Volume 28 (2022): Issue 2 (June 2022)

Any underground work requires the knowledge and application of appropriate techniques and technologies in all stages of implementation of such a project. An important problem in the design of underground works is the knowledge of the characteristics and behaviour of the massif in which the work will be carried out. It depends on the choice of the excavation solution appropriate to the existing real conditions, which will influence the duration of the work and the costs associated with it. The objective of this paper was to analyse and compare the total deformations of the contour of the underground work, assuming that the work is performed by sequential excavation method (S.E.M.): excavation in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction. The finite element numerical simulation method was used for the convergence analysis, which showed that the total displacements of the tunnel gallery wall are smaller for the horizontal sequential excavation (SEM) variant, both for the hypothesis of coefficient of pressure in state of rest having the value K₀ = 0.6, as well as for the hypothesis in which K₀ = 2.27.

The paper presents the level of heavy metal contamination in the areas located in the vicinity of the mining perimeters in Baia Mare and Băiuț and the risk of their expansion in the future. Heavy metal contamination was analysed on water samples from wells, plants and milk from animals that consumed water from polluted streams.

One of the most important wastes in iron metallurgy is the blast furnace sludge. This sludge consists of fine particles of iron ore, coke and fine particles of flux. The furnace sludge is characterized by the chemical composition similar to that of the furnace load, the major difference being the concentration of zinc and lead. Due to the similarity with the blast furnace load, this material, after pelletization, can be recycled in the technological process. However, this recirculation is limited by the zinc content, which significantly disrupts the operation of the furnace. This paper presents tests to reduce the zinc content of the furnace sludge by hydrometallurgical and pyrometalurgical processes.

Bulqiza chrome mine is one of the most important chromium mines and mining activities in Albania. It is the deepest mine in the Balkans and possibly even in Europe. Recently, the inner shaft of the mine reached a depth of 1000 m, measured from the surface, or −180 m below sea level. Like all deep metal mines, this mine also faces a different set of challenges during its development. The first and most important challenge is that of improving the degree of geological research and knowledge of this mine and assessment of geological resources and reserves according to JORC Code 2012 edition. In addition, a series of other challenges related to increasing the depth of the mine represent the object of this paper: rock and ore stability and the underground voids support; improvement of mining methods and technologies; groundwater and its pumping; temperature, air parameters and mine ventilation. Among other things, these problems were solved using various computation and simulation programs.

This article gives an overview of solid waste and tailing generated by the mining activity over the years in Albania. It presents the geographical distribution of the disposal areas giving a quantitative and qualitative assessment of this waste. It reveals that the best approach to deal with mining waste is their recycling to recover lost mineral products deposited in the mining waste and tailing dam. This loss is due to the type of technology used over the years in mines and to the low efficiency of the processing equipment; nonetheless, the new treatment methods can represent a great potential for the recycling industries in the mining activity. At the same time the rehabilitation of the disposal areas is of great importance.

The paper presents a brief history of Bronze Age gold to the Middle Ages, as well as its properties, minerals and deposits, alloys, uses and recycling.

Topography has an important role in the realization of underground mining works, hydro-technical constructions, roads, etc. Appropriate topographic measurements and processing are required to trace these objectives in the necessary safety and efficiency conditions. An appropriate topographic basis must first be established for which scientific analyzes focusing mainly on topographical guidance elements are required. It is considered an independent polygonal route, easy to achieve and with superior quality effects.

This paper presents a scientific research in the field of the risk assessment, in order to secure the activities carried out in the presence of specific hazards of industrial work systems. The methodology for quantifying the risk of occupational is an innovative tool which highlights the analytical solution for quantify the occupational risks with impact, both on the human component, as well as at the level of the other component elements specific to the work systems.