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MIN2002 Mine Planning and Design

Semester 2, 2020 Online
Short Description: Mine Planning and Design
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences
School or Department : School of Civil Engineering and Surveying
Student contribution band : Band 2
ASCED code : 030303 - Mining Engineering
Grading basis : Graded

Staffing

Examiner:

Rationale

Mining is an important part of the economy of many countries and companies. The market price of many minerals fluctuates both in the short term and the long term and market fluctuations can change a mining operation from being a profitable venture into a non-viable activity. In order to minimise the impact of such market changes, mines must be planned and designed for effective and efficient operation. Professional and para-professional mining personnel therefore need to have an understanding of how mines are developed and how they can retain their viability. The purpose of this course is to provide a background to the major factors influencing the establishment of a mine and its continued existence.

Synopsis

Mines are dynamic engineering projects which are continually changing as the mining process is undertaken. In order to ensure continuous operation and viability, the development of a mine needs to be carefully planned. As mining progresses, and conditions change, design of various elements in the mining operation must occur. This course provides a background to how mines are planned and developed, and the major factors which will influence mine development. The course also focusses on the design of some of the major elements and processes of mining.

Objectives

The course objectives define the student learning outcomes for a course. On completion of this course, students should be able to:

  1. Discuss the factors influencing mine development and outline the mining phases and stages in the life of a mine.
  2. Describe the processes and plant used in the prospecting and exploration phases of mining.
  3. Describe general issues in mine planning, mine safety, mine feasibility and stability, land acquisition, environmental protection, land rights, financial and social issues.
  4. Describe the principles of mining law in Australia, and be able to search and apply mining regulations.
  5. Design surface mining features such as open pit excavations, waste dumps, storage areas and haul roads, Planning and design of strip and open-pit coalmines, Develop short to mid-term plans for various aspects of a mine’s operation e.g. dragline operation, truck and shovel operations and, dig plans.
  6. Design underground mining features such as benches, levels and stopes, draw-points, drifts, shafts, roadways, tunnels, escape ways and paste and backfill operations.
  7. Utilise mine planning and design software.
  8. Apply quality control and safety procedures commonly utilised in mining.
  9. Explain current developments in mine planning including sequence and scheduling in mine planning and feasibility studies.
  10. Explain sustainable mine operations, developments and rehabilitations
  11. Explain and understand basics of coal mining in Australia

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. Mine development and the stages in the life of a mine 5.00
2. Prospecting and exploration of mineral deposits 5.00
3. General issues in mine planning – mine feasibility, land acquisition, environmental protection, financing 10.00
4. Mining laws and regulations 5.00
5. Surface mine development – mine layout, pit planning and design, equipment and systems selection, production scheduling and measuring 15.00
6. Underground mine development – mine layout, mine plant layout, operations cycle, equipment and systems selection, ventilation 15.00
7. Computer aided mine planning and design 10.00
8. Quality control and safety in mining operations 10.00
9. Current developments in mine planning and design 5.00
10. Mine site rehabilitation 10.00
11. Coal Mining 10.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2020&sem=02&subject1=MIN2002)

Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)

Hustrulid, W A 2013, Open Pit Mine Planning and Design, 3rd edn, TL Distribution Pty Ltd, Bosa Roca, USA.

Reference materials

Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.

Student workload expectations

Activity Hours
Assessments 50.00
Directed ¾«¶«´«Ã½app 50.00
Private ¾«¶«´«Ã½app 55.00

Assessment details

Description Marks out of Wtg (%) Due Date Objectives Assessed Notes
Assignment 1 250 25 18 Aug 2020 1,2,3,4,5,7
Assignment 2 250 25 21 Sep 2020 6,7,8,9,10,11
Online Exam 500 50 End S2 1,2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10,11,12 (see note 1)

Notes
  1. This will be an open examination. Students will be provided further instruction regarding the exam by their course examiner via ¾«¶«´«Ã½appDesk. The examination date will be available via UConnect when the official Alternate Assessment Schedule has been released.

