Have you heard of Mineral Engineers? We here at Icarus Engineering have engineers here staffed that can help you with all of your mining engineering needs. If you aren’t sure what mining engineers do, let’s talk about it.
Mineral engineers are engineering specialists for all things mining, mineral deposits, equipment, and the assessment of mines.
This also includes establishing and evaluating proper ventilation for mines, creating and designing tunnels for safety, evaluating the opportunity for dams, above and below ground, assisting companies with on-site structures for projects, and planning and monitoring subsidence. They continually learn, study, and apply the newest technology and information to keep miners safe.
Proper ventilation for mine workers is extremely important since it directly affects the safety and health of all workers. When establishing and evaluating the mine, mineral engineers look at the mine’s location, the type of mine, the equipment used, and the ventilation needs. If the mine is going underwater, then engineers need to analyze the topography to see where the ventilation opportunity is. If the ground above the mine is unstable, then larger air shafts are not possible.
A mineral engineer must evaluate where to place multiple smaller air shafts, to not disturb the already unstable ground.
If the equipment used in the mine is primarily diesel, then additional air shafts are needed to air out the diesel fumes and provide workers relief from the added heat from the equipment. Many mineral engineers are requesting electric equipment, as it requires fewer ventilation needs, providing a safer environment.
Tunnel design and analysis are important to the overall health and longevity of the mine. Mineral engineers need to analyze the ground composition and structure. They need to look out for the ground behavior, which includes how the ground may react with earthquakes, the removal of rock and dirt, and other major movements. Mining disrupts the Earth, so analyzing the best methods in design is crucial. Mineral engineers look at the different rocks and minerals around the potential site. Evaluating tunnel placement and how these will react as the workers and their equipment move the ground is just one of the many important jobs mineral engineers do.
We will continue our discussion on Mineral Engineers in Part Two. Read it HERE
