approximately 69 miles of drilling and #9 rebar, 600,000 sq. ft. of 4,000 psi shotcrete and wire mesh will anchor the tunnel walls. The holes vary in depth depending on rock consistency. The rst bolts were placed as close as 3-ft to the surface. The longest bolts were 70 feet area with unstable ground. Some 15,000 rebar rock bolts will be used in the proM &C 1 06 ject.

A section of the tunnel for the inter-terminal rail link at Dulles Airport. 15

STREAMLINING SE
Full maintenance package to keep Australian mine eet up and running

The CSA team: (From left) Erwin Trichlin, Autoelectrician, Nick Lacko, CPML Simba L6 C operator, Kevin Martin, Senior Drill Technician, Cameron King, Boilermaker/Apprentice Fitter and Alan Sharpe, Contract Manager.

The CSA Copper Mine in Australia one of the richest copper ore deposits in the world has signed a three-year maintenance contract for its mine trucks and drill rigs as a key part of its continuous improvement program.
n the past the CSA Copper Mine, located in Cobar, New South Wales, has used separate maintenance contracts to take care of its eets of drill rigs and trucks. These service agreements were traditionally operated by thirdparty contractors. Today, in line with the mines philosophy of continuous improvement, a single service agreement

has been signed with Atlas Copco for all Atlas Copco equipment used at the mine. The CSA Copper Mine is owned and operated by Cobar Management Pty Ltd., (CMPL) which, since taking over the mine in 1999, has worked hard to maximise efficiency, leading to the recent streamlining of its servicing arrangements. The rst of the mines three Atlas Copco MT5010 mine trucks came with on-site support from the supplier. Says Nigel Slonker, General Manager of the mine: With the arrival of the three MT5010 trucks, we really found the greater skill levels from the OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] technicians to be more valuable to us. This view is shared by Damian McDonald, CMPLs Underground Hoisting and Maintenance Superintendent. He

says: We wanted consistency with the servicing arrangement, rather than having separate contracts with different suppliers for the drill rigs and trucks. The full-maintenance contract covers eight pieces of equipment three MT5010 mine trucks, two Rocket Boomer M2Ds, a Simba L6 C, a Boomer 282 and a Simba 357. The level of professionalism shown by the Atlas Copco technicians on the new trucks led

Its paying dividends we get very prompt action and response.

Nigel Slonker, General Manager, CSA Copper Mine.

16

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

Ryan Collett, Atlas Copco Service Technician, working on the Rocket Boomer M2D in the underground workshop.

ERVICE
the mine to extend OEM support to its eet of Atlas Copco drill rigs. The mine has been in existence since 1871, and according to Nigel Slonker, the mines age has brought with it some difficult working conditions. The current workings are more than 40 years old, and are around one mile deep. The hauling distance from the bottom of the decline to the crushing station is more than six miles. The mine is also hot, with high humidity and operates on multiple levels. The difficult conditions mean effective maintenance of the mines mobile eet is critical. Damian McDonald is keen to raise the eets availability to 85 percent, and believes Atlas Copcos presence on-site can achieve this. Damian comments: We required a professional, efficient maintenance management system for our mobile eet, with a strong customer focus. CMPL was also attracted to Atlas Copco due to the strength of its local support. According to McDonald, the local Cobar branch of Atlas Copco is committed to supplying customer service to the mine and, in turn, the branch is supported by Atlas Copcos national network. The previous contractor did a good job, but we felt that we needed to go to the next level of continuous improvement by bringing in the OEM, McDonald said. To support the contract, Atlas Copco has established an underground workshop at the mine, located on Level 11 approximately 3,200 feet underground. Atlas Copcos on-site team includes Alan Sharpe, Contract Manager for the site, and eight dedicated service technicians divided into three groups: a truck team, drill team and a 24-hour breakdown team. Each truck and rig is checked daily and scheduled services are carried out at pre-set intervals in the underground workshop. Since the start of the contract, the team has been making changes to the workshop to make it more usable and better equipped. The workshop has its own hydraulic hosemaking facilities and will soon have a sealed parts store. The store will keep Atlas Copco genuine parts comprising a mix of fast turnover parts plus service kits for scheduled servicing. Once a part or service kit is used, it
Nick Lacko, CMPL Simba L6 C Operator, changing a Secoroc bit on the Simba.

