Learn how
Lehigh Hanson’s Romeoville Quarry achieved the
EPA’s Energy Star Challenge for Industry
November 2015
www.AggMan.com
26 31 37
MSHA reaches out to state associations Does your excavator have the right bucket and teeth? Eight options for a new portable screen
Track equipment is just for contractors.
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On Our Cover: Lehigh Hanson’s Romeoville Quarry achieved the U.S. EPA’s Energy Star Challenge for Industry. Cover photo by Kerry Clines.
26
MSHA is working with state associations to get safety information out to small producers.
12
McCloskey International’s new desegregating telescopic stacker is the first in its new line of self-contained desegregating conveyors.
CONTENTS NOVEMBER 2015 VOLUME 20, NUMBER 11
FEATURE ARTICLES
14 26 31 37
A Star for Romeoville Lehigh Hanson’s Romeoville Quarry demonstrates energy efficiency in more ways than one.
MSHA Reaches Out to Improve Safety
MSHA asks aggregate associations for their assistance with its fatality prevention initiative.
GET the Right Equipment for Your Bucket
Guidelines for selecting and maintaining excavator buckets and teeth.
Screen Play
Current portable screeners offer an assortment of options to match operators’ sizing needs.
COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS
3
EDITORIAL Grants gain ground.
AND PROVINCE NEWS A roundup of 4 STATE the latest news in North America. MINING The latest financial analysis of issues impacting in the industry and 6 DATA Aggregates Manager’s exclusive aggregates industry outlook.
KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens’ new 2056 Vanguard Jaw Crusher, 9 ROLLOUTS and other new equipment for the aggregate market.
LAW The Mine Safety and Health Administration announces increased 38 ROCK enforcement efforts with a focus on workplace examinations.
INDEX See who’s who and where to find their products. 42 ADVERTISER
OPERATIONS ILLUSTRATED Understand the Root Causes of Flyrock
21
Flyrock is becoming less common, but operators still need to know — and mitigate — the four underlying drivers to this problem.
ADS Aggregate industry classifieds. 43 CLASSIFIED IN STONE When it came to combating silicosis in the late 1800s, 44 CARVED the discovery of the bacteria that causes
tuberculosis set safety precautions back by nearly 50 years.
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by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief tdunphy@randallreilly.com
November 2015
Vol. 20, No. 11
aggman.com /AggregatesManager @AggMan_editor
Editorial Editor-in-Chief: Therese Dunphy Editorial Director: Marcia Gruver Doyle Online Editor: Wayne Grayson Online Managing Editor: Bobby Atkinson
State Grants Program
GAINS GROUND
editorial@aggman.com
Design & Production Art Director: Sandy Turner, Jr. Production Designer: Timothy Smith Advertising Production Manager: Linda Hapner production@aggman.com
Construction Media VP of Sales, Construction Media: Joe Donald sales@randallreillyconstruction.com
T
he Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced that it has awarded $8,441,000 in grant funding to 47 states and the Navajo Nation to reduce mining accidents, injuries, and illnesses by supporting safety and health training courses and other programs.
The programs are estimated to reach 80,000 miners. “Training of our nation’s miners is critical to miners’ safety and health, and thousands of miners receive training through these grants,” said Joseph A.
3200 Rice Mine Rd NE Tuscaloosa, AL 35406 800-633-5953 randallreilly.com
Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health, in a press release announcing the grants. Overall, the announcement is good news. After all, during recent years, the continued existence of the state grant program has been in question, with
Corporate Chairman: Mike Reilly
repeated attempts by the Obama Administration to cut funding. This year, the
President and CEO: Brent Reilly
program funding increased by $92,577, and a new recipient, the North Dakota
Chief Operations Officer: Shane Elmore
Department of Career and Technical Education, was added. Again, good news.
Chief Financial Officer: Russell McEwen Senior Vice President, Sales: Scott Miller
Training and education are a vital part of reversing the recent increase in
Senior Vice President, Editorial and Research: Linda Longton
fatalities being logged in the metal/non-metal mining sector, as Jim Sharpe
Vice President of Events: Stacy McCants
reports in his special coverage on this topic (see MSHA Reaches Out to Improve
Vice President, Audience Development: Prescott Shibles Vice President, Digital Services: Nick Reid
Safety, page 26). I’m happy to see MSHA recognize this need and increase its
Vice President, Marketing: Julie Arsenault
outreach efforts to operators, particularly small operators who lack the dedicated
For change of address and other subscription inquiries, please contact: aggregatesmanager@halldata.com.
resources of their larger counterparts in the industry. What is disappointing, however, is the fact that the value of grants to seven states that experienced fatalities this year — California, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia — decreased by $205,807. To be fair, funding did increase, by $9,531.98, to three other states that recorded 2015 fatalities: Massachusetts, Nebraska, and New Hampshire. And, the $90,524.91 going to North Dakota represents an increase in state grant funds to a state with a 2015
Aggregates Manager magazine (ISSN 1552-3071) is published monthly by Randall-Reilly, LLC copyright 2015. Executive and Administrative offices, 3200 Rice Mine Rd. N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. Subscription rates: $24 annually, Non-domestic $125 annually. Single copies: $7. We assume no responsibility for the validity of claims of manufacturers in any advertisement or editorial product information or literature offered by them. Publisher reserves the right to refuse non-qualified subscriptions. Periodical circulation postage paid at Tuscaloosa, Alabama and additional entries. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage retrieval system, without written permission of the copyright owner. POSTMASTER: Send all UAA to CFS. (See DMM 507.1.5.2); NON-POSTAL AND MILITARY FACILITIES: send address corrections to Aggregates Manager, 3200 Rice Mine Road N.E., Tuscaloosa, AL 35406. TM
fatality. What’s most disturbing is that the amount awarded in 2015 is the same amount of state grant funds awarded in 2011, when the number of metal/ non-metal fatalities was at a historic low. While MSHA’s outreach efforts to the industry are laudable, it shouldn’t overlook the value of increasing its investment in the state grants program. After all, every miner should go home safely at the end of his or her shift, and MSHA and operators should be doing everything possible to ensure that is the case. AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
3
State & Province
NEWS by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief tdunphy@randallreilly.com
California
3M put its 1,850-acre Moody Flats Quarry project on hold for now. According to Record Searchlight, the company has not withdrawn its application or its EIR nor does it want to change the scope of the project. It simply isn’t prepared to go forward with the project at this time. Its draft EIR was circulated one year ago and drew more than 300 letters from Shasta County residents. The project could be restarted at any time.
California
In late September, a man’s body was found at a Rocklin quarry. The Sacramento Bee reports that both Rocklin police and the Placer County sheriff’s department were investigating the case, after receiving a call that a body was found floating in the quarry pond. At Aggregates Manager’s press time, the body had been turned over to the Placer County coroner’s office to determine the identity and cause of death.
Kentucky
Clark Circuit Judge William Clouse Jr. ruled against a neighborhood group’s effort to reverse the rezoning of land for an underground quarry in Clark County. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the judge affirmed the county government’s approval of rezoning to allow The Allen Co.’s Madison County quarry to reopen an underground quarry on the Clark County side of its property. The underground quarry operated from the 1930s until 1959, before current planning and zoning regulations were in place. The operation is still seeking approval for its plan to build a conveyor that would transport material from the underground quarry to the surface operation for processing. An attorney for the Southwest Clark Neighborhood Association told the newspaper that an appeal was likely.
4
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
To keep up to date with news from the United States and Canada, visit www.AggMan.com for daily updates.
Maine
Eddington residents are learning to be careful what they wish for. According to the Bangor Daily News, residents voted 139 to 56 to support rules that created 1,500-foot setbacks for mineral extraction properties. Those setbacks are 15 times the state’s regulations and five times greater than setbacks set in most Maine municipalities. Their intent was to prevent a proposed ledge quarry project by Hughes Bros., however the rule applies to all materials including rock, gravel, sand, topsoil, peat, and anything else removed from the ground. Stockpiling is also disallowed, making the rule particularly difficult for area landscapers. Residents who are unhappy with the rule have asked that the setbacks be reduced, but haven’t filed the correct paperwork to start the review process. In the meantime, Hughes Bros. is appealing a decision by Superior Court Justice Michaela Murphy that the town legally enacted its retroactive moratorium on quarries.
New Jersey
U.S. Concrete, Inc. announced that it acquired the Wantage Stone reserves, a site development quarry including an 80-acre land parcel, along with mining rights to an additional 77 acres of land in Hamburg. The reserves will enhance the company’s ability to serve the northern New Jersey and New York metropolitan markets with 19 million tons of proven and permitted reserves and an additional 19 million tons of unpermitted, but available, reserves. “The acquisition of these aggregate assets is directly aligned with our strategic objectives to expand our construction material operations and strengthen our vertically integrated capabilities,” says U.S. Concrete President and CEO Bill Sandbrook.
