Artisanal mining is commonly associated with violent conflict, rampant corruption and desperate poverty. Yet millions of people across Sub Sahara Africa depend on it. Many of them are living in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), home to important mineral reserves, but also to a plethora of armed groups and massive human rights violations. African Artisanal Mining from the Inside Out provides a rich and in-depth analysis of the Congolese gold sector. Instead of portraying miners and traders as passive victims of economic forces, regional conflicts or disheartening national policies, it focuses on how they gain access to and benefit from gold. It shows a professional artisanal mining sector governed by a set of specific norms, offering ample opportunities for flexible employment and local livelihood support and being well-connected to the local economy and society. It argues for the viability of artisanal gold mining in the context of weak African states and in the transition towards a post-conflict and more industrialized economy. This book will be of great interest to researchers and postgraduates studying natural resources and development as well as those in development studies, African studies, sociology, political economy, political ecology, legal pluralism, and history.

The extractive sector is a particular area of expertise for Canada and more than half of Canada's mining assets abroad are located in Latin America, specifically in Brazil, Peru, Chile, and Colombia. The Canada-Colombia accord was the first free-trade agreement in the world to include annual Human Rights Impact Assessments (HRIA), and also includes a labour side accord where abuse complaints can be formally registered. Using Colombia as a case study, James Rochlin and his international and multidisciplinary line up of Canadian and Colombian scholars, and activists working in the area of human rights, and the judiciary explore: What is the best way to identify and operationalize for mutual benefit the concentric space between the interests of extractive corporations in profit and security, on the one hand, and the interests of the host communities in the promotion of human rights and human security, on the other? What can the four emblematic and diverse cases in Colombia (Meta, Sergovia, Marmato, and Bolivar/La Guajira) tell us about how to fine tune and improve a newly implemented governmental HRIA to render it an increasingly useful global instrument to promote simultaneously corporate security and human security for host communities? What is the most efficient and effective way to design and implement Corporate Social Responsibility Programs in a manner that promotes simultaneously corporate security and community human security? Written in a clear and accessible style, Profits, Security, and Human Rights presents practical lessons on how to promote both corporate security and human security in communities where the extractive sector operates in the Global South.

This book provides an overview of crude oil refining processes and presents a deep analysis of the current context and challenges imposed on players in the downstream industry. Crude Oil Refining: A Simplified Approach covers traditional processes of the refining industry, the impact of current trends, and technological routes available to help these players survive in a highly competitive environment. FEATURES Offers a simplified approach to crude oil refining processes Discusses economic information related to the downstream business, including refining margins and profitability Introduces newer trends in the industry, such as petrochemical integration, crude-to-chemicals refineries, and renewables coprocessing in crude oil refineries Presents the challenges related to these new trends and offers technological solutions to overcome them for profitable and sustainable operations Describes how the use of biofuels can minimize the environmental impact of transportation fuel in nations of high demand like Brazil Offering a contemporary view of current challenges and opportunities in the downstream oil and gas business, this practical book is aimed at readers working in the fields of petroleum and chemical engineering.

This radical book aims to inject new insight and urgency into the discourse on the retrofitting of commercial and residential buildings in the face of the climate emergency. It is about the why, how and who should take the lead in revolutionising buildings in the face of serious climate and social change. Buildings contribute very significantly to the output of carbon, particularly in developed countries where the stock is old, but it is neither feasible nor desirable to demolish them all and start again! If existing buildings cannot in be replaced in the short-term by new zero carbon stock, retrofitting and adaptation of the existing building stock is critical and urgent. This book explains why and how the improvement of buildings requires a complex, holistic approach that brings all stakeholders together with respect and understanding. Yet to do this against a limited time frame is challenging. The book analyses what must be done, explores how it could be achieved and sets out a manifesto for action by all those engaged: from policy makers, to educationalists, designers, constructors, investors, funders and occupiers. By bringing together authors from across the built environment disciplines, the book stimulates debate within policy, practice and education circles which must lead to action if we are to avoid catastrophe. This is a unique addition to the literature on the sustainability of existing buildings and their retrofitting for the benefit of all.