is re-ordered from the parts supply store at Atlas Copcos Cobar branch, ensuring stock availability levels. Atlas Copco has had a cost-per-foot contract for its Secoroc drilling consumables at the CSA Mine for the past seven years. This is a full-service contract that includes bits and drill rods for production and development drill rigs. Bit resharpening and rod refurbishment is carried out above ground in the on-site Secoroc workshop. Close support The Atlas Copco branch in Cobar has undergone rapid growth over the past few years, going from a two-person team to new premises with a more servicebased team of 19, which includes Service Manager Brett Lonergan, technicians, sales and administrative staff. The branch is equipped with a service workshop large enough to accommodate an MT5010 mine truck, in-house hosemaking facilities, a rock drill repair room and a high-pressure, high-ow hydraulic test unit for testing hydraulic rock drills and drilling functions. Servicing compo-

nents are also stocked along with spare parts. The store holds nearly 700 stock lines. In addition to the CSA Copper Mine, the Cobar branchs store also supports Atlas Copco equipment at other mines in the region including Peak Gold, Barrick Lake Cowell, Tritton and Newcrests Cadia Valley mines. The Atlas Copco branch, six miles away from the mine, has good infrastructure and good facilities which pays dividends we get very prompt action and response, says Slonker. The contract is in its early days, but weve already seen marked changes in the standards of the M &C 1 06 workshop.

THE CSA COPPER MINE

Mining is currently concentrated around the QTS North copper ore body that extends from 2,000 ft to over 5,900 ft deep. The mine will also start development work on the QTS South deposit in the second quarter of 2006. To access the ore for drilling and blasting, CMPL needs to develop around two and a half miles of tunnels annually. It employs small open stopes 100 ft high and 50 feet wide. The mine has an expected life of another 10 years.

17

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

ATLANTIC CHALLENGE
The construction of a new bridge on the mid-Atlantic island of Madeira ran into major difficulties until a unique, micro-piling solution came to the rescue. The name is DEPS.
he bay of Machico is a busy shing harbour and tourist destination on the beautiful Portuguese island of Madeira in the mid-Atlantic. The bay area is now being upgraded with, among other things, new cultural and sports facilities, a new access road and a roadpedestrian bridge over a nearby stream. The geological conditions at the site for the bridge foundations were adverse, to say the least. The ground consisted of a coluvio-aluvial deposit with a bed of gravel, and boulders of basalt up to three feet in diameter in a 50 ft-deep layer of sand on top of clay. The engineers were also faced with further challenges as the foundations were to be installed at the mouth of the stream, just a few feet from the pounding of the ocean waves. Contractor TECNASOL FGE was awarded the task of building the founda-

tions and opted to install 101 jet-grouted columns, 40 inches in diameter. The jet pile holes were reinforced with micro-

Meeting the geological challenges: TECNASOL FGEs Had Majoud (Driller), Victor Porto (Foreman), Manuel Correia (General Foreman), Nuno Carrilho (Geotechnical Engineer and Site Manager), with, far right, Artur Seriz, (Atlas Copco Drill Master).

piles to support the loads transmitted by the two pillars and stanchions of the bridge. It was also necessary to drill preholes with rotary percussion drilling before jet grouting the columns. Several methods were tested to achieve the most productive and economical way to drill the 72 feet-long preholes. For example, several drilling methods utilizing DTH hammers and traditional ODEX techniques were used but failed because the walls of the holes collapsed, causing blockages during drilling. As a result, the production rates were insufficient and wear and tear on the rock drilling tools was too high. Having previously used Atlas Copcos DEPS system, TECNASOL FGE believed the system could offer a solution to the drilling problem and agreed to put it to the test. A 100 ft DEPS 146 drillstring was acquired for the pur-

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

Double the production rate: DEPS 146 in action in severe geological conditions on the island of Madeira.

Why the DEPS method?

EPS is short for Dual Energy Percussion System. The DEPS equipment enables fast and accurate drilling in extremely difficult ground conditions. It is a development of the OD (Overburden Drilling) system which has been in existence for almost 40 years. Like OD, it has a double drillstring where the outer string consists of casing tubes with a ring bit that drills the peripheral part of the borehole and simultaneously supports the borehole wall, while the inner drillstring drills the central part of the hole. In a regular OD system, the impact power of the tophammer (drifter) is used to give power to both the casing tube and the inner string. The disadvantage of this solution is not only that less power is available for drilling but also that the shank adapter, for geometrical reasons, usually has rather poor energy transfer characteristics, resulting in energy losses, overheating and fast wear, especially of threaded joints. This limits the amount of impact power that can be applied, so penetration speed can not be increased simply by using more powerful rock drills. DEPS, on the other hand, has two independent sources of impact power: a powerful, high torque tophammer rock drill for rotation and driving of the casing tube, and a down-the-hole hammer for the main (pilot) bit of the inner drillstring. This means that more power can be delivered to the drill bits for a higher penetration rate and increased hole depth compared to the OD and other casing drilling (duplex) systems. Another important advantage of DEPS is the possibility, where drilling conditions are favourable, to reduce the impact power of the drifter to increase the service life of the casing tubes without sacricing penetration speed.