New Jersey
Rowan University is buying a 65-acre quarry from Inversand. According to NorthJersey.com, the institution is paying $2 million for the property. Inversand President Tom Carrino said that it has lost millions of dollars on it over the last several years as it kept the quarry open in hopes that it could become a full-time research site. Vertebrates found on the site include the remains of ancient sea turtles and marine lizards, called mosasaurs. Once the sale is complete, the site will be known as Rowan University Fossil Quarry, and a museum will be built on the property as it becomes the hub of science education and a centerpiece of the university’s new School of Earth and Environment.
North Carolina
Working under the umbrella of Little River LLC, three Lee County families are seeking permits for a greenfield site near Sandford. The Triangle Business Journal reports that they are seeking a special-use permit with the city of Sanford, Lee County, and the town of Broadway. The company has also filed for permits with the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The Lee County Board of Adjustment scheduled an Oct. 14 hearing to allow members of the public to express their opinion. If approved, a spokesperson for the company says the quarry would occupy about 87 of its 378 acres and trees would be left in place on the remaining land to serve as a buffer zone.
Pennsylvania
Theatrics were the order of the day when Whitehall solicitor Chris Gittinger argued before the Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board that, since the material Coplay Aggregates uses to fill its quarry is no longer what the board approved in 2013, the approvals should be invalidated. According to The Morning Call, an attorney for the operator described the argument as bizarre and baseless and told the board, “We should not be here because there is not a basis for this anywhere in the law.” The operator had been filling its quarry near Coplay with clean fill, but earlier this summer gained approval from the DEP to use regulated fill. A spokesperson for the DEP said the company was granted the new permit because of its relatively clean record and reputation for cooperation.
Province News
Atlantic Minerals Ltd. reminded local moose hunters that hunting and operation of all-terrain vehicles is strictly prohibited inside the boundaries of its quarry in Lower Cove. According to The Western Star, the company issued a press release that explains that employees and heavy equipment operate seven days a week, 24 hours a day, during hunting season. The release also noted that blasting occurs during hunting season.
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Vermont
Three fire departments responded to a September fire at Swanton Limestone Co. The Messenger reports a conveyor belt leading to a storage silo caught fire. Firefighters responded and, because of the operation’s distance from any water source, two other fire departments joined the call. Swanton Fire Department Chief Tim Girard told the newspaper that the fire was extinguished within about 30 minutes, and no one was injured. He added that the site could likely be back up and running by the next day.
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10/1/15 AGGREGATES MANAGER November 20152:46 PM
10/2/15 9:40 AM
DataMining Stock Report Company
Ticker
Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. CRH plc Eagle Materials Inc. Granite Construction Inc. Heidelberg Cement AG LafargeHolcim Ltd. ADR Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. MDU Resources Group, Inc. Summit Materials United States Lime & Minerals, Inc. U.S. Concrete Vulcan Materials Co.
CX CRG EXP GVA HEI HCMLY MLM MDU SUM USLM USCR VMC
Current Value
$7.87 p $27.65 q $72.14 q $33.30 q $75.32 p $11.68 q $162.16 q $19.46 p 22.98 p $51.78 q $54.96 p $94.90 q
52-Week High
52-Week Low
$12.37 $31.43 $94.78 $39.09 $87.68 $15.49 $178.67 $28.51 $29.00 $76.98 $57.57 $102.65
$6.12 $17.37 $66.62 $28.45 $54.89 $10.09 $103.09 $16.15 $17.79 $45.56 $21.48 $54.10
Sources: Wall Street Journal Market Watch. Currency conversion calculated on date of close 10/9/15.
U.S. On-Highway Diesel Fuel Prices 10/5/15
One Week
United States
$2.492
+0.016 p
-1.241 q
East Coast
$2.524
-0.010 q
-1.231 q
New England
$2.576
-0.014 q
-1.272 q
Central Atlantic
$2.631
-0.016 q
-1.199 q
Lower Atlantic
$2.432
-0.005 q
-1.246 q
Midwest
$2.489
+0.055 p
-1.181 q
Gulf Coast
$2.323
—
-1.339 q
Rocky Mountain
$2.501
+0.015 p
-1.286 q
West Coast
$2.694
+0.002 p
-1.239 q
West Coast less California
$2.560
+0.019 p
-1.295 q
California
$2.803
-0.012 q
-1.195 q
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (dollars per gallon, prices include all taxes).
6
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
One Year
150
0
Raw score: 122.49
30
Raw score: 128.42
60
Raw score: 130.00
90
Raw score: 129.05
120
July
August
September
October
The Aggregates Industry Outlook (AIO) dropped nearly 5 percent against September, to an overall score of 122.49. While there are reports of major current transportation projects, there seems to be increasing frustration with the absence of a longterm federal transportation bill. Lack of federal projects and delays in existing projects seem to be driving the decline in outlook ratings.
Comments: About a third of our demand is fueled by state and federal projects, and those projects are experiencing startup delays in our region, driving expected third and fourth quarter 2015 sales into 2016. — David Bieber, Growth and Development Manager, Front Range Aggregates, LLC
(There is) weakness in department of transportation/federal spending. Commercial is not as robust. — Damian Murphy, Regional President, Summit Materials
On a recent road trip over seven states starting on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and ending in Indiana, there were more highway construction projects in progress than I have witnessed on this same route over the last eight years. These were major projects including lane addition, bridges, and large overlay projects. —Van Stockstill, President, Consolidated Aggregates
The federal government has no option but to act on a long-term funding budget for our roads and bridges, or they won’t be able to get to work or have a job! —Louis Ondrias, Vice President of Sales, TEMA Isenmann Inc.
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
7
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by Bobby Atkinson, Online Managing Editor: BobbyAtkinson@randallreilly.com
Your complete guide to new and updated equipment and supplies in the aggregates industry.
New jaw crusher for sand and gravel use KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens have introduced a new 2056 Vanguard Jaw Crusher. The 20-by-56 jaw crusher works in sand and gravel applications, as well as recycled concrete and other mining uses. The crusher has a new single cylinder auto-tension system for less maintenance, better reliability, and less wear on the parts. It also has a new wear seat with easy access and a new corrugated stationary wedge to increase the crusher gap and maintain a steep nip angle. The shaft and bearing assembly are also more serviceable for less maintenance. KPI-JCI | www.kpijci.com
More productive tilting couplers Geith has released new tilting couplers for excavators and backhoes weighing 6 to 26 tons. These tilting couplers let operators move the position of the bucket or attachment without having to move the machine. The hydraulic quick coupler configuration features four independent locking components that work well in severe and dry weather. The product has a variable-pin center design to make picking it up and changing between OEM attachments easier and without requiring the operator to leave the cab. Geith | www.Geith.com
Expanded body options on telescopic crane Iowa Mold Tooling Co. has a new Dominator III mechanics body for the IMT model 1200 telescopic crane without a front stabilizer. The new mechanics body design is for operators that don’t need the full 100-percent lift capacity in every load. The body comes in 11- and 14-foot lengths with four configuration options to choose from. The new Dominator II model was designed for those who need to lift more than the 10,000-pound maximum on the Dominator III and less than the 14,000-pound capacity of the Dominator IV. IMT | www.IMT.com
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
9
ROLLOUTS
An all-around tunneling jumbo Sandvik Construction’s DT922i tunneling jumbo comes with a new articulated carrier, a next generation cabin and a reduced noise level. Sandvik says the state-of-the-art control system and the new iSURE excavation management tool on the DT922i would “change the future” of tunneling. The machine is a fully-automated, electro-hydraulic, two-boom tunneling jumbo designed for excavating cross sections up to 1,345 square feet with face drilling, bolt hole drilling, and long hole drilling. The new articulated carrier lets the jumbo operate in tight quarters with narrow corners with better visibility than previous models. The RD525 rock drill on the DT922i has 17 percent higher penetration rates and 40 percent longer tool life for the shank. Each model comes standard with the Tier 3 diesel engine, but a Tier 4 Final engine is optional. Sandvik Construction | www.sandvik.com
Two new hydraulic excavators Komatsu America Corp has two new hydraulic excavators with swing booms and convex sliding doors, as well as a tight tail swing radius for tight spaces. The PC45MR-5 and PC55MR-5 both come with a 2.19-liter, 38-horsepower, EPA Tier 4 Final, 4D88E07 engine with 5 percent less few consumption and no loss to the power. The excavators also have enhanced working modes, a high-strength X-track frame to keep dirt and debris from building up, a tilt-up cab, and the KOMTRAX telematics system. Komatsu America Corp. | www.komatsuamerica.com
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CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT
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PARTS & SERVICE
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CRANES
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R E N TA L S
ROLLOUTS
A heavy-duty conveyor belt cleaner Belt scale for dry bulk material handling The belt scale from Superior Industries was designed for dry bulk material handling. It has a unique new design that allows operators to avoid cutting or torching a conveyor frame during installation. The scale can be installed without even interferring with the conveyor frame. The flush-mount belt scales were also designed with a sturdier weighbridge than most to prevent wobbling or tipping during installation. The integrator has an onboard Ethernet port, two RS-232 serial outputs, and a battery backup feature. The scale fits belt widths between 18 inches and 72 inches and is made for dry bulk applications of up to 3,000 tons per hour.
