Vol. 2, March 2021

1. Dr. I. L. Muthreja, Professor

Area of Research: Mine Planning, Mine Environment,

Strata control, Slope stability

2. Dr. R. R. Yerpude, Professor.

Area of Research: Mine Planning, System Engineering,

Safety Engineering., Computer applications, Mine

Economics

3. Dr. N. R. Thote, Professor.

Area of Research: Blasting, Rock Mechanics,

Excavation, Mine Environment and Management

4. Dr. A. K. Agarwal, Assistant Professor.

Area of Research: Water Pollution, Rock Mechanics,

Slope Stability

5. Dr. R. D. Lokhande, Assistant Professor.

Area of Research: Ground Control, Mine Design, Slope

Stability, Instrumentation & Monitoring, Subsidence

6. Dr. Sandeep Panchal, Assistant Professor.

Area of Research: Rock Mechanics & Ground Control,

Underground Coal Mining, Paste Filling

7. Dr. Nikhil Sirdesai, Assistant Professor.

Area of Research: Geomechanics, Novel Mining

Methods, Engineering Geology, Soft Computing

8. Dr. Anupam Kher, Assistant Professor.

Area of Research: Mine Safety, Mine Ventilation, Mine

Systems Engineering

DEPARTMENTAL LABORATORIES:

TESTING FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT:

l

lRock Mechanics and Ground ControllMine SurveyinglMine Machinery Laboratory & Model RoomlMine System LaboratorylExcavation Laboratory

lShimadzu Table-top XRF SpectrometerlDigital Gas ChromatographlAtomic Absorption SpectrophotometerlMicrowave DigesterlPortable Cascade ImpactorlPM 2.5 Dust SamplerlRespirable-type High Volume SamplerlWeather Monitoring StationlHeat Stress MonitorlDigital ManometerlAnemometer Calibration SetuplNoise DosimeterlDigital Bomb CalorimeterlBlasting Seismograph (4, 8 Channels) and VOD meterlComputerized Universal Testing MachinelComputerized Soil Triaxial MachinelComputerized 500 kN Rock Compression Testing MachinelDigital 1500 °C FurnacelProceq PUNDIT Lab+ Ultrasonic Pulse VelocimeterlComplete setup for physico-mechanical testing of rockslHydraulic-Jacking Support Testing RiglDirect Shear ApparatuslCERCHAR Abrasivity Index Testing ApparatuslDigital Trinocular Stereo Microscope and Analysis SoftwarelSoftware Packages: RocScience, FLAC3D/2D/SLOPE,

SURPAC, UDEC, FRAGZYST

Mine Environmental Engineering

Dear Reader,

I, on the behalf of all members of the Department of Mining Engineering, hope and wish that the readers and their

family are in good health. Since the previous edition of this bulletin, all of us have been through an unprecedented phase of

life. The ongoing pandemic has transformed the entire teaching-learning process from a physical mode of delivery to an

online mode. This year all my faculty colleagues have successfully conducted the entire academic activity via the online

mode. Lectures, laboratory practical, mid-semester and end-semester evaluation, quizzes and viva-voces have been carried

out online. I would like to appreciate the efforts of not just my faculty colleagues but also the students of the department in

adjusting to this major change.

The department was established in the year 1982-83, and currently offers Bachelor and Master degree in Mining and Excavation Engineering,

respectively. The B.Tech course is accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) and has been granted GRADE 'A' during all previous

audits. Further, the department has been successful in establishing an excellent rapport with several public and private industries through its vast

alumni network and provides services in the field of consultancy, testing and executive development programmes. I am extremely glad to report

that the despite the pandemic and several lockdowns, the department has successfully tested over 5 km long borehole specimen of rocks from

various public sector industries such as MECL, CMPDIL & CIMFR. I would like to congratulate the testing staff and faculty for this momentous

achievement. Our faculty members constantly engage themselves in research, academic, planning, development and administrative activities. I

feel proud to have such a diverse group of talented individuals, who are zealously engaged in constant interaction with the scientific and industrial

community by means of major consultancy, funded R&D and S&T projects, as my colleagues. It gives me immense pleasure to report that the

department has been awarded 2 research grants on slope stability and monitoring from Northern Coalfield Limited to a tune of 1 crore Rupees.