Heritage stones are those stones that have been used for many years, even centuries, to build the historic buildings and monuments of places around the world. Some of these stones are still being used for construction, but others are no longer used, either because quarries were exhausted or closed or because architects and constructors do not know about their particularities and importance. Several scientific papers discuss many of these stones, and a number of papers are currently being prepared, but this book is the first to emphasize the importance and significance of natural stone in the construction of a city, Salamanca, recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1988. In light of this recognition, Salamanca has a duty to preserve all historic buildings that make up the city by restoring those that are starting to deteriorate centuries after their construction. This book describes the buildings, the stones (all quarried centuries ago in the surrounding area), and the stone quarries, some of them inactive for many years, but that should still allow extraction of blocks on demand to restore and replace damaged specimens in the buildings, preserving the very character that saw the city receive recognition by UNESCO in the first place. There are many other places around the world that should follow this initiative and disseminate the importance of their heritage stones. This book will be of interest to professionals and academics in Geology, Engineering, architectural and artistic work in stone, both construction and conservation, but also to the general public.

* Shares classroom-tested strategies for maximizing undergraduates' learning in built environment disciplines * Adapts teaching methods from the authors' award-winning classrooms, studios, and labs to any higher education setting * Provides an ideal resource for built environment faculty, from first timers to veteran educators * Distills the latest research on teaching and learning in design and construction disciplines

The booming coal industry of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was the main reason behind the creation of modern south Wales and its miners were central to shaping the economics, politics and society of south Wales during the twentieth century. This book explores the history of these miners between 1964 and 1985, covering the concerted run-down of the coal industry under the Wilson government, the growth of miners' resistance, and the eventual defeat of the epic strike of 1984-5. Their interactions with the wider trade union movement and society during these years meant the miners were amongst the most important strategically-located sections of the British workforce during this time. The South Wales Miners is the first full-length academic study of the miners and their union in the later twentieth century, in a tumultuous period of crisis and struggle.

This is the first book to place continuous improvement at the heart of construction cost management Covers theoretical background, before presenting real practical tools to improve construction costs Includes international case studies

Direct Natural Gas Conversion to Value-Added Chemicals comprehensively discusses all major aspects of natural gas conversion and introduces a broad spectrum of recent technological developments. Specifically, the book describes heterogeneous and homogeneous catalysis, microwave-assisted conversion, non-thermal plasma conversion, electrochemical conversion, and novel chemical looping conversion approaches. Provides an excellent benchmark resource for the industry and academics Appeals to experienced researchers as well as newcomers to the field, despite the variety of contributing authors and the complexity of the material covered Includes all aspects of direct natural gas conversion: fundamental chemistry, different routes of conversion, catalysts, catalyst deactivation, reaction engineering, novel conversion concepts, thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer issues, system design, and recent research and development Discusses new developments in natural gas conversion and future challenges and opportunities This book is as an excellent resource for advanced students, technology developers, and researchers in chemical engineering, industrial chemistry, and others interested in the conversion of natural gas.

This book describes the application of artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) concepts to develop predictive models that can be used to design alloy materials, including hard and soft magnetic alloys, nickel-base superalloys, titanium-base alloys, and aluminum-base alloys. Readers new to AI/ML algorithms can use this book as a starting point and use the MATLAB (R) and Python implementation of AI/ML algorithms through included case studies. Experienced AI/ML researchers who want to try new algorithms can use this book and study the case studies for reference. Offers advantages and limitations of several AI concepts and their proper implementation in various data types generated through experiments and computer simulations and from industries in different file formats Helps readers to develop predictive models through AI/ML algorithms by writing their own computer code or using resources where they do not have to write code Covers downloadable resources such as MATLAB GUI/APP and Python implementation that can be used on common mobile devices Discusses the CALPHAD approach and ways to use data generated from it Features a chapter on metallurgical/materials concepts to help readers understand the case studies and thus proper implementation of AI/ML algorithms under the framework of data-driven materials science Uses case studies to examine the importance of using unsupervised machine learning algorithms in determining patterns in datasets This book is written for materials scientists and metallurgists interested in the application of AI, ML, and data science in the development of new materials.

