Annual non-metallic minerals are typically twice the value of metallic minerals, which takes a little of the sparkle out of gold.

By Bill Langer

Non-metallic noun – ‘The name Non-Metallic, as used, it may be well to state, relates to the uses to which the various substances are put rather than to their true nature.’ George Merrill, 1910, The Non-Metallic Minerals – Their occurrence and uses, pg. iii.

For the purpose of classification, the mineral kingdom may be divided into three groups; fuels, metallics, and non-metallics. The fuels generally are of organic origin and used to produce energy through combustion. The metallic ores are the source of common and rare metals, and commonly have a high unit value. The non-metallics, also known as industrial minerals, commonly are high-bulk, low-unit value commodities. Their physical and chemical properties are of primary importance in determining their application.

During any given year, the value of non-metallics produced in the United States commonly is twice the value of metallics. The value of aggregate alone likely makes up half of the non-metallic production. The remaining non-metallics are divided among a couple dozen other rocks and minerals that are an absolute necessity for U.S. industrial enterprises. Here are the relative value (shown by the size of the circles), monetary value, and some of the uses of the top dozen non-metallics. My favorite uses are listed last in bold type.

$17.2 billion — Concrete, asphalt, road base, gunite, blocks, pipes, railroad ballast, roofing granules, ice control, and landscaping (my wife’s favorite).

$2.7 billion — Paint, plastic, paper, catalysts, ceramics, flooring, printing ink, sunscreen, and toothpaste (see Aggregates Manager, February 2007).

$1.7 billion — Chlorine and caustic soda manufacturing, agriculture, food, water treatment, and can prevent bad luck (see Aggregates Manager, August 2007).

$1.4 billion — Brick, tile, paper, lightweight aggregate, absorbent, drilling mud, foundry sand, and removes sheep stink from wool (see Aggregates Manager, June 2010).

$1.4 billion — Fertilizer, animal feed supplement, self-rising flour, and (my grandkids’ favorite) to suspend the cocoa in chocolate milk.

$1.4 billion — Glass, chemicals, soap, paper, water treatment, as a feedstock for sodium bicarbonate, and to improve browning of German pretzels.

$827 million — Glass, proppant (frac sand), foundry sand, traction sand, fillers, golf course sand, ceramics, textured paint, and sand paper.

$686 million — Fertilizer, livestock feed supplements, glass, ceramics, and an element that helps you yawn (see Aggregates Manager, October 2010).

$377 million — Tile, veneer, headstones, monuments, ashlar, flagstone, and as kitchen countertops — a substitute for diamonds (see Aggregates Manager, April 2010).

$179 million — Cement additive, absorbent, filler, insulation, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, insecticides, and to filter beer and wine.

$79 million — Wallboard, plaster, cement, agriculture, and as a coagulant to make tofu from soybean milk. (Making is more fun than eating!)

$49 million — Wallboard joint compound, well drilling additive, paint, roofing, electrical insulators, cosmetics, and lamp shades (see Aggregates Manager, September 2010).

So what is your favorite use of non-metallic minerals?

Bill Langer is a geologist with the Mineral Resources Team of the U.S. Geological Survey and can be reached at 303-236-1249 or via e-mail at blanger@usgs.gov.

`A`a lava flows from the Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii (June 2010). The geologist is using his gloved hand to shield his face from the heat.

L is for Lava

From Mt. Vesuvius to Hawaii, molten rock continues to leave its mark.

By Bill Langer

Lava (origin): lave, Italian, ‘a streame or gutter suddainly caused by raine’ (John Florio, 1611, A Dictionary Italian & English).

It is ironic that when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 1737, there was no word for lava. Shortly after, though, Francesco Serao applied the term ‘lave’ (which means stream) to describe molten rock, likening it to ‘rivers of liquefied stone’ in his book ‘Istoria dell’incendio del Vesuvio’ (History of the Eruption of Vesuvius – circa 1738). During 1761, lave was anglicized to lava in a description of Vesuvius probably based on Serano’s work; ‘On the 21ſt ult. and ſeveral dayſ following, all the neighbourhood of Mount Veſuvius was overflowed by a deluge of burning bitumen, called lava’ (R. & J. Dodsley, 1761, The Annual Register, or a View of the History, Politicks, and Literature of the Year 1760, London).