Martin Engineering has released a new line of super heavy-duty conveyor belt cleaners. The SHD Cleaners work on belts up to 10-feet wide, with loads up to 300,000 tons each day. The belts have CARP technology to give the perfect angle to match pulley diameter, and the urethane blades have 42 square inches of wear surface. The SHD Cleaners come in two models: the 1200 Series and the 600 Series. The 1200 Series was designed for conveyors with a pulley head larger than 48 inches in diameter and a belt width of 42 to120 inches. The 600 Series is for pulleys smaller than 48 inches. Martin Engineering | www.martin-eng.com
Superior Industries | www.superior-ind.com
Electromechanical vibrating feeder Deister Machine Co., Inc. rolls out its new Deister (EMFSeries) Two-Mass Electromechanical Vibrating Feeder, which is designed to allow greater control over highcapacity feed rates and productivity, while lowering cost per ton in a variety of applications. A number of features were engineered to streamline maintenance and improve reliability, includnig a high-profile infeed lip, a heavyduty formed deck with replaceable liners, and a simplified drive.
New self-contained desegregating conveyors McCloskey International introduces a new desegregating telescopic stacker as the first in the company’s new line of selfcontained desegregating conveyors. The 36-inch x 130-foot SDX-130 stacker has a fully automated and flexible control system to control material quality. The SDX-130 also has an onboard diesel hydraulic unit to make it more portable and keep the setup down to just 15 minutes. McClowskey International | www.mccloskeyinternational.com
Deister Machine Co., Inc. | www.deistermachine.com AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
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Lehigh Hanson’s Romeoville Quarry demonstrates energy efficiency in more ways than one. by Kerry Clines, Contributing Editor
14
R
omeoville Quarry, a Lehigh Hanson
Earning a star
crushed stone operation located
“Our Energy Star was earned for 2013,” says Chris
in a suburb southwest of Chicago,
Pronoitis, plant manager, explaining that several
opened as a Material Service quarry
things contributed to the operation’s reduction
in the 1930s. It was originally owned by the
in energy use. “We relined our crushers and got
Crown family of Chicago, and was sold to
better throughput. Liners wear out and become
Lehigh Hanson in 2006. The quarry recently
less efficient, and when they’re less efficient, they
made a name for itself by reducing its energy
make more oversize material. The oversize has to
consumption by more than 10 percent within
be recirculated, so it uses more energy to crush it
the last two years to become one of a hand-
again. In making more of the right size product,
ful of aggregates operations to achieve the U.S.
we ran less and reduced our energy usage.”
Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Challenge for Industry.
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
Pronoitis points out that they reduced operating hours at the plant, which played a big
PLANT PROFILE
A sliding shuttle conveyor at Lehigh Hanson’s Romeoville Quarry loads material onto a barge as a tow boat pushes six loaded barges toward the city on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.
plant in succession,” Pro-
area in Chicago early in the morning for
noitis adds. “If everything
delivery. Tow boats only move the barg-
in the plant is turned on
es between 5 and 7 miles per hour on
at the same time, there’s
the canal, depending on other boat traf-
an in-rush of energy de-
fic, so it takes approximately six hours to
mand. Each operation is
make the trip one way.
different, so you learn as
“Barging is the most efficient mode
you go. I got useful infor-
of transporting aggregate,” says Dar-
mation from our ConEd
ren Melvin, manager of Marine Opera-
representative, and for a
tions, a separate department of Lehigh
while, we monitored our
Hanson. “We can move 1 ton of product
kilowatt hours.”
542 miles with one gallon of fuel on the
Shipping the material
waterways.” There are also other advantages to delivering material by barge, like reduced
Another thing that helps
emissions. According to Melvin, one boat
Romeoville Quarry keep
pushing six barges has only three diesel
its energy costs low is
engines, so it can move 420 truckloads
the way it ships material.
of material with the emissions from
Approximately half of its
only three diesel engines. Plus, statistics
products are loaded into
show that there are very few incidents
customer trucks for de-
on waterways, as opposed to semi-truck
livery, but the other half
and railcar accidents.
is shipped via barges on
“Barges are loaded and shipped about
the Chicago Sanitary and
four times a week,” Melvin says, explain-
Ship Canal, which is ap-
ing that there are several methods used
proximately 24 feet deep
to load and unload barges — a mate-
and 200 feet wide. The
rial handler and crawler crane, both of
canal, which was com-
which are equipped with 5-cubic-yard
pleted in January 1900,
clam shell buckets, and a sliding shuttle
was originally intended to
conveyor. “Each barge can handle ap-
divert waste water from
proximately 70 truckloads (1,500 tons)
part in reducing energy usage, and put
the Chicago River into the Des Plaines
of material. We ship about 18 barges
photocells on the lights at the plant so
River to keep it from draining into Lake
a week to the city, which amounts to
they would turn on at dusk and off at
Michigan, but it became an important
1,300 trucks, give or take, that we’re
sunrise. The operation only operates its
shipping route for the area as well.
keeping off the road. The numbers vary
The canal runs along the east side of
throughout the year, but it’s probably in
during off-peak hours, usually between
the quarry’s property, providing a conve-
the vicinity of 100,000 trucks a year that
9 p.m. and 6 a.m. On high-temperature
nient way to transport material by barge
we’re keeping off the Chicago roadways,
days, the operation runs only what it has
to cities along the waterway. The canal
which is a good thing.”
to run, saving energy and money by not
offers a straight shot into Chicago, which
having to pay higher rates during peak,
is approximately 35 miles northeast of
bers. Since overnight trips are required
high-usage hours.
the quarry. Most barges are in and out of
to transport material on the canal, crew
the quarry in the evenings or on week-
members work a 21/21 schedule. They
ends, as the goal is to be at the drop off
live, sleep, and eat on the tow boat dur-
500-horsepower waste water pumps
“I’ve learned a lot over the years about how to turn things on and off in the
Each tow boat has seven crew mem-
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
15
PLANT PROFILE
“We have three line boats and five smaller tow boats in the fleet,” Melvin says. “The small ones push barges around at the quarry and set them up for the bigger boats, which push the barges to Chicago or Peoria. We own 70 usable barges right now, which are all deck barges, so when it rains, the water can exit easily. The concrete plants we supply know that the moisture level of the material can change during shipment and adjust their water accordingly.”
Making the products The Des Plaines River and Highway 53 run right through the middle of When the old pit was mined out, a newer pit was started on the other side of the highway. A tunnel was built under the highway to allow loaders and haul trucks easy access to the new pit.
Romeoville Quarry. The processing plant is on the east side of the river and highway next to the canal, which was perfect while the pit was on that side. However, the pit on the east side was eventually mined out, and a new pit was started on the west side of the river and highway. This presented a unique set of challenges — how to get equipment from one side of the highway to the other without leaving the quarry, and how to get the material from the primary crusher in the new pit to the processing plant on the other side of the river. A tunnel was built under the highway to allow haul trucks and loaders to access the new, active pit. A traffic light
Blasts take place several times a week. For each blast, 15 to 22 holes are drilled so that 50,000 to 60,000 tons of material is put on the ground for processing.
was installed on each side of the tunnel to prevent the machines from running into each other. “There’s a blind
ing that time. The crew members work
The pilot house on the tow boat
shifts of six hours on and six hours off
pushing the barges raises and lowers.
other side that we’re coming through,
for a full 21 days, then they are off
It lowers down to go under bridges, so
because it’s a one-way tunnel,” Pro-
for 21 days. Because of the unusual
it doesn’t have to wait for a bridge to
noitis explains. “We have garage door
schedule, many of the crew members
go up, and raises back up when it gets
clickers in the haul trucks that change
are from out of state and drive in once
to the other side of the bridge to pro-
the traffic light on the other side of the
a month for their shifts.
vide a better view of the canal.
tunnel to red, and vice versa.”
16
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
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sent to the processing plant, which is capable of processing between 1,000 and 1,300 tons per hour. Material is sent through a pair of secondary cone crushers for reduction to a size of less than 1-inch. Screens are then used to separate the material into various sizes, and it is placed into stockpiles. Any oversize material is sent to a tertiary crusher for additional crushing. Fines or screenings produced during processing are mixed with sand shipped up the canal from the company’s Morris operaThe primary gyratory crusher in the active pit crushes material down to 8-inch minus or smaller before it is sent to the surge pile in the processing plant.
tion to make manufactured sand for concrete customers. Most of the material the quarry produces is used for making ready-mix concrete and asphalt, but it also produces material for use as road base and fill material, as well as mason sand for mortar. “We also bring Galena sand in from Peoria to sell,” Pronoitis says. “That’s a nice back haul for our barges. They take material to Peoria and bring the sand back. It makes it more efficient.” All of the products are washed, but stone can’t be washed in sub-zero temperatures, so material is stockpiled for shipment during the winter months.
Haul trucks carried material from the primary crusher in the active pit to the processing plant on the other side of the river through a 1,000-foot-long tunnel built under the river. Eventually, a conveyor system was installed in the tunnel to transport the material.
The operation stockpiles 100,000 to 200,000 tons of material for winter shipment into the city.
