Mining and Minerals Engineering
Head: E.C. Westman
University Distinguished Professor and Nicholas T. Camicia Professor: R.H. Yoon
Stonie Barker Professor: M. E. Karmis
E. Morgan Massey Professor: G. H. Luttrell
Professor: E.C. Westman
Associate Professors: M. G. Karfakis, K.D. Luxbacher, and E.A. Sarver
Assistant Professors: C. Cheng, E.S. Gilliland, A. Noble, B. Nojabaei, and N. Ripepi
Adjunct Professor: J.A. Herbst
Web: www.mining.vt.edu
Overview
The Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering offers an engineering program containing aspects of mineral science, engineering, and technology that is professionally related to the minerals industry. Graduates of this program find domestic and international employment opportunities with hardrock, coal, industrial minerals, and construction aggregates producers, as well as with government agencies and equipment vendors.
The mission of the department is to produce high quality, rigorously trained mining engineers, whose background and education reflect the current level of technology and thought of the profession, and who can enter directly into engineering practice or, alternatively, graduate school for further study. Specifically, the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering seeks, as its educational objectives, to prepare alumni within a few years of graduation to possess:
- the intellectual ability to critically assess and tackle any engineering problem they may encounter;
- the communication skills to communicate technical information to a variety of audiences including technically trained supervisors and subordinates as well as non-technical members of the work force and the general public;
- the leadership and team building skills to lead projects and function as entry-level managers as well as work productively as members of a team;
- an understanding of the practical aspects of the mining industry and an appreciation for mining as a business; and
- an awareness of societal issues and how these issues affect their role as future professional engineers working for the general benefit of society.
The mining engineering curriculum utilizes the basic and engineering sciences to develop the various areas of activity of the mining engineer: mineral exploration, evaluation, development, extraction, mineral processing, conservation, protection of the environment, and mineral economics. Course work in these areas provides a unique background for engineering and management positions in industry and government, as well as for continuation of specialized graduate studies.
Intrinsic to the curriculum is the development of a meaningful, major engineering design experience that builds upon the fundamental concepts of mathematics, basic sciences, the humanities and social sciences, engineering topics, and communication skills. This design experience is stressed within the major and grows with the development and progression of the student. Ethical, social, safety, economic, and environmental considerations are emphasized in the design experience throughout many courses, including the capstone senior design course. Finally, the major engineering design experience is a focal point of the mining engineering curriculum and is consistent with the objectives and goals of the program.
The program has an emphasis on the application of computers to mining and minerals processing operations. Furthermore, it exposes students to laboratory courses which focus on conducting experiments, understanding the principles involved in each experiment, and analyzing and interpreting experimental data. Information on the mission, goals, and curriculum of the program is continuously updated on the departmental website.
The Cooperative Education Program, as well as opportunities for financial support in the form of scholarships, loans, awards, and summer employment, are available to undergraduate and graduate students. Graduate programs are available leading to the M.S., M. Eng., and Ph.D.
The B.S. degree program in Mining Engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, www.abet.org.
Degree Requirements
The graduation requirements in effect at the time of graduation apply. When choosing the degree requirements information, always choose the year of your expected date of graduation. Requirements for graduation are referred to via university publications as "Checksheets". The number of credit hours required for degree completion varies among curricula. Students must satisfactorily complete all requirements and university obligations for degree completion.
The university reserves the right to modify requirements in a degree program. However, the university will not alter degree requirements less than two years from the expected graduation year unless there is a transition plan for students already in the degree program.
Please visit the University Registrar website at http://registrar.vt.edu/graduation-multi-brief/index1.html for degree requirements.
Undergraduate Course Descriptions (MINE)
2114: ENERGY AND RAW MATERIALS: GEOPOLITICS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Supply and demand of energy resources and raw materials. Domestic and global trends. Development of energy and mineral resources. Electricity generation, efficiency, and distribution. Energy and raw materials infrastructure Disparities in resource-producing vs. resource-consuming regions. Environmental considerations and engineering management. Land use and reclamation. Greenhouse gas management. Policy, regulations, and incentives. Geopolitical considerations. Conservation and efficiency. Sustainable development. This course is available to undergraduate students of all ranks and all majors. (3H,3C)
2504: INTRODUCTION TO MINING ENGINEERING
Introductory course covering the complete field of Mining and Minerals Engineering with special emphasis on the evolution of discrete mining systems, interaction of mining with the environment and the inter-relationship of Mining and Minerals Engineering with other disciplines. (3H,3C)
2524: ELEMENTS OF MINE DESIGN
Basic concepts used in the modeling and design of mining systems including basic statistical concepts, sampling, geological and geostatistical modeling of ore bodies, ore reserve estimation, and selection of basic mine development methods. Pre: 2504, GEOS 1004. (2H,3L,3C)
2534: MINE SURVEYING AND MAPPING
Specialized principles of field surveying and mapping as applied to the delineation of mineral deposits and the design and monitoring of surface and underground mining operations. Introduction to modern surveying instruments, field techniques, and computational procedures. Basic digital mine mapping to include standard mine symbols and representation of surface and underground mine workings. Partially duplicates ENGE 2824. Pre: (ENGE 1104 or ENGE 1114), (MATH 1224 or MATH 2204 or MATH 2204H). (2H,3L,3C)
2974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
2984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
2994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course.