pose and production rates on the site more than doubled. Added value on site Manuel Correia, General Foreman of TECNASOL FGE, comments: The excellent performance of the swivel head pneumatic damper and the design of the DEPS system allowed the two rock drills the tophammer and the DTH to interact in the same drillstring without causing abnormal wear on the drilling tools. Correia also notes the easy handling of the tubes, the good ratio between weight and wall thickness, and protection against ying cuttings by means of a rubber deector. This gave clear benets for the operator and the machine, he says. Nuno Carrilho, Geotechnical Engineer and Worksite Director, adds: The DEPS method clearly gave us added valM &C 1 06 ue on this project.

The DEPS system is the fastest way to drill in blocky formations. Splitting of the impact energy between the inner and outer drillstrings earlier limited the performance and the possibility for deep drilling. But the patented DEPS swivel separates the drillstring for safe and fast drilling through overburden. This, in turn, gives the added advantage of being able to drill deep holes with just the inner string while using the DTH hammer in the solid bedrock.

19

HOLES

oday six hundred feet below the surface of Manhattan Island in New York City men and machines are boring a nine mile tunnel through the rock creating the Manhattan Water Tunnel #3 Phase 2. Completion of this phase is scheduled for August 2006, six years after it began. This tunnel is the newest delivery conduit of water for the inhabitancy of the city a city that consumes 1.5 billion gallons of water a day. The tunnel diameter is 12.5 feet, which will be encased in

a foot-thick skin of concrete once the drilling is complete. Once the tunneling is nished, Schiavone Construction Company, the general contractor on the project in partnership with J.F. Shea Construction Company and Frontier-Kemper Constructors, Inc., will join Water Tunnel #3 to the original system of tunnels #1 and #2. A large concrete plug was placed during the tunnels original construction nearly a century ago and will be blasted out once the new tunnel is complete.

Water Tunnel #3 Phase 2, starts in Central Park at 79th Street and goes down on the west side along the Hudson river almost all the way to the southern tip of Manhattan and then up the east side. A section also goes across midtown along 30th Avenue passing close by the Empire State building. The tunnel then continues along the East River to the Queensboro Bridge to connect with an existing section. City Water Tunnel #3 is one of the

Cuttings are removed through Shaft 29B which is wedged in among high rises. The Empire State Building is seen in the distance. 20

A train moves the cuttings from the working face. Swellex bolts can be seen on the wall to the right.

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

IN THE BIG APPLE

New York water tunnel secured by Swellex
Department of Environmental Protection to inspect and repair the leaking City Tunnels #1 and #2 for the rst time since they were activated in 1917 and 1936. The water starts out as far as 120 miles upstate at the Cannonsville & Pepacton reservoirs in the Catskills, propelled by gravity, descending at an elevation of more than 1,000 feet as it ows to New York City. The 440 million year old rock formation under Manhattan Island has a compressive strength varying from 3,000 to 30,000 psi. Water Tunnel #3 Phase 2 is reinforced using Swellex Pm12 Premium Line rock bolts. The minimum breaking capacity of 13.2 US tons offers the performance needed to insure the structural and physical integrity of the tunnel. Over 50,000 Pm12 bolts, installed on a 4 x 4-ft pattern, were used to secure the tunnel. Pm24 bolts (27 US tons minimum breaking capacity) were also used to secure the access shafts and valve chamber areas. According to Florentino Sison, Project Engineer for Schiavone Construction on the Water Tunnel #3, some of the main benets of using Swellex on this project are speed and ease of installation, plus the unique installation quality control offered by Swellex. Excluding drilling time, one man can easily install ve times more rock bolts compared to other type of bolts. Speeding up the bolting process means serious dollars added to the bottom line. Through its unique installation system, Swellex bolts offer the benet of being properly installed when the full ination pressure is reached. The ination pump control system runs a complete ination cycle before shutting off insuring each bolt is properly installed. And because they are easy to install, Swellex bolts are also the workers choice. The tunnel is driven with a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) by Operating Engineers from the Local 14. They move the TBM about 75 feet a day through the rock formation which consists mostly of granite. Behind the TBM the union men from the Local 147, who are better known as New York Citys Sandhogs, take care of installing the Swellex rock bolts. The Maintenance Engineers from Local 15 are also key in keeping this round-the-clock, three-shift operation in M &C 1 06 motion.

