Achieving excellence in postgraduate research

Chairholder: Prof Ronny Webber-Youngman

One of the key future challenges with regard to the 4IR or Industry 4.0 is requisite leadership for the mining industry. The Department recognises that current 20th-century leadership theory is largely redundant or inappropriate for the 21st century. In view of this, several leadership initiatives and research projects for the mining industry are being conducted.

To supplement the current research, the research outcomes of the M&R MELA for students has expanded the final-year students’ Mine Design curriculum to incorporate futuristic leadership aspects required by the 4IR. Research projects in leadership relevant to mining conducted in this Research Chair were the adoption technology by leaders to the safety and risk leadership required by these leaders to navigate the impact of the 4IR on South African mining companies, as well as the risk profiling of senior managers in the mining industry.

Chairholder: Prof Ina Fourie

This Chair is formally housed in the University’s Department of Information Science and will provide the following expertise:

• Selecting the most appropriate XR technology for the specific application, and then designing interactions that can enable intuitive interaction with virtual environments • Conducting the extensive user testing of proposed solutions to ensure that the solutions address as many of the challenges as possible • Exposing users to the technology through creative interactive paradigms and introductions to the experiences to ensure accessibility to the technology • Educating and training the next generation of developers and researchers with real-world projects that are unique to XR technology and immersive learning in student programmes, postgraduate research projects and industry projects

RESEARCH OUTPUT

The Department’s research agenda includes improving the number of articles published in internationally accredited, peer-reviewed journals, increasing the number of citations these journal articles attract, and improving the impact factor (H-index score) of its researchers. There is also an ongoing drive for staff to apply for ratings from the NRF and to increase the output of outstanding postgraduate students.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the Department’s research output. This can largely be ascribed to many of the planned conferences being cancelled, including the international symposium of the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) – Eurock 2020: Hard Rock Engineering – that was to be held in Norway in October 2020, for which five papers had been completed for presentation under the guidance of Prof Francois Malan, who is recognised internationally as an expert in rock engineering.

Several other journal papers had also been completed, but due to the slow journal referee processes, could only be published in 2021. The Department’s focus is also shifting to submitting more papers for publication in high-impact journals. While almost all papers published in 2020 were published in the Journal of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the focus in 2021 was to publish more papers in high-impact European journals such as Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering and the International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Science.

A study conducted in 2018 revealed the impact factors of the typical journals for publishing rock engineering research to be as follows:

Journal

International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering Tunnelling and Underground Space Technology International Journal of Mining Science and Technology Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

Impact factor

3.780

6.650

4.450

3.903

0.94

In January 2020, Prof Malan was appointed as a member of the Publications Committee and Editorial Board of the Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. A key initiative of the Committee, supported by Prof Malan, is to improve the impact factor of this journal to bring it more in line with that of other top-rated rock engineering journals.

Journal articles

Baloyi, VD & Meyer, LD. 2020. The development of a mining method selection model through a detailed assessment of multi-criteria decision methods. Results in Engineering, 8: 100172. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rineng.2020.100172. Du Plessis, M & Malan, DF. 2021. Investigating the use of cement-based polymer thin spray-on liners for stope face support. International

Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Science, 142:104728. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. ijrmms.2021.104728. Jooste, Y & Malan, DF. 2020. The need for improved layout design criteria for deep tabular stopes. Journal of the South African Institute of

Mining and Metallurgy, 120(1): 23–32. Malan, DF & Napier, JAL. A review of the role of underground measurements in the historic development of rock engineering in South Africa. Journal of the South African Institute of

Mining and Metallurgy, 121(5). Mthembu, LL & Meyer, LD. 2020. Identification of suitable areas for multi-reef operation at Thorncliffe Chrome Mine. Journal of the South

African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 120(6): 355–359. Napier, JAL & Malan DF. 2021. A limit equilibrium model of tabular mine pillar failure. Rock

Mechanics and Rock Engineering, 54: 71–89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-020-02265-2. Uys, J & Webber-Youngman, RCW. 2020. A 4.0D leadership model for mining and related industries in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Mining Report Glückauf, 156(1): 21–29. https://mining-report.de/english/ gluckauf-1-2020/. Van der Walt, J & Spiteri, W. 2020. A critical analysis of recent research into the prediction of flyrock and related issues resulting from surface blasting activities. Journal of the Southern

African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 120(12): 701–714. Webber-Youngman, RCW, Du Plessis, JJL & Govender, M. 2021. A critical investigation into spontaneous combustion in coal storage bunkers. Journal of the South African Institute of

Mining and Metallurgy, 121(May 2021): 251–259.