Indigenous peoples have historically gained little from large-scale resource development on their traditional lands, and have suffered from its negative impacts on their cultures, economies and societies. During recent decades indigenous groups and their allies have fought hard to change this situation: in some cases by opposing development entirely; in many others by seeking a fundamental change in the distribution of benefits and costs from resource exploitation. In doing so they have utilised a range of approaches, including efforts to win greater recognition of indigenous rights in international fora; pressure for passage of national and state or provincial legislation recognising indigenous land rights and protecting indigenous culture; litigation in national and international courts; and direct political action aimed at governments and developers, often in alliance with non-governmental organisations (NGOs). At the same time, and partly in response to these initiatives, many of the corporations that undertake large-scale resource exploitation have sought to address concerns regarding the impact of their activities on indigenous peoples by adopting what are generally referred to as "corporate social responsibility" (CSR) policies. This book focuses on such corporate initiatives. It does not treat them in isolation, recognising that their adoption and impact is contextual, and is related both to the wider social and political framework in which they occur and to the activities and initiatives of indigenous peoples. It does not treat them uncritically, recognising that they may in some cases consist of little more than exercises in public relations. However, neither does it approach them cynically, recognising the possibility that, even if CSR policies and activities reflect hard-headed business decisions, and indeed perhaps particularly if they do so, they can generate significant benefits for indigenous peoples if appropriate accountability mechanisms are in place. In undertaking an in-depth analysis of CSR and indigenous peoples in the extractive industries, the book seeks to answer the following questions. What is the nature and extent of CSR initiatives in the extractive industries and how should they be understood? What motivates companies to pursue CSR policies and activities? How do specific political, social and legal contexts shape corporate behaviour? What is the relationship between indigenous political action and CSR? How and to what extent can corporations be held accountable for their policies and actions? Can CSR help bring about a fundamental change in the distribution of benefits and costs from large-scale resource exploitation and, if so, under what conditions can this occur? Earth Matters gathers key experts from around the world who discuss corporate initiatives in Alaska, Ecuador, Australia, Canada, Peru, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Russia. The book explores the great diversity that characterises initiatives and policies under the name of "corporate social responsibility", the highly contingent and contextual nature of corporate responses to indigenous demands, and the complex and evolving nature of indigenous-corporate relations. It also reveals much about the conditions under which CSR can contribute to a redistribution of benefits and costs from large-scale resource development. Earth Matters will be essential reading for those working in and studying the extractive industry worldwide, as well as those readers looking for a state-of-the-art description of how CSR is functioning in perhaps its most difficult setting.

Discusses advances in the computation of phase diagrams Offers expanded treatment of eutectic solidification with practical examples and new coverage of ternary phase diagrams, covering the concepts of orthoequilibrium and paraequilibrium Updates discussion of bainite transformation to reflect current opinions Includes new case studies covering grain refiners in aluminium alloys, additive manufacturing, thin film growth, important aerospace Al-Li alloys, and quenched and partitioned steels, and metastable austenitic stainless steels. Each chapter now begins with a list of key concepts, includes simpler illustrative exercises with relevance to real practical applications, and references to scientific publications updated to reflect experimental and computational advances in metallurgy

This book draws together international contributors to analyse a wide range of aspects of mining history across the globe including mining archaeology, technologies of mining, migration and mining, the everyday life of the miner, the state and mining, industrial relations in mining, gender and mining, environment and mining, mining accidents, the visual history of mining, and mining heritage. The result is a counter balance to more common national and regional case study perspectives.

The use of secondary data for research can offer benefits, particularly when limited resources are available for conducting research using primary methods. Researchers and students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including their academic instructors, are increasingly recognising the immense opportunities in applying secondary research methods in built environment research. Advances in technology has also led to vast amounts of existing datasets that can be utilized for secondary research. This textbook provides a systematic guide on how to apply secondary research methods in the built environment, including their various underpinning methodologies. It provides guidance on the secondary research process, benefits, and drawbacks of applying secondary research methods, how to source for secondary data, ethical considerations, and the various secondary research methods that can be applied in built environment research. The book incorporates chapters dealing with qualitative secondary analysis, systematic literature reviews, legal analysis, bibliometric and scientometric analysis, literature-based discovery, and meta-analysis. Secondary Research Methods in the Built Environment is an ideal research book for undergraduate and postgraduate students in construction management, construction project management, quantity surveying, construction law and dispute resolution, real estate and property management, building services engineering, architecture, and civil engineering.

APCOM is a peer-reviewed forum for industrial and research communities working in the mineral industry to share expertise on the application of computer and operations research technology. Recognized since the 1960s as the worlda (TM)s premier conference in the field, APCOM features an impressive range of topics from geostatistics to data warehousing. APCOM 2005 builds on this reputation, showcasing the latest industrial applications and emerging technologies, focusing particularly on mobilizing the inherent value in largely under-used data and information systems, and how these data systems cab be analyzed for real-time or process-based improvements.