most complex and intricate engineering projects in the world today. The size and length of the tunnel, its sophisticated control system, the placement of its valves in special chambers, and the depth of excavation, represent state-ofthe-art technology. While Water Tunnel #3 will not replace Tunnels #1 and #2, it will enhance and improve the availability and dependability of the water supply system and improve service and pressure to outlying areas of the city. It will also allow the

Ralph Huggler, Schiavone superintendent on Shaft 29B, talks with Atlas Copco A long view of the tunnel showing the yellow ventilation duct. salesman Patrick Gagne and Schiavone project engineer Florentino Sison. 21

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

Drilling in hard rock: A ROC L8 equipped with a COP 54 Gold Express or COP 64 Gold hammer is a good combination for challenging rock formations.

FORTY YEARS
ON THE BENCH
As one of the most experienced drillers in Sweden, Karl Gustaf Fors has drilled through the earth almost 10 times. Here, he shares a few memorable moments of his long career with M&C readers.
riller Karl Gustaf Fors has been working for Sydsten, the largest producer of aggregates in southern Sweden, since 1965. I remember when I rst started at Sydsten, he says. We drilled a 65 ft blast hole in 3.5 hours with an old Empire DTH rig, working at a pressure of 6.5 bar. Forty years on and technological advancements now make it possible for Karl Gustaf to drill the same blasthole in just 15 minutes. Besides the productivity of the rig and hammer, todays products are just better all round, he explains. When I started, we had to regrind our drill bits after every hole, compared with after about 15 holes today. The need for service is also much less, as the equipment is more standardized. The biggest leap in development was seen in the early 80s when hammers moved from 13 bar (188 psi) to 20 bar, (290 psi) and a few years later to 25 bar (362 psi). Today, the 120-year-old company delivers more than 2 million tonnes of aggregates per year to local infrastructure projects and much of the drilling is carried out by Atlas Copcos ROC L8 crawler. The ROC L8 is shared among Sydstens four quarries and is used for about six hours per day, drilling mainly in granite and also in some quartzite. The rig is equipped with COP 54 Gold Express or COP 64 Gold hammers with 140 mm and 165 mm bits, drilling on 1620 m benches. An older rig, from the early 1970s, is also occasionally used. For many years, the Sydsten quarries have also been a testing ground for Secoroc drill bits. Due to the varied rock geology, Sydsten rotates the bits among the quarries, and allows the quartzite, at the Hardeberga quarry, to wear down the buttons. The steel body around the buttons is then worn down in the granite quarries. The L8 in combination with the COP 54 Gold Express and COP 64 Gold hammers, is a solid and reliable combination, says Mikael Svensson, Quarry Operations Manager. There have been times when we shopped around, but it is important for us to have a reliable and attentive supplier. We need equipment we can trust and a supplier we can rely on. Sydsten is currently evaluating the Secoroc QL50 and TD50 hammers from the extensive range of Secoroc DTH hammers to optimize the drilling for every condition. But the company emphasises that due to the variations in rock conditions and the small margins for errors, experienced operators such as Karl Gustaf Fors are crucial. He has had a few years to learn, says Svensson with a smile. He has drilled about 74,500 miles thats straight through the earth almost 10 times. M &C 1 06

22

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

The dam builders

DREAM

A new dam being built near the Algerian capital will bring water supplies to its growing population and irrigation to the agricultural lands surrounding it. But difficult ground conditions threatened to slow down the construction process.

