Mining Geotech Education - Status & Future Needs. Bruce Hebblewhite BBUGS Meeting 12 th September, PDF Free Download

Mining Geotech Education - Status & Future Needs Bruce Hebblewhite BBUGS Meeting 12 th September, 2013

This discussion topic Keynote paper by Hebblewhite at the UNSW Ground Control in Mining Conf in Sydney in 2010, was titled: Education and the role of geotechnical professionals in the mining industry The following slides are from that lecture, then we should discuss: What has changed? Are we better off now than three years ago? What are today s needs?

What is the biggest geotechnical challenge facing the Australian mining industry today?

What is the biggest geotechnical challenge facing the Australian mining industry today? People or lack thereof!!

Reasons for staff shortages Some generic industry factors Industry expansion Ageing workforce But there are also some Geotechnical specific factors

Reasons for staff shortages Geotechnical specific factors Greater need for geotechnical specialists, due to: Dealing with more hostile mining environments Demand for higher safety standards, leading to up-scaling of ground control design standards and practice. Supply of new professionals is inadequate Lack of suitable education programs; Lack of adequate student intake.

Three questions to be asked 1. What geotechnical skills are needed across the industry? 2. What geotechnical roles will be required in the future, relative to these skill sets and related responsibilities? 3. What is the status and future for the geotechnical education provider system across Australia?

Skills required This topic would require a full day workshop and more, to consider Study has been conducted by ACG and the WA Ground Control Group over the last three years ACG/WAGCG study has developed a matrix mapping of core skills required, relative to available education programs: Variable conclusions, ranging from desperate need for new education programs; to no significant need (more of this later)

Geotechnical roles in industry

Geotechnical roles in industry The mine site geotech The head office or group geotech The geotechnical consultant The geotechnical researcher The geotechnical educator and maybe more!

Geotechnical roles in industry (cont d) All roles are important Site and group geotechs the heart and sole of safe and efficient mining operations (more later) Educators without them we will not generate new professionals Researchers to generate new understanding and new technologies Consultants how do we want to use them?

Role of the consultants Increasing demand for specialist consultants At the front end of a project, for major feasibility/design input For specific accident/problem investigation and input Increasing trend for day to day support (or even in lieu of on-site expertise) an extension of the corporate technical services team Is this a good thing? +ve: additional level of expertise to the mine, plus an additional staff resource, and fresh eyes to the problem -ve: consultant will never have the 24/7 depth of understanding of the conditions; -ve: risk of divided responsibilities and blurred accountabilities; OHS responsibilities may be shared but can not be fully off-loaded.

Role of the consultants (cont d) Consultant engagement Essential that correct protocols for consultant engagement are followed both for safety & legal reasons; but also for maximising efficient use of the consultant (refer to previous discussions arising from the Northparkes accident) Consultant supply Regardless of views and uses, the industry will need more of them But the current ones are dying out! And we are not producing many new younger ones Within the next 5 to 10 years, close to 50% of the current geotechnical consultants used by the mining sector will be gone

Geotech consultants age profile (based on underground coal sector; illustrative data only not complete) 7 Number of consultants 6 Number of consultants 5 4 3 From this sample alone, 32% are aged 55 or over, and 55% are 50 or over. 2 1 0 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60+

The site geotech These people are the engine room of the mining industry geotechnical professional pool without them, we do not have a mining industry. But all to often, we throw people into this role with no formal training or qualifications and very little experience. We expect them to carry out geotechnical designs (mine layouts, stopes, support systems etc) We are prepared to hang them out to dry if there is a problem. This current situation is totally unacceptable, from a professional, and ethical point of view

The site geotech (cont d) What is the answer? Import more geotechs from elsewhere (From where? Will they be competent? Can they communicate?) Put geologists into the roles and hope they can adapt (Is this fair to such people?) Educate and train more of them (This must be a long-term sustainable strategy both new green recruits, plus crossskilling from other disciplines)

Core skills for a site geotech (findings of ACG study, after Dight (2008)) Geotechnical data collection Rock mass classification Soil/rock testing and analysis Mining methods, layouts and sequencing Rock mass monitoring Numerical stress modelling applications Ground support design Ground subsidence monitoring Microseismic monitoring systems Geotechnical risk management Underground mine ground control Backfill systems Backfill materials Open pit geomechanics Slope stability analysis Slope monitoring & stability management Civil engineering geomechanics/waste dumps & tailings Backfill selection and integration with mining Mine seismicity and rockburst management Drilling and blasting People management/communication/duty of care Project and financial management Resources/reserves Hydrogeological investigations/dewatering