Blasting takes place several times a
took some thought as well. Driving over
week. The quarry does its own drilling,
the river on a bridge wasn’t an option,
Communicating with neighbors
but contracts out the blasting. Fifteen
so a 1,000-foot tunnel was built under
“When we annexed this land, we
to 22 holes are drilled so that, after the
the river. Haul trucks carried the mate-
agreed to meet with the village of Ro-
blast, a good 50,000 to 60,000 tons of
rial through the tunnel for a while, until
meoville once a month,” Pronoitis says.
material is on the ground. Loaders then
a conveyor system was installed in
“They can send me an email at any
put the material into haul trucks, which
the tunnel. Now, a 48-inch-wide con-
time, and I’ll set up a meeting. So, the
carry it to the primary gyratory crusher
veyor carries material from the primary
communication is still ongoing.”
in the pit to be broken down to 8-inch
crusher, through the tunnel, and up to
minus stone.
the surge pile in the processing plant
neighboring high school, offering to
on the other side of the river.
make a presentation at the school and
Getting the material from the crusher in the active pit to the processing plant
18
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
From the surge pile, the material is
The quarry has reached out to the
talk to students about what goes on at
PLANT PROFILE
that everyone can attend a safety meeting. The focus is on a different safety topic each day. But Pronoitis points out that Safety Week isn’t the only time safety is addressed at the operation. “We discuss safety every day,” he says. “We have pre-job meetings where we look at the job that needs to be done and talk about what safety steps should be taken. If the job is at a height, it needs fall protection, or if the job is on a lift that might take you near power lines or other hazards, proper procedures must be followed. We talk about near-misses and fatalgrams whenever they
A crawler crane and material handler equipped with 5-cubic-yard clam shell buckets are used to load and unload barges on the canal.
happen, and try to go above and beyond the minimum MSHA (Mine Safety and Health Administration) requirements.” Lehigh Hanson also does faceto face meetings. Supervisors go out into the quarries and engage the employees while they’re do-
the quarry and how it’s done. The prin-
The quarry has an environmental
cipal of the high school has asked that
program that sends reminders of what
ing their jobs. They thank the employees that are using the proper safety proce-
blasts take place at 2:05 p.m. during a
needs to be done on a daily and monthly
dure or wearing the proper safety gear,
passing period at the school, and quarry
basis, which helps with community rela-
document it, and send it to headquarters.
personnel do their best to make that
tions. All out-flow water is monitored,
happen. As a courtesy, on a morning
and once a month, a sample is sent out
tinues. “We try to watch out for each
that a blast is planned, an email is sent
to an independent company for testing.
other and try to watch out for others. A
to the principal to let him know that it
Diesel and gasoline tanks are inspected
couple times a year, we give rules and
will take place that day and alert him if
to make sure there are no external or
maps of our site to the truck drivers, and
any changes will be made to the timing
internal leaks in the double walls, and a
if a truck has never been on our yard
of the shot due to weather conditions.
plan is in place to prevent any spills of
before, we send the rules and map down
“We’ve had Cub Scouts come in for
oils, anti-freeze, or other contaminants
the tube to the driver.” AM
tours and have given tours to various
from getting into the waterways. Boat
other groups,” Pronoitis says. “We do
crews watch for any sheen in the water
training programs with the fire depart-
and find out where it’s coming from.
“Safety is a focal point,” Pronoitis con-
ment, so they know how to handle dif-
Emphasizing safety
ferent situations and scenarios. We also
Sept. 21 started Lehigh Hanson’s 2015
hold an open house for our employees’
Safety Week. During that week each
families, so they can see what their
year, for a part of every day, Monday
As a sliding shuttle conveyor loads material onto a barge at Lehigh Hanson’s Romeoville Quarry, a tow boat pushes six fully loaded barges toward the city on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.
spouses do for a living.”
through Friday, the plant shuts down so
https://youtu.be/WFx1A0D8K6I
ment and let them train with our equip-
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
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PULL-OUT GUIDE By Mary Foster, Contributing Editor
OPERATIONS ILLUSTRATED t ng y r P even i
Fl ro ck
Fine-tuning your drilling and blasting will reduce flyrock and improve other processes.
Most flyrock is launched out, rather than straight up.
A successful blast begins with the planner, followed by the driller and blaster.
The #1 best practice is good communication between driller and blaster.
OPERAT 1
Prevalence is dropping
Understanding the Root Causes of Flyrock
T
he issue of flyrock in aggregates blasting is diminishing. “Our practices, the products we use, and our understanding of the process are all getting better,” notes Frank Sames, corporate manager of blaster development for Austin Powder Co. “At the same time, though rarely, flyrock still does occur,” he says, adding that three aspects that continue to present problems in surface and underground blasting are flyrock, misfires, and fumes. As these incidents occur, the producer or contractor must look at what the cause might be. Was it human error? Was it a problem with explosives initiation through product failure? Was there an error made in the planning phase, resulting in a systems failure? Or was it Mother Nature? “The best planning can still result in a failure, due to some uncertainty with nature,” Sames says. According to Bob Archibald, president of Archibald Consulting Group, most flyrock incidents can be traced to four root causes. 1. Insufficient burden: Burden is the space between blasthole rows. If there is not enough burden between the face and the front row of blastholes, flyrock can occur. “An irregular face often will contribute to this,” Archibald says. 2. Improper stemming: Stemming is material loaded into the blasthole, on top of the explostive. Too little stemming will result in rocks launching upwards. If the AGGREGATES MANAGER
blasthole is not perfectly vertical, the rocks may launch up and out toward personnel, businesses, and homes. 3. Improper timing: Timing is the sequence at which the blast occurs. “If, for instance, a hole in the second row shoots before the hole in the first row, there is no relief for the energy, except for rock to go straight up,” he says. 4. Geology: Irregularities and disconformities in the geology, such as a clay seam, can create a flyrock incident. “The blaster needs to know if there is a clay seam, so that he can stem through that section,” Archibald says. These four top causes of flyrock can, alternately, be addressed by experienced drilling and blasting professionals. Understanding the geology of a site means knowing the native stone structure or type in the region, and how to design a blast accordingly. The blast pattern must take into account the amount of burden, especially at the face, to ensure proper blasthole placement and loading. The driller must know the exact parameters of the blast pattern — including hole depth, burden, spacing, diameter, and angle. The blaster must know the proper products to use and the correct timing of the shots. “It all speaks to the human element — with experience and communication at the top of the list,” Sames says.
The issue of flyrock in quarry blasting is diminishing, due to a number of reasons, but it still can happen. Practices, products used, and the overall understanding of the process have all improved over the years to make blasting a safer undertaking. When flyrock incidents do happen, the common perception is that the rock launches vertically. In reality, most damaging flyrock launches horizontally from the face.
4
Monitor your contractors
Producers who contract their drilling and/or blasting do so because the contractor brings experience, expertise, equipment, and materials to the shot that the producer might not be able to provide in-house. That said, it is important to designate someone on staff who understands the best practices to monitor your contractor(s) and ensure there is the correct documentation and communication between the parties involved.
TIONS ILLUSTRATED Preventing Flyrock 2
Common causes
3
Communication is key
Flyrock incidents can usually be traced back to four root causes. Insufficient burden (i.e. space between rows), especially in the front row, will result in energy causing rocks to travel farther out than is desirable. Improper stemming may launch rocks up and out. Improper timing, with back rows shooting before front rows, can have the same effect. Irregularities in geology, such as a clay seam, can also cause issues.
Communication — with thorough documentation through the use of logs and checklists — is imperative amongst the planner, the driller, the blaster, and operational personnel to ensure a safe, successful shot. For instance, the driller can help the blaster know where he might have lost pressure during the process, which can indicate such anomalies as a clay seam that can affect the shot.
5
6
Take advantage of technology
Technology now allows blasting experts to improve the process, while reducing the likelihood of flyrock incidents. Video cameras, surveying equipment, laser profiling, and 2D and 3D photogrammetry options allow professionals to create flyrock models and determine the probability of a flyrock incident, including where the flyrock may go. This is also helpful from an operational standpoint because the blast area must be cleared prior to the shot.
OUR EXPERTS
Lowest bid may not be best
In contracting out your drilling and blasting, it may be tempting to hire the lowest bidder. From a safety standpoint, this could easily be a mistake. But from a cost standpoint, the lowest bidder may not provide the best overall cost, either. Any additional cost incurred by hiring a superior drilling and blasting contactor may easily be realized two to three times over in reduced crushing and screening costs.
Bob Archibald has more than 35 years of world-wide experience in the mining, industrial minerals, construction materials, and aggregate industries, including senior positions in management, finance, operations, and engineering with companies ranging from large, multi-national to small, family-owned notes both public and private. He currently is president of Archibald Consulting Group, a diversified consulting firm that provides business, financial, technical, and communications services to the construction materials and industrial minerals industries. Most recently, Archibald served as chief operating oficer for Global Proppant Supply, LLC, a Wisconsin-based producer of high-quality frac sand.
As corporate manager of Blaster Development for Austin Powder Co., Frank Sames is a registered blaster in the state of Tennessee and a licensed blaster in the state of Kentucky. Sames joined Austin Powder Co. in 1993, after graduating as a mining engineer from the Technical University of Berlin in Germany. He has held positions as corporate technical representative, division technical representative, and division operations manager in the company’s Midsouth Division. He has held his current position since the fall of 2007. Sames has been a member of ISEE and SME since 1995.