Pahoehoe lava flows from the Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii (July 2010). The smoke is from the burning bitumen in the asphalt.

Indeed, lava flows are streams of molten rock like those described by Serano and Dodsley. The surfaces of lava flows commonly take on two basic shapes and are described in Hawaiian terms. `A`a (pronounced ah-ah) is the term for lava flows that have a rough rubbly surface composed of broken lava blocks. The surface of a solidified `a`a flow is covered with sharp, spiny fragments. If you are looking for a way to remember the term, just think what you would say if walking barefoot on these rocks.

Pahoehoe is lava with a smooth, hummocky, or ropy surface covered with bizarre rounded shapes that are referred to as lava sculpture. Pahoehoe typically advances as small lobes that break out from a cooled crust.

When a lava flow stops moving and solidifies, it forms a variety of igneous rocks according to the composition of the lava, including andesite, basalt, dacite, or rhyolite. These are descriptive geologic terms, and for simplicity, commercial stone producers use the term traprock when referring to fine-textured, dark-colored igneous rocks such as andesite and basalt. The term traprock is derived from the Swedish word trappa, meaning step, because some lava flow rocks have a step-like appearance.

People have used traprock in architecture for centuries. For example, the ancient Romans used basalt known as Pietra Aniciana to build the roads and monuments of the Roman Empire. That same basalt was used to pave the sidewalks of Rome in the 1920s. Today, Pietra Aniciana is quarried and cut into veneers for buildings or is cut, polished, honed, brushed, or hammered for high-end uses such as stone tile flooring and slab countertops.

More recently, most quarried traprock is crushed for use in asphalt, concrete, and railroad ballast. Crushed traprock makes up about 6 percent of the U.S. crushed stone production and is produced from more than 350 quarries in 28 states. Hawaii is one of those states; more than 75 percent of the crushed stone produced in Hawaii is traprock (basalt).

Think about it. Eventually, the lava flowing over the road in the photograph of pahoehoe will solidify and become the same type of rock that was crushed and used as aggregate in the asphalt pavement that the lava is destroying. How is that for irony?

Bill Langer is a geologist with the Mineral Resources Team of the U.S. Geological Survey and can be reached at 303-236-1249 or via e-mail at blanger@usgs.gov.

“The Command Alkon Integra Product Division will add more depth and breadth to the array of products and services available to Concrete, Ready Mixed, Aggregate, Asphalt, Cement and Block Producers in North America,” said Phil Ramsey, president of Command Alkon, in a written press release. “We welcome the many experienced Systech employees to the Command Alkon team.”

Both Command Alkon and Integra customers will benefit greatly from these combined resources through the development of new products and the latest in technological advances with teams that you have developed relationships with throughout the years, Command Alkon says in a written press statement.

Both product lines will continue to be extended and supported. Each product line has an existing customer base with unique needs that Command Alkon will continue to provide for now and into the future.

Command Alkon is a Birmingham, Ala.,-based company with offices in Columbus, Ohio; Chicago, Ill., Kansas City, Kan., the U.K., France, the Netherlands, Colombia, Australia and India. Command Alkon has been a provider to the construction materials industry for more than 30 years.

“The Command Alkon Integra Product Division will add more depth and breadth to the array of products and services available to Concrete, Ready Mixed, Aggregate, Asphalt, Cement and Block Producers in North America,” said Phil Ramsey, president of Command Alkon, in a written press release. “We welcome the many experienced Systech employees to the Command Alkon team.”

Both Command Alkon and Integra customers will benefit greatly from these combined resources through the development of new products and the latest in technological advances with teams that you have developed relationships with throughout the years, Command Alkon says in a written press statement.