Photo: FRANS LEMMENS/GETTY IMAGES

Photo: GAMMA/IBL

23

On either side of the dam, Atlas Copco MAI self-drilling anchors are being used to stabilize the slopes, which are also being made less steep.

nce a malarial swamp, the Mitidja Plain, east of the Algerian capital Algiers, has long been one of the countrys most important agricultural regions, with magnicent vineyards and citrus groves ourishing in the alluvial soil. But the area is also vulnerable to droughts and oods. Furthermore, the demand for drinking water for the residents of greater Algiers has also continued to grow as its population has expanded, putting even more pressure on local water supplies. To address both of these issues at once, the Algerian Government has, under the recommendation of the National Dam Agency, ANBT (Agence Nationale des Barrages et des Transferts), embarked on an ambitious plan to construct a dam in the Isser River valley. The valley is a wadi, a network of streams that run dry when not fed by seasonal rains. Construction of the Koudiat Acerdoune dam, located 50 miles south-east of Algiers, started in September 2002 and is scheduled for completion at the

end of 2007. It will stand 400 feet tall with a span of 1,300 feet. Its reservoir will contain 830 million cubic yards of water, supplying the 3 million residents of greater Algiers with 232 million cubic yards of drinking water per year and the surrounding farms with irrigation water for 77 sq miles. French contractor Razel, which won the EUR 100 million (USD 123 million) contract, is building the dam using roller compacted concrete (RCC). This is a rel-

atively new method in which the dam is constructed from a relatively dry mixture of concrete, which is spread in thin layers between the upstream and downstream walls of the dam and compacted into place using rollers. The method is more economical than traditional construction techniques in which wet concrete is transported to the site and poured into forms. Due to stability problems on the shores of the dam, Razel removed 1,700,000 cubic yards of rock and soil from the rightInstalling the MAI self-drilling anchors: A variety of rigs are used such as this Atlas Copco ROC 442.

The nishing touch: After the MAI anchors have been installed, the slopes are shotcreted.

24

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

Razels Plant Manager Jacky Legras, Excavation Manager Jean-Louis Chapuis, Project Engineer Samia Izri, and Atlas Copco CMT Business Line Manager Ahcne Zabila. In the background is an Atlas Copco ROC 442 and a portable compressor.

hand shore (looking downstream) and is in the process of removing 3.3 million cubic yards from the left-hand shore at a rate of nearly 530,000 cubic feet per day (working in two 10-hour shifts). Rock and soil is being removed from the top toward the base in order to make the slope walls less steep. This has been carried out without blasting and large boulders have been broken up using a hydraulic breaker. Razel is also anchoring and shotcreting the slopes (240,000 square yards will be covered with shotcrete) to further reinforce the slopes. The company initially depended solely on connectable rebars, starting in June 2003. The method had the advantage of a low purchase price but the bolt installation was hampered by the poor ground conditions. The ground here is so fractured or friable that the holes just collapsed when we tried to install the long rebars, says Jacky Legras, Plant Manager. As a result, it took several tries before the rebars could be put in place. Naturally, this led to slower progress and higher costs than originally planned. The problem was compounded by the fact that more soil nailing was required than initially expected as well as by the fact that since the bars were not hollow, grouting to the bottom of the hole was difcult and almost impossible to control. Therefore, based on the production rate for connectable rebars and the need

to also improve quality, the initial plan was revised. After a concluding trial, the decision was made to begin using Self-Drilling Anchors from Atlas Copco MAI, starting in January 2004 and since then the installation rate was satisfactory to both Razel and ANBT, with a systematic grouting quality guaranteed, Legras continues. Faster progress In the 17 months through October 2004, more than 30,000 connectable rebars were installed, varying from 6 to 26 yards long. In addition, between January and October 2004, 4,140 yards of R25 SDAs, mostly 13 yard anchors; 11,190 yards of R32 SDAs, mostly 13-20 yrds; and 60,000 yards of R38 SDAs, mostly 25-32 yards, were installed. The bars were installed at an average rate of 7,600 linear yards per month (four times higher than with connectable rebars). These were installed using a variety of rigs, including two Atlas Copco ROC 442 rigs purchased for the project, and

grouted with three Atlas Copco MAI grout pumps M400nt. Using up to four surface drill rigs, at an average installation rate of 328 linear yards per day and a peak of 1124 linear yards per day in two eight-hour shifts, the SDAs have been so successful that Razel took delivery of a further 53,500 yards of SDAs in February and March, 2005. Although rebars are still used in areas where the geology allows, the use of SDAs has allowed Razel to extend the nailing campaign on both shores without affecting the time schedule and at the same time address the quality of the slope stability. In the 10 months weve been using Atlas Copco MAI SDAs, we were able to install more than twice as many linear yards of anchors as we had been able to in the 17 months of using connectable rebars, says Jean-Louis Chapuis, Excavation Manager. They've proven to be a cost-effective and an especially timesaving solution, so the project has stayed M &C 1 06 on track.