November 2015
Voices of Experience Frank Sames
A
t
s corporate manager of blaster development for Austin Powder Co., Frank Sames admits that he is biased toward the pros of working with a contract driller and blaster. “As suppliers, our experience in different environments is more diverse,” he says. “If you are working as a driller or blaster in-house, you experience a similar (almost the same) environment with every blast. It’s possible to become complacent if you don’t challenge the status quo on a blast and adjust at the first sign of trouble.” He adds that it is a long-time disagreement in blasting whether the “same environment” argument is an advantage or a disadvantage. Sames says that, regardless of whether the work is handled in house or by contract, the technology available today offers a distinct advantage for blast designers, drillers, and blasters. “For instance, it once was a real challenge to accurately measure the burden of every blasthole along the front row of the blast (due to the irregularity of the face),” he says. “Today, with the use of two-dimensional and three-dimensional profiling, it is not so much of a challenge.” Face profiling systems in 2D are good for simple faces, allowing the blast designer to determine a perpendicular cross section of the face at each blasthole location. He can then adjust the hole accordingly to the correct distance from the face. More irregular blast faces may require the use of a 3D laser or 3D photogrammetry profiling system to determine the burden in relation to each blasthole. A 3D laser will place points on the face and generate a 3D mesh drawing of the blast face. A 3D photogrammetry system will use digital pictures of the blast face to create a 3D digital image of the blast face. Both types of profiling also help the blaster to more accurately load the hole for the shot. “Along with laser profiling and photogrammetry, there are flyrock models we can use to determine the probability of flyrock and where it might go,” Sames says. “It is a decision-making tool for many purposes, including clearing the blast area of personnel.”
Bob Archibald
“B
t
lasting is a subject that is near and dear to my heart; I love the blasting aspect of the industry,” says Bob Archibald, president of Archibald Consulting Group. He explains that, while the elimination of flyrock in aggregates blasting is a worthy goal from a safety standpoint, perfecting the blasting process can reap numerous benefits. “For example, one quarry I managed near Chicago was having a fines problem off of the primary. We brought in a technical guy from Austin Powder who looked at our blasting, and, based on his recommendations, we changed how we did our surface blasting,” Archibald says. “After analysis, we were astonished at the improved fragmentation we had in our muck pile and resulting plant processing costs — all from careful design and monitoring of the blast.” Archibald says he feels that, if all producers would analyze their blasting programs similarly, there would be a large reduction of fines issues in the quarry business. “If you fine-tune your blasting for better product, you will, by default, reduce your flyrock,” he says, “and vice versa.” If he had to cite the number-one best blasting practice for safety and quality, Archibald says he feels there needs to be open, regular, and thorough communication between the driller and the blaster – including proper documentation and dialog. “The blaster needs to know what geology and irregularities the driller encountered. Based on that, he can plan for proper stemming and timing,” Archibald notes. “If the driller does his job correctly, the blaster has a better chance of a safe and effective blast.” He adds that, in the case of contracted drilling and blasting, this communication needs to also include the producer, who should monitor all logs carefully. Although the dilemma of whether to contract or to bring blasting in-house will undoubtedly endure, Archibald has a final thought on blasting contractors. “If we bring in quotes for drilling and blasting, we’re all guilty of looking at the lowest costper-ton,” he says. “But we also have to consider that safety and cost go hand-in-hand. The best contractors, with a rigid safety protocol, will ultimately give you the lowest overall cost-per-ton.”
AGGREGATES MANAGER
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April 11–17, Munich
MSHA
Reaches Out to Improve
Safety
T
by James Sharpe, CIH
he Mine Safety and Health Administration
month after the agency launched its latest fatality pre-
(MSHA) has taken a two-pronged approach
vention initiative. The most recent effort began after three
to reversing an upswing in fatalities in the
M/NM miners died in a single day, on Aug. 3, bringing to
metal/non-metal (N/NM) sector of mining and
five the number who had perished in one month. Three of
is reaching out to aggregate trade associations for help with the initiative. “I think those two efforts combined — the walk-and-
26
MSHA asks aggregate associations for their assistance with its fatality prevention initiative.
those deaths occurred at aggregate operations. M/NM fatalities have been on the increase since October 2013. MSHA tried in May 2014 and again in February 2015
talks, the education; and the enhanced enforcement — are
to stem fatalities using, essentially, the same two-fold
really the things we need to be doing to try and get things
game plan as it is implementing now, but there appear to
on a better keel for the miners,” says MSHA Assistant
be several key differences this time around. One is the full
Secretary Joe Main during an interview that took place a
engagement of all M/NM stakeholders, especially in aggre-
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
SPECIAL REPORT
gates, which make up the bulk of M/NM mines. “We’re reaching out to everyone we can reach out to,” Main says, referring not only to state associations, but also to labor organizations, state agencies, and state program grantees. He identified 10 state associations MSHA has engaged as part of the latest fatality prevention push.
“I think everyone is going to see an increased enforcement effort from MSHA,” — Joe Main, MSHA
Initiative’s first prong: outreach and education MSHA has developed a series of informational aids regarding recent fatalities, and it is asking state associations to disseminate them to their members. These include, but are not limited to, a letter from the Assistant Secretary, a breakdown of fatalities and the conditions that led to them based on the most recent M/NM Rules to Live By priority standards, and fatal accident summaries. In addition, MSHA has gone a step further and asked the organizations to reach out to their non-members as well,
MSHA will evaluate mines where fatalities have occurred to see if “maybe best practices were not followed at these locations,” notes MSHA’s Neal Merrifield. If so, the mines will be considered for impact inspections.
especially mines employing fewer than 10 workers, since these mines have fewer safety resources than their larger counterparts. The outreach is considered especially essential because small mines have contributed 50 percent of the M/NM fatalities during the first half of this year, according to MSHA. Main says that MSHA also wants to know what engaged stakeholders can do to help the agency deliver its training and guidance services and enforcement resources more effectively to small operators. Industry leaders are rising to the challenge. Pat Jacomet, executive director of the Ohio Aggregates and Industrial Minerals Association (OAIMA), says his organization will send an association-developed safety tailgate training manual to mines on a list provided by MSHA. The Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance (VTCA) started communicating with the state’s small producers even before MSHA’s request. It offered safety resources via letter to approximately 118 small mines in
“We’ve got a great opportunity here to decrease our injuries and fatalities. MSHA has shown they’re willing to go the extra mile, and I think our folks have become more engaged because of MSHA’s emphasis and outreach,” — Pat Jacomet, Ohio Aggregates and Industrial Minerals Association An EFSMS representative has said he has been instructed to more fully engage with association activities, notes Shawn McKinney, Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers.
the state some six months ago, and, with the fatality prevention initiative at hand, is likely to do so again. “We feel, quite honestly, that there’s a real gap there in terms of understanding and knowledge,” says Sam Hollins, VTCA’s aggregates program manager. “We see it [engaging small operators] as a serious obligation on our part.” Interestingly, MSHA has not asked the Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP) for similar small mines outreach assistance, likely a reflection of inconsistency in approaches
“We feel, quite honestly, that there’s a real gap there in terms of understanding and knowledge. We see it [engaging small operators] as a serious obligation on our part,” — Sam Hollins, Virginia Transportation Construction Alliance
between MSHA’s Northeastern District, which encompasses Ohio and Virginia, and North Central, in which Illinois is AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
27
located. Shawn McKinney, IAAP’s outreach manager, says his organization would cooperate if requested, but that he would ask MSHA for a package of materials IAAP could send out to the state’s smaller operations. In addition to sending its training manual to small producers,
Figure 1. Alleged violations contributing to a fatality in published MSHA accident investigations at aggregate mines (October 2013 to January 2015)
Standard/Regulation
Number
OAIMA has set up a safety blog, which Jacomet describes as
Part 46
11
“sort of a conversation center” where member safety profession-
Machinery & Equipment
8
als can converse and share information. At Aggregates Manag-
Loading, Dumping, Hauling
7
er’s press time, it was undergoing testing prior to launch.
Travelways
5
Personal Protection
3
Safety Programs
3
Electricity
2
Ground Control
2
inations. He adds that examinations will be a central focus of
Explosives
1
VTCA’s December safety seminar.
