Giants in rock - dram or reality

There has been a long standing conflict in the surface mining industry as to the efficiency of the bucket wheel excavator, BWE, digging or removing hard rock. The Europeans have been utilizing these huge machines effectively in hard rock for years. A comparison of the BWE with the formidable dragline shows that if blasting techniques are such, so as to control rock fragmentation, the BWE could increase efficiency for overall production. The dumping radius of the draglines is limited by its boom length, whereas the BWE with its appurtenances can vary its dumping site over a wide range. The dragline is cyclic and much time is wasted between the loading and dumping cycles while the BWE tends to be more continuous in its operation. The cyclic processes that do exist establish long term continuous efforts. It is the purpose of this paper to show the relationship between the BWE and the conventional equipment normally used in US surface mining operations. Too, it is intended to portray the various methods to reduce costs in both mining and reclamation. The interdependence of the system on overburden removed and reclamation will be introduced to depict the involvement of the BWE in the chosenmore » mining process.« less