Tasks of a site geotech Routine day to day geotechnical mine design (excavations, dimensions, spans, shapes etc) Ground support design Preparation of ground control management plans Design and implementation of monitoring regimes Operational geotechnical assessment/hazard identification Operator awareness communication and training Investigation of ground control-related accidents and/or falls of ground Liaise with/co-ordinate consultants Ability to think/inquire/analyse/ask the right questions/listen to other views/assimilate ambiguous or incomplete data - and assess

Geotech skills & training Is it adequate to train site geotechs to meet a defined list of core competencies, or do we need something more?

Geotech skills & training Is it adequate to train site geotechs to meet a defined list of core competencies, or do we need something more? Good geotechnical engineers need to be able to think outside the pre-defined areas addressed by their competencies. They must be able to gather and analyse incomplete data, and synthesise it into valuable information and geotechnical understanding from which they can make sound engineering decisions and judgments. Such skills are well beyond meeting a set of competencies, and they ensure that the person who possesses them will be able to handle unfamiliar situations, when the ground is behaving differently to whatever they have been trained in. Hebblewhite, 2010

Statutory position or not? Different state by state approaches and relevant legislative regimes Will a legislated role deter people from entering the sector? OHS standards and expectations will continue to increase and put pressure on such roles especially in underground mines Will it be just a matter of time until the next major ground control accident?

Geotechnical investigations Difficult ground conditions/falls of ground/accidents Site geotechs (and consultants) need to think and work outside of their standard paradigms Adopt a forensic rock mechanics approach Gather all data with an open mind and test all possible hypotheses before reaching any conclusions

Geotechnical education

Geotechnical education We need to: address the current chronic shortage; plan for the projected continuing growth; provide the core skills; plus analytical abilities to support our needs and lift standards further

Geotech education programs Undergraduate Difficult to provide/justify a sustainable mining geotech program at undergraduate level due to lack of student numbers e.g. demise of RMIT Eng Geology program 10 years ago Current U Tas program is functioning with support from Coffey.

Postgrad programs offer best chance Currently two providers: Curtin (WASM) Graduate Certificate in Mining Geomechanics Master of Engineering Science (Mining Geomechanics) UNSW Graduate Diploma in Coal Mine Strata Control Master of Mining Engineering (Mine Geomechanics)

UNSW Grad Dip model UNSW Strata Control Grad Dip Designed for industry practitioners Vocationally focussed Contains underpinning theory plus practical operational skills and experience Distance (internet) based, with on-line lectures, quizzes, reference material and discussion forums; plus short block face to face sessions for workshopping, lecture reinforcement etc 6 courses in sequence over three semesters (18 months)

News release (23 November 2010) From 2012, UNSW will offer a new program Graduate Diploma in Ground Control, specifically focussed on the underground hard rock sector. From 2014, UNSW will offer a Master of Geotechnical Engineering (Mining), with students able to articulate from either of the Grad Dip programs.

So back to the present here and now in 2013 Are these issues still current? Has anything changed? Are there new or different needs?

Changes in the education sector Undergraduate geotech programs UTas degree program continuing, but is it sustainable? UQ has introduced a double major Mining plus Geotech. Only just starting, limited by teaching resources UNSW Postgrad geotech programs UNSW has commenced a Grad Diploma in Ground Control for hard rock geomechanics (2013) Grad Dipl in Coal Mine Strata Control commenced in 2003, first graduates in 2004 after 10 years, has graduated 120 persons. Master of Mining Engineering (Geomechanics) continues Master of Mine Geotechnical Engineering still to be introduced

Changes are in the wind Under the government Australian Quality Framework (AQF) rules for postgraduate education in engineering, all UNSW coursework programs will have to change, from 2015. All Grad Dips will become 48 UOC programs, up from 36, including 12 additional UOC of RPL for all except 4 yr Mining/Civil/Geo Eng graduates Masters programs will increase to 72 UOC, with RPL of 12 or 24 UOC, depending on qualifications

What is changing at the user end? Site based geotech roles - Tasks to be undertaken? Skill sets needed? Education needs? Open discussion of issues to follow:

Education What are your future education needs? Do current programs address these needs or not? How can they be improved?

Comments?

Mining Geotech Education - Status & Future Needs. Bruce Hebblewhite BBUGS Meeting 12 th September, 2013