Evolución de la escuela de minas de Manresa y su relación con la minería potásica

La minería desarrollada en la cuenca salina catalana de las zonas de Cardona, Súria y Balsareny-Sallent ha tenido y tiene una influencia muy importante para la comarca del Bages. Actualmente es claramente uno de los motores económicos más sólidos con los que consta la comarca.Una de las consecuencias positivas debidas a esta minería fue la creación de la “Escuela de Capataces Facultativos de Minas de Manresa” el año 1942. Está escuela con los años iría evolucionando.Así en el año 1972 entró a formar parte de la Universidad de Barcelona, el año 1976 se convirtió en Escuela universitaria Politécnica, el año 1988 se creó el Departamento de Ingeniería Minera y Recursos Naturales, con única ubicación en la escuela, el año 2006 la escuela pasó a denominarse “Escuela Politécnica Superior de Ingeniería de Manresa”, y el año 2007 se creó la Cátedra empresa “Iberpotash” en minería sostenible entre la Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya y la empresa minera Iberpotash, S.A. Está Cátedra constituye un marco de relación directa entre la universidad y la empresa, para promocionar el conocimiento sobre temas de innovación y sostenibilidad en el ámbito de la ingeniería minera.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Characteristics of the 3 most common types of occupational accident in Spanish sub-surface and surface mining, from 2003–2008

The rate for work related accidents in Spanish mining has decreased during recent years. However, the incidence rate per 100,000 workers in the Spanish mining sector in 2007 was significantly higher than the ones reported in the mining industry of other countries. This result implies that studies and research should be carried out in order to reveal the nature of the factors influencing the high incidence rates of the Spanish mining sector. Thus, this article offers features of the 3 most common types of accident of the Spanish mining industry during the period of 2003–2008. For each type of accident, the analysis proceeds as follows: 1) Modeling of the adjusted exponential distribution in terms of workdays lost; 2) Calculation of the risk index adjusted by age group of injured workers; 3) Identification of the 3 main deviations or immediate causes. Los índices de siniestralidad laboral en la minería española han disminuido en los últimos años. Sin embargo, la incidencia por cada 100.000 trabajadores en el año 2008 era considerablemente mayor que la de la minería de otros países. Ello implica que deban realizarse estudios e investigaciones que pongan de manifiesto la naturaleza de los factores que influyen en la alta incidencia de siniestralidad laboral del sector minero español. Así, en el presente estudio se presentan las características más importantes de los 3 tipos de accidentes más frecuentes de la minería española en el período 2003-2008.Por cada tipo de accidente se realiza lo siguiente: 1) Modelización de la distribución de los accidentes en función de los días perdidos; 2) Cálculo del Índice de Riesgo por grupos de edades de los trabajadores accidentados; 3) identificación de las 3 principales desviaciones o causas inmediatas de los accidentes.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Environmental sustainability in the mining sector: evidence from Catalan companies

This paper examines the adoption of environmental practices in small and medium sized companies inthe surface mining industry in Catalonia (Spain). To fulfill this aim, a survey of 41 items concernint environmental management systems and environmentally sustainable practices has been conducted. Results show that companies have committed themselves to environmental and sustainable issues. The majority of companies claim to understand the effects of their activities on the environment and they care for responsible access and management of natural resources. Restoration plans and the annual waste declaration are mandatory in Catalonia, and rational resources exploitation practices have been adopted by a high percentage of mines. Finally, some examples of good environmentally sustainable practices are introduced.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

Assessment of errors in the transmission of the orientation and cartographic system from the surface to an underground mine

An accurate transmission of the orientation between surface and underground workings, by means of vertical shafts, is a major challenge in the mining industry, especially for deep mines. We assessed the accuracy of this operation in a case study using the two-shaft plumbing and gyroscopic methods in order to compare and analyse the planimetric displacement of the baseline due to different sources of error in each method. The advantages and disadvantages of both methods are discussed. Some disadvantages in each method have been reduced thanks to technological progress, especially in the two-shaft plumbing method. The different sources of error that affect the measurements are analysed in detail with the aim of compensating them and achieving the required precision for an underground infrastructure. Mine ventilation has been identified as one of the most important sources of error in the plumbing method due to intake and return air flow producing a significant displacement of the verticality of the plumbs in the shafts. In this regard, we describe some measures to reduce the influence of ventilation and give details of a compensation method.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Friction factors determination and comparison in potash mines

Friction factor is a crucial parameter for assessing and modelling the ventilation system in underground mining. However, the development of a mine along its life can complicate the airflow supply required to the working faces, creating setbacks in terms of productivity and production. For this reason, it is very important to determine all the ventilation parameters. This paper examines data collected from different surveys carried out in two potash mines –both using a room and pillar exploitation method– with the idea of determining the friction factors through the Von Kármán equation, which connects the Atkinson friction factor with roughness of the airways. Standard values of such type of mining have been obtained, determining the roughness variation along the year due to surface climatic, which influences the shape and geometry of the tunnels in evaporitic exploitations.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Gestión de la subsidencia minera en la cuenca minera potásica de Cataluña

Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Повышение вероятности правильного обнаружения космических объектов оператором оптико - электронных станций в условиях сумерек

Предложен способ построения формирователя сигнала изображения оптико - электронной станции и оценена его эффективность при визуальном обнаружении космических объектов

Analysis of a historical accident in a Spanish coal mine

There has been a long history of coal mine accidents and these, usually, involve serious injuries, fatalities, and the destruction of facilities. In the seventies, an explosion killed 28 miners in a Spanish coal mine. This paper gives insight into the main factors of the accident by means of the causation mode, using two well-known alternatives: (1) the method from the Spanish Instituto Nacional de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo (INSST), where the causes and circumstances of the accident are classified into immediate causes and basic causes, and (2) the Feyer and Williamson method, where the classification is done using precursor events and contributing factors. The analysis identifies the lessons to be learned from the disaster. Both methods have given very similar results, verifying the goodness of the analysis. Methane emissions due to a variation in the exploitation method, the electrical installation, and a lack of safety procedures and training were the main causes of the accident. These findings explain the real causes of this accident and can be very valuable for the prevention of future accidents.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version