Conference papers

* Couto, PM & Malan, DF. Deformation measurements of Basal Reef stopes with cemented backfill in South Africa. In: Proceedings 14th ISRM Congress, Foz do Iquacu, Brazil, 13–18 September 2019. * Hartzenberg, AG, Du Plessis, M & Malan, DF. The effect of alteration layers on UG2 pillar behaviour in the Bushveld Complex. In: Proceedings 14th ISRM Congress, Foz do Iquacu, Brazil, 13–18 September 2019. * Malan, DF. Innovative rock engineering solutions for deep tabular excavations (keynote lecture). In: Proceedings 14th ISRM Congress, Foz do Iquacu, Brazil, 13–18 September 2019. * Maritz, J & Malan, DF. A limit equilibrium model to simulate the effect of pillar geometry. In: Proceedings 14th ISRM Congress, Foz do Iquacu, Brazil, 13–18 September 2019. ** Couto, PM & Malan, DF. Production rates versus seismic response in deep level mining. Accepted for ISRM International Symposium, Eurock 2020 – Hard Rock Engineering, Trondheim, Norway, October 2020. ** Maritz, JA & Botha, A. visualising and tracking of graduate attribute performance: A Mining Engineering case study, World Engineering Educators Forum 2020, Cape Town, South Africa, November 2020. ** Maritz, JA & Malan, DF. A numerical assessment of the perimeter rule for pillar strength calculations. Accepted for ISRM International Symposium, Eurock 2020 – Hard Rock Engineering, Trondheim, Norway, October 2020. ** Meyer, LD. Tunnel boring in highly fractured ground. Accepted for ISRM International Symposium, Eurock 2020 – Hard Rock Engineering, Trondheim, Norway, October 2020. ** Napier, JAL & Malan, DF. The simulation of thin layer material discontinuities in tabular mine pillar layouts. Accepted for ISRM International Symposium, Eurock 2020 – Hard Rock Engineering, Trondheim, Norway, October 2020.

Publication pipeline (papers prepared and under review)

Ahlers, JA & Meyer, B. Conceptual graphical user interface design for underground hard rock mines to improve safety and performance with the use of wearable technology. Botha, A & Maritz, JA. Visualising and tracking of graduate attribute performance: A Mining Engineering case study. Botha, A & Maritz, JA. Mapping and reporting of professional programme outcomes using online technology: A Mining Engineering case study. Couto, P & Malan, DF. The effect of alteration zones on the pillar strength in bord and pillar operations (to be submitted to the Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and

Metallurgy). De Graaf, W & Spiteri, WA. Preliminary qualitative evaluation of a hydraulic splitting cylinder for breaking of the solid in deep level mining to determine possible equipment modifications and applications. Dludu S & Meyer B. A trade-off study between drill and blast operations and reef boring method. Eniowo, OD & Meyer, B. A review of credit constraint and the failed formalisation attempt of artisanal mining across subSaharan Africa. Eniowo, OD & Meyer, B. Financing artisanal and small-scale mining for sustainable rural development in sub-Saharan Africa. Mans, JA & Meyer, B. Critical investigation into design guidelines for or relating to mine design project management. Maritz, JA & Malan, DF. Limits in which the perimeter rules applies in empirical pillar strength formulae. Maritz, JA, Couto, P & Nel, M. Exposing the rock mass response by means of radar technologies. Mkalipi, B, Uys, J & Webber-Youngman, RCW. A critical analysis of human factors in safety risk for senior managers in the mining industry Mokoena, M & Meyer, B. Noise reduction by using electro-hydraulic stope drilling noise reduction by using electro-hydraulic stope drilling. Mokganye, J, Uys, J & Webber-Youngman, RCW. The role of leadership in technology adoption. Mthembu, S & De Graaf, W. An investigation into fragmentation size reduction below 120 level, at Mponeng. Neale, AM & Webber-Youngman, RCW. The identification of mine design software usability requirements through thematic analyses of the literature. Ngwenyama, L & De Graaf, W. The application of opencast pillar mining for the extraction of pillars from previously mined bord-and-pillar operations. Ngwenyama, L & Webber-Youngman, RCW. A critical investigation into missing persons in underground mines and the related tracking, two-way communication and on-scene locator technology. Ntsekhe, M & De Graaf, W. A critical investigation into mining coal losses at Klipspruit Colliery. Preis, E & Webber-Youngman, RCW. Investigating the stage-gate model as a research and development implementation process in modernising the South African mining industry. Preis, E & Webber-Youngman, RCW. Identifying cost factors relating to mining incidents. Scheepers, L & Malan, DF. A case study of geotechnical conditions affecting mining induced seismicity in a deep tabular mine. Van der Walt, J & Spiteri, W. Developing a concept that can be used to quantify the motion of flyrock, with the intention of eventually producing a measuring tool for future flyrock research. Van der Walt, J & Spiteri, W. Developing a conceptual tool to measure and quantify the trajectory of flyrock.

* Although the indicated conference papers were presented in 2019, they were only submitted to the Department of Higher Education and Training for subsidy in 2020 due to the date of 2020 used in the proceedings by the organisers of the conference. These papers are listed here for completeness. ** The indicated conference papers were completed and accepted for presentation in 2020, but this conference was cancelled due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. It is nevertheless still useful to list these papers as it illustrates the scope of research conducted in the Department.

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

One of the Department’s key strategic initiatives is to ensure that it is recognised in terms of the international standard of its research. The intention is to increase the collaboration potential among researchers with similar technical subject knowledge and skills, and to foster the idea of international co-publication as a matter of urgency.