My faculty colleagues and their achievements have helped create a lively and enriching work culture, which we continually strive to uphold. The

Department aspires to inspire and be inspired by contemporary national and international mining institutes through regular faculty development

activities, and shares its developments by organising seminars, workshops and conferences for others to participate.

I would also like to congratulate the editorial team for releasing the second edition of PÓROS, the Greek translation for resources. Our editorial

team will be grateful to receive any suggestions and feedback on the contents of our further issues. I along with the editorial team wish to develop

this newsletter into an enjoyable, resourceful and educating tool for readers of all age and professions.

SN Project Title Funding Agency

Fund (Lakhs)

Principal & Co-principal

Investigator(s) Status

1 Technical & Feasibility study of overburden rock of

Dongri Buzurg & Kandri Mine for consolidated stowing in underground mines

MOIL Ltd 39.25 Dr. I. L. Muthreja, Dr R. R. Yerpude,

Dr A.D. Ghare

First Phase completed,

Awaiting Second Phase

2 Removal of metal ions contamination from mine water at deposit- 14/11C and deposit 11 B mines

of BIOM NMDC 7.08

Dr. A. K. Agarwal, Dr. R. D. Lokhande

Dr. I. L. Muthreja Dr. R. R. Yerpude Dr. S. P. Zodape

Ongoing

3 Physico-mechanical response of rocks under

varied thermal environments SERB-SRG

31.46 Dr. N. N. Sirdesai, Ongoing

4

Risk Investigations for Slope Failure of Benches and Dumps using Geo-technical Characteristics of

Rocks & their Monitoring Mechanism in Jayant Opencast Mine of Northern Coalfields Limited

NCL, CIL 56.21

Dr. I. L. Muthreja Dr. R. R. Yerpude Dr. A. K. Agarwal,

Dr. R. D. Lokhande

Ongoing

5

Risk Investigations for Slope Failure of Benches and Dumps using Geo-technical Characteristics of Rocks & their Monitoring Mechanism in Dudhichua

Opencast Mine of Northern Coalfields Limited

NCL, CIL 51.40

Dr. R. R. Yerpude Dr. I. L. Muthreja Dr. A. K. Agarwal,

Dr. R. D. Lokhande

Ongoing

SN. Faculty Patent Title Application No.

with Date

Present Status (if awarded,

Patent No.)

1

Dr. A. K. Agarwal

Dr. I. L. Muthreja

Efficient Zn++ ions removal techniques from aqueous solution using mixture of fly ash and chitosan and its environmental

friendly disposal by solidification with Portland Cement

5858/MUM/2014 2/6/2014

Patent Granted

(No. 327366)

Details of Patents:

SN. Funding Agency

Consultancy Topic/Activity Fund (in Lakhs)

Investigator(s) Present

Status

1 MOIL

Examination and Evaluation of support

system developed by MOIL

1.18

I L Muthreja R R Yerpude A K Agarwal

R D Lokhande

Ongoing

2 SEC Railway,

Nagpur

Scientific Study for Verification of report on embankment rehabilitation and design of

gabion wall by M/S Geotech Services, Nagpur

0.5 I L Muthreja

Dr R R Yerpude Completed

3 WCL Scientific study to investigate the

subsidence and strata control management 5.98

R R Yerpude R D Lokhande I L Muthreja A K Agarwal

Completed

Details of Consultancy Projects:

Details of Research Projects:

4 WCL Determination of Degree of Gassiness for

seam IX of Murpar Underground Mine, WCL

1.65

I L Muthreja A K Agarwal R R Yerpude

R D Lokhande

Completed

Publications in International Peer-Reviewed Journals:

M. D. Goel, Krishna Prasad Kallada, I. L. Muthreja (2020). An Abridged Review of Empirical Formulae for

Computation of Penetration, Scabbing and Perforation Depth Under Projectile Impact, Archives of Computational

Methods in Engineering (Accepted), Impact Factor (2019) = 6.730.(SCI & SCOPUS)

Agarwal, A. K (2020) A comparative study of two-parameter adsorption isotherms applied to removal of nickel, Zinc

and Lead ions from an aqueous solution using a low-cost adsorbent” Journal of Chemical Technology and Metallurgy,

Vol. 55(5); 1027-1033. (ISSN 1314 -7978) (Scopus).

Mandal J, Agarwal, A. K, & Goel M. D., (2020), Numerical Modeling of Shallow Buried Tunnel Subject to Surface Blast

Loading,Journal of Performance of Constructed Facilities (ASCE), Volume 34 Issue 6 - December 2020, (SCI)

Goel, M. D., Verma, S., & Panchal, S. (2020). Effect of Internal Blast on Tunnel Lining and Surrounding Soil. Indian

Geotechnical Journal, pp.1-10. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40098-020-00451-1 (Scopus)

Goel, M. D., Choudhary, N. S., & Panchal, S. (2020). Resilient sacrificial protection system for concrete slab under

blast loading. Indian Concrete Journal, vol. 94, no. 10, pp. 1-13 (Scopus)

Mandal J, Agarwal, A. K, & Goel M. D., (2020) “Applications of Numerical Modeling Techniques in Simulating Blast: A

Review” The Indian Mining and Engineering Journal, Bhubneshwar, Vol;. 59, No. 3, 31-34, March, India.

Srishti Shakya, Lokhande, R. D. & Agarwal, A. K, (2020) “Different Methods for removal Fe ions from mine waste

water and impact of overdose on human: A Review” The Indian Mining and Engineering Journal, Bhubneshwar, Vol;.

59, No. 7, 19-23, March, India.

Chimmani K V & Lokhande, R. D., “Model Development to study the impact of Tunneling Near Coal Mining Areas” The

Indian Mining and Engineering Journal, Bhubneshwar, Vol;. 59, No. 7, 24-27, March, 2020.

Shashank Sharma, I. L. Muthreja, R. R. Yerpude;(2019) "Application and comparison of squeezing estimation

methods for Himalayan tunnels"; Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment; July 2019;

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-019-01530-1

Mandal J, Agarwal, A. K, & Goel M. D., (2020) “Applications of Numerical Modeling Techniques in Simulating Blast: A

Review” The Indian Mining and Engineering Journal, Bhubneshwar, Vol;. 59, No. 3, 31-34, March, India

Jena S. K., Lokhande R. D., Pradhan M. & Kumar N, “Development of a model to estimate strata behavior during bord

and pillar extraction in underground coal mining” Arabian Journal of Geosciences (Springer), article 242, pp 1-15,

March, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-019-4381-5.

Lokhande R D, Maharshi K, Ryakala V, Srujan S and Zilpe B, “Strata Monitoring Instruments Used in Underground

Coal Mines: A Review ” Minetech, Vol. no.40, No.4, pp 34-44, October-December, 2019.

5 WCL Scientific Investigation into the Design of

External and Internal Dumps of Padmapur Opencast Mine

2.95

I L Muthreja R R Yerpude

N R Thote A K Agarwal

R D Lokhande S Panchal

Completed

6 MOIL High shaft sinking of Balaghat & Gumgaon

mines 59.00

N. R. Thote, R.K. Ingale, Arun Singh M.S. Ballal

Ongoing

7 WCL Strata Monitoring and Support Design for

Depillaring Panels 8.43

N. R. Thote, Sandeep Panchal,

N. N. Sirdesai Ongoing

7 Technoblast

Mining Corporation

Scientific Study of RMR and Support Design for Incline Drivage

2.71 N. R. Thote,

Sandeep Panchal, N. N. Sirdesai

Completed

8 WCL Estimation of Drillability Index and Geomechanical Parameters Rocks

0.21 N. R. Thote, Sandeep

Panchal, N. N. Sirdesai

Completed

SN. Funding Agency

Consultancy Topic/Activity Fund (in Lakhs)