Both product lines will continue to be extended and supported. Each product line has an existing customer base with unique needs that Command Alkon will continue to provide for now and into the future.

Command Alkon is a Birmingham, Ala.,-based company with offices in Columbus, Ohio; Chicago, Ill., Kansas City, Kan., the U.K., France, the Netherlands, Colombia, Australia and India. Command Alkon has been a provider to the construction materials industry for more than 30 years.

Green Building and ACI
ACI Committee 130, Sustainability of Concrete, seeks submissions for the technical session “Green Building and ACI.”

Participants are invited to submit presentations related to the efforts of ACI and related organizations to educate stakeholders and members about green building and the topic of sustainability.

Abstracts of approximately 100 words, along with presentation title, author name(s), and contact information should be sent to Larry Rowland at lrowland@lehighcement.com no later than Oct. 5, 2010.

Reinforced Concrete Columns under Extreme Loading
ACI-ASCE Committee 441, Reinforced Concrete Columns, seeks papers for the technical session “Performance of Reinforced Concrete Columns under Extreme Loading.”

Participants are invited to submit presentations related to issues pertaining to reinforced concrete columns, including experimental testing under extreme loading, modeling using various techniques, construction using different types of concrete, and rehabilitation.

Abstracts of up to 300 words, along with presentation title, author name(s), and contact information should be sent to Aly Said at asaid@egr.unlv.edu or Wassim Ghannoum at ghannoum@mail.utexas.edu no later than Oct. 1, 2010.

Leica Geosystems says the system increases productivity, reduces costs and enhances safety standards in the mine

Leica Geosystems, has presented its full range of mine management systems, including truck and shovel fleet management and optimisation, and dozer, shovel and blast-hole drill high-precision GPS navigation and production monitoring systems, to the European market at Bauma 2010. 

Leica Geosystems showcased its Jigsaw360 Mine Management Solution. The company says it increases productivity, reduces costs and enhances safety standards in the mine. 

Jigsaw360 uses highly advanced technologies to automatically provide optimized truck and shovel assignments; increase productivity; monitor and report key performance indicators (KPIs), and minimize operating costs.  

The MDT 368 is available in two versions, the MDT 368 L12 with a 12-ton maximum capacity, and the MDT 368 L16 with a 16-ton maximum capacity

The MDT 368 from Manitowoc’s Potain brand will be featured at this year’s bauma exhibition. The crane, launched last year, is the largest Topless MDT tower crane. It adds new design features to the strong lift and ease-of-assembly familiar to users of other cranes in the MDT range.

The MDT 368 is available in two versions, the MDT 368 L12 with a 12-tonmaximum capacity, and the MDT 368 L16 with a 16-ton maximum capacity. Maximum jib length for both models is 75 m. Two hoist options, the 55 kW 75 LVF 30 Optima or the 75 kW 100 LVF 30 Optima, are available on both. A 6 DVF 6 trolley, which can reach 100 m/min with a 4-ton load, is available on the MDT 368 L16.

A unique feature of the MDT 368 is a counterjib that folds for transport. The crane’s outreach and lift capability require a 21.7-meter counterjib — too long for a standard truck. A hinge allows this section to fold for travel. The crane’s jib sections are interchangeable with those on the MDT 268 and MDT 308 cranes. A choice of masts is offered, with the standard 2 m x 2 m or larger 2.45 m x 2.45 m K mast available.

Manitowoc’s commitment to aftermarket support has remained constant, despite one of the most dramatic slowdowns in the industry’s history, he said.

Pommier said even with difficult market conditions, Manitowoc Crane Care’s service response and coverage has not changed.

“Despite the challenging global market, we have maintained our workforce and our position in the industry. We understand the importance of delivering excellent customer support,” he said in a written statement. “Manitowoc Crane Care is a real differentiator for us, and the support we give our customers and dealers must continue regardless of the economic situation.”