Important assessment information

  1. Attendance requirements:
    There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students'
    responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.

  2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are:
    To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item.

    Requirements after S2 2020:
    To satisfactorily complete an assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks or a grade of at least C-. Students do not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to be awarded a passing grade in this course. Refer to Statement 4 below for the requirements to receive a passing grade in this course.

  3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
    Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4)

  4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.

    Requirements after S2 2020:
    To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must obtain at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course (i.e. the Primary Hurdle), and have satisfied the Secondary Hurdle (Supervised), i.e. the end of semester examination by achieving at least 40% of the weighted marks available for that assessment item.

    Supplementary assessment may be offered where a student has undertaken all of the required summative assessment items and has passed the Primary Hurdle but failed to satisfy the Secondary Hurdle (Supervised), or has satisfied the Secondary Hurdle (Supervised) but failed to achieve a passing Final Grade by 5% or less of the total weighted Marks.

    To be awarded a passing grade for a supplementary assessment item (if applicable), a student must achieve at least 50% of the available marks for the supplementary assessment item as per the Assessment Procedure (point 4.4.2).

  5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
    The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks (or grades) obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.

  6. Examination information:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are:
    An Open Examination is one in which candidates may have access to any printed or written material and a calculator during the examination.

    Requirements after S2 2020:
    In a Restricted Examination, candidates are allowed access to specific materials during the examination. The only materials that candidates may use in the restricted examination for this course are: writing materials (non-electronic and free from material which could give the student an unfair advantage in the examination); calculators which cannot hold textual information (students must indicate on their examination paper the make and model of any calculator(s) they use during the examination).

  7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
    Due to COVID-19 the requirements for S2 2020 are:
    The details regarding deferred/supplementary examinations will be communicated at a later date.

    Requirements after S2 2020:
    Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.

  8. ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Student Policies:
    Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene ¾«¶«´«Ã½app policies and practices. These policies can be found at .

Assessment notes

  1. The due date for an assignment is the date by which a student must despatch the assignment to the USQ. The onus is on the student to provide proof of the despatch date, if requested by the Examiner.

  2. Students must retain a copy of each item submitted for assessment. This must be despatched to USQ within 24 hours if required by the Examiner.

  3. In accordance with ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Policy, the Examiner may grant an extension of the due date of an assignment in extenuating circumstances.

  4. If electronic submission of assessments is specified for the course, students will be notified of this in the course Introductory Book and on the USQ ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Desk. All required electronic submission must be made through the Assignment Drop Box located on the USQ ¾«¶«´«Ã½app Desk for the course, unless directed otherwise by the examiner of the course. The due date for an electronically submitted assessment is the date by which a student must electronically submit the assignment. The assignment files must be submitted by 11.55pm on the due date using USQ time (as displayed on the clock on the course home page; that is, Australian Eastern Standard Time).

  5. If the method of assessment submission is by written, typed or printed paper-based media students should (i) submit to the Faculty Office for students enrolled in the course in the on-campus mode, or (ii) mail to the USQ for students enrolled in the course in the external mode. The due date for the assessment is the date by which a student must (i) submit the assessment for students enrolled in the on-campus mode, or (ii) mail the assessment for students enrolled in the external mode.

  6. The Faculty will NOT normally accept submission of assessments by facsimile or email.

  7. Students who do not have regular access to postal services for the submission of paper-based assessments, or regular access to Internet services for electronic submission, or are otherwise disadvantaged by these regulations may be given special consideration. They should contact the examiner of the course to negotiate such special arrangements prior to the submission date.

  8. Harvard (AGPS) is the referencing system required in this course. Students should use Harvard (AGPS) style in their assignments to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The Harvard (AGPS) style to be used is defined by the USQ Library's referencing guide.

Other requirements

  1. Students will require access to e-mail and internet access to UConnect for this course

Date printed 6 November 2020