Hazard Communication
1
Jacomet also notes that MSHA has recognized participation in the spring thaw seminar OAIMA sponsors as meeting the agency’s requirements for annual refresher training. Hollins says VTCA “welcomes the challenge” MSHA has given it to help competent persons brush up on performing workplace exam-
A crucial element to outreach efforts is MSHA’s decision to fully commit its Educational Field and Small Mine Services
MSHA has already implemented this policy. In July, an impact
(EFSMS) employees. Both Jacomet and McKinney say an EFSMS
inspection was conducted at a six-person Nebraska sand mine
representative has told them he has been instructed to more
which had experienced a fatality in March. During the visit, the
fully engage with association activities. Among other things,
mine received two imminent danger orders and 13 citations,
this translates into attending safety committee meetings and
including nine for allegedly serious violations.
making presentations at safety seminars and conferences. “He’ll
To get more inspector boots on the ground, Merrifield also says
go anywhere, anytime to help our guys,” Jacomet says of his
he has authorized 21 inspector vacancies to be filled and reas-
EFSMS representative.
signed 17 coal inspectors already cross-trained on MSHA’s M/NM
EFSMS represents a merger of MSHA’s Educational Field
rules. Main says the fatalities showed insufficient attentiveness
Services group and the Small Mine Office (SMO). During the
to “some of the basics;” i.e., making sure competent persons
first nine months after the reorganization, which was finalized
are assessing hazards and putting programs in place to prevent
in June 2014, Main says EFSMS personnel completed about
them, including good workplace examinations. He also notes the
1,200 mine visits, compared to 700 before the regrouping. The
need for sound safety and health programs and quality train-
change was driven by the need to ensure better coverage of
ing. As reported in the September issue, (see Rock Law: Who
mines across the country, he explains. Apparently, the nature
Needs Rulemaking?) an alleged hazard could potentially earn
of the visits has also changed. A primary focus of SMO was
three MSHA demerits: one for the hazard itself; the second, an
safety audits, but EFSMS visits center on training plan reviews,
allegedly poor workplace examination; and the third, inadequate
an agency source says. Whether or not this purported change
task training for the person who performed the examination.
has affected the fatality rate at small mines has not yet been determined.
The agency also sent its training personnel to 100 mines regulatory officials identified as troubled in some way: high violation rate, elevated enforcement, a fatality, excessive injury
Initiative’s second prong: enhanced enforcement
rates, injury severity, anonymous complaints, etc. “There’s a
“I think everyone is going to see an increased enforcement ef-
help these operations get back on a sound safety track.
fort from MSHA,” Main said in his August announcement. Metal/
28
whole litany of things we look at,” Main says. The visits were to Despite the promise of a heavier enforcement hand, associ-
Non-Metal Administrator Neal Merrifield notes that MSHA will
ation leaders in Virginia, Ohio, and Illinois say they have yet to
evaluate mines where fatalities have occurred to see if “maybe
see evidence of it. McKinney echoes comments by Hollins and
best practices were not followed at these locations,” and, if so,
Jacomet when he says, “So far, I haven’t heard anything that
the mines will be considered for impact inspections. In fact,
our members consider out of the ordinary.”
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
SPECIAL REPORT During a discussion with Main, I pointed out that a potentially important missing ingredient is heightened emphasis on
and six others included in RTLB III in January 2012. Although MSHA’s earlier fatality prevention endeavors were
the miner’s individual responsibility for working safely and for
not successful, as previously noted, as of this writing not a
encouraging other miners to do so as well. I suggested MSHA
single M/NM miner had lost his or her life on the job since the
might consider bringing back SLAM, a miner-focused program
latest push began. Time will tell if this early encouraging sign
it championed years ago. SLAM is designed to train the miner
signifies a trend.
to stop, look, analyze, and manage risks before beginning a
Although the jury is still out on fatalities, the fact that
task and while doing it. Main acknowledged that the miner’s
industry and MSHA have joined hands is itself a very positive
role in safety is a worthwhile discussion point to have with
development. The unified effort has not been lost on Jacomet.
the industry.
“We’ve got a great opportunity here to decrease our injuries
In an effort to determine where MSHA might focus its en-
and fatalities,” he says. “MSHA has shown they’re willing to
forcement resources, I reviewed 22 fatal accidents that have
go the extra mile, and I think our folks have become more
occurred at aggregate mines since October 2013. The goal
engaged because of MSHA’s emphasis and outreach.” AM
was to identify what alleged violations MSHA’s investigators believed led to the fatality. Citations alleging training failures, most notably task training, stood out. A breakdown of all allegedly contributing violations appears in Figure 1. Main also signaled his intention to release another Rules to Live By (RTLB) “within the next two or three months.” Priority standards in the forthcoming RTLB will supplement 13 such
James Sharpe is a certified industrial hygienist. He previously served as vice president of safety and health services for the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association. Sharpe has also covered mine safety and health news for nearly a decade.
M/NM standards that were a part of RTLB I in January 2010
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29
AGGREGATES MANAGER 10/19/15 November 9:17 2015AM
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EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT
GET the Right
Equipment for Your Bucket Guidelines for selecting and maintaining excavator buckets and teeth. by Doug Bye
L
arge hydraulic excavators are often
In North America, the backhoe configuration
used for production loading at the
is much more common than is the front shovel
quarry face. As primary production
configuration, so we’ll focus on backhoe ma-
tools, these machines set the pace
chines here. Whether working on the bench
for the entire mining operation. The bucket
with the trucks or on the bench above the
and teeth at the end of the excavator stick
trucks, and regardless of loading through the
can affect that pace, as well as machine oper-
tail or over the side rail of each truck, bucket
ating costs — probably more than you think.
considerations remain the same.
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
31
Need to navigate your way around the industry? Get the the most current information with the Atlas on CD While the printed version of the Aggregates Manager 2015 Aggregates Industry Atlas will become an integral part of doing your job, don’t forget to order your copy of the Atlas on CD to see additional information about companies’ mine locations, types of rock mined, GPS coordinates, pertinent facts about companies listed in the atlas, and more. The Atlas on CD contains compete information on more than 11,000 operations in the United States in a data file as well as the entire 2015 Aggregates Industry Atlas in pdf format. Order additional copies of the Aggregates Manager 2015 Aggregates Industry Atlas on CD or the printed version of the Atlas today!
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EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT
Evoco Partners, LLC Closes First Transaction
acquired by
Evoco Partners acted as a financial advisor to Lewis and Lewis in its sale to Summit Materials Extreme-duty buckets, such as the one on this excavator, are commonly used in quarry work, particularly if the tip life is less than 200 hours.
The primary factors in bucket se-
excavator in the 75- to 100-ton size
lection are capacity, durability, edge
classes. Of course, there are many
configuration (spade or straight), tooth
variables that affect the system, but if
count, and ground engaging tools
faster loading times are needed, don’t
(GET) selection.
overlook the impact of bucket size and
Bucket capacity
configuration. That said, a bigger bucket doesn’t
To select the right capacity bucket,
always reduce loading time. I observed
consider the machine lifting and
one mining operation that increased
breakout capabilities, material density,
bucket size so that they could load a
and truck match. Machine capability
truck in two passes. But it took an in-
establishes how much lifting force the
sane amount of time to do it, so there
machine has for the bucket and pay-
was no production gain.
load at a given reach. Material density tells you how much a bucket load
Bucket durability
would weigh at ideal conditions of
As an example, Caterpillar offers
100-percent fill. There’s a detail there,
buckets in four durability categories:
too — rock and stone don’t always
general duty, heavy duty, severe duty,
yield a 100-percent fill factor. In fact,
and extreme duty. The categories are
we usually estimate 90-percent fill
differentiated by different wear pack-
factors or less for shot rock.
ages, and proper selection depends on
Last, but not least, is the truck
the abrasion and impact conditions at
match. In fact, bucket sizing actually
the site. In quarry work, severe-duty
starts with the truck in mind. Four or
and extreme-duty buckets are the
five passes is a nice match for a large
common choices.
Evoco Partners was established in late 2014 to help business owners successfully manage the often complex process of acquisitions and divestitures. With over 20 years of M&A experience, including more than 10 years for one of the largest construction materials companies in the U.S., we understand what it takes to help buyers and sellers execute their growth and exit strategies. Evoco Partners is passionate about honesty, integrity, and personalized service. We act as trusted advisors and business partners to help our clients successfully meet their goals. Please contact us to discuss how we can become a valued business partner for you.
Contact: Nathan Green Managing Partner 979-595-6811 nathan.green@evocopartners.com
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
EvocoPartners_AGRM0915.indd 1
33
10/2/15 9:37 AM
In general, if the tip life is less than 200 hours, then we
will result in better penetration, just like the spade edge,
would recommend an extreme-duty bucket, and if the tip life
which yields faster cycles and better production. For that
is between 200 and 400 hours, a severe-duty bucket usu-
reason, the buckets offered for production quarry work have
ally works well.
a wider tooth spacing.