THE KOUDIAT ACERDOUNE DAM

The Koudiat Acerdoune dam will improve the supply of drinking and irrigation water to Algerias capital and surrounding farmlands. Location: 50 miles south-east of Algiers. Cost: More than USD 123 million. Height: 400 feet. Length: 1300 feet. Structure: 2 million cubic yards roller compacted concrete (RCC). Reservoir capacity: 837 million m3. Annual volumes: 232 million cubic yards of drinking water, 36 million cubic yards of water.

25

Cablebolter is a rst in South America

THE WINNER IN MICH

Cable bolting and grouting operations have been greatly speeded up at the Michilla Copper Mine in Chile with the introduction of a Cabletec rock bolter.
he rst Cabletec rock bolter in South America is successfully operating in Antofagasta Minerals Michilla copper mine in Chile, some 470 miles north of Santiago. The main mining method here is cutand-ll using a drift and pillar layout and mining progresses upwards. The production drifts are 23 x 16 ft and the pillars are 23 x 23 ft. Some sublevel stoping is also used. Systematic cable bolting is required to ensure safety while other rigs are drilling production holes upwards through the orebody. A total of 328,000 ft of cable bolts are needed per year for all the underground operations. With more than eight months on the job, the Cabletec has shown positive results. Its cable installation capacity is reported to be 50 percent better than alternative mechanized solutions. It gives a safe and greatly improved working environment with all operations controlled from the silenced, air-conditioned cab.

An important characteristic of the unit is its ability to carry out positioning and feeding of the grouting hose and cable into the pre-drilled hole with one boom while simultaneously drilling the next bolt hole with the other. This new capability reduces cycle time, increases functionality and, as drilling and cable installation are carried out by separate booms, there is no risk of cement entering the rock drill or splattering components. This signicantly reduces maintenance costs compared to competing mechanized methods. Superior productivity Miguel Donoso, in charge of the Estefana sector at Michilla, says that prior to the arrival of the Cabletec, cables were installed manually, each taking about 1 hour and 45 minutes to grout and install. Today, the Cabletec does it in only seven minutes and with fewer operators. As you can see, the advantages are incredi-

Bolting at Michilla: Four parallel holes are drilled in each row in each of the 8 yardwide production drifts. 26

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

In action in the Michilla Mine: Cabletec is a fully mechanized cable bolting rig with the Rig Control System (RCS) for high productivity and precision.

ILLA
ble, Donoso says. We are saving valuable time and have reduced operator hours. The cost of rock reinforcement works out at USD 1.8 per tonne of ore extracted. Thanks to the speed of the

Cabletec, Michilla estimates that the operation will save about 20 percent of the total reinforcement cost. Other characteristics of the Cabletec include the COP 1838 rock drill and a rod-handling carousel on the drilling boom with a capacity of 17+1. Speed rods, two yards in length, allow for hole depths of up to 35 yards and 21/2 inch diameter holes. The two ton capacity cable cassette at the rear of the rig is easy to rell thanks to its unique foldout design. The onboard silo has a capacity of one ton of dry cement, and automatic mixing is to a predetermined formula, resulting in a smooth grouting process. For production drilling, Michilla is using Atlas Copco Rocket Boomer M2C and 282 drill rigs as well as Boomers 127 and 282 with 14 ft rods, creating an effective pull of four yards. For explosives, Anfo is used. About 874 yards/month of drift is developed and 110,000 tonnes of rock per month is removed, of which 40,000 is waste. Michilla is operating at depths of below 2,000 feet and produced 46,000 tonnes of ne copper in 2005. Resources are expected to last until 2012 after which production will shift from underground to surface operations. M &C 1 06

Imagine if you could carry thousands of songs with you wherever you go. Visit our products on line catalog and join the competition you could be the lucky winner!

One operator can do it all: Drilling and cable installation are done simultaneously by the Cabletecs separate booms. The online product catalog has full product descriptions, technical specications, components, spare parts, manuals and instruction books... its all here, at your service, 24 hours a day. Its just one more way to do business with Atlas Copco. www.atlascopco.com/cmtportal

27

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

BITS, BUTTONS AND ALL THAT JAZZ

Following the successful introduction of the portable Atlas Copco
Semi automatic and wholly convenient: The Grind Matic Jazz shown in place on a ROC F9 C drill rig.