Manitowoc Crane Care will announce new sales promotions throughout bauma 2010. The special event promotions will extend to a selection of parts and commodities for Grove mobile cranes, Potain tower cranes and Manitowoc crawler cranes. Crane Care will also promote its training, technical documentation and ancillary.

The GMK6450 from Manitowoc offers significant lift capabilities

Manitowoc has launched the GMK6400 at Bauma 2010, and the company is touting it as the world’s most powerful six-axle all-terrain crane. The crane has a 400-ton maximum capacity.

Neil Hollingshead, Manitowoc’s global product director for all-terrain cranes and rough-terrain cranes, said the company wanted to build the strongest possible crane without compromising usability.

“We’ve concentrated on all aspects of owning and operating cranes, particularly the issues our customers care about, including fuel efficiency, versatility, reach and productivity,” he said in a press statement. “Above all, we focused on strength. Customer feedback told us not to compromise the load chart for a few extra meters of boom. We followed that advice, and when customers see the charts, there are clear advantages over other cranes in this class. This crane is a new design and we believe it sets new standards in heavy lifting for six-axle all-terrain cranes.”

One prominent feature on the GMK6400 is the Mega Wing Lift capacity-enhancing attachment. It helps give the crane its superior lift duties by providing extra support to the boom. It also has a patented self-rigging system that mounts on the chassis and connects to the boom. When the boom is in the working position, Mega Wing Lift extends laterally to stiffen the boom, allowing it to lift greater loads.

With its Mega Wing Lift extended, the GMK6400 offers significant lift capabilities, which are up to 35 percent stronger than similar cranes, the company asserts. Strong load charts made customers demand the 400 t rating. The Mega Wing Lift weighs approximately 10 t and can be transported on a single trailer. Its transport height is approximately 2.5 m.

There are additional innovations, especially in travel. The GMK6400 has a hybrid drive system for travel at lower speeds and is the only crane in this capacity class with this feature. This system, called MegaDrive, is lighter than typical drive systems. It allowed Manitowoc engineers to make other components in the crane more robust while maintaining the same vehicle weight.

MegaDrive also gives better traction on poor surfaces for easier on-site maneuver, especially when combined with Grove’s Megatrak independent suspension system. In also gives the crane more efficient fuel consumption, a lower center of gravity and longer lasting parts. MegaDrive powers the crane when it is accelerating to speeds of approximately 20 km/h, and then conventional drive takes over. MegaDrive activates when decelerating below a similar speed and provides smooth acceleration from standstill and automatic retardation at slower speeds.

Hollingshead said the crane has only one engine, reducing weight and providing better fuel economy.

“Our engineers discovered that smaller engines, which are typically used to power lift operations in the superstructure, use more fuel when they operate at the higher RPM needed for actions like slewing, telescoping and luffing,” he said. “Using a larger, single engine operating at lower RPM, as featured on the GMK6400, is actually more fuel efficient.”

The GMK6400 has a Mercedes OM 502 Tier 4i (Euromot IIIB) eight-cylinder engine that produces 405 kW at 1,800 rpm, powering a ZF AS Tronic 12 transmission. For when the crane is idling, Manitowoc has included an auxiliary power pack to most efficiently run functions such as electrics, the heater or air conditioning.

Main boom on the new crane is 60 meters, and it has the latest design of Grove’s Megaform shaping with a more rounded top half, again for better strength to weight ratios. Luffing jib length will be approximately 79 meters. Like the GMK6300L (the other new six-axle Grove mobile crane), the GMK6400 has the new carrier cab. Steer-by-wire in the carrier provides better control and space utilization.

Grove’s ECOS control system and EKS 5 load monitoring program are included as standard, and the operator’s cab can tilt to 20 degrees. Maximum line pull is 125 kN, and 380 meters of 24 mm wire rope is provided on the main drum. Five outrigger positions are available to give operators maximum flexibility when positioning the crane on site.

The Grove GMK6400 will be branded as the GMK6450 for sale in the U.S. where it will have a maximum capacity rating of 450 U.S. tons. 

Grove GMK6400