Investigator(s) Present

Status

Publications in International/National Conferences:

Sirdesai, N.N., Aravind, A. and Panchal, S., 2021. Impact of Rock Abrasivity on TBM Cutter-Discs During Tunnelling in

Various Rock Formations. In Advances in Mechanical Engineering (pp. 527-534). Springer, Singapore

Ramgopal B and Yerpude R R, “Ground Movements Due to Tunneling in Soft Ground: Assessment Methodologies”

Recent Practices and Advancement in Mineral Industry (RPAMI), VNIT Nagpur, 89,February 21-22, 2020.

Pathak S, Bhate L and Yerpude R, “Energy Conservation by Reuse of Recycled and Manufactured Aggregates”

Recent Practices and Advancement in Mineral Industry (RPAMI), VNIT Nagpur, 180, February 21-22, 2020.

Sharma S, Muthreja I L and Yerpude R R, “Estimation of Coal Pillar Strength Using Empirical and Numerical

Approaches for Board and Pillar Mine ” Recent Practices and Advancement in Mineral Industry (RPAMI), VNIT

Nagpur, 258,February 21-22, 2020.

Dinesh R A and Yerpude R R, “Steel Sheet Piles with Top-Down Construction Methodology in Sub-Surface

Excavation: Case Of Underground Parking In Kolkata ” Recent Practices and Advancement in Mineral Industry

(RPAMI), VNIT Nagpur, 307,February 21-22, 2020.

Anupam Kher, I L Muthreja, " Effective Underground Mine Ventilation Energy Management using Computer Modelling

and Simulation"; National Seminar on Challenges and Opportunities In Hard Rock Underground Mining &

Beneficiation, Malanjkhand 12 - 13 November 2019

Muthreja D & I L Muthreja, "Respiratory Ailments in Miners-Special Reference to Early Diagnosis"; Proc. National

Seminar on Recent Practices and Advancement in Mineral Industry(RPAMI), VNIT, Nagpur, Feb 21-22, 2020

Kumud Rana, SS Gupte, “An Overview on Instruments used for Monitoring of Slope Movement”, Recent Practices

and Advancement in Mineral Industry(RPAMI), Nagpur, India, 21-22 February, 2020.

Jagriti Mandal, M.D. Goel, A.K. Agarwal (2019), “Numerical simulation of underwater subway tunnel subjected to

internal blast loading” Proceedings of The Seventh International Conference on Advances in Engineering Materials,

structures and Systems: Innovations, Mechanics and applications, Cape Town, South Africa, 2- 4th Sept. Tayler and

Frances Group.767 – 772. ISBN: 978-1-138-38696-9.

Jagriti Mandal, M.D. Goel, A.K. Agarwal, (2019) “Numerical Modelling of Tunnel Subjected to Surface Blast Loading ”

7 th International Congress on Computational Mechanics and Simulation, 11-13 December 2019, IIT Mandi, India.

Paper ID: ICCMS19SD042334

Mandal J, Agarwal, A. K, & Goel M. D., (2020) “Applications of Numerical Modeling Techniques in Simulating Blast: A

Review” Proc. National Seminar on Recent Practices and Advancement in Mineral Industry(RPAMI), VNIT, Nagpur,

Feb 21-22, 2020

Srishti Shakya, Lokhande, R. D. & Agarwal, A. K, (2020) “Different Methods for removal Fe ions from mine wastewater

and impact of overdose on human: A Review” Proc. National Seminar on Recent Practices and Advancement in

Mineral Industry(RPAMI), VNIT, Nagpur, Feb 21-22, 2020

Mukherjee A, Lokhande R D, Sharma S and Muthreja I L“ Numerical Analysis on Triaxial Test Using Strain Hardening

Model for Residual Clayey Soil from A Tunnelling” INDOROCK 2019: 8th Indian Rock Conference, 4-5 November

2019, Organised by ISRMT, New Delhi, November 04-05, 2019. 410-414.

Mukherjee A and Lokhande R D, “A Study on Surface Settlement Profiles For 2D Modelling Approach” Indian

Conference on Geotechnical and Geo-Environmental Engineering (ICGGE-2019), Organised by MNIT Prayagraj,

March 01-02, 2019.

Mukherjee A and Lokhande R D, “Back Analysis of a Slope using Limit Equilibrium Approach” Recent Practices and

Advancement in Mineral Industry (RPAMI), VNIT Nagpur, 372-375,February 21-22, 2020.

Jena S K, Kumar N, Lokhande R D, Pradhan M and Singh O P, “Monitoring of induced Stress'- A tool for ground control

during coal mining ” Recent Practices and Advancement in Mineral Industry (RPAMI), VNIT Nagpur, 1-5, February 21-

22, 2020.

Chimmani K V and Lokhande R D, “Model Development to Study the Impact of Tunnelling Near Coal Mining Areas”

Recent Practices and Advancement in Mineral Industry (RPAMI), VNIT Nagpur, 125-129, February 21-22, 2020.

Seminars/Summer School/Short Term Courses/Workshops

Notable Achievements during the year

Sr.

No. Name of the Coordinator

Title

Duration

1

I L Muthreja, Chairman of Executive Committee

A. K. Agarwal, Convenor

R D Lokhande, Organising Secretary

National Seminar on Recent Practices and advancement in Mineral Industry

21-22 Feb 2020

Dr. R D Lokhande has been awarded INSTITUTION

Award/Prize for best paper in all the disciplines titled “Numerical

Modeling of Pot-hole Subsidence Due to Shallow Underground Coal

Mining in Structurally Disturbed Ground” published in Journal of

Institution of Engineers (India)-Series D (Springer), Vol. 99, No. 1,

pp. 93–101, 2018. in 34th Indian Engineering Congress at

Hyderabad on 27th December 2019 organized by Institution of

Engineer's India.

Prof. I L Muthreja is a Nominating Member of Prestigious Infosys Award 2019. Dr Muthreja is member for the last 12 years.

Dr I L Muthreja was appointed on the National Advisory Board of National Conference on “Recent Advances in Mining Technology” (RAMT-2019) at Acharya Institute of Technology (AIT) Bengaluru May 2019.

Prof. R R Yerpude has been appointed as an expert member in Board of Studies & Faculty, Mining Engg. of RTM Nagpur University and Gondwana University , Chandrapur

Prof. N R Thote has been appointed as a member of the Peer Review Committee of National Institute of Rock Mechanics (NIRM), Bengaluru.

Prof. N R Thote has been appointed as a member of the GATE Syllabus Review Committee by IIT Kharagpur.

Prof. N R Thote has been appointed as Expert Member for Recruitment Principles and Member of Research Review Committee by DBATU University, Lonere.

Dr. R D Lokhande has been appointed as a committee member by Technical Board, Mumbai, Government of Maharashtra for curriculum revision at Government Polytechnic Nagpur.

Dr. R D Lokhande has been awarded INSTITUTION Award/Prize for best paper in all the disciplines by Institution of Engineer's India.

Dr. N. N. Sirdesai has been appointed as a member of the Editorial Board for the SCOPUS Index Journal: Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment (I.F.: 3.041)

Dr. Anupam Kher has been awarded a grant of 30 Academic Licenses worth USD 72000 by Simio LLC USA for research and teaching in simulation.

Mr. Arun M Vijyan (Alumnus, 2010 Batch) has been included in the list of INDIA'S GREAT PEOPLE MANAGERS by FORBES India (2010 Batch).