Grind Matic Jazz bit grinder to French quarries, customers have been reaping the benets of timely and regular button grinding.
he Secoroc Grind Matic Jazz is a semi-automatic grinder that can be mounted on drill rigs and any other suitable support through simple connections and fastenings. It greatly improves the important but often overlooked process of bit grinding. Operators, like those working for the P. Audrain contracting company in Brittany, can now benet from more efficient drilling in all conditions. P. Audrain operating from Liffre, to the north-east of Rennes in Brittany, uses Atlas Copco equipment across 15 dis-

Grinding is now less costly thanks to the Grind Matic.

Pascal Audrain, Director and Founder of P. Audrain.

tricts in north-western France. Its main operations are drill-and-blast and quarrying. The company also carries out some demolition work. In 2005, Atlas Copco Secoroc organized a tour for existing and potential customers in Brittany, and the rst contractor to acquire the Grind Matic Jazz was P. Audrain. Although the Grind Matic Jazz is designed for rig mounting to save on operator travelling time, P. Audrains unit is presently mounted on a frame in its new workshops, replacing a Grind Matic manual unit. Depending on the distance
28

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

The Atlas Copco Grind Matic Jazz being inspected by Secoroc specialist Bernard Lemettre.

Audrains ROC F9CR at work at the Carrire de Cosnicat quarry.

involved, all drill operators return to the workshops at the beginning or end of shifts to grind sufficient bits for the expected drilling and conditions. Pascal Audrain, Director and Founder of the company, says: We are now evaluating the Grind Matic Jazz with all three of the drilling systems we use in different conditions. We can then decide on the best way of using it and possibly having more grinding machines to equip the rigs. Three systems The three drilling systems used by Audrain are tophammer, down-the-hole (DTH) and Coprod (CR). All Coprod rigs now use the second-generation CR 89 drillstring system. The drill eet comprises a ROC F7 with a T51 drillstring, and three Coprod rigs two ROC F9CRs and one ROC L7CR with a short mast for easy transportation, one ROC L6 with a four inch DTH hammer, and another ROC L6 is on order. Currently the company still uses hand grinding machines in the eld when operators are too far from the workshops. But, explains Audrain, the Grind Matic Jazz is more efficient and in quality there is no comparison. Grinding is less costly due to better performance. A typical

competing system takes two times as long to grind a bit. Competing systems usually employ grinding cups with manual operation, whereas the semi-automatic Grind Matic Jazz uses patented Atlas Copco Secoroc proled grinding wheels. These are used at an oblique angle to the button, allowing ground material to escape easily and ensuring that there is no excess removal of material. Grinding wheels are more economical and last longer. Atlas Copcos Marcel Godfrind, Product Manager for Secoroc at the Paris office, says, Grinding cups cannot take ats away when the bit is overdrilled and cannot be used with ballistic buttons with the same quality. Grind Matic machines are much better at recovering the original design shape of the button. Godfrind explains that operators grind bits every 300 825 feet depending on the rock drilled, and each bit can be ground 10 times before the buttons are nished. It normally takes about 1015 minutes to grind a four inch-diameter bit. One of the patented diamond grinding wheels lasts for about 200 250 buttons on average. It can be counter-productive to leave the grinding of bits for too long as a lot

A Secoroc four inch diameter spherical button bit being reground on the Grind Matic Jazz.

more grinding may be needed and material wasted, he explains. If you leave it too long when drilling less abrasive rock, wear of the steel matrix can leave the buttons standing out too far, causing breakages of the inserts and reducing bit life. P. Audrain has been a loyal Atlas Copco customer ever since the contractor purchased a ROC F7CR rig in 1998. In addition to the competence of the rigs themselves, the main reasons we have stayed with Atlas Copco is the quality of after sales service, and also the quality of the Secoroc rock drilling M &C 1 06 tools, says Audrain.

29

MINING & CONSTRUCTION

The new Atlas Copco SmartRig ROC D7C: With substantially reduced noise levels it is the quietest rig of its kind.

Working smart with SmartRig

F I N L A N D . Atlas Copcos fourth SmartRig to be delivered to Finland and the worlds first noise dampened version has been purchased by contractor Rudus Murskaus Oy. The SmartRig ROC D7C will be used in a variety of different quarries, some of which are close to urban areas. The special

Atlas Copcos Markku Terasvasara with the fourth SmartRig delivered to Finland.

noise reduction kit dampens the noise level and makes it possible for the rig to operate for longer hours in noise-sensitive locations. In addition, the SmartRig offers 30 percent lower fuel consumption and has fewer hoses which minimizes the risk of M &C 1 06 spillage.