Leveraging Synergies Between Refining and Petrochemical Processes provides a detailed description of the interfaces and connections between crude oil refining and petrochemicals. It offers a view of global and regional markets and economic opportunities for synergies between these sectors. Features: Shows a global and regional market outlook for crude oil refining and petrochemical sectors Explores economic and market opportunities for taking advantage of the synergies between both sectors Analyzes the technical challenges and opportunities that come with these synergies Gives an outlook and prediction of what companies will be able to achieve in the mid-term future Provides introductory and explanatory material as well as in-depth insight into future technology and market developments This book serves as a reference for professionals in chemical engineering, oil and gas engineering, and industrial chemistry. It aims to help engineers and industry professionals understand the challenges and the potential benefits of developing expansion or optimization projects that may bridge the gap between refining and petrochemicals.

Understanding FIDIC explains in simple and practical terms what is often seen as a very complex range of international engineering and construction contracts. Covering the FIDIC 2017 Red, Yellow and Silver Books (referred to as "The Rainbow Suite"), the book gives an overview of all three contracts, including coverage of changes between the 1999 contracts and the present 2017 suite. FIDIC contracts are widely used as far afield as Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, and this book provides a practical yet thorough guide to the key elements that practitioners preparing and administering these contracts would need to be aware of. In his approachable and readable style, Kelvin Hughes covers: The obligations and responsibilities of the Employer, the Employer's Representative, the Engineer and the Contractor Quality and Defects Liability Design Responsibility and Liability Variations, Measurement and Payment Procedures Progress, Delays, Extensions of Time and Completion Suspension and Termination Insurances Employer's and Contractor's Claims The Dispute Avoidance/Adjudication Board and the Resolution of Disputes Tendering Anyone working with FIDIC contracts whether as the Employer, Employer's Representative, Engineer or Contractor will benefit greatly from this easy-to-read guide to the Rainbow Suite. Students on professional courses or researching the contracts for project work will also find this book extremely useful.

Mining, Materials, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 2030 and Beyond provides a systematic assessment of how the mining and materials sector contributes to the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) set forth by the United Nations in 2015. While the target date of 2030 is considered a benchmark for reaching these goals, the book looks beyond this date and considers a longer-term vision. FEATURES Written by a consortium of authors from developing and developed countries Offers coverage of environmental, economic, and social dimensions of the SDGs Follows the 17 SDGs and includes a short chapter on each, followed by a case example Includes longer conceptual chapters that consider cross-cutting issues as well Aimed at those working in minerals, mining, and materials, this work offers readers a practical vision of how these sectors can have a positive impact on meeting these vital global targets.

Africa's dire need to industrialize is universally acknowledged and it is evident that the continent's vast mineral resources can catalyze that industrialization. This requires the promotion of local beneficiation and value addition of minerals to yield materials on which modern Africa's industry and society can rely. This book is, therefore, about transforming Africa's comparative advantages in minerals into the continent's competitive edge regarding materials. Mineral beneficiation and value addition form the basis and provide opportunities for mineral-driven Africa's industrialization. The scope of the book is three-fold with inter-connected relationships: Information, Technical, and Policy oriented. It will be a useful reference material for mining undergraduate students on beneficiation and value addition of each of the minerals found in Africa. The book, while presenting a broad overview of beneficiation and value addition of Africa's minerals, provides crucial starting material for postgraduate research students and R&D institutions who wish to delve into more advanced methods of extraction and utilization of mineral-derived materials that are in Africa for the purpose of industrialization of the continent.

This book is a summary of the main restoration works carried out at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem that commenced in September 2013. Work on roof wooden structures, wall and floor mosaics, internal plasters, wooden architraves and painted columns of the naves, external wall surfaces and Narthex is all presented in a sequence of reports that accompany the reader up to the final interventions through accurate descriptions of historical and archaeological features, initial state of conservation and appropriate techniques of conservation and restoration. Topics are treated with the methodological and linguistic rigor specific to each disciplinary sector involved even if, in the interest of making reading and comprehension easier, it was sometimes preferred to present only significant case studies, which are nevertheless representative of groups of wider and more complex problems. Through the reading of this work, the reader can simply fulfil his desire for knowledge and obtain answers to certain curiosities about the past history of the Church. At the same time, useful guidelines in dealing with conservation and restoration interventions at historic-architectural sites of similar complexity can be found. The book is, therefore, addressed to a generic reader, interested in the history and conservation of one of the most representative examples of our heritage, but also, in light of its technical and scientific value, to university students, technicians, restorers, architects, structural engineers, archaeologists and historians.