Longer tip life points to heavy-duty and general-duty buckets as the right fit. There are exceptions to the tip life
GET selection
guidelines though. For example, in a limestone quarry, the
There are two defining aspects of bucket teeth — adapter
tip life can be very long, in excess of 900 hours. Then it’s
size and tooth tip. The rule of thumb is to use the smallest
more useful to consider the impact conditions. Impact is re-
adapter size that doesn’t suffer nose breakage. The theory
lated to the quality of the shot, primarily
is that the smaller size delivers the best penetration and lowest weight. There are
the size of the resulting rocks that must be handled by the bucket. In the lime-
guidelines for adapter sizes for each
stone quarry application, the wear ma-
machine. Tips are available for dif-
terial on the bucket isn’t so much for
ferent applications, and Caterpillar,
wear as it is for impact resistance. In
for example, offers penetration,
many hard limestone quarry applica-
penetration plus, and extra duty tips.
tions, we recommend no less than
GET size is selected
a heavy-duty bucket, and we may
based on the
recommend a severe-duty bucket
strength of the
because of the impact conditions.
machine and the
Edge configuration and tooth count
assumed application profile
Most buckets are set up
of the bucket.
with spade or straight
Regarding the tips,
edges. Spade edges
the general consen-
offer better pen-
sus among bucket and
etration and faster cycle
GET professionals today
times in harder materials.
is to think about penetration
Straight edge configurations
ability and cycle times, rather than
provide for better cleaning and finishing work. Quarry-style buckets
just the cost per pound of the tips. GET selection has a significant impact on the pro-
are often configured with spade edges,
duction capability and fuel efficiency of
where penetration is the primary re-
an excavator. For example, the use of a
quirement, and excavation buckets used in soil work and trenching normally have straight edges. Caterpillar studies have shown a strong relationship between tooth count and production, and there is actually a tooth spacing ratio that engineers use when designing buckets. In hard-to-dig rock, a lower tooth count
34
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
The Extreme Duty Excavator Bucket is designed for very high-abrasion conditions including high quartzite granite. It features corner (or heel) shrouds, base edge end protector (BEEPs), base edge segment, and liner. Side wear plates are larger and sidebar protection has been added for protection against abrasion and gouging wear. Spade edge with adapters is sized to accommodate higher abrasion conditions.
higher penetration tip should boost production, which would offset the cost of faster tip wear. A sharper tip might be a better choice than the high-abrasion tip, even in a high-abrasion application. There is a place for the higher abrasion tips, however. You can tell if the tip is correctly specified if the tip stays sharp in the applica-
EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT
tion. A tip that blunts is too big (has too much wear material),
replaced, or at least replace the outer portions of the wear
and the user should drop back to a sharper tip. It’s important
bar on each side. In cases where the tip life is less than 200
to discuss the particular application with the parts rep to get
hours, corner shrouds do a nice job of protecting the bucket
the best advice for tip matching. Remember, too, that wheel
corners.
loaders are a different story because of their digging geometry.
Inspections and corrections
Regarding scalloping, in applications where tip life is less than about 400 hours, scalloping is a likely event, and in applications with a tip life of less than 200 hours, scalloping
Edges and shells are places to watch in order to extend
is inevitable. Cat buckets that are designed for high abra-
bucket life. Inevitably, there is a wear hot spot that devel-
sion applications come with segments between the teeth to
ops at the heel of the bucket and in the corners along that
control edge scalloping. If the excavator application presents
line. It’s the result of scuffing during mostly the last part
scalloping risk, I recommend contacting the dealer parts
of the dig. Deeper buckets suffer heel wear faster. There is
rep for options. Wear material pieces, from chrome carbide
another wear hot spot at the front of the edge, in between
pieces to hard strip stock, can be added between the bucket
each tooth adapter. Buckets with wider adapter spacing will
teeth to control edge scalloping.
experience faster and deeper wear than buckets with tighter tooth spacing. We call this type of edge wear “scalloping.”
Work with your dealer to get full information about what to look for and how to repair or rebuild buckets. AM
My recommendation is to inspect the bucket regularly for heel wear and scalloping. At a point when the bucket wear bars become thin in the corners, they need to be completely
JOIN HCEA TODAY!
Doug Bye is the senior market professional with Cat Excavation Work Tools.
READ ALL ABOUT IT!
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35
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015 10/22/15 1:27 PM
Cubee the AggMan helping educate children about the importance of aggregate since 1998 “The Story of Cubee the Aggregate” helps teach children at the youngest ages about the important role aggregate plays in their daily lives. Geared for students in grades K-3, Cubee and his aggregate friends will take children on a magical journey from Cubee’s birthplace in the neighborhood quarry to his new home in the schools, roads and other structures that enrich our communities and our lives.
The “You’re on Rock” Workbook presents basic earth science information while emphasizing the vital role of the industry in our world. An aggregate activity book for junior geologists, mining engineers and earth scientists. Geared for students in grades 4-6.
Cubee the AggMan T-Shirts are available. To learn more about these great tools for community outreach, adopt-a-school programs, and receive sample copies of the coloring/workbooks,
Call 800-430-4540 e-mail: cubee@aggman.com
or visit www.AggMan.com
Supply
by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief tdunphy@randallreilly.com
SCREEN PLAY Current portable screeners offer an assortment of options to match operators’ sizing needs.
Screen options for every need Kleemann says its Mobiscreen line has a mobile screen for every need, from the quick-setup MS 16 and MS 19 — which are designed mainly for the contractor, but are also at home within the quarry — to the larger MS 18 and MS 20, designed mainly for quarry applications and high output. Track-mounted screen plants range in screen surface size from 8.4 to 22 square yards. Designed as a double-deck or triple-deck screen, with or without feed hopper, as a banana screen with finger-screening surface with rubber perforated panels, and more, the screens are suitable for use everywhere high outputs are required and heavy-duty material must be separated. Kleemann | www.wirtgenamerica.com
Small screen is suitable for entry-level contractor market KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens has launched its new GT104 track-mounted screening plant as an ideal tool for entry-level contractors seeking a compact, highly productive, and easy-to-use mobile screen. It is built to screen overburden or scalping behind a primary crusher. It is said to lead the market by offering the highest stockpile capacity, the quickest set-up time, and the largest hopper in its class. The unit features an aggressive, heavy-duty 9- x 4-foot screen that suits markets where a smaller screen is preferred. The GT104 can be loaded into a standard 40-foot container, for lower shipping costs. KPI-JCI and Astec Mobile Screens | www.kpijci.com
Mobile screen designed for high-production operations The Lokotrack ST3.8 mobile screening plant, from Metso, combines productivity and durability for more profitable screening in highproduction operations. Its double-deck screen, IC300 process control system, and powerful Cat C4.4 engine are said to make it an ideal choice for both standalone and Lokotrack multi-stage processes. The ST3.8 simplifies maintenance with safe and easy access to all service points, including the motor and gearbox, which can be accessed without removing the tracks. Metso Mineral Industries, Inc. | www.metso.com
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
37
by Therese Dunphy, Editor-in-Chief tdunphy@randallreilly.com
Mid-sized screen features user-friendly controls
Unique feed suits fine, clean screen needs
Featuring patented Doublescreen technology, Sandvik’s new midsized QA335 offers a flexible and productive solution with many class-leading features. These include a 13- x 5-foot Doublescreen (first and second screen: 5- x 5-foot and 8- x 5-foot top and bottom, respectively), a user-friendly electrical control system with sequential start-up, hydraulic screen separation to aid screen media changes, and a fuel-efficient 100 horsepower engine. The Doublescreen consists of two high-velocity screen boxes featuring independent screen drives with the ability to adjust the working angle of each screen independently to each other to suit the exact requirements of the application. Sandvik | www.construction.sandvik.com
The Spyder 622TH screening plant, from Screen Machine, features a 6- x 22-foot triple-deck, triple-shaft screen box with a unique direct feed design that allows for more comprehensive material separation. This is a significant benefit in some applications where finer, cleaner screening is required. The Spyder 622TH incorporates the triple-deck screen with four self-contained stockpiling conveyors to offer increased capabilities and efficiency. The 622TH also features a Caterpillar C4.4TA, 140 horsepower plant for name brand reliability and worldwide service. Screen Machine | www.screenmachine.com
Centering hopper improves product spec
Portable plant combines versatility and efficiency
A new option for Superior brand portable screen plants allows owners and operators to increase screening efficiency and produce more in-spec product. When engaged, the centering hopper centralizes the feed to the middle of the screen no matter the angle of the incoming material. The manufacturer says plant operators will achieve increased screening efficiency, extend the wear life of their screen cloth, produce a higher percentage of in-spec product, and decrease side loading, which extends bearing life. Superior Industries | www.superior-ind.com
The Telsmith 620-VK-TL portable screening plant combines the performance of a Vibro-King TL screen with the versatility required in today’s competitive environment where efficiency reigns supreme. The Telsmith 6- x 20-foot triple-deck inclined screen provides outstanding performance and longevity in applications ranging from heavy-duty scalping of coarse stone to fine sizing of finished products. Optional equipment, including a screen feedbox and wet screen with spray bar assembly, make the 620-VK-TL a complete screening solution to support a portable processing operation. Telsmith | www.telsmith.com
38
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
SUPPLY LINES
Variable slope capability allows for larger deck loads The new Terex Cedarapids CRS620S portable screen plant combines the El-Jay high G-force oval stroke motion with adjustable slope operation. This patent-pending technology increases capacity and handles applications not possible with traditional horizontal screens. Hydraulics quickly change the screen slope in 2.5-degree increments up to a maximum of 7.5 degrees to best fit the application. Variable slope capability allows the screen to handle larger deck loads and bigger screen openings for increased production. The patented low-maintenance flex-shaft screen drive eliminates belt whip, belt slippage, and the need for spring-loaded belt tensioners. Roll-away blending chutes and extended walkways allow easy access to screen cloth. Terex Minerals Processing Systems | www.terexmps.com
Here are the
COLD HARD FACTS about automatic lubrication!
Every Beka-Max EP1 automatic lubrication system is built to keep your machine performing smoothly in all seasons and altitudes. Like
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AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
39
Rock by K. Brad Oakley and Patrick F. Estill
MSHA’s new workplace examination enforcement efforts are generating task-training violations. Here’s guidance on how to prevent receiving one.
Close the New Backdoor to
TASK TRAINING ENFORCEMENT
I
K. Brad Oakley is a member in Jackson Kelly PLLC’s Lexington, Ky., office, practicing in the Occupational Safety and Health Practice Group. He can be reached at 859288-2835 or kboakley@ jacksonkelly.com. Patrick F. Estill is an associate in the same location, practicing in the firm’s Commercial Law Practice Group. He can be reached at 859-288-2807 or pestill@jacksonkelly.com.
40
t is no secret that the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has recently increased its workplace examination enforcement efforts. As our colleague Patrick W. Dennison wrote in September, MSHA issued Program Policy Letter No. P15-IV-01 (PPL) effective July 9, 2015, on its website, and later “re-issued” the PPL at the July 22 stakeholder meeting. Generally, the PPL’s stated purpose was to clarify the requirements for workplace examinations. As previous articles have discussed, the PPL may do more than just “clarify” the standard. It arguably expands the existing workplace examination requirements by: (1) enlarging the definition of “working place” to include areas where work is performed on an infrequent basis, such as areas accessed primarily for maintenance or cleanup; (2) recommending that the requirement to have “competent persons” perform the examinations means having a foreman or a supervisor do so in order to be a best practice; (3) recommending that the examination should provide details of any conditions found; and (4) stating that conducting a workplace examination is a “new task” for which the examiner must be trained under 30 C.F.R. Parts 46 and 48. The PPL also stated that deficient examinations may be a “basis for MSHA to require training plan revisions” under Parts 46 and 48. In his September article, Dennison accordingly predicted that the new PPL would
AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
provide an impetus for MSHA to write three violations for one condition going forward: one for the condition found, one for the inadequate workplace examination, and one for the task training violation. That prediction is now coming true. Operators have reported new task training citations issued along with workplace exam citations, and amendments to training plans also have been required for terminating the violations. This article will provide a brief overview of task training requirements and explain how an operator might avoid the increased training enforcement efforts that have arrived with MSHA’s new workplace examination agenda. There are two different types of training plans, depending on the type of mine or operation in question. This article will focus on Part 46, as these training requirements are most prevalent in the aggregates industry. Part 46 specifically requires that an operator develop and implement written training programs for (1) training new and newly hired experienced miners, (2) training miners for new tasks, (3) annual refresher training, and (4) site-specific hazard awareness training. Generally, training under the required plan “must be provided to miners before they begin work at a mine, or before they receive new work tasks or assignments.” Program Policy Manual, PDF available at www.msha.gov/ REGS/COMPLIAN/PPM/PDFVersion/PPM Vol III. pdf. Failure to train any miner can result in a
withdrawal order issued under § 104(g) of the Mine Act. The regulations provide a list of the minimum information that, if included in a plan, should result in automatic approval by MSHA. A plan that does not contain all of this information can still be submitted to MSHA for approval. Operators also must comply with the procedures for plan approval when revisions are made to the plan. Whenever approval is requested, MSHA’s regional manager must notify the operator of approval status within 30 days of receiving the plan. See 30 C.F.R. § 46.3. Once a written plan is developed and published, training must be conducted in accordance with that plan. New employee training requirements may differ depending on whether the employee is classified as a “new” or a “newly hired experienced” miner. The differences are explained in 30 C.F.R. §§ 46.5 and 46.6. “New task” training is addressed by § 46.7. Any miner who is reassigned to “a new task in which he or she has no previous work experience” must receive training in the health and safety aspects of the new task. As explained above, according to MSHA’s new PPL, workplace examination duties will now be treated as a “new task” implicating these training requirements. However, note that there is an exception to new task training for “miners who have received training in a similar task or who have previous work experience in the task, and who can demonstrate the necessary skills to perform the task in a safe and healthful manner.” Furthermore, practice under the close supervision of a competent person may fulfill the requirements for new task training. See 30 C.F.R. § 46.7. Part 46 also has recordkeeping requirements for all training plans. Operators must record and certify on MSHA Form 5000-23 (or other complying forms) that each miner has received the requisite training. Time limits for recording the various types of training are addressed in 30 C.F.R. § 46.9. New miners must receive certain training before they begin work at the mine, and such training must be recorded upon completion. New task training (in addition to annual refresher and hazard training) must also be recorded upon completion. Records must be certified and provided to miners and be maintained during each miner’s employment (and for 60 days after termination). Training records must also be made available for inspection by MSHA and by miners and their representatives. See 30 C.F.R. § 46.9.
We know that MSHA has a new avenue for scrutinizing an operator’s training of its miners. Operators should thus be aware of this new risk and be prepared to mitigate it going forward. Submitting training plans for MSHA input and approval — even if the plans already meet the criteria for automatic approval — can help establish that your written plan is in compliance. Timely recording of all training and keeping good records also go a long way in disproving training-related citations. Finally, if workplace exams are not already included elsewhere in your approved training plan (e.g., under “new” or “newly hired experienced” miner training), issuing separate 5000-23 forms for workplace exams is likely now necessary. These measures can help close the door to the increased task training enforcement that has arrived along with MSHA’s workplace examination agenda. AM
Experience: Retired November 2011 following 41 years with the U.S. Geological Survey • USGS Aggregate Resource Geologist 1977-2011 • Past Chair and Distinguished Service Award recipient, Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, Industrial Minerals and Aggregates Division • Author of ASBPE award-winning columns - Carved In Stone, Aggregates Manager, 1998-Present
Services Offered: Applied geology and geological research for construction rocks and minerals, with an emphasis on aggregates. • Resource evaluation • Expert testimony
• Technical writing and review • Lecturer
Contact me at:
Bill-Langer@researchgeologist.com www.researchgeologist.com
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AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
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AGGREGATES MANAGER November 2015
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by Bill Langer
Bill Langer is a consulting research geologist who spent 41 years with the U.S. Geological Survey before starting his own business. He can be reached at Bill_Langer@hotmail.com
D
In Stone
BARRE
Boardinghouse Keepers
While the men were away cutting stone at the quarry, women were cleaning rooms and preparing three meals a day.
uring the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, hard-working men developed a booming granite industry in Barre, Vt., but we should not overlook the hard-working women who also contributed to the livelihood of the Barre stone industry families. While some families could subsist solely on the incomes of the granite workers, others needed supplemental income. This was especially true when the male head of the house passed away from disease, silicosis, or an accident, leaving his widow to fend for herself and her family. From 1880 to 1910, women held a variety of jobs, but about half of Barre’s working women were boardinghouse keepers. This was remarkable considering that, nationally, less than 2 percent of the working female population took in boarders. To generate income, the women of Barre, Vt., often In a typical boardinghouse, “room” meant a bed, a chair, and a place to hang ran boardinghouses. They provided a room and the boarder’s clothes. “Board” meant three meals a day. The daily schedule of three meals a day to many of the area stonecutters. cooking breakfast, packing lunch pails, making beds, cleaning rooms, laundering and mending clothes, buying groceries, cooking supper, and cleaning up was grueling. A single woman could manage one to three boarders. Four or more tenants usually required the help of family members or paid employees. Mrs. McCarthy was an Irish shed owner’s widow. Her husband loved the granite business, but when, first, his uncle and, next, his good friend, both died from lung disease, her husband began to drink excessively. His workmen often half carried him home after the shed closed for the day. Business suffered. Mrs. McCarthy took action. “I saw my duty even though it was a painful one, and I did it,” said Mrs. McCarthy, “I went up to the shed one afternoon and talked to every one of the unmarried men…[I] told them I would be glad to have any of them as roomers… By the end of the next week, six were rooming at the house.” To further supplement their income, many boardinghouse keepers sold homemade wine and grappa (a distilled wine) to boarders and neighbors. Liquor laws in Barre changed back and forth from a dry community to one that licensed liquor sales. However, during times when liquor sales were allowed, licenses were only issued to males with formal liquor establishments. Consequently, some women were arrested and fined or even jailed for those small-scale liquor sales. Boardinghouses could be very pleasant places to stay. In a 1940 interview, Pierre Savoie, a hard-working Barre stonecutter, reminisced about the time he spent in boarding houses. “Mrs. Fournier did the cooking that night, we all liked it. Her husband died of stonecutter’s t.b. the month before. She said she was going to…take in roomers and boarders. Four of us moved in next week… [A]nother French woman began to take in roomers and boarders next door. They was friendly, but they knew us men talked about the food and compared it, so there was competition. It suited us fine. Each one would cook the best she could, and still make a profit. I never ate so well since.” Savoie went on to say, “I almost married once with the widow who run the boarding house next door… but I figured I wouldn’t be my own boss no more. I’d have to work all the time, if I liked the job or not… I like money, but I ain’t going to break my back getting it.” To him, running a boarding house was more difficult than cutting stone.
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