Top of the bill at Intermat show

F R A N C E . Atlas Copco topped the bill as construction professionals from around the world gathered at this years Intermat exhibition in Paris. The company put on a showstopping presentation of innovative products and services at the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre (April 24-29). The display highlighted Atlas Copcos technical expertise as well as its knowhow in equipment performance monitoring, service and maintenance. Among the star attractions were the new SmartRig ROC D7C with its noise dampening kit, PC-based control and GPS systems, the ECM720 crawler with Strata-Sense automatics, the ThunderRod T60 drill bit and the award-winning COPROD drillM &C 1 06 string.

More than 180,000 visitors came to Paris show to see, among other things, the SmartRig ROC D7C.

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MINING & CONSTRUCTION

The Pit Viper 351: Bound for the Spence Mine in Chile.

Versatile raiseborer: The Robbins 34RH can perform downreaming, uphole boring and conventional raise drilling.

Pit Vipers on a roll

C H I L E . A fleet of three Atlas Copco Pit Viper 351s one electric and two dieselpowered versions are to be used at the developing Spence copper mine in Chile. The PV-351 is the largest and most powerful blasthole drill available. The order brings sales of the Pit Viper series to more than 30 units with many orders coming from the rapidly expanding Russian market. The power of the PV range is complemented by a leading-edge electronic control system and a GPS navigation system that incorporates the mine's drill plan. This allows for extreme accuracy in hole positioning, consequently boosting the efficiency of M &C 1 06 the drilling operation.

10th Robbins raisedrill to Norilsk

R U S S I A . Norilsk is about to take delivery of its 10th Atlas Copco Robbins raisedrill. The 34RH unit is equipped with the latest rig control system (RCS) and is complemented by a Trakker 140A for easy transportation and manoeuvering. The inclusion of the RCS makes future enhancement possible, including remote operation and automation technology. Pipe-handling on the 34RH is both safe and straightforward: a ground-loading rod handling system picks up the drill pipes.

The main drive on the new unit consists of a hydraulic motor, coupled in line to a gearbox. Using variable speed and torque limiting control, the hydraulic drive can be used on most ground conditions. The entire drive train features a hollow centre that enables any flushing media to clear the pilot hole. Able to perform downreaming, uphole boring and conventional raise drilling, the 34RH mounted on a Trakker unit makes for a versatile and M &C 1 06 highly capable package.

NEW IN CHINA: A new assembly facility, distribution centre and service workshop has been open in Nanjing by Atlas Copco (Nanjing) Construction and Mining Equipment Ltd. The factory, designed for demand flow assembly, will mainly assemble drill rigs for the Chinese market to give shorter lead times, less inventory, better service and higher quality products to customers. 75 YEARS OF INNOVATION: Atlas Copco is celebrating its 75th year in Spain. The local sales company was founded on March 27, 1931 and was initially called Atlas Diesel, S.A. Espaola. With representatives in Gijn, Barcelona and Bilbao and offices in Madrid, Atlas Copco S.A.E. has grown to become a leading company in its sector in Spain. Urucum mine in Brazil in the summer of 2006. Owned by Companhia Valo do Rio Doce (CVRD) , the mine produces 500,000 tonnes of manganese and 1.2 million tons of iron ore per year. This rig can either be operated by connection to external electric power or independently by the built-in Deutz diesel engine. The onboard diesel tank will allow for up to five hours of continuous scaling without refill.

ed the prestigious Red Dot award. The annual competition highlights outstanding international product design and is one of the biggest design competitions in the world. The award pays tribute to Atlas Copcos innovative design and the high quality of the HardHat range. The HardHat compressor, designed to provide a reliable source of compressed air to drive pneumatic tools, is distinguished by its hard, recyclable and non-corrosive housing. The benefits of the distinctive, innovative and highly robust housing include lower ownership costs, durability and strong resale values.

SCALETEC GOES TO CVRD: A new diesel hydraulic Scaletec scaling rig is due to arrive at the

HATS OFF TO THE HARDHAT: Atlas Copcos HardHat range of portable compressors has been award-

UNDERGROUND DVD: A new DVD on underground equipment is soon to be released. The following films are included: A Real Mean Machine, featuring the Rocket Boomer WL4 in Finland; The Truck Race, dealing with Minetruck MT 5010 in Australia; and Facing Makkah. To order, contact your nearest Atlas Copco office.

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