In the past 13 years since the publication of Longwall Mining, 2nd edition in 2006, although there have been no major changes in longwall mining technology and operations, many incremental developments in the whole system as well as various subsystems of the existing longwall mining operational technologies as detailed in the 2nd edition have been added to this edition. Major developments are automation, and health and safety technology, as well as equipment reliability, thereby greatly increasing productivity and cutting cost. In particular, the longwall system can now run automatically cut by cut forever without operators' intervention provided that the geology allows it. Other health and safety features such as LASC, personal proximity detection, color lighting, automatic shield water sprays and remote shearer control are fully operational. There are more than 7000 sensors installed in current longwall mining systems. The big data obtained and fast communication technology have been fully utilized to improve and solve operational problems in real time. Those features are fully documented in the new edition. In pursuit of high productivity and cutting cost, life cycle management that increases equipment reliability has been implemented by OEM. Automation improvement such as tail-end automatic chain tensioner greatly extends AFC chain's service life. Other incremental improvements including dust and methane controls, entry development, panel design and face move are addressed. Additional operational issues such as extension of panel width and compatibility test are also discussed. Since the last plow longwall mine was closed in 2018, the chapter on plow longwalling has been dropped and in its place Automation of Longwall Components and System is added. Also, a new chapter Longwall Top Coal Caving Mining (LTCC) is added due to its successful application in Australia since 2005. Longwall Mining, 3rd edition will be of interest to professionals and academics in the field of mining engineering specifically, serving both as a reference work and an (under)graduate textbook, but will also interest civil, geomechanical and geological engineers and rock mechanics professionals, as well as coal operators, mining consultants, researchers, equipment manufacturers, and government regulators.

In die onstuimige beginjare van Alexanderbaai se diamantbedryf was dit Kingsley Seale se onbenydenswaardige taak om die blink klippies van die Hans Merensky-assosiasie skoon te maak, te waardeer en veilig in die Kaap te besorg.

In dié verantwoordelik pos het hy eindelik gesorg dat £5 miljoen se diamante ontgin en verhandel word, ten spyte van smokkelaars se vindingryke pogings om n deel van dié fortuin in hul eie sak te steek.

Michael Amundson presents a detailed analysis of the four mining communities at the hub of the twentieth-century uranium booms: Moab, Utah; Grants, New Mexico; Uravan, Colorado; and Jeffrey City, Wyoming. He follows the ups and downs of these 'Yellowcake Towns' from uranium's origins as the crucial element in atomic bombs and the 1950s boom to its use in nuclear power plants, the Three Mile Island accident, and the 1980s bust. Yellowcake Towns provides a look at the supply side of the Atomic Age and serves as an important contribution to the growing bibliography of atomic history.

In the last decades coal production capacity has increased rapidly and its quality, power and the reliability of equipment has steadily improved. Moreover, stability of production processes can be controlled better. In connection with that, unification of scientific schools focusing on "Mining of deposits" is an integral trend from the viewpoint of technical and technological policy. This collection of papers represents the scientific and technical achievements with regard to mineral deposits mining intensification based on effective use of modern techniques and technologies. Also, specific attention is paid to progressive and innovational technologies in the coal industry of leading countries. Widening the range of mining-geological conditions under which drivage and maintenance of mining activities are carried out, requires application of new constructive decisions. Hence, this collection of papers is focusing on the following topics: results of new equipment introduction; experiments on mutual interaction of roof support elements, protective construction and near-the-contour rock massif; analytical and calculation methods of geomechanical tasks solution; development of gas hydrates and technologies of underground coal gasification; studies on environment protection; economic aspects; management and marketing in mining production, and other important aspects of mineral deposits exploitation.

This book covers innovative technologies and approaches for improvement of technical and economic parameters of functional geotechnical systems. The focus is on mathematical modelling of objects and processes, as well as the development of techniques and their control algorithms. The book comprises schemata of practical tasks solving related to mine ventilation and electrical circuit operation, cutter-loaders and mining electrical vehicles. It also demonstrates possible applications of hybrid technologies and IT-methods to the work of geotechnical systems. Implementation of methods and technologies presented in the book will allow to reduce energy resources consumption of geotechnical systems, and to enhance environmental and economic parameters of their operation, being one of the essential conditions for sustainable development in modern society. The book is particular of interest to technical specialists, researchers, students and university teachers, whose work is connected to the improvement of efficiency of geotechnical systems.