3504: ROCK MECHANICS AND GROUND CONTROL
Properties and behavior of geologic materials and masses and their classifications and ratings. Design principles of structures founded on and in rocks and basic aspects of ground control. Pre: ESM 2204, GEOS 1004, MINE 2504. (3H,3C)
3514: ROCK MECHANICS LABORATORY
Laboratory techniques used in the determination of geologic materials properties and behavior. Determination of rock index properties, strengths, failure criterion and mechanical behavior. Co: 3504. (3L,1C)
3524: EXCAVATION ENGINEERING
Rock fragmentation for excavation; drilling fragmentation, rock drilling systems; blasting fragmentation, types and properties of commercial explosives and accessories, system of initiation, design of blasting rounds, applications in mining and construction, structural damage criteria, overbreak control, safe practice and regulations; fragmentation by excavation machines; excavation system selection and design. I Pre: GEOS 1004, ESM 2204, MINE 2504. (3H,3C)
3534: MINERAL PROCESSING
Principles of processing ores to recover valuable minerals. Basics of mineral processing including sampling theory, material balancing, slurry calculations, grade-recovery relationships, particle size analysis, process control. Unit operations including crushing, grinding and size separation. Applications to coal cleaning and crushed stone production. Pre: 2504. (2H,2C)
3544: MINERAL PROCESSING LABORATORY
Laboratory investigations of the unit operations and principles of mineral processing including ore preparation (size reduction, mineral liberation, and classification) and mineral recovery (froth flotation, electrostatic separation, magnetic separation, and solid-liquid separation). Pre: 3534. Co: 3554. (3L,1C)
3554: RESOURCE RECOVERY
Techniques for the separation and concentration of primary and secondary resources. Mineral concentration and waste recycling. Solid/solid concentration including gravity concentration, dense medium separation, froth floatation, magnetic separation and high tension separation. Solid/liquid separation including sedimentation/clarification, filtration and thermal drying. Overview of hydrometallurgical processing including leaching, solvent extraction and electrowinning. Pre: 3534, CHEM 1035. (2H,2C)
3564: UNDERGROUND MINE DESIGN
Design fundamentals of mining systems and stope development for tabular and massive underground mineral deposits. Equipment selection and application, permitting, cost analysis and production simulation. Pre: 2524, 3504. (3H,3C)
3574: SURFACE MINE AND QUARRY DESIGN
Surface mining methods, and their selection; mine planning and design; excavation, haulage and ancillary systems; equipment selection and maintenance; impoundment and piles design; mine closure/reclamation. Pre: 2524, 3524. (3H,3C)
3584: VENTILATION ENGINEERING
Subsurface ventilation systems. Ventilation planning and design, laws of airflow, airway resistance. Ventilation surveys, network analysis, ventilation economics. Ventilation software. Fan types, impeller theory, fan laws and testing. Mine ventilation thermodynamics. Pre: 2504, ESM 3024. (2H,3L,3C)
3984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
4504: MATERIALS HANDLING AND POWER SYSTEMS
Principles of materials handling, fluid power and electrical power systems for surface and underground mining operations. Engineering analysis and design of secondary haulage operations (belt conveyors, hoists, trucks, railways), fluid power systems (hydraulics, pumps, piping networks, compressors, pneumatic equipment). Electrical systems (electrical machinery, distribution networks, controls), and other ancillary systems required to support mining operations. Assessment of equipment reliability and development of preventive maintenance programs. Pre: ESM 3024. Co: ECE 3054. (3H,3C)
4514: HEALTH, SAFETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT
Study of risk analysis; mine legislation; mine gases, their occurrence, and physiological effects; methane emissions; dust classification, monitoring, and control; heat and humidity; psychrometry; physiological effects; climatic simulation; radiation monitoring and control; equipment hazards; noise; illumination; personal health and safety; fires and explosions; disaster management. Pre: 3564 or 3574. (3H,3C)
4524: PROJECT ENGINEERING AND MINE MANAGEMENT
Introduction to theory and practice of project engineering and management. Estimation of capital and operating expenditures. Cash flow development, worth evaluation, comparison of alternatives, taxation/depreciation and optimization. Principles of financial management, accounting and resource utilization. Topical seminars by industrial representatives. Pre: 3564 or 3574. (3H,3C)
4535-4536: SENIOR DESIGN PROJECT
Investigation of a significant design problem in mining engineering under the supervision of a staff member. Periodic progress reports and submission of a comprehensive final design project including detailed drawings, engineering calculations, economic feasibility, and environmental impacts. Pre: 3564 or 3574 for 4535; 4535 for 4536. Co: 4524 for 4535. 4535: (3L,1C) 4536: (6L,2C)
4544: MINE RECLAMATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Statutory and regulatory controls on the mining environment. Air, water and land pollutants, standards, monitoring systems, and prevention and control techniques. Unique environmental issues, Surface Mine Conservation and Reclamation Act (SMCRA), endangered species, environmental impact statements, permitting, environmental audits and torts. Pre: 3574. (3H,3C)
4554: MINING ENGINEERING LEADERSHIP SEMINAR
Invited speakers, short-courses and workshops on subjects related to leadership issues in mining and minerals engineering. Technology and design; mining finances and marketing; management and business concerns; labor relations and leadership; team building, motivation, and communications; problem solving and performance measurements; environmental issues; permitting and regulatory requirements. Senior standing required. (3L,1C)
4974: INDEPENDENT STUDY
Variable credit course.
4984: SPECIAL STUDY
Variable credit course.
4994: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Variable credit course